Movie reviews

16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL

CAMINO, A FEATURE-LENGTH SELFIE

Watchable. I'm happy to have seen it. Now I know I'm not going to undertake such a journey. Not without alarming French and Spanish health authorities beforehand anyway. Apparently, all hostels along the route are bedbug-ridden. The trail may be picturesque but I've seen similar sights in the countryside before, even here in Poland. Such a long walk strengthens your leg muscles, including those around your knees but people don't do it for health as their drinking evenings show. I expected an internal journey of the protagonist. Instead, he decided to inform the audience of his defecating. Well, a shallow person will stay shallow no matter what they experience. The mobile phone footage does not provide the quality of a film camera but is just enough to give you a complete picture of what it's like to go on the pilgrimage.

#FEMALE PLEASURE

Recommended. I couldn't even cry. 5 cultures, including the world's largest religions, all designed by men, most likely in order to oppress. Not only to subjugate society and create subservient roles for women. More wars have been instigated by religion than by any other cause. 5 women who've spoken up. Hard-hitting and informative even when you know a lot about the topics. Most importantly, men want their women to feel sexual pleasure too so there's hope for female genital mutilation to be eradicated. And as Leyla Hussein says: "it's not female circumcision - it's child sex abuse, there's no child marriage - it's legalised paedophilia." The film later received the viewers' choice award.

And here are some facts I learnt in the meetings with the director and the protagonist: Pope Francis is aware that 30% of nuns get raped by priests. Doris Wagner, the nun in the picture, studied theology and got Ph. D. in philosophy. The director will probably shoot a documentary about male sexuality, their fears and anxieties next. Her parents had the '68 attitude so she grew up in a liberal family. She used to be a lawyer. She says that female directors have 40% lower earnings than male. Orgasm through clitoris doesn't exist in mainstream porn. There's also a lot of violence there. Among Christian countries, No. 1 in pornography consumption is the Philippines and No. 2 is Poland. Three days later Doris Wagner herself arrived at the festival. In canon law, rape on a female is not a crime, it's just breaching celibacy. In the 1990s 40% of nuns were harassed sexually in the US. Some were forced to abort and some died. The Pope knew about that. Nuns have no monies so no way to leave the convent. She got a scholarship so that was her way out. After the rape, she talked to a priest from her convent - today he's her husband. Nuns sometimes don't even get medical treatment. Priests have their own bank accounts. She's seen Sekielski's documentary "Don't Tell Anyone".

Afterwards, I went to the debate on polyamory. While it was conducted with respect to all the speakers: on stage and in the audience, the only new thing I heard was from a psychotherapist working with men. It clarified why women got involved in hopeless relationships like polyamorous ones or other. It's the saviour role - the role fulfils the need of importance but the person always loses.

THE RAFT

Watchable. Advertised as an aggression experiment and a "raft of love", it disappoints, The scientist assembled men and women of various ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, but only attractive ones, and put women in charge. Small space and forced isolation for 101 days were to create friction. Instead, the only sign of aggression, with a coup attempt, was on his part. All others grew closer and more tolerant. While it restores your faith in humanity and feminity - menstrual cycles didn't affect aggression levels, it's about as interesting as reading a scientific paper with no possibility to scan it faster. There's a mid-credit.