Tag: documentary

For me, it’s art. “Riefenstahl” (2024)

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directed by Andres Veiel
© 2024 Vincent Productions. All Rights Reserved.

When I was a student of Film Studies, we had this one year-long course about documentaries. Personally, I loved each class of it because I learned a lot about the history of making such films. One day, we were discussing Leni Riefenstahl, a German filmmaker, and we got to see her productions. If you haven’t heard of her, let me just add that she was born in 1902, so do some maths and you’ll perhaps guess what kind of documentaries she was making. Yes, she was responsible for directing the films ordered by the one and only screaming man with a ridiculous moustache. Considering this fact, her work should have been banned, but the problem is that those productions are of magnificent quality. And here comes the main question film critics have been asking themselves for years: should we praise or despise her? Today’s documentary is presenting her whole life and work, including numerous interviews with Leni and difficult conversations around this topic. She was always saying that she’s a filmmaker who makes art, so she’s not supporting any political decisions and actions. However, by making a film about the greatness of Germany back then, she definitely supported the positive image of Hitler. And that puts us, viewers and film critics, in an uncomfortable position, because if she admitted she was a great filmmaker in the hands of the screaming guy, we would have a much easier job to do. What I mean is that if we got this statement from her, we would consider her a talented director among nazis. Period. I’m sure she’d still be disrespected by her personal choices, but we could say “yes, she was doing wrong, but technically her films are brilliant”. But since she’s always defended herself claiming she’s just an unaware artist, it complicates everything. Because it’s truly hard to imagine that she was making all those films unaware of what she’s supporting. I can believe that some people didn’t know what’s going on back then, because that’s how propaganda works – it makes you feel like we’re the good ones, and only those others are pure evil. However, in the documentary I’m recommending to you today, we get the evidence that Leni knew exactly what game she’s playing. I mean, if you witness a shooting of innocent people, then you must react to that. To be honest, I’m not angry that she was working for Hitler (either it was for money or for fame), but I’m angry about the fact she couldn’t stand up and admit it. To me, she was an artist, a horribly talented filmmaker, and she used her chance to make films. It wasn’t moral and right, but she took her chance. That’s my personal opinion. So it’s hard for me to respect her as a person, but when it comes to her films – those are indeed pieces of art and important elements of film history. Even if they are full of propaganda, she was a pioneer and I truly recommend you to see her work. And Leni herself… I’ll leave her for you to judge.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I’m a totally cool person. “Patrice: The Movie” (2024)

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directed by Ted Passon
© 2024 Cedar Road. All Rights Reserved.

This is the best documentary I’ve seen this year. Period. That should be enough for you to stop reading and go watch it. However, if you’re a picky little cinephile, then fine… I’ll continue the post, but don’t expect anything else than my full admiration. We get to know Patrice, a lovely woman in her 50s, who’s a human form of sunshine, joy and passion. I swear, if you spend even few minutes with her, you immediately cheer up. But Patrice’s life hasn’t been a bed of roses as she’s a person with a disability, who often had to fight for her rights, comfort and acceptance. She will tell you her life story in the film, so I’m not spoiling anything now. As an adult woman, she makes her dreams come true and uses the time on this planet to the fullest. What’s more, she has a loving partner named Garry, who’s also disabled. Despite their obvious struggles, they support each other and their relationship seems incredibly strong. I guess it’s not only because they are a good match based on their characters and interests, but also because they both understand what it is to be marginalised. Watching those two is heart-warming and gives me hope that true love still exists. So is this documentary a big positivity bomb? Not always. Patrice and Garry wish to finally get married, but the law puts them in a difficult position. You’ll find a more precise explanation in the film, but shortly speaking: if two people with disabilities get married, their social benefits are taken away. As if by getting married they proved that they aren’t actually in need of such benefits, because, perhaps, if they are able to get married, they are able to work and do other things to survive. So the couple has to decide – either they get married and find some way to support themselves financially, or they stay just a couple and keep their benefits. Some may say this isn’t such a big deal, it’s just a ceremony – and perhaps they’re right. But equality means that we’re all allowed to do the same things. And if the two lovers don’t hurt anyone by wearing a white dress and a suit and saying “yes” at the altar, then why should we limit them from doing that? Especially, since after getting married, Patrice and Garry wouldn’t have to be given more benefits than their original ones, so that makes the law even more ridiculous. Even though they are wonderful people full of joy, I was incredibly touched by the documentary. At one point I even started to cry – and it was the moment when Patrice was crying as well, so you’ll know which one. Life can be so unfair no matter how positive we stay. But I guess even if we get those well-known lemons, we should make a damn lot of lemonade (or throw the lemons at the people who hurt us, both ideas sound good to me). This documentary is an inspiring story, made in an attractive way, giving you a lot of motivation, but also food for thought. I’m truly amazed and I’m so glad I had to see it. Wishing all people discriminated by the law to stay strong and keep on being themselves!

