what (not) to doc

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, November 5:
DAWNLAND

Directors:
Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip

Premiere:
Cleveland 2018

Select Festivals:
IFF Boston, Seattle, New Haven Docs, Provincetown, Woods Hole, Camden, Vancouver, Bend

About:
Maine sets up a truth and reconciliation commission to address systemic crimes against its Native American population.

In 2012, inspired by the idea of restorative justice demonstrated in South Africa after apartheid, the state of Maine formed a truth and reconciliation commission, an opportunity for victims of injustice to share their stories with the perpetrators. In this specific case, the commission was designed to reckon with the historical treatment of Native Americans, including the forced removal of Native children from their families and placement in foster homes, efforts to assimilate them within white American society. Though some are hesitant to use the terms, the result was cultural genocide, with families fractured, children losing language and tradition, and, in some case, their innocence, as some suffered from physical and sexual abuse during the process. Mazo and Pender-Cudlip detail the harrowing process of the commission as indigenous people find the courage to tell their stories, while also exploring the conflicts that arise among its different stakeholders. While the former is far more affecting than the latter, which at times overburdens the film, both elements are stark reminders of the damage done, not only by overt racism, but by even seemingly well-intentioned actions informed by white privilege.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 2:
IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS

Director:
Gabe Polsky

Premiere:
Chicago 2018

About:
An exploration of the qualities that lead to athletic excellence.

Polsky’s film hinges on an intriguing idea – what insight do some of the world’s most iconic athletes have about what made them so good that they have become synonymous with their sport? To that end, he has gathered hockey’s Wayne Gretzky, football’s Jerry Rice, and soccer’s Pelé for in-depth interviews, together with some fairly tangential archival on folks like Venus and Serena Williams (perhaps to offset the very male focus of the film) and commentary from experts. These icons do offer some serious food for thought – chiefly the rejection of the notion that they are necessarily physically exceptional or that an outrageous amount of regimented practice led to their stardom, instead touting the importance of creativity, flexibility, and passion. The film itself is incredibly conventional, however, consisting primarily of talking heads, and an eye-catching titles sequence aside, fails to take full advantage of the dynamism made possible by its subjects’ long and well-documented careers.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, November 2:
SEARCHING FOR INGMAR BERGMAN

Director:
Margarethe von Trotta

Premiere:
Cannes 2018

Select Festivals:
Toronto, New York, Karlovy Vary, Hong Kong, Reykjavik

About:
An appreciation of the legendary Swedish filmmaker.

Margarethe von Trotta opens her film – one of two docs on Bergman that premiered at Cannes this past May – with a very personal motivation for taking on the master: Seeing THE SEVENTH SEAL inspired her to become a filmmaker herself. She later happily reveals that Bergman publicly named one of her classic films as one of his all-time favorites. While this might predispose her to construct a strict hagiography, she doesn’t shy away from the darker elements of the director’s personal and professional history. In addition to sharing her own thoughts on some of Bergman’s key films, von Trotta seeks out the views of other filmmakers, including Olivier Assayas and Ruben Östlund, perhaps to help contemporary audiences understand his influence. More interesting – and revealing – are the perspectives of those who worked directly with Bergman, including Liv Ullman, or his offspring, represented here by son Daniel. While hardly comprehensive, and frankly somewhat unfocused, von Trotta’s tribute offers an acceptable sampler to encourage audiences to seek out more of the director’s work.