One of the bigger lists at this year’s festival, the Documentaries section boasts factual films from across the globe. Featuring newspapers, monkeys, horse whisperers and euthanasia, this year’s selection is one of the broadest in recent memory. We have decided, due to the number of films in the section, to give you three picks in each of our four categories: known films already screened in Australia, known films yet to screen in Australia, the dark horses, and the must-sees in our schedule.
Armadillo | dir. Janus Metz | DEN
One of the most talked about films out of the Bigpond Adelaide Film Festival, Armadillo follows Danish soldiers on a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2009. Winning awards at festivals around the world, the film mixes action with a deep intimacy that showcases the horror of modern warfare. This universally admired picture is something to see.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams | dir. Werner Herzog | FRA/CAN/USA/GER/UK
Receiving mixed reviews at the Sydney Film Festival, Herzog’s documentary on the Chauvet Cave in southern France employs 3D in a way that immerses the viewer into the film world, rather than bringing it out to the audience. The small portable lights and digital technology combine with the 3D to show off the contours of the wall paintings, making the visuals even more mesmerizing.
Project Nim | dir. James Marsh | UK
It isn’t often that a chimpanzee becomes the protagonist of a film but in James Marsh’s Project Nim, the audience follows one in the 1970s taken from its mother at birth and raised like a human child. Helmed by the man behind the glorious Man on Wire, Project Nim again shows off Marsh’s talents and subtle handling of intriguing topics.
KNOWN FILMS YET TO SCREEN AT AN AUSTRALIAN FESTIVAL
Magic Trip: Ken Kesey’s Search for a Kool Place | dir. Alex Gibney | USA
While it didn’t garner great reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, nothing sounds more interesting than following the 1964 expedition of Ken Kesey’s (the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) on his drug-fuelled road trip. The film is an important documentation of American counter-culture and Neal Cassady’s iconic status after Kerouac’s On the Road.
Page One: Inside The New York Times | dir. Andrew Rossi | USA
Another film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival was Andrew Rossi’s Page One: Inside The New York Times, which received strong reviews. Giving an inside look on one of the world’s premier newspapers, it looks incredibly fascinating and relevant to modern reporting, particularly in regards to online journalism.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold | dir. Morgan Spurlock | USA
A fairly basic premise but Morgan Spurlock’s newest feature explores the world of advertising by attempting to gain advertisers for his film. An entertaining filmmaker, Spurlock’s new documentary looks to be just as amusing.
THE DARK HORSES
The Bengali Detective | dir. Phil Cox | UK/IND/USA
A freelance private detective, Rajesh Ji is the only man who stands in the way of crime and corruption. Sound like a fictional story? Well, it’s not. Ji is a working cop in Kolkata who battles against police, adulterers and corporate criminals to bring justice to those that cannot find it. A quirky look at a country struggling with its progression, The Bengali Detective isn’t being talked about, but maybe it should be.
Position Among the Stars | dir. Leonard Retel Helmrich | NLD/IDN
The final part of a decade-in-the-making trilogy, Position Among the Stars is an affectionate send-off for the Sjamsuddin family in Indonesia. While the first two films dealt with political and religious unrest, the finale continues Helmrich’s Single Shot technique with an expressionistic approach to highlight the family’s working-class area in the midst of issues in globalisation, preservation of the traditional, education, religious clashes and xenophobia. One of the more striking films I saw at BAFF, Position Among the Stars is a strong and wonderful documentary.
Sodankyla Forever – The Century Of Cinema | dir. Peter von Bagh | FIN
Featuring interviews with those such as Milos Forman, Jacques Demy, Samuel Fuller, Michael Powell, Abbas Kiarostami and Monte Hellman, von Bagh’s documentary argues the power and legacy of cinema. A discussion of influences, ideologies, issues and love, Sodankyla Forever is for anyone who considers themselves a cinephile.
THE THREE MUST-SEES OF OUR FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Buck | dir. Cindy Meehl | USA
Boasting an interesting lead character, beautiful photography and an inspiring story, Buck may seem like a small film about a no-excuses cowboy but there is much more to it. Transforming its audience as much as the horses he raises, Buck follows a man who became more than his childhood.
How to Die in Oregon | dir. Peter D. Richardson | USA
Strong reviews in Sydney prove this is a moving piece about the practice of physician-assisted suicide after it became legal in Oregon in 1994 and the lead-up to Washington’s introduction of a similar law. An emotionally-charged film that will probably resonate long after its completion, How to Die in Oregon is one more likely to bring its audience to tears.
Page One: Inside The New York Times | dir. Andrew Rossi | USA
Gaining strong reviews at the Sundance Film Festival and giving insight into one of the world’s top newspapers, this documentary is catered to those interested in journalism and where it is heading.
Hopefully this list helps decide your picks in the section. If you have already bought tickets to Documentaries section films, we would love to know your choices and your most anticipated of the category!
