On paper, this sounds way too ambitious for its own good.
It seems like all of these experiences being told at once would diminish each one, and not allow the viewer time to care about any of these folks over the course of three hours and ten minutes. But the second that first person speaks and my heart just fucking broke, it’s something I couldn’t look away from until it was over.
Basically, the documentary is divided up in parts where the interviewees are asked about very general human emotions. These range from stories about love to anger to happiness, and they all cover the spectrum of amazing and horrifying experiences to encapsulate these concepts the best they can. Even individuals that speak for barely ten seconds feel like people we know or at least understand.
These sections are split up by poetic interludes of Ron Fricke-esque footage of the world, usually portraying humans’ relationship to earth and the environments around them. These can certainly go on for too long, and are easily the most indulgent part of the movie where the focus is away from the people.
Still, to go for something this grandiose while still understanding how intimacy can lead you down the better path, that’s talent. That’s having respect for your doc subjects, for people that want to express themselves as nakedly as possible. The word “emotional rollercoaster” is one I usually find to be a cheap way to describe a cinematic experience, but it really is the perfect description here. This really deserves more attention than it’s received.
Plus, the whole thing’s on Youtube, so please please check it out if you have the time.
On paper, this sounds way too ambitious for its own good.
It seems like all of these experiences being told at once would diminish each one, and not allow the viewer time to care about any of these folks over the course of three hours and ten minutes. But the second that first person speaks and my heart just fucking broke, it’s something I couldn’t look away from until it was over.
Basically, the documentary is divided up in parts where the interviewees are asked about very general human emotions. These range from stories about love to anger to happiness, and they all cover the spectrum of amazing and horrifying experiences to encapsulate these concepts the best they can. Even individuals that speak for barely ten seconds feel like people we know or at least understand.
These sections are split up by poetic interludes of Ron Fricke-esque footage of the world, usually portraying humans’ relationship to earth and the environments around them. These can certainly go on for too long, and are easily the most indulgent part of the movie where the focus is away from the people.
Still, to go for something this grandiose while still understanding how intimacy can lead you down the better path, that’s talent. That’s having respect for your doc subjects, for people that want to express themselves as nakedly as possible. The word “emotional rollercoaster” is one I usually find to be a cheap way to describe a cinematic experience, but it really is the perfect description here. This really deserves more attention than it’s received.
Plus, the whole thing’s on Youtube, so please please check it out if you have the time.