My rating: 9/10
S.

Silence is not emptiness. “Viktor” (2024)

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directed by Olivier Sarbil
© 2024 Protozoa Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Since my last post was about the Deaf community, I’ve decided to continue this topic and recommend you one more film. This time, it’s a documentary that caught my attention during a festival and it was the first one I chose to see. Why? Because it tells the story of Viktor Korotovskyi, a Ukrainian man, presenting his everyday life during the Russian invasion of his country. I know that we’ve got many productions about the war happening there, but this one is quite unique because it’s told from the perspective of a deaf person. Viktor is a healthy and hard-working man, who wishes to support his nation and fight for Ukraine, just like other patriots there. However, no matter how much bravery and commitment he has to give, his lack of hearing becomes a significant problem. Perhaps in other jobs it’s manageable to co-work with such barrier, but not in the army. Hearing is extremely important on the battlefield, because each soldier has to be attentive and react as fast as possible, either it’s an order from the officer, an alarm or even a cry for help from another soldier. Even though it seems reasonable, during the documentary you may feel this hurtful injustice. Especially if you empathise with Viktor, who seems to be incredibly frustrated about the whole situation. And then you realise that there’s something worse than losing – it’s not being able to do anything. Despite your motivation and skills, you’re forced to sit and watch. And wait – either of victory or death. I’m aware that the story of Viktor is extreme, because it’s happening during an actual war, but this film should be a lesson to us all about the everyday life of people with different disabilities. We should understand that accessibility is horribly important, even if it’s for the minority. Once again, I totally understand the decision not to recruit a deaf person to be a soldier on the battlefield, because it’s dangerous and irresponsible. Still, adding subtitles to videos is not a big deal, and it already makes a difference. Building a ramp or putting a piece of information about the accessibility of the place? Also not so difficult, yet how helpful! Not rejecting people based on their disabilities but purely based on their actual skills? How simple! If I had to describe this documentary with one word, I’d say “helplessness”. And I believe it’s the most disgusting feeling you may experience. So let’s try not to make others feel this way, shall we? Also, except the story itself, this film is beautiful. I loved all the shots, the camera work, even the black and white pictures (even though I’m not such a fan of it nowadays). In fact, one of the producers is Darren Aronofsky and you can definitely see a pinch of his mind there. Sometimes, I even forgot I was watching a documentary, so if you’re not a fan of classic documentaries, this one should catch your attention. And of course – Slava Ukraini!

My rating: 7/10
S.

None of us can stand back and watch what’s going on. “Yintah” (2024)

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directed by Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell & Michael Toledano
© 2024 Yintah Film. All Rights Reserved.

Imagine you’re living your life, you feel safe and satisfied with what’s around you, you share time with people who want to live just like you do. And then, someone comes and says that everything will change, without letting you decide on yourself. Here I present you the story of “Yintah”. The Wet’suwet’en nation has been living on their own territories for many years. They have their own rules and traditions that let them coexist with each other and mother nature in peace. There’s a saying that money can’t bring you happiness, and perhaps that’s true. But what I know for sure is that money can destroy you. According to law, the Wet’suwet’en nation is responsible for their own territory and they are the ones who make decisions regarding it. Until some businessmen appear and choose to take that right away from them. One day, the people of Wet’suwet’en find out that Canadian authorities agreed to build gas pipelines going through their “yintah” – their land. As you can imagine, they protested and didn’t even let anyone cross the border. Unfortunately, banners and engaged owners of the territory won’t change a thing when there’s big money to be earned. So the builders are slowly trying to start the process, but they forget about one thing – whatever’s on the Wet’suwet’en territory automatically belongs to them. And this nation will not give up so easily. Wonderful documentary presenting a horrible war between indigenous people and big corportations. We hear lovely statements from politicians about respecting and supporting minorities, but then, the same people allow to destroy homes. Was it depressing to watch? Well, maybe I’ll surprise you, but no. Of course, I could see how unfair that war was, but at the same time I admired those people’s energy, courage and bravery to fight for their land. They kept searching for new ideas and ways to protect themselves, which really gave me hope that they could win in the end. Did they? Well, find out yourself! Surely, it’s one of the most powerful documentaries I’ve recently seen. To finish this post with a pinch of positivity, I’ve searched for some phrases in the language of the Wet’suwet’en and I found a perfect life motto: “Cas bighwësih tl’ok” – meaning “Never laugh at a grizzly bear.”

