Movie reviews

WATCH DOCS FESTIVAL ONLINE

FLINT: WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

Recommended. A shocker. The situation would be outrageous anywhere in the world and it's unbelievable it's happening in a civilized, supposedly democratic country. I've heard about the issue before - in Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 11/9". This one is devoted entirely to the Flint tap water problem. The citizens of Flint bathed and drank water heavily contaminated with lead, bacteria and most likely several other pollutants which has led to arrested development in children and irreversible defects. Hard to believe but it's still going on and I can't see an end to it. Those people are neglected and lied to on and on. Evidence collection for lawsuits is hindered. The underlying problem is hinted to be class and race. Film-wise, it's a documentary thriller with cameos by Mark Ruffalo, Barrack Obama, Alec Baldwin - who don't change the plot - and a handful of twists of action.

JOZI GOLD

Recommended. Have you heard of radioactive pollution in South Africa, particularly all around Johannesburg? Many inhabitants haven't either. The documentary's comprehensive. Covers the issue from all angles: historical, legal, medical. Visually attractive due to the activist's stylish clothes and impeccable hair-dos. Her manner of speaking is appealing too. Most importantly, exercise caution if you travel to the region. It's still unresolved. The heaps are there. 

BEHIND THE BLOOD

Watchable. Imperfect due to overlong passages and difficulty in distinguishing who is who between the priest and the human rights defender but it's a complete depiction of the system of violence where "first class" police pick up a sicario after an execution. The film is sprinkled with ingenious pictures, e.g. perfume sprayed the way a pistol is triggered. Very informative. Sadly, it looks like the vicious circle can't be broken in any way.

KIEDY ZABRAKNIE RYB (STOLEN FISH)

Recommended. I saw it by chance, since it's part one of a double bill with "The Campaign Against the Climate". Otherwise I'd have missed this little gem: 30 minutes which show globalisation and its dire consequences superbly: the Chinese overfish the ocean and the river of the Gambia, depriving local fishermen of their catch which, in turn, forces them to migrate. The authorities don't want to discourage foreign investment but you see no one benefiting from it. The ruthless exploitation of resources by China overseas is de facto colonial. The film manages to tell a whole range of human stories behind migration: from successful ones, through imprisonments and ransom demands in Libya to deaths on the sea on the road to Europe. Clear-cut, leaves no doubts as to the condition of the world. It also features an ear-catching African song about... poverty

THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CLIMATE

Recommended. An excellent and entertaining explanation of who and how spins climate change denialism. Because, as a matter of fact, no scientist denies it. The oil company funded battle is waged by PR experts and fast on their feet professional salesmen against less-outspoken scientists. The rightist think tank "pundits" reveal their deceptive techniques. Disturbing how an action on global warming might have been taken 30 years ago had it not been for those spin-doctors.

'TIL KINGDOM COME

Watchable. Starts with American music but what's American about it is the country's imposition on foreign states with its own agenda and the people's shortsightedness. You learn there's Evangelical Advisory Board by president Trump - created because the religious minority constitutes 25% voters. First they pushed the abortion ban through the Supreme Court. But mostly they aim at promoting Israeli advantage over Palestine. Actor "Gerry" Butler has been roped in to support an association raising funds for Israeli arms. Evangelics are also behind diminished aid for Palestinian refugees because "they receive too much". Their actions are passive-aggressive - they support Jews because later, by means of fire, God will turn them into Christians. Is this going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy like the one about settlers which is bankrolled by millions pouring from deprived American communities which are so blinded by faith they sacrifice their means to finance the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? The documentary is multi-angled but it overcomplicates the film. I had to go back several times to understand fully.

All the films were audible enough and had big subtitles on black background. Unfortunately, in spite of re-setting the router once a day, they did stutter a bit, even late at night, though the router re-start decreased the stutter. I should be able to see one more film, my 5-film voucher ended 1 movie early. I'm in the course of clarifying the problem with the platform.