DOC NYC 2021; Short notes on 12 films and 1 series

I watched a lot of DOC NYC films in a short amount of time. 

I think it's a sign of a disease of some sort - but I digress.

Because some times when you watch a film you don't end up with a lot of words the best you can do is simply turn out a line or two. What follows are the lines I came up with for 11 DOC NYC films,

Apologies to the filmmakers, all these films deserve more, but after almost 100 films this is the best I could do right now.

CUSP is about the lives of three young women coming of age in Texas. Its not very good and I never really connected to it since I never felt I was the intended audience.

THE BROTHERHOOD about brother finding their own way when their father was sent away for terrorism is good, but....we've been here before.

WHITE BOX is a film I have no opinion on. I watched it but it made no impression on me.

GRAIN is a really good film on the love of film and the image it produces. I have nothing to say beyond that except it’s worth your time.

100 UP is a lovely portrait of a group of people who are a hundred or more who are still chugging along and living life to the fullest. We should all be so lucky to live as long and as fully as the people in this film.  Recommended

ROSSELINIS is a look at the legendary family of filmmakers as told by one of its members. This is an unexpected look at a famous family that is unlike your typical biography and we are better for it. Recommended.

AFTER THE RAIN is the story of two families in China that lost daughters named Rain in an earthquake in 2008. They then had new children to replace them. This is an interesting story that’s worth trying.

THE SILENCE OF THE MOLE is about  Elias Barahona who infiltrated the government in Guetamala and made a record of various crimes against humanity they were committing. Its an imortant  film that is kind of dull

GO HEAL YOURSELF follows director Yasmin Rams as she tries to cure herself of epilepsy. This is a good but kind of by the numbers documentary

 EDNA is a documentry hybrid telling the story of Edna's life living on the edge of the Amazon jungle and civiliation. This is a beautiful and lyric film.

SING FREETON is a look at the efforts to mke a stage show about Sierra Leone that will inspire anyone who sees it. It's a great look at the history of the country and the creation of a stage show.

THE ENERGY WAR "FILIBUSTER"  is a look at efforts in Congress to control America's use of gas and oil 45 yars ago. DA Pennebaker's film is a look back to a time when the battles were actually over issues and not just cententous us vs them rangling. However the film makes clear that some issues never go away.

BLACK AND MISSING is an HBO series about efforts to find missing black women and to teach others not to be victims. Its a very good series highlighting an important problem-no one cares that these people are disappearing.

DOC NYC Capsules: FILM THE LIVING RECORD OF OUR MEMORY,THE PHOTOGRAPH, and THE MAN WHO PAINTED WATER DROPS

FILM THE LIVING RECORD OF OUR MEMORY
An excellent celebration of film restoration and preservation  that highlights and celebrates the magic of the movies.

This is a must see for anyone who loves cinema because it will make you treasure it's fleeting nature even more'. 

Recommended.

THE PHOTOGRAPH
Using a phot of his grandfather as a jumping off point director Sherman de Jesus paints a portait of photographer Van Der Zee who shot portraits of Black life durng the early part of the 20th century and uses it to explore the generations of blacks living in New York.

This is a magical and alive film that must be seen

THE MAN WHO PAINTED WATER DROPS
Oan Kim creates a portrait of his father artist Kim Tschang-Yeul that is both a celebration of his life and art and facinating look at how he creates and what inspired him. 

Its a film that is at times too intimate and at other visually glorious. Its a one of a kind documentary that is recommended for anyone who is interested in the creative process.

DOC NYC 2021 Capsules: NUDE AT HEART, NOTHING BUT THE SUN and THE ART OF MAKING IT

 NUDE AT HEART
A look at the dancers who dance in the Odoriko clubs in Japan.

A run of the mill look at women who dance nude for a living. Its not bad but at just under two hours much too long and kind of reptative for what it is.

NOTHING BUT THE SUN
Mateo Sobode Chiqueno records the stories of  his people.

A lovely portrait of a life slowly disappearing. Its a vital and a live film that feels like a ht summers day when you are listening to your family tell stories of when they were children.

Worth a look.

THE ART OF MAKING IT
A look at the current economy, young artists and the place of art in the world.