My rating: 7/10
S.

They were chosen by god, we were chosen by FBI. “Coexistence, My Ass!” (2025)

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directed by Amber Fares
© 2025 My Teez Production. All Rights Reserved.

Here comes a fact that you don’t know about me and it’s somehow connected to today’s recommendation. When I was yet a student, I took part in a course of Hebrew language. I spent a few months learning this quite exotic language (at least to me) and realised there’s no way I could master it. One of the things I found incredibly difficult was that they don’t write vowels, so basically their words consist of consonants and you need to know where to add a vowel while speaking. Mind-blowing, so all I remember is שׁלום (“shalom”), which is used as a greeting, but also means “peace”. And that’s something we really need nowadays… During that course I also had a chance to learn more about the culture of Israel and my wonderful professor also covered the topic of Israeli-Palestinian relations. I still remember one video she showed us, in which both sides were talking about friendships beyond borders or any political choices. I could see families which were living in both places, or neighbours who despite their religious differences were playing chess and enjoying a sunny day. Maybe I don’t speak Hebrew, but thanks to that course I know that the problem is not people – the problem is politics. In today’s documentary you’ll meet Noam Shuster-Eliassi, an Israeli comedian, who has been known for her hilarious stand-up performances, during which she often emphasises her dream of peace. She speaks both Hebrew and Arabic, which allows her to reach both sides of the conflict. Her energy and charisma really gives hope that thanks to such people, the unity is just a matter of time. But then, 2023 happens and even such brilliant comedian loses her smile. What’s happening in Gaza is beyond my imagination, even though I keep seeing pictures and videos from there. So many people (including children) have been dying and the world just observes. As an emphatic human being, I feel helpless and frustrated that there’s nothing I can do. Of course, I can join protests in my country, but the next day even more people will lose their lives there. When I was watching this documentary and saw Noam at such protest, I knew exactly how she felt. Thankfully, she has many followers and a big audience watches her videos. She hasn’t changed her mind about trying to reach peace and coexist. But coexistence is not possible if one side is being used or maltreated by the other. There must be mutual respect and safety guaranteed. Until then, coexistence my ass! I’m glad I had a chance to see this film and learn about Noam. She’s an inspiration and I really hope that one day, those two neighbours, one speaking Hebrew, another one speaking Arabic, will sit again to play chess together.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Maybe one day you can be a dead soldier too. “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” (2025)

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directed by David Borenstein & Pavel Talankin
© 2025 Made in Copenhagen. All Rights Reserved.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, most people’s eyes are focused on what’s happening in Ukraine and with Ukrainians – either those who have stayed in their country or those who have escaped. However, we don’t really think about the other side. I guess that’s because some information might be limited and certain media don’t want to share any specific news from Russia. Also, I feel like most of us don’t even want to know what’s there since we see the horrible pictures and videos from Ukraine. However, today’s documentary is coming from Russia and I definitely recommend you to see it. Perhaps you’ll end up with similar reflections to mine. The person we’re following in this film is Pasha, a Russian teacher, who lives and works in Karabash, one of the most polluted places in the country. It’s a small town with not the most beautiful views, but to Pasha it’s home and he has a strong connection with it. He’s an open-minded teacher who wishes to educate his students in the way he always wanted to be taught. He gives them space to express themselves, to find their hobbies and to share their thoughts without being judged. Despite the country Pasha lives in, he manages to actually create such atmosphere for his students and feel satisfied with his actions. Until the war begins… At that point, a lot changes in Russia, including their education system. The teachers are forced to share propaganda and students are required to repeat it without asking any questions. Pasha is known for being the school filmmaker, so he owns the footage showing the background of some lessons and activities at school. Some Russians might feel confused, but even if they don’t agree with those changes, they politely follow the orders. There are also those who agree with the idea of reforming education system and turning schools into war recruitment centres. Thanks to Pasha, we may experience all kinds of situations and listen to different opinions, which are sometimes impossible to imagine or understand. I guess the most terrifying moment to me was when they were showing children how noble it is to die for your country and that later they would be praised for being killed. The title of this post is coming from that particular moment of the film. I’m speechless and it’s difficult for me to comment on such disgusting propaganda. Surely, I admire Pasha for his work, effort and bravery, because he literally risked his life recording all those scenes. As he mentions in the documentary, there’s no way we can compare the situation of Ukrainians and Russians, but let’s remember that there are children everywhere. Some of them had to hide in bunkers or escape to another country, some of them are at home, but they’re manipulated into believing that murdering is a way to become a hero and succeed in life. You cannot compare harm, but you can admit it is what it is. A fantastic film made by a wonderful human, so you simply must see it. And let’s hope together that children will finally be left in peace to enjoy their childhood. No matter where they’re from.

