Category: documentary

Making money, honey. “Queen of the Deuce” (2022)

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directed by Valerie Kontakos
© 2022 Canada Media Fund (CMF). All Rights Reserved.

Who doesn’t watch porn? But how many of us would go to the cinema to see a porn film? Nowadays, not sure, but about 50 years go it was a big deal. Today, I’d like to recommend you a rather short and concrete documentary about Chelly Wilson, who was a fun lady indeed. She was of Greek origins and nothing indicated her future career. She got married (unwillingly), had children, and was supposed to be a decent mommy at home. But it’s not for Chelly. She decided to pack her bags and go to New York, where she rented a movie theatre and started screening international films. She was doing so to support her home country and raise money for the good cause. At some point she was also screening Greek productions to popularise them in the USA. Lovely, right? And here comes the spicy part. In the 60s, Chelly chose a different path and started producing and screening films for adults. And for more details, you need to see the film yourselves. I personally enjoyed learning about Chelly and her life because she must have been a really unique and strong woman. Not sure I’d be able to do what she did back then, yet she did that with a cigarette in her mouth. About her cinema – it’s fascinating to me that it wasn’t presented as a place for degenerates or sex addicts, but as a spot for a certain community to gather, meet, get to know each other and simply have fun. Chelly didn’t only started a cinema – she built a house for those who needed understanding, support and company. Obviously, she was also doing it for money, because every business is there for making money – pretty clear. Still, she could have chosen a different path. Maybe starting a bakery? But nah, let’s buy a cinema and screen porn, shall we? And I love such energy. I hadn’t known about Chelly before watching, so this documentary let me learn something new and perhaps find some inspiration. Maybe those ridiculous ideas that we sometimes have in mind are not meant to stay in our imagination only? How cool it would be if we all just let them be. Anyway, enjoy learning about this Greek Queen that brought happiness and satisfaction to New York.

My rating: 6/10
S.

This society will stop at nothing to protect male fantasies. “Tokyo Idols” (2017)

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directed by Kyoko Miyake
© 2017 Kyoko Miyake. All Rights Reserved.

Today’s recommendation is quite challenging. On the one hand, I don’t want to recommend it, on the other, perhaps it’s better you see it yourselves. I’m taking you to Japan where you’ll have a chance to meet true idols. Those are young women who make sure to please men, yet not in a sexual way. Or at least… not directly. The idols dress up and act like little girls – they wear cute dresses, do ponytails, giggle at everything they hear and generally act like human dolls in a bigger size. They make sure to stay in touch with their fans because they are the main reason those women do what they do. The idols perform on stage in front of hundreds or even thousands of people. In their free time, they organise streams where they simply entertain their viewers – still, not in a sexual way. At least not directly. You may think there’s nothing wrong about that, in the end, in our times, it’s quite common to take part in concerts or watch people online. What the filmmaker points out in this documentary is the fact that the majority of fans following our adorable idols are men. Grown-up men. Men who are even older than their own fathers. And that’s the moment when you start questioning literally everything you see in this film. As I said before, the women do not offer any sexual content, yet their way of being as idols is attractive enough for their followers. The men admit that they are fascinated by the performers’ purity, innocence, delicacy and… virginity. What’s more, the fans have a chance to meet the idols, which is a very popular practice. Taking a selfie or holding hands with one of the ladies is a huge dream that numerous adult men share there. Not sure what you think of that, but to me this is incredibly disturbing. First, these men are not ashamed of their fantasies and the fact that watching an idol is the only way to satisfy their romantic/sexual needs. They admit that it’s difficult for them to find a woman in their age and start any kind of relation. Second, the idols are aware of this toxic relation between them and their fans because they even sing about their lack of social skills and inability to make healthy connections. And those men are happily hopping to such lyrics without any deeper reflection. Third, how would you feel if your daughter was such idol? Just think about that because an idol’s parents were asked to share their opinion and what they answered might surprise you. It surprised me for sure. This documentary is terrifying despite its glamorous and overly sweet shots. As a person who really cares about the well-being and safety of children, what is being popularised in Japan is toxic and outrageous. Everything’s fine if the idol is over 18 and all that takes place during a concert or on her private channel between her and the fans. But what if this practice encourages these men to start following and admiring little girls, under 18? They like human dolls, cute voices, virginity and all that – so what would stop them? I don’t know. I’m too disgusted to think of that. Additionally, these young women are so focused on pleasing their fans that they don’t need any other ambitions. Being seen and appreciated is their only fuel, which makes me question the future of younger generations. This documentary hit me hard, I’m telling you.

My rating: 6/10
S.