This is an interesting look at the modern art world and what it takes to become successful and how money drives the wheels. This is an eye opening film especially since we live in a world where art isn't just something to see and experience but something to invest in.

worth a look

The Facility (2021) DOC NYC 2021

 

The Facility is a heartbreaking look at life inside the Irwin County Correctional Center in Ocilla Georgia. It’s a private  facility being used to house detainees for ICE. The film documents the events in the facility in the days as covid was spreading across the country and the facility refused to do anything to stop the spread or keep the people it was housing safe

This is a chilling film. Its an ugly indictment of the detainee system, of the use of private facilities and whole system which is putting people into prison for no really good reason (one of the people profiled was coming to the country legally on a tourist visa but was detained because she said she was fearful of her life back home). It’s a film that will make anyone who sees it think about what a horrible system we’ve created.

A must see

A Tree of Life (2021) DOC NYC 2021

 A Tree of Life is a look at the Tree Of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh which was attacked in 2018 by a lone gunman who killed 11 people in from the three congregations that shared the building. It is a film that recounts what happened and celebrates the lives of the people who were killed and the community that rebuilt and went on in the wake of the tragedy.

This is an very good film about the resiliency of the human spirit. It’s a film that has some deeply moving moments, more often than not in unexpected places such as knowing turns of phrase or a perfect image. I got misty several times.

The film is also a warning about the evil of antisemitism. It’s a film that shows how the misplaced hatred can grow and fester and when pushed by a demagogue such as the former president can turn deadly. It’s a warning we need to heed lest this be repeated – though sadly many seem to think that violence will bring about some sort of change- which isn’t the case, except that it brought together some good people together.

Recommended

Ariela Rubin on 14 PEAKS: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE (2021) DOC NYC 2021

 

14 Peaks is a documentary about a man in Nepal, Nimsdai Purja, who decided to summit all 14 of the world's 8,000 meter mountains located in Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet, in just 7 months. Others have completed this goal before but the world record took 7 years to complete it. Everyone believed Nimsdai was crazy and that there was no way he would be able to do it. Everyone said it was an impossible goal, so he decided to name his project "Project Possible". 

This documentary is action packed and thrilling as we see Nimsdai and his team of skilled mountaineers face extreme life threatening weather conditions.

I really enjoyed this documentary. Definitely recommended if you want to see passionate people push the limits of what people think is impossible. 

Nightcap 11/21/21 Upcoming and some random notes

 

Foolishly I thought DOC NYC was going to be the end of the film festival year but I was wrong. There are more coming, as I kept finding out over the last week every time I opened my email inbox.

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Menemsha Films is holding an online Hannukah Film Festival.

Starting November 28 and continuing over 8 nights they will be running 11 films for your enjoyment. The films include some really great ones ( for example THE CROSSING) so if you want to see some great stuff, regardless of whether you are Jewish or not buy a ticket and take a chance.

Details can be found here

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Subway Cinema and the Museum of the Moving Image will be holding Subways Old School Kung Fu Fest December 6 to the 13th.

This is a chance to see a number of great and rarely screened martial arts filmts on the big screen. I haven’t seen most of the films they are running so I’m seriously considering make a trip to MOMI in order to see the films.

Details on the in personscreenings, as well as their virtual screening can be found here.

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I mentioned this before but I want to remind you The Japan Society  is ending the year with Flash Forward: Debut Works and Recent Films by Notable Japanese Directors which is a look at  some work by some up and coming filmmakers virtually. At the same time they are screening some classic films in person. To be honest I don’t know any of the films screening but I know by the time the series ends I will (I’m hoping to deep dive into the fest)

For details on the films and how to stream them go here.

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I saw the first epsiode of  Netflix's COWBOY BEBOP. The cast is fine. The tone is wrong and the editing lackluster. I would have loved someone else to have made this rather than the behind the scene group that killed it.

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This week we will be running our annual Thanksgiving Turkeys. A group of old and new films you should avoid. We will be running a few other films as well.

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I’m officially burnt out.  DOC NYC pretty much put me over the edge. Blame the fact that I was getting films until the last minute of the in person part of the festival so I never could rest.

Note the the virtual fest runs until the 28th so you can watch many of the great films intil next Sunday.

 While it won't be the avalanche of pieces of the last week or so, I will  have a lot more reviews to running until the end of the virtual fest on the 28th.(I think we'll have reviewed close to 100 films)

Because I'm so burnt, December is going to be a catch up month. I will have some new releases and a lot of films from earlier in the year.  I’m not going to go crazy with having my viewing pre-programmed because I need to find my own films for a while, even if the Japan Society fest look stunning.