My rating: 8/10
S.

They were given freedom. “Children of the Cult” (2024)

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directed by Maroesja Perizonius & Alice McShane
© 2024 Magnetfilm. All Rights Reserved.

My favourite documentary film festival has started and the first film has already crushed me from the inside. This is an incredibly important production, but let me warn you – the things you’re about to see there are beyond imagination. The film focuses on Osho Mediation Centres, which are communes all over the world. According to what I’ve learned from the documentary and from the internet (because I’d never heard of them before seeing the film), those communes do not focus purely on meditation or spiritual gatherings, but they’ve become groups of people who may literally do whatever they want. At first, you may think it’s quite enjoyable to run away from the city, spend time in nature with other people who wish for peace. However, the truth is much darker. The leader of those practices was Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, an Indian mystic, and such meditation centres have been created in numerous countries. I can’t really tell you much about the idea behind his cult, because after the documentary I really don’t want to hear about this man ever again. So if you’re actually curious about the origins of this philosophy/religion, feel free to read more about it yourselves. However, from what I understood from the film, the main idea was to give people freedom and space for their personal growth and spiritual experiences. Unfortunately, some people took such opportunity way too literally. In this documentary you will meet several adults who were members of Osho cult as children and they share their memories from that time. The darkest memories you can imagine. According to what they tell us, in that cult it’s common to have sex with minors. This disgusting practice is even praised and the adult members make sure to prepare especially little girls to having intercourses with numerous people. The longer I was watching this documentary, the more frustrated I felt. I guess the moment when I lost my temper was when the spokesperson of this whole sick movement, Ma Anand Sheela, said that those children chose to have sex and nobody should take any responsibility for that. I literally had to stop the film and have a cigarette in silence (bless you online festivals for such opportunity). How can you be so shameless to say that raping children is actually the result of their own choice?! In a commune where the children were often taken to by their parents, so their beloved guardians whom they trusted, those underaged victims had to survive. And sometimes the only way to survive was to give up and “go with the flow” – so agree to being used by those disgusting people with no dignity. No religion and no philosophy will ever explain hurting children. Period. I’m both speechless and furious after watching this documentary, but I’m begging you – make sure to see it and share it with others. Because those criminals should take responsibility for what they did and we definitely shouldn’t stay quiet about it. Also, I wish all the victims to find their peace if only it’s somehow possible…

My rating: 7/10
S.

I want to be as deaf as I can be. “Deaf President Now!” (2025)

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directed by Nyle DiMarco & Davis Guggenheim
© 2025 Apple TV+. All Rights Reserved.

When I learned about this documentary, I immediately had to see it. I’m not a deaf person, but the rights of deaf people are very important to me. And no, I don’t have any deaf family members or coworkers, but I’m learning our national sign language. Why? First, because I simply like learning languages and it’s always an interesting adventure for me to learn new words, expressions and grammatical rules (yes, call me crazy, but I like those grammatical riddles). Second, it’s because I’ve met deaf people in my life in some random situations (on the street, in a hospital etc.) and I felt frustrated that I cannot communicate with them. Especially when a deaf woman is in hospital and there’s no translator so she has no idea what’s happening to her. That was actually my hospital roommate and after a week spent together, I went out of the hospital thinking “time to learn sign language”. Now, I can tell you that the world of deaf people is fascinating, because even though they don’t hear, they can be very emotional, creative and innovative, so everyday I gain a lot of inspiration from their community. That is why today I’d like to recommend you this documentary about a significant protest organised by the students of Gallaudet University in 1988. It’s the only university in the world that is specifically designed to educate deaf and hard-of-hearing people. However, since the beginning of its existence, the university president had always been a hearing person. In 1988 there was a chance for a deaf professor to take over such position, but certain authorities decided to keep a hearing person there. And at that point, the students got furious and began a huge protest in order to finally be represented by a deaf president. You may ask why it’s so important for them? Well, as a hearing person I do agree that only a deaf person may fully understand another deaf person. Additionally, in the previous boards those important people didn’t even know ASL (American Sign Languages), which shows their ignorance and lack of understanding what kind of university they are managing. Also, a deaf president gives the students a strong motivation boost, because in the world where people with disabilities are considered more of a problem (horrible reality), there’s a man like them who’s reached the top and it gives hope. No matter if you’re deaf or not, you have the right to dream big and live successfully. So yes, deaf representation is important everywhere. If you’re curious what happened during those protests and what the outcome was, you should see this documentary. And perhaps get inspired to learn your national sign language, even a few signs to communicate. I’m sure the deaf will be thankful for your effort.

