Wrapping up

Saturday and Sunday we went to 3 of an intended 6 films. One of the great lessons of film festival going turns out to be that 6 films in two days would have completely defeated my ability to sit still. And at least one of the ones I'd hoped to see is on Netflix. Maybe more? Again it was a mixed bag.

Tide Lines was very popular at the festival, so we thought we'd give it a try. It is a sort of eco-documentary, about 3 surfing guys who buy a sailboat and circumnavigate the globe, and then some, filming themselves along the way. Somewhere along the line, in the preparations it seems, they got the idea that there is a lot of plastic washing up on shore, so they decided to build into the voyage the quest to demonstrate how badly the ocean is polluted by plastic. Nice sentiment, but unfortunately they don't actually know much about the problem other than that it is ugly to have plastic on beaches, people in poor countries throw a whole lot of stuff away (could it be they lack infrastructure?), and there are people who know more than they do. Oh, and by the way, there is good surfing to be had many places in the world, and you will see away too much of it. Also, small boat sailing can be (a) beautiful and inspiring, and (b) dangerous and frightening. Sorry to say, I can't recommend it.

Like Father, Like Son was a lot better -- one of the highlights of the festival. It is a Japanese film by Hirokazu Kore-eda, about two families who discover their sons had been exchanged at birth without their knowledge. (Unfortunately, the explanation offered in the film was incomprehensible.) It then