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Because everyone’s viewing habits continue to be all over the place the Unseen Film Awards are going to remain on hiatus again. Then again if I can pull it together I will be doing a list of the films that made everyone happiest this year because there is no way I'm going to get anyone to agree to the best of anything.(All anyone in the Unseen family says about movies is "I'm so behind")

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I’m tired of cancel culture.

This week I was emailed about a certain "minor" actor who is now on some sort of proscribed list and informed that I need to either take my reviews down or at least remove my mentioning of their name because they were now persona non grata.

Seriously?

I don't know you or why you've decided this actor is now disallowed.

Frankly I have those I will steer away from for my own reasons, but I'm not going to follow everyone else'schoices because I may not agree and things are so out of hand it's maing my brain hurt.

Honestly this canceling everyone for everything is getting out of hand and I'm wondering if there is going to be anyone left we can allow to make movies.

---

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Once Upon a Time in Uganda (2021) DOC NYC 2021

This is a look at the Ugandan film industry known as ‘Wakaliwood’. and the mad man at its head Isaac Nabwana. Nabwana makes wild and crazy low budget action films that harken back to the crazy Cannon action films of the 1980’s. They are big on motion and not so big on logic. They are also incredible fun in the best sort of a way because they are aimed at just having fun.

How you react to the film will be determined by how much you know about ‘Wakaliwood’.. If you don’t know anything about it then odds are you are going to love this film. It’s a great film and it shows the mad passion the filmmakers have for turning out films.

On the other hand if you’ve seen an earlier expose on the studio then odds are you will know all of this already. I’ve seen several stories and films on the studio and didn’t find anything new here other than the inclusion of a lot of time on Alan Hofmanis who is the studio’s man from New York. He travels the world promoting the films. (Sadly he is the least interesting thing in the film.)

If I was to have any serious quibble about the film, it’s the lack of clips from the films themselves. Yes we see them filming things but we really don’t get any real look at the films themselves. Clips would have made the film better.

If you’ve never seen a ‘Wakaliwood’. film or know about the films they produce this is a must.

Ariela Rubin on CUSP (2021) DOC NYC 2021

 Cusp is a documentary about three teenage girls in Texas. They spend their days drinking, smoking, hanging out, talking about boys, and family issues. The documentary has no structure. It's just the three girls hanging out. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and even following what they were talking about or what was going on. There wasn't much that was distinctive about any of them. 

The most disturbing part of Cusp is how casually the girls talk about a girl who was raped and how common sexual assault seems to be for them. They freely talk about not wanting to lose their virginity or being taken advantage of but being scared to say no. They feel that they won't be listened to. This is probably something every teenage girl has felt at some point in her life. 

As I was at one point a teenage girl, I generally love teen and coming of age movies, however, I wasn't able to connect with any of the girls and found this documentary incredibly dull, aimless, and hard to follow. I want my 83 minutes back.

DOC NYC 2021 Capsules: Warrior Spirit and The New Gospel

 

WARRIOR SPIRIT
This is a look at Nicco Montaño a UFC champion who ran into trouble when she was unable to make weight in order to defend her title.

This is a good look at a fighter trying to survive with in the combat arts world. It’s a great portrait of what it’s like for women in combat sports.  It is also a damning look at the process of weight cutting, the process by which fighters drop a lot of weight in a short amount of time in order to make weight. It’s a dangerous process that many sports have been critized   for using and for which the UFC has been crucified for. It’s a dangerous practice that that puts the fighters in danger despite UFC claims it’s safe.

A must for those interested in the fight game. 

THE NEW GOSPEL
Director makes a film about the passion of Jesus and makes a documentary about the making of the film and the migrant crisis at the same time.

Shot in and around the city of Matera where both Passolini and Mel Gibson made their films about the Passion, THE NEW GOSPEL is a genre defying film. One part passion play, one part documentary and one part political essay the film forces us to confront not only the story of Christ but what that means in todays world. It’s a film that asks us to consider what his teachings mean. It’s a heady mix of ideas dancing around in a film that seems to be about the making of a film.

Recommended

DOC NYC 2021Capsules: LIFE OF IVANNA and OPTION ZERO

 

LIFE OF IVANNA
Ivanna is a chain smoking  mother of five living in the traditional house on skis in the frozen lands of Russia. Tired of the traditional ways and her nomadic life she plots leaving  the tundra for a more “normal life”

This is a slice of life most of us are completely familiar with. It’s a warts and all portrait where we get a real look at the way of life Ivanna is considering leaving. It’s a tough life that I don’t envy or wish on any one, especially when one is raising five kids alone. This is an eye opening film that is worth a look.