I’m so busy! “After Work” (2023)

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directed by Erik Gandini
© 2023 Fasad Production. All Rights Reserved.

I was pretty sure that if I let you choose what kind of recommendation I should post between a documentary and anything else you would choose anything else. How surprised I am to see that a majority of you voted for a documentary… so I guess I’m recommending one today. You want, I provide. By the way, do we have any unemployed readers here? Or maybe those who are tired of their jobs and wish to change them? Or maybe those who love what they do and life couldn’t be better? Well, whoever you are and whatever you do, this documentary is definitely worth your time. It focuses on the topic of work, its meaning in our life and how various forms it may have in different parts of the world. The director lets us meet several individuals, each of whom has a different job and thanks to that we may learn about their perspectives. This production shows how ridiculously our world is organised when it comes to employing people. There are those who work 15+ hours a day and barely have time to sleep because that’s the pressure which is put on them by their employers and society. But there are also those who are employed just for the sake of being employed – just to sit in the office and do absolutely nothing. For what? For money. You may think the second option sounds better. Well, to me both cases are examples of modern slavery. In our world, you can do anything with people as long as you offer them money for that. And somehow, we don’t think about our honour, our value or even our passions – getting any job means we’re already fine. I’ve got a job, I can’t complain – this kind of thinking is way too common. Millions of people are being used, underpaid, disrespected and treated like puppets. You may have heard this popular sentence “work is not your whole life”, but isn’t it? I mean, on the average, we spend at least 8 hours at work. It’s 1/3 of our day. Then we sleep for at least 7-8 hours. Let’s do some basic maths, shall we? We’re left with 8 hours a day to be ourselves. To do what we love, to spend time with our families, to have fun, to rest, but also to take care of our duties. 8 hours. And some people don’t even have that. In this film we also have a chance to reflect on younger generations who decide not to work at all. They simply want to have fun and live thanks to the income of their parents and grandparents. We could get judgmental (or jealous, name it yourself) here, but isn’t it a way of standing against this worldwide paranoia? What’s more, this documentary also focuses on the technological development and how it already affects employees all over the world. We, people, are already being replaced by machines who can do our work better, faster, more efficiently and perhaps even cheaper. So what will happen to us in the future? People are still coming, still being born, yet, as we can see, job opportunities are more and more limited. This documentary is a huge bowl of food for thought and I hope you’ll find a moment to grab a piece because it may push you to making more conscious decisions about your professional life. If only it’s possible.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I didn’t have power. “Subject” (2022)

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directed by Camilla Hall & Jennifer Tiexiera
© 2022 Lady & Bird Films. All Rights Reserved.

Documentary is a very specific film genre. Some people don’t want to watch them because they’re stereotypically considered boring, which may be fair as their role is to present a piece of reality and in the end we go to the cinema to escape it. Some others watch them to expand their knowledge on the world and learn the perspective of someone/something else within approximately 2 hours. Personally, I’m a huge fan of documentaries because I get to see things I may never be able to see with my own eyes and thanks to the filmmakers I actually can. Today’s recommendation is also a documentary, but quite different from the ones you might have seen. Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera, the directors, decided to put a spotlight on the subjects of documentaries, meaning the people who have been portrayed in numerous productions. You don’t have to have a big experience in watching this concrete genre to understand the point, but if you do watch documentaries, you may spot many familiar faces and shots. How are documentaries even made? First, we learn about some event or person that is worth examining further. Then, we either have time to work on the screenplay or simply grab a camera and start shooting, depending on the circumstances. Finally, we edit the film and release it. What happens next is simply out of our control, even if we’re the filmmakers. What I mean by that is you never know how popular your work may become. Perhaps it’ll be seen by your family members and a small group of friends, but maybe it’ll win the main award at a prestigious festival and ends up being the most watched documentary in the world that year. Que sera, sera, right? And when you’re a filmmaker, it’s your conscious decision to produce such piece and take the responsibility of whatever comes next. However, have you ever wondered what happens to the subjects of documentaries when they go viral? Today’s film is exactly about that. The ladies let us hear the voice of people who are the subjects of certain documentaries and they share their perspective. I have to admit that I never reflected about it as I was always admiring documentaries as pieces of art and sources of information. But what about those ordinary people who later have to carry the weight of publicity on their shoulders? When you’re a cinema person (actor, director) and they make a documentary about you, perhaps it’s not easier, yet somehow it’s rather inevitable in your profession to stay anonymous. However, in most documentaries, we get to see ordinary people who later become public figures and they are completely unprepared for that. I don’t want to share too much because I believe it’s best for you to watch this film and hear it from the “subjects” themselves. Still, this documentary really opened my eyes and made me feel slightly disturbed about the fact that I’m a documentary fan. Is it even right for me to like such productions knowing how much damage it may cause to certain people? On the other hand, as long as I’m not a hater and I don’t wish to hurt anyone, that’s my way of learning about them and their cases, so maybe I shouldn’t feel bad about it? In the end, they agreed to be filmed, yet the filmmakers could have acted more ethically correct and inform about possible consequences. But then, we wouldn’t have received many great documentaries. So, what’s the price of such film? I guess I’ll be thinking about it for quite some time. Feel free to join me.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’m already on the bus. “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” (2023)

