Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 27: IRAQI ODYSSEY

Samir’s chronicle of the Iraqi diaspora through his middle-class family’s example made its debut at Toronto last year. It went on to screen at Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Zurich, Cairo, and New Zealand, among others. It is Switzerland’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film in the Academy Awards.

Over the course of nearly three hours, the director shares the story of his extended family, who have left their native Iraq to take up residence all over the world. While Samir’s personal, and sometimes plodding, narration, namechecks dozens of family members, he largely focuses on five to tell the story of an upper middle class clan, said to be directly descended from Muhammad, who have found their lives upended by wars, regime changes, and politics. It’s an overly ambitious project, functioning not only as a personal family tale, but as a primer on modern Iraqi history, aided greatly by a selection of articulate, camera-friendly subjects, though the unfortunate use of English-language dubbing is distracting. Beyond its running time, the project’s greatest drawback is its frankly dull visual approach, positioning interviewees against black backgrounds with occasional, cheap-looking graphics popping up – presented in 3D at festivals, though it seems the theatrical release may be bypassing that gimmick. Still, the film somehow remains surprisingly engaging despite this, offering an insightful, nuanced look at modern Middle Eastern history.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 27: STINK!

Jon Whelan’s investigation into chemical industry secrecy debuted at a special event in NYC last Spring. Fest screenings have included Atlanta Docufest, Barcelona’s Human Rights, San Francisco Doc, Rhode Island, and United Nations Association.

As awkwardly shown onscreen at the outset, Whelan is motivated to make his film after he orders clothing for his young daughters and is confronted with a strange smell from the packaging. He gets nowhere when he calls the manufacturer for information about what chemicals are involved, and is instead told that’s proprietary information. He soon learns that a regulatory loophole allows manufacturers to use hundreds of thousands of chemicals in the production of countless consumer items’ catch-all ingredient, “fragrance,” many carcinogenic or otherwise potentially harmful to humans – and the companies are under no obligation to disclose their contents or even prove their safety. The neophyte filmmaker sets out to learn why, engaging in low-rent Michael Moore shenanigans to demand answers from industry insiders, politicians, and others who benefit financially from the corporate secrecy while endangering consumer health. To put a further excessively personal spin on the proceedings, Whelan wonders whether his late wife’s struggle with breast cancer was due to such lack of public health concern. While the film’s general subject matter is disturbing and certainly merits public awareness, Whelan’s filmmaking is just not up to snuff. His clunky personal crusade approach is overly derivative and amateurish, particularly in his insistence on unnecessarily including himself via narration and on-camera – and cheapens the project’s overall impact.

Coming to DVD today, Friday, November 27: JACO

Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak’s portrait of an influential bass guitarist had its world premiere at SXSW this Spring. It also screened at Leeds, Vienna, Munich, Athens, and the London and Montreal Jazz fests, among others.

To his fans, including Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, who serves here as producer, Jaco Pastorius was the world’s best bass player. His death at the age of 35 in 1987 cut his career short before he achieved the widespread fame that many presumed he would. Marchand and Kijak aim to rectify that in this appreciative, though somewhat overlong, biography of the self-taught son of a musician. They recruit other admirers, from Sting and Flea to Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell, who included Pastorius on her 1976 album, Hejira, to explain his virtuosity with the electric bass guitar, and his use of harmonics to produce a distinctive, creative new sound. As is too often the case with young artists, he ran afoul of the excesses of drug use, while also struggling with mental illness, ultimately leading to a violent end. While likely to be best appreciated by Pastorius’ existing fanbase, the doc successfully conveys a clear enough sense of his appeal to win over some new converts.

New to DVD this week: ONE ROGUE REPORTER

Rich Peppiatt and Tom Jenkinson’s condemnation of sensationalistic journalism premiered at Sheffield in 2013. Other screenings included the Leeds and East End fests, in addition to other British events, before its VOD release last Winter.

I previously wrote about the doc here.