OPTION ZERO
This is the story of a couple of Cuban nationals who attempt to get into the United States by going through Mexico.

Cinema verité style film that was shot in large part by the people involved on their cellphones. It’s a bracing “you are there” look at what it takes to try and find a better life. It’s a film that humanizes the struggles of migrants that take things way beyond what we see on the TV News.  It’s a film that is must see viewing, especially for those who would rather not think about the people making the trip.

Recommended.

DOC NYC 2021Capsules THE JOB OF SONGS and KEEP IT A SECRET

 

THE JOB OF SONGS
A magnificent portrait of Doolin in County Clare in Ireland through it’s music.

I don’t know what to say except that this film rocks. It’s a film that will get your toes tapping and make you want to get up and dance. It’s a celebration of the Irish music, the people who play it and the places that gave birth to it. It’s a glorious portrait of everything that is like watching a cinematic hug. I loved the film so much I wanted to book a flight and disappear into the Irish country side.

Beyond that all that’s left to say is but buy a ticket and take a ride, your soul will thank you.

KEEP IT A SECRET
This is a portrait of Irish surfing culture, which may sound like an oxymoron but the truth is it’s not. The truth is that that there is a surfing culture that sprung up when Kevin Cavey discovered a picture of surfers in Readers Digest and saw that the Irish coast had similar waves.

KEEP IT A SECRET is one of the great surprises of DOC NYC. I never expected to see a film on Irish surfing because I ever knew that they surfed there. I had a blast watching the story unfold.

What I loved about the film is that it moved like the wind. This is a finely crafted film that backs a huge amount of material in a brief running time. More films should be this well paced…

…and this good. This is a super film that will open up your eyes and make you  sit in wide eyed wonder.

Highly recommended.

DOC NYC Capsules: THE BUSINESS OF BIRTH CONTROL and YOUNG PLATO

BUSINESS OF BIRTH CONTOL
This is a look at the history of the pill. Its alook at how modern medicine and science changed how women saw themselves and their bodies.  

This is an excellent exploration of how the pill changed everything that came after it. It is also one hell of a story about some of the darker aspects of the tale, such a how the problems with the formulations caused all sorts of problems and how the marketing of the pills altered how they were used. 

This is a meaty exploration of a very complex subject that I am going to freely say I need to see again. Films like this are tough for me to really write up in a film festival situation simply because it needs way more bandwidth then I can give it to fully take in everything it is telling me (I as watching this in the middle of seeing around 50 films). That said this is a vital film that needs to be seen and which I will be revisiting down the road.

YOUNG PLATO
Portrait of Mr. McArevey, headmaster at a Catholic primary school in Northern Ireland and the community it is serving. McArevey is very involved with the kids and isn't above teaching philosophy to young kids as a means of helping them deal with the world.

This is an observational documentary very much like th work of Frederick Wiseman unfortunately unlike Wiseman the filmmakers struggle with fully engaging the audience. Part of the problem is that outside of McArevey, we really don't connect to anyone. Everyone is a face, a figure kept at arms length. While I could appreciate the achievement of what I as seeing, I never as emotionally connected.

DOC NYC 2021 Capsules COMALA and REFUGE

 COMALA
This is the story of director Gian Cassini trying to figure out who his father was, why he was killed and attempting to heal his broken family. It’s not an easy task since his mother refuses to deal with the past, and the fact his father was a hitman in particular. It’s a story that will take him all over Mexico and put him in contact with some unexpected people

To be honest this film didn’t work for me. While I found the story compelling, I never connected with the presentation. Watching the story unfold I never really got a sense of what I was supposed to feel. This is supposed to be a story that is supposed to help the family heal but I don’t think that angle works. I know the problem is with ---‘s relationship with his mother.  Her refusal to see the way things are, something we largely know from the start thanks to the news stories of ---’ death, makes this a film that doesn’t seem to be aiming to go anywhere. There isn’t a narrative arc so much as a narrative meander.

While I like the underlying story and was intrigued by Cassini‘s revelations about his father it never much worked for me beyond that.