My rating: 7/10
S.

We’re ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. “Porcelain War” (2024)

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directed by Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev
© 2024 Picturehouse. All Rights Reserved.

The Oscars have been given with a pinch of drama and controversy – as usual. I’m not going to comment much on the whole event, but I need to put a little spotlight on the Best Documentary Feature Film. The winner of this category is “No Other Land”, about which I’ll perhaps share a post in the future, because it is a very interesting documentary. However, today I have a huge need to tell you about “Porcelain War”, especially considering the current world situation. Is it another documentary about the war in Ukraine? Yes, but also no. I’m a big supporter of Ukraine and I really wish them a lot of strength to keep fighting for their country, but I have to admit that most films recently coming from them have started to blend, at least to me. I can’t judge it because if your life is mostly focused on surviving, then what other stories can you be telling through films, right? So I understand it, but also the idea of watching another film about the war wasn’t and isn’t tempting to me. First – I’ve already seen what they wanted to tell us, second – I’m too sensitive to keep watching such pictures. So before seeing “Porcelain War” I had incredible doubts. Yet, I’m here, telling you it was my favourite documentary nominated by the Academy this year. How is it possible? This film tells the story of ordinary people living in Ukraine right now. They got engaged in defending their country, but also haven’t stopped doing what they love the most – which is art. That is why, despite the circumstances, they create porcelain figurines as a symbol of resistance. To me – this is so beautiful and abstract at the same time. I can’t imagine myself in their position, scared of being killed or losing my beloved ones and still… doing art. I believe it’s some way to stay motivated, to relax and forget about the cruel reality for a moment. But also, to me this documentary shows how lovely Ukraine and their culture are. I had a chance to visit this country some years before this war and the film reminded me of what I experienced being there. That’s the Ukraine I miss and that’s the Ukraine the world should see. Besides, the filmmakers also point out how important art can be during conflicts. It may have an even bigger power than any kind of weapon, so let’s not forget about it. Marvellous documentary, so I hope this post will remind you to see it. Slava Ukaini!

My rating: 8/10
S.

Political jamboree. “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (2024)

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directed by Johan Grimonprez
© 2024 Onomatopee Films. All Rights Reserved.

Let’s be clear here – I’m not a fan of politics in films and I try to avoid such productions. However, this documentary got a nomination to Oscars and I decided to see it. If you’re not into politics, but you’re still interested in quality music and social issues, then this film is definitely worth your time. The documentary focuses on so many elements that it’s difficult to even sum it up in this post, but I’ll try my best. So, the spotlight is on Africa and its political situation in the late 50s/early 60s. African countries were constantly being colonised due to the goods that could be found there. Anyone who was against that practice was pushed away or even eliminated. One of such change leaders was Patrice Lumumba, a Congolese politician and the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The man was assassinated because his actions were “problematic” to the western leaders. The problem of colonisation has always been a complicated topic, yet there’s one thing that almost always works in order to control people – and that’s distraction. As long as you make people focus on something else, you may continue your most cruel actions. And that’s mainly what the documentary addresses, because back then CIA came up with an idea to distract people with good music. They decided to send absolute music legends, who were also African-Americans, in order to befriend Africans and gain their trust. I mean, if the bad guy sends you Louis Armstrong, who seems proud to be representing them, then they can’t be that bad, right? Let’s face it, a group of amazing Black jazz musicians were used like puppets in order to continue the political game, in which the people’s well-being wasn’t even a priority. Also, for those musicians it was quite tactless to represent the US, where the segregation based on the skin colour was being practiced. On the other hand, there were sharing their love for music with the people, who really needed any kind of support. Now you know why I said it’s hard to sum up what the documentary is about, but I really hope that you decide to see it. In my opinion, it’s a well-deserved nomination, although it’s a bit too long. However, considering the amount of information they needed to share, I really forgive them the length. As a person who doesn’t like getting into politics, I found this film very engaging and educational. Plus, I could listen to some wonderful jazz, which was another big advantage. Hope you’ll learn a lot and enjoy it as much as I did.

My rating: 7/10
S.