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directed by Davis Guggenheim
© 2023 Apple TV+. All Rights Reserved.

I was really looking forward to seeing this documentary as I’m a fan of Michael J. Fox and I was simply curious how well (or how badly) they managed to present the amazing person he is. And you know what? As much as I’m tired of all those biography productions, I can definitely say this film is an example how to make them. If you haven’t followed Michael J. Fox much or/and you haven’t seen his performances, don’t you worry. This documentary takes us back to the beginning of his career and explains every step very clearly. He started as a child actor and that was already the time when he knew what his path should be – acting. For those who are familiar with his work it won’t be a surprise to learn that “Back to the Future” directed by Robert Zemeckis was Michael’s milestone and after releasing the first part, he suddenly became incredibly famous. Sounds great, right? A young man who had to work hard to make his dreams come true finally gets appreciated and his career looks promising. Unfortunately, reality can destroy the most beautiful plans. At the age of 29, so at the very peak of his career, the actor gets diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. From that moment, Michael has to struggle with more and more visible symptoms, which is even harder considering he’s constantly being watched. How can you stop a shaking hand when you’re in front of the camera? There’s no switch to turn it off and then, at home, turn it back on again. Even though I’ve watched this documentary and heard him telling about the struggle, I still cannot imagine what a nightmare it was to him hiding his disease. You can see in his eyes how passionate he was and is about his profession, how much he doesn’t want to give up and how much it cost him to continue acting. But you know what? Despite all this, Michael is an absolute optimist. He’s a fighter with a constant smile on his face, even if smiling is now more difficult for him to achieve. The disease has a big influence on all parts of his body, including his face. But when he speaks to the camera, I still see those sparks in his eyes that say more than his disabled body language. Speaking of technicalities – as Michael tells you his story, we can see his younger self in films doing similar things to what he tells us about. The way they managed to choose those scenes and then, edit them in the way that we feel like watching a documentary and not a complication of his performances as an actor – that was brilliant. It was actually very much reminding me of the 80s style of telling stories (in the end that’s when Michael was shining the most on the screen) and, even though it’s a documentary about a seriously ill artist, I felt so peaceful and relaxed. As if he was saying “I’m fine, don’t worry about me, we’re gonna figure it out”. Marvellous production and I hope filmmakers specialising in documentary will follow this example.

My rating: 8/10
S.

There are different types of heroes. “Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest” (“Kim Kanonarm og rejsen mod verdensrekorden”, 2021)

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directed by Mads Hedegaard
© 2021 Good Company Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

It’s been quite some time since I saw this film, but I guess I’m ready to finally write about it. I watched it during a film festival and it’s one of the productions that I remember most from that event. The documentary focuses on a group of middle-aged Danish gamers who share their passion for playing old games, drinking beer and enjoying their time together. Non-gamers feel bored already? Well, I’m not a gamer myself, unless playing The Sims and removing the pool ladder counts as being a gamer, but I haven’t done that in a long time. Although now I’m feeling nostalgic… Anyway, let’s get back to our lovely bunch, shall we? We mostly focus on Kim Kobke, also known as “Cannon Arm”. The man wishes to break the world record for playing arcade game Gyruss. For non-games – flying a spaceship and pew pew-ing to different objects on the screen. His goal is to play for 100 hours without breaks. I mean, technically without breaks. The idea is that the game has to be turned on and he cannot lose during the whole 100 hours. I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about that plan because, let’s face it, 100 hours means over 4 days. 4 days of constant gaming without a proper rest. As much as I would never go for that, I was fascinated by the passion Kim shared with his friends and how engaged they all were in the preparation. They were meeting to discuss the plan, the schedule (because one of the guys always had to be close to Kim to support him or, simply, wake him up if needed), even the diet that Kim should follow before and during the record breaking. If you want to see some great team work and men being 100% involved into something – then this film brings hope, I swear. As I said, the gaming world is not really my thing, but this documentary actually got me excited. I mean, I was fascinated how well they all cooperated with each other and supported Kim in making his dream come true. However, did he succeed? You have to see yourselves. Also, as much as I admired that whole nerdy team work, I was a bit disturbed by how much one can sacrifice for the sake of playing a game. Don’t get me wrong, we all have our hobbies and things we like, but staying up for 4 days straight is very unhealthy and may lead to numerous problems, both physical and mental. I support people in following their dreams and doing what makes them happy, but taking care of ourselves should be a priority. Anyway, technically this documentary is well-produced and I believe the filmmakers did a very good job. In the end, a decent documentary should make your brain burn, and that’s what happened in that case to me, so I’m giving thumbs up. Feel free to put your own brains on fire. Pew pew!