 REFUGE
At the opening of Refuge the film looks like it’s going to follow the typical tale of a white supremacist and a member of a group he professes to hate becoming friends. It’s the sort of thing that we’ve seen in numerous films over the years. It looks like  it’s going to follow the typical track. However the film begins to bend relatively early on as we get to know Chris Buckley and Heaval Kelli.  We really like the two gentlemen. We can see them as friends. Actually what begins the film bending is the story of Clarkston a small city in Georgia not far from where Buckley lives.  This is a where Kelli lives. The city has been welcoming refugees and immigrants for decades and as a result it has grown and prospered into a place where everyone is welcome. It’s ground zero for the story since it is through visits to the town that Buckley begins to change his mind.

This is a super little film. While the film doesn’t chart any new ground, it does give us a great deal of hope since the film shows us clearly what can happen if we don’t choose hate.  That the film works as well as it does it thanks to  Buckley and Kelli as well as Mama Amina who charms our pants off. We see what not going into darkness will bring us. Literally choosing love, Buckley‘s wife tells him change or she would divorce him and take their kids, can change our lives for the better.

What a wonderful film.

Recommended

DOC NYC Capsules 2021: I'M WANITA, THE REVEREND and YOUNG PUNX

I’M WANITA
Portrait of Australian Honky Tonk singer Wanita Archer who wants to travel to Nashville in order to record a real country album.

Very good bio of a no nonsense woman who wants to make her dream come true. Full of great music it is recommended.

THE REVEREND
Portrait of Vince Anderson who went to New York to become a minister and instead found music.

Wonderful portrait of a one of a kind performer and his merry band of  musicians. It’s a wild ride full of great music and greater stories.

One of the finds of DOC NYC.

YOUNG PUNX A PUNK PARABEL
Portrait of the rock group Kid Color made up of young kids who rock out so well that they have played various music festivals, opened for the Mighty Mighty Bostones and played with Green Day.

Charming family friendly rock and roll tale will put a smile on your face with its tale of kids living the dream. While the film is probably too long even in it’s short 70 something minute run time, it still manages to entertain.

Definitely worth a look

DOC NYC 2021 Capsules: WE ARE RUSSIA, CAVIAR CONNECTION and F@CK THIS JOB

 

WE ARE RUSSIA
Portrait of the young people protesting the political situation on Russia despite the danger. The film focuses on a number of people who are supporting jailed Presidential candidate Navalny who is such a pain in the side of Putin that he allegedly had him poisoned.

This is a very good look at the street level protests quietly going on in Russia. We watch as the kids struggle to change minds and are confronted with a brainwashed older population who feel that the United States is behind all of the hatred for Putin. I love that we see the discussions between the two sides, which contain the statement of the pro-Putin people “You don’t have to film me”. Clearly they are afraid of something.  The film doesn’t shy away from anything and as a result we see the danger lurking around anyone who doesn’t play ball with the authorities.

Highly recommended.

THE CAVIAR CONNECTION
A look at the battle for free expression in  Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. The former members of the Soviet Union are perhaps even more oppressive than Russia. Journalists speak of the danger to their lives and how anyone with money can pretty much get away with anything since cash is king.

This is a frightening portrait of the cancerous states in the middle of Asia that are very much a police state of the worst sort. I’ve been reading on the problems with the countries for years because of the problems with problems involving the LGBT communities as well as with problems with their sports (it begins with doping and gets worse).  Now seeing just how bad things are on even more levels is not only more frightening, but also kind of sad since it seems worse than in the bad old days of Joe Stalin.

If you need a reason not to travel to Central Asia this film will give you plenty of reasons.

This is a great film and is very recommended.

F@CK THIS JOB
This is a look at the founding of the independent Russian News channel Dozhd. The channel was started by people who thought that an independent source of news in Putin's Russia would be a good thing. The quickly found out it was not.

In a way this is a surprisingly upbeat and hopeful tale considering the subject matter. This is the because of the Natasha and Sasha who are at the center of the story and who keep the story focused and human even as bad things happen. They tell their story with less gloom and doom then you would expect.  The result is a film that is more involving than if this had been a doom and gloom telling would have been.

I really liked this film. I love that the film shows that Putin hasn't crushed the soul or zombified all of the masses.

Highly recommended.

MESSWOOD (2021) DOC NYC 2021

This is the story of two high schools in MilwaukeeWisconson, the almost all white Shorewood High and the almost all black Messmer High who came together to form one football team that became state champions. Messwood, was hailed as mdel of racial harmony however events threaten to over take them.

This is avery good sports documentary that hits all of th right notes with absolute perfection. Its a film that looks good, moves like the wind and makes you think and feel. It's a film that does exactly what it was desgned to do and does it to perfection.

