Movie reviews

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FROM SHOCK TO AWE

Recommended. There are 2.7 m combat veterans in the U.S. and as many as 20% suffer from PTSD. 22 a day commit suicide. They end up taking huge amounts of medication, e.g. 90 types over 4 years, many of which are hard prescription drugs. The human stories presented in the film are touching, the people are damaged by having had to kill people, not been able to save their companions or lateral child casualties. Having been first deployed at a young age, they don't know another life. A car tailing them on a busy road, a flash of light in a house, a lack of walls all seem threatening. And, as one of them says, there are far more PTSD sufferers in the civil society. What's more, unlike amphetamine or methadone, MDMA or ayahuasca release the symptoms.The film has been bankrolled by some society promoting the use of psychedelics. Still, the veteran relieved of the recurring fears, is convincing and moving. The former combat soldiers are all downright human and vulnerable inside. That makes for a compelling viewing.

I hope the main festival will be broadcast louder and with more visible subtitles. Now I had to sit close to the computer to hear well enough and the subtitles had an inconvenient font and were white on often light backgrounds. 

CRACKDOWN ON CIVIL SOCIETY

Recommended. The 29-minute film covers a number of NGOs in a few countries. While most provide clean needles to drug addicts, some help e.g. Russian prostitutes targeted by fascists where the police failed to protect them when the hooligans made them walk the street stark naked. Poland in turn, is mentioned because of raids on organizations helping female victims of domestic violence and supporting LGBT. Not only are the cases shocking, the fact my country features in a short documentary on violating human rights, speaks volumes.

This film had very good sound even online.

THE TRIAL

Recommended. The short film puts you on the backstage of the Guantanamo detainees' trials. From the legal point of view, it's all outrageous, e.g. a movie director had access to the classified CIA files the Guantanamo detainees' defense counsels were refused. On the other hand, the attorneys are very committed. They even cook Middle Eastern food for the accused. Shock mixes with awe.

The screening was too quiet again.

НОВАЯ (NOVAYA)

Switched off. Firstly, most of it isn't comprehensible if you're not familiar with Russian internal and external affairs. Secondly, the camera just follows the editorial team in their office: talking heads, just a few rooms - tiring.

While all screenings had their start times, you could pause and renew watching which was very convenient. The biggest problem was that all had small subtitles.

HUMAN DOC FESTIVAL ONLINE

TRZY SZTUKI W ANTARKTYCE

Recommended. Phenomenal. Stunning scenery. A lot of underwater footage, e.g. a few minutes of a sea leopard diving took 6 hours to shoot while immersed in water. A bizarre outdoor concert with seals in the first row. Impressive koloid photography. Experimental electronic music. Most of all though, it's just the beauty of the world's coldest continent.

While I would personally prefer unlimited access to the films during the festival instead of specific times, it worked relatively well. No breaks between the films were scheduled but once you started watching, it didn't expire if you made pauses, e.g. for meals. From day 2 the screenings were loud enough. The films varied in quality, the awarded ones weren't the best in my view. A common denomination of the whole festival selection seems to be their usually slow pace and top-notch cinematography in a number of films.