My rating: 7/10
S.

The purest form of love. “The Elephant Whisperers” (2022)

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directed by Kartiki Gonsalves
© 2022 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Before Oscars 2023 happened, this film was my favourite short documentary and during the event I was thrilled they got appreciated. Although I find it ridiculous that the Academy awarded a film about the purest love between humans and animals and in the same evening they forced a poor donkey to be brought onto the stage so a bunch of wealthy and famous people could have a laugh. I wish common sense could be bought with money. Anyway, let’s focus on this beautiful story as it actually brings me lots of joy. In “The Elephant Whisperers” we get to meet Bomman and Bellie – a couple living in South India. They are both indigenous people sharing a rather simple yet happy life together. And just like some of us have different pets such as dogs or cats, Bomman and Bellie have their own baby elephant Raghu. The little-not-so-little fella is a true sunshine that needs a lot of attention from their humans, but also brings a lot of happiness to their family. I was incredibly moved by this film because it shows the purest form of love. Bomman and Bellie didn’t have to accept the elephant – they could have just let the animal be or find someone else to worry about that. Their life is not that easy and they struggle to provide for themselves, so having such a baby pet is a huge challenge. And still, they didn’t give up on Raghu. They live all together and you can’t even imagine any different scenario for this little family. I love how much time and effort they’ve been putting into caring about Raghu and how much they’ve learnt about the animal, as if that was their human baby. This film really reminds us that we don’t have to be able to change the entire world with our actions – it’s enough to make a little step, especially in our surrounding. Besides, we could really live in peace with animals. This cruelty that has become our everyday life is completely unnecessary if you think about it. We really don’t need to hurt animals to have food, clothes or any other products. Just because certain things are common or have become our traditions, doesn’t mean we should be blindly following them. Try to take a break from it all and reflect on the topic yourself. Today’s documentary is full of peace and affection and I hope that by recommending it to you I’m also reminding you to seek for the same in your realities.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Dancing on the edge of a volcano. “Fire of Love” (2022)

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directed by Sara Dosa
© 2022 National Geographic Documentary Films. All Rights Reserved.

If you’re still in some Valentine’s Day mood but you’re not a fan of classic rom-com love stories, I’ve got something for you! I’d like to introduce you to an extraordinary couple that shared a lot of love towards each other, but also towards their common passion. Katia and Maurice Krafft were French volcanologists who didn’t think twice when it comes to exploring one of the most mysterious and dangerous creations of nature. I hope you won’t consider it a spoiler as it’s known from the very beginning of the film – both of them died, yet the tragedy is mentioned at the end, so that’s something I’m not revealing here. I was myself quite curious how this power couple lost their lives, especially since there were way too many occasions in their career. The documentary is very much based on their own footage as they were also recording their adventures and studies. I have to admit that I never heard of them before seeing this production, but apparently, they have made a significant impact in the world of science. They were going to places where most people would never even think of staying close to. They were bringing samples back to labs, providing scientists with more specific knowledge on the topic of volcanos. As we learn from the documentary, the couple weren’t wealthy or anyhow privileged, so they lived a rather simple life at home in order to spend the saved money on their next expeditions. I enjoyed learning about Katia and Maurice because they seemed to be a wonderful marriage, where both sides share a passion and support each other no matter what. During their trips, they were looking after each other and, as much as each of them was a very intelligent and brave individual, I’m sure they wouldn’t have done all that without the other person by their side. I believe that support of the other partner was crucial in their development process and I’m glad those two ran into each other at some point in their lives. Thanks to them, many people gained the access to more knowledge, video and paper educational materials, and perhaps also some inspiration to join them in exploring volcanos. It is also proved that thanks to the couple’s work many people were saved from the consequences of eruptions that had been estimated some time before. Besides, I don’t know if it’s because they spent too much time way too close to lava, but watching their interviews in the documentary I could feel this wonderful warmth from both of them. I really believe they were good people. And ambitious passionates. And dedicated partners. So if you want to learn something new and meet a real power couple, that’s a film for you to see.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Chaos is my home. “My Old School” (2022)

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directed by Jono McLeod
© 2022 Dogwoof. All Rights Reserved.