And that is the only problem with MESSWOOD it feels like a perfect Hollywood feel good blockbuster but in documentary form. While the film has some surprises  the construction is such that you know before hand where the high and low points are going to be  to the oint that you can almost sing along.

I'm not saying this because the film is bad, oh hell no this maybe one of the best and most crowd pleasing films at DOC NYC it's more that as much as I love the film I just wish it wasn't so slick so that I could have some place to hold onto and keep it close to my heart.

QUibble aside MESSWOOD is a great film and worth a look.

LIFE OF CRIME 1984-2020 (2021) DOC NYC 2021

 

The weed of crime bares bitter fruit – The Shadow

LIFE OF CRIME 1984-2020 is a crushing film. It’s the story of three friends over the course of 36 years as they commit crimes, go to prison, become addicted to drugs and die. Its an in your face verité look at three lives on the fringe of society. It’s a sad film that will break your heart. It’s a film about young people who think they have it all figured out who find over time that things are stacked against them.  As the film opens we see how they are thrilled to be making more money than their parents for a few minutes work boosting sheets and home goods. We listen to their plans  for the future and their posturing as having figured things out.  We then watch as it all goes differently  then they thought it would.

This is bracing film about where a life of crime can lead. It’s a dire warning that people should see because it shows clearly that crime doesn’t really lead anywhere. Actually it leads to an autopsy table (that is a warning to those with a weak temperament).  It’s an arc that really hit home for me since my day job brings me into contact with many people who are living similar lives. As a result I can now clearly see how many of them will end up.

I don’t know what to say. What started as a film where I watched in disbelief that they thought they were doing good, turned in in my feeling sorry for them and finally to a deep sadness. This is not a happy tale.

As hard as it is to watch at times LIFE OF CRIME 1984-2020 is a vital and important film and is highly recommended.

The Slow Hustle (2021) DOC NYC 2021

Director Sonja Sohn's THE SLOW HUSTLE is a film of quiet power.The film is the story of the Baltimore Police force, a corruption investigation and the death of officer Sean Suiter which still remains an event with too many questions lft unanswered.

THE SLOW HUSTLE is a film that will leave you wanting to know more. As the film unfolds a lot of questions are raised and lot of them are left unanswered. Part of the problem is that authorities botched things from the get go and even on the most basic level, such as saying which side of the head he was shot in. Nothing was transparent and since Suiter was killed the night before he was to testify about police corruption motives are questionable. Even when the film ended I still wanted to know what happened.

That is not a flaw rather it is testiment to Sohn's filmaking and search for the truth. She doesn't give us what she thinks are the answers she gives us what she and the world are being told are the answers and she is letting us draw our own conclusions. The result is we are left wanting to know more.

What I love abut Sohn's filmmaking is she never telegraphs anything. If you are like me and don't know the story, you are not going to have any idea where this is going to end. Its a puzzle that keeps showing us doors we can walk through up until the final fade out thus keeping us invested until the very end.

This is a great film and very recommended.

DOC NYC 2021 Capsules: COLORS OF TOBI and GO THROUGH THE DARKNESS,

COLOR OF TOBI
A young man comes out as transgender to his parents. As Tobi goes through the process of making his identity legally, his parents also deal with the changes that the transition brings.

Excellent look at one family’s journey in the wake of one member’s coming out as transgender. What sets this film apart from most films is that the film doesn’t focus just on the person transitioning but the whole family. I have watched many films about people transitioning and in most cases the family is pushed to the side.  Until this film it seems that most filmmakers didn’t care about the families.  Because of the focus this is going to be a film that is going to help many people come to terms with the changes of their loved one have made. 

GO THROUGH THE DARKNESS|
This is a portrait of young Guanglin and his father. Guanglin is a young man who is a champion of Go. He is  a champion despite being blind, thanks to an incredible memory.  His life is nothing except playing the game as he works toward a life as professional Go player.

My reaction to the film is mixed. While I was amused at the start as Guanglin plays in a tournament that will determine his amateur status and is opponents were amazed that he could play with out seeing the board (he uses a special board and pieces that he can touch) my feelings towards it all shifted as I became troubled by the relationship between the father and son. Guanglin is clearly socially backward, really only interacting with his father. At the same time the father is rather creepy since he has pulled his son from school and is insisting that Go is the only thing that he is going to do. In a way I felt dirty since the father is so controlling, I kept wondering why child protective services weren’t involved and realized that it was China. It left me feeling uneasy.

To be honest, this is an interesting story but I’m not sure I need to see it again.