Samsara (2011)

A stunning visual experience.

Humanities spirituality

stunning portrayed 

on glorious 70mm.

To conclude my little trip into the world of documentary filmmaking, I give you my opinion on one of the most ambitious films I have ever seen. Samsara is a film which aims to give deep and abstract insight into spirituality, consumerist culture and cultural diversity without the use of any dialogue or narration. The only tools this film has to convey these ideas are it's visuals and it's sound, nothing else. It is a good thing then that both of these elements are absolutely phenomenal and result in a documentary that can only be described as an experience.

It is difficult to talk about Samsara due to it's entirely unconventional nature, choosing to present rather than explain. Over the course of two incredibly swift hours (the film drifted as easily as a February breeze) the audience is exposed to a cornucopia of sumptuous imagery and are allowed to create links between these images at their own leisure. Every shot lingers for the perfect amount of time to achieve it's effect, never outstaying the viewer's patience. The film is also expertly put together, with literally every cut holding greater significance and adding to the power of the camerawork I cannot praise the film's cinematography enough, and if any film exists as a testament to the wonder that is 70mm film, it is this one.

The other element that impacts this film is it's use of sound. The soundtrack is wonderfully put together and totally thematically appropriate for whatever the current subject of the film is. The score was written after the film was already edited together, so it was perfectly crafted to compliment and enhance the power of certain shots. The overall effect of the music is grandeur and the film allows the audience to drink the addicting concoction that this film's visuals and sound provides.

To conclude, this film is an experience that I would recommend to anyone. It perfectly demonstrates the scope and potential of the documentary style and has gifted the world with some of the most mesmerising shots ever composed. Samsara is a true work of fine art, and I feel that it is the perfect conclusion to documentary month.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

Documentary Month 2015 #6

  

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Funny, inventive,
 poignant

and wonderfully

 creative. I have

nothing but good

 things to say

about this documentary.

This is a 'lightning in a bottle' film. It is hard to comprehend how so many potent elements, and chance meetings had to happen in order to bring this film to life. This is one of the most unique and innovative films I have ever seen, and it all occurred basically by chance.

I will not spoil how 'filmmaker' Theirry Guetta and street art legend Banksy meet, or the events that transpire after they cross paths, however I will say that it creates perhaps the most compelling documentary filmmaking I have ever seen.  Both characters are extremely fascinating subjects for a documentary, one a confused and awkward wannabe artist, the other the shadowy king of his medium. They are both seemingly complete opposites, yet at the same time represent the same artistic and rebellious spirit. 

The film features footage taken over the course of many. many years giving a sense of scale undreamed of by other films. I graciously thank every person who had to rummage through the literal weeks worth of footage to make this film a reality, yet succeed in editing together such a concise and poignant work. This film could have easily stretched into an unnecessary length within lesser hands, however here the story is kept brief, allowing for a fun and playful tone rather than being monotonous and preachy.

I firmly believe that this film can be enjoyed by any audience. As a wry comedy, as a serious insight into the world of street art, as an underdog story about a man learning to channel his seemingly limitless passions into something worthy of validation or as a discussion on the nature of art and what it means to devote one's life to it's creation. All these ideas are gaily weaved into what my be the most complete and narratively cohesive documentary I have ever seen. 

In conclusion, I highly recommend this film. Despite the dazzlingly high quality of documentaries i have seen this month, I do not hesitate in calling this the greatest I have covered so far. If it remains that way by the end of the month, then I will still be enormously satisfied with what I discovered in this masterpiece. 

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

Documentary Month 2015 #5

Black Breakfast (2008) [Short Film]

A four minute mood piece on the polluted nature of Chinese culture. Very effective for what it is.

This is perhaps the most obscure thing I will ever cover on this blog. A four minute piece of ambient storytelling from the equally obscure Stories on Human Rights anthology film. The reason there's no poster on this review is because I could not find one. The only reason I was made aware of this film, was because of the wonderful site Taste of Cinema, which I highly recommend checking out if you haven't already.

Beyond the odd nature of this film, it is actually quite good. An effective and poetic little piece about the overwhelming pollution of China. I do not know how literal the imagery is meant to be, due to my lack of knowledge on the subject, however I am more interested after seeing this film.

In conclusion, all I can say is that I am curious to find the other twenty-two pieces to this anthology and see how they work as a bigger picture.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

Documentary  Month 2015 #4

Jesus Camp (2006)

One of the scariest

and most 

thought provoking

documentaries I will

 see this month.