If you’re generally not a big fan of documentaries, perhaps this one will change your mind. I found it by accident and didn’t have any high expectations, but ended up watching it with my eyes wide open, so let’s say – it’s catchy! Maybe some of you know the story of Brandon Lee and watching this film won’t surprise you that much, but if you don’t – do not google it! Just play “start” and enjoy what you see. You won’t regret it, I swear. The main star of the documentary is indeed Brandon Lee, who agreed to be interviewed, yet not filmed. That is why we may see Alan Cumming lip syncing to Brandon’s audio interviews, which is already a quite unusual experience. Personally, I’m a big fan of Alan Cumming and he did a marvellous job in this production, especially since the story is more than complex and Brandon himself is a rather mysterious person. Except listening to his interview, we may also see the man’s old classmates and teachers, who are more than happy to share their memories about the school times. Brandon is remembered as a very bright student, who was always willing to help his classmates in studying. He was very active during lessons and sometimes knew more than his teachers, which was highly admired. Brandon made many friends at school and everyone was impressed how well he managed life considering the fact that he’d lost both of his parents and was being raised only by his grandmother. However, it wasn’t difficult to notice that Brandon seemed to be older than his peers. Yet it didn’t matter to most of them as he was a perfect student and a friend to his classmates. But as you might be guessing, there’s a quite shocking secret that Brandon was hiding. I never heard of him before seeing this documentary, so I was indeed speechless when the secret got revealed at some point. I had to pause the film and verify whether it’s actually a documentary and not some fictional story, because I swear, I wouldn’t come up with anything like that myself. And obviously, I’m not going to spoil it to you. Yet I have to mention a few things that are a big plus of this production. First, Alan Cumming and his lip syncing performance – marvellous. I think that choosing him for this role was such a perfect idea. He generally seems like a rather mysterious person, so his appearance and body language were adding to this character. Second, we don’t only get to see people remembering Brandon, but there are also animated visualisations of what the interviewees describe. It makes the documentary more entertaining and visually attractive, in my opinion. Third, the story may seem to be quite funny, but if you look at it from Brandon’s perspective, it actually presents a real drama that many young people have to go through. How much one can do to make their dream come true? And in case of failing, they are left on their own, with no goals to achieve anymore. As much as I understand people being shocked and somehow frustrated about what Brandon did, I also feel a lot of sympathy towards him, especially knowing his real background story. You haven’t seen such documentary for sure, that one I can tell you. So give it a try and let it surprise you.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Listen to her own world. “The Queen of Silence” (2014)

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directed by Agnieszka Zawiefka
© 2014 HBO Europe. All Rights Reserved.

Documentary & musical in one? Voilà. Have you ever wondered how the deaf hear music? Today’s film may explain quite a lot, but also shock you in many ways. We get to know little Denisa, who’s a 10-year-old gypsy living in Poland. Just like her whole family and the camp’s community, she’s in this country illegally, yet there’s not much authorities can do about it. Or maybe there’s another explanation, but I wouldn’t like to go political in this post because it’s totally not about it. The main star here is Denisa and we should focus on her. She was born with a hearing disability and has never received any medical support, so she’s been living in silence all her life. Before you start judging her parents, remember that gypsies generally live a very different life than we may know. Considering their situation, they are deprived of any support, including the medical one. So they try to stay away from any institutions and deal with anything that happens. That is why Denisa’s disability has never been taken care of and the girl simply had to accept her reality. However, that didn’t stop her from becoming a real sunshine. She’s an incredibly energetic and social person, and her biggest passion are Bollywood films, as she enjoys watching and dancing together with the actors. She “hears” music in her own way and makes the best out of it. This film shows her everyday life and also first meetings with specialists who may help her manage her disability. Due to the hearing problem, she also hasn’t developed in speaking, so with a hearing aid, she will have to make her first steps in communicating verbally. I have to say I was incredibly touched by this story and impressed how much a little girl can handle with absolutely no support from her surrounding. And it only made me reflect about numerous children from different communities and places in the world who are neglected because of very different reasons, while there are children in more developed countries who may actually live a quality life despite their disability. Denisa, deprived of such chance, has created her own beautiful reality, which only made her stronger as a person. As a little girl. As a child. Very interesting documentary full of Bollywood songs, so I’m more than satisfied and happy to recommend it.

My rating: 7/10
S.