Jesus Camp is a time capsule for one of the scariest points in recent world history. A time when mass Christian hysteria threatened to overthrow decades of social advancement and America (sadly the only country which seems to matter when it comes to incidents such as this) dangled above an anti-intellectual, and monumentally short-sighted  Republican abyss. Over the last 9 years, the radical Evangelical groups seen in this film have slowly lost momentum and they have failed to restrain society's progress, however these facts do not dampen the power of this film. It is shot elegantly, paced perfectly and subtly delivers it's message without forcing it's viewpoint on the viewer, the madness speaks for itself. 

Jesus Camp follows the indoctrination of several children at the hands of a children's pastor named Becky Fischer. We witness the delusional mindset of these people and the poisonous effect they have on the minds of the young, the lies they are fed and the militant mindset they are forced to adopt. The frequent references made to war and the apparent idea that the children are being turned into children exposes the aggression of this environment, and the film does an excellent job by coherently showing us the obsessive and xenophobic teachings of Fischer. This film is exactly what it claims to be, an unabashedly brutal and raw look into the breeding tube for America's most dangerous future citizens.

The film is fairly brief and keeps a brisk pace, preferring to show an expansive range of topics rather than focusing on one element of Evangelism exclusively. We see both the inner workings of this church and the personal effect the environment has upon the children themselves, for example the media which is withheld from them and the pastimes which are frowned upon. By showing both the small psychological impacts, and the far larger in scale machinations of Fischer's group, we are given a complete picture of the situation and little is left unscrutinised. In terms of insight, this film is unbelievably effective and is perhaps the all time definitive documentation of this heavy issue.

In conclusion, this film is every bit as frustrating and anger inducing as it has been built up to be. It will leave you furious after your initial viewing, however this anger will slowly settle into deep contemplation. This film is bound to bring up discussion amongst it's viewers and encourages a critical outlook on religion and society, things which the people captured by the film certainly do not want you to have.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

Documentary Month 2015 #3

The House is Black (1963) [Short Film]

A poetic and stunningly
effective documentary.

To follow my first 'Documentary Month' review, here is another lauded and highly influential film from Iran, however with a radically different style and purpose.

This film is a beautifully shot and stunningly empathetic work from a director who was not even a filmmaker by trade. Forugh Farrokhzad, mostly know for her highly influential poetry, hand crafted this stunning insight into a leper colony.

The film features some of the most ingenious editing and cinematography I have seen in a documentary like this. There are some stunning and heartbreaking shots of the inhabitants of the colony, showing the suffering and pain of these people with a bold rawness, uncommon for the time of the film's release.There are several moments where the film drifts from documenting the subject in question, and instead begins to poetically muse the nature of humanity through the visuals. This film is undoubtedly the product of a highly unique and distinct artistic voice, who tragically died far too young to continue this raw expression.

The documentary weaves its way through a number of themes within it's brief runtime. Spirituality, hope, beauty and various other ideas, whilst also describing and showcasing the intense struggles felt by the inhabitants of this odd community. The high-reaching thematic elements and the educational information blend together fantastically.The film crafts these themes through a combination of lovely narration, from the director herself,  and the film's aforementioned excellent editing. By intercuting shots of elderly sufferers of the disease to children, the audience is given a sense of the wide and indiscriminate nature of the disease. Touches like this are what makes this film a masterpiece of poetic realism in my eyes. So much is conveyed with so very little.

In conclusion, the film is a little miracle. This film can be credited with planting the roots which would later bloom into the Iranian new wave, and is often though as the earliest true masterpiece of Iranian cinema. I am most reminded of the classic 1930's film Freaks when I think of this film. A strange, poetic and thoroughly engrossing voyage into a relatable yet alien world, I would recommend both films highly. The House is Black is available on YouTube for free, in good quality (however the subs are a little tough to read at times) and I would highly recommend it.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review
Documentary Month 2015 #2

This is not a Film (2011)

A poetic and

 thoroughly frustrating

document of a grave

 injustice against art.

If you are not aware of the unjust arrest and ban from film making which was committed upon Jafar Panahi by the Iranian government, I highly recommend that you do some research before watching this film. This context highly benefits the viewing experience in this instance. The fantastic 

web-show Brows Held High did a spectacular episode on this film, which gave all the appropriate background information without spoiling too much and I recommend this before watching the film.

Aside from the background surrounding it, how does this film stand on it's own terms?

Beautifully.

This is by far the best film I could have opened documentary month with, because this is where film making (and by extension, all true art) begins. Raw creativity, passion and above all, guts. This is one of the most risky and dangerous cinematic gambles I have ever seen, and it pays off tenfold.

Jafar Panahi shows all of the frustration, despair and angst expected of a man in his position. However he adds more than just that, the emotion that I see most from Panahi in this film is longing. He is a filmmaker who was forcefully shot down in the prime of his career, with films he still wanted to make. Watching his attempt to somehow breath life into a screenplay he can no longer produce is a maddening experience, even more so to anyone who knows how frustrating it is have projects which you know can never be achieved.

Aside from it's relevance to filmmakers on the whole, This...non-film, is also simply an enjoyable insight into a fascinating individual. I have never seen any of Panahi's other films before now, however I am certainly eager (even more so due to the clips Panahi plays during this film). Panahi's critical, yet benevolent attitude towards Middle-Eastern society seems to be prevalent throughout his films, and he may be the perfect introduction to Iranian film for me, a culture I have almost no experience with.

The film this reminds me of most is Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe, which was also a small scale insight into a fascinating filmmaker I have no real experience with. However where as that film was laid-back and relaxed in tone, this film has a constantly tense atmosphere. It almost feels like Panahi will be taken by the police, due to breaking his ban on filmmaking, at any moment and the occasional mentions of increasing police activity throughout the film makes matters even worse. We feel all of Panahi's fears first hand, and we feel his utter helplessness as he see him watching news footage of natural disasters within Iran. For all he knows, Iran is literally burning around him.

In conclusion, this film was a daring and wonderfully done insight into both a grave injustice, and a very interesting man. I desperately hope that Panhi is able to somehow keep his career going, for he of all people deserves recognition.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review 
Documentary Month 2015 #1

Documentary Month 2015!

If there is one genre of film I have almost no experience with, it's the humble documentary. I have attempted to break into this medium for a long time, however I have never been able to find the time. Now, in the month of February, I will watch and review as many documentary films as I can!

Here's a list of films I wish to cover in this month. I may not cover them all, and I may cover some films not on this list at all, however it should give you an idea of what to expect this month (I have not seen any of these films as of the time of posting this update [all dates provided by IMDB and not verified]).

A Letter to Zachary (2008)

Blackfish (2013)

Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Burden of Dreams (1982)

Catfish (2010)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Grizzly Man (2005)

Haxan (1922)

Hearts of Darkness (1991)

Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

Into the Abyss (2011)

Jesus Camp (2006)

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Jodorowsky's Dune (2014)

Leviathan (2012)

Life Itself (2014)

Man On Wire (2008)

March of the Penguins (2005)

Samsara (2011)

Senna (2010)

The Act of Killing (2012)

The Corporation (2003)

The King of Kong (2007)

The Look of Silence (2014)  (May not be released where I live yet)

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

The Union: The business behind getting high (2007)

This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)

Waltz with Bashir (2008)

The Month will last between Jan 28th - Feb 28th and I aim to review at least 10 documentaries. Bear in mind that the issues with frequent uploads due to college are still very much in effect right now, and I still wish to release some other review and list content besides this. With all this in mind, I look forward to diving into this whole new world of film.

By Jack D. Phillips

Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980) [Short Film]

An amusing, breezy 

and insightful 

little documentary short.

Although I still have not seen one of his own films, I feel justified in saying that Werner Herzog is one of the most interesting people in the the world of cinema. His bleak insights and depressing outlook can give birth to some wonderful insights, and he has spawned more than a couple amusing stories, such as saving Joaquin Pheonix's life in a car crash (look it up, it's hysterical). However this film allows Herzog his true platform to give his opinions on filmmaking, cooking and various other topics. It was wonderful to say the least.

Prolific documentarian Les Blank handles the direction and does an excellent job. He creates an inviting atmosphere and everything that is said by Herzog and the other participants feels very natural. I give the director huge credit for allowing Herzog to dictate the film's tone and for not attempting to hijack it for his own purposes. The film is also well shot, with some amusing tracking shots of the shoes in question as they march to their destiny.

The most important thing in this film however is definitely Herzog himself. The shoe eating is used as a catalyst to talk about some of the more unbelievable aspects of film-making and gives some nice insights into Herzog as a person, as well as a artist. Herzog also makes a point about what the bet was about in the first place, a young filmmaker who was somehow able to produce the film of his dreams with minuscule resources. It is clear throughout the short that Werner clearly respect smaller independent film and gives both advice and insight towards the trials faced by such filmmakers.

Overall I love this short and I recommend that you track it down on Youtube, or better yet on the Werner Herzog BFI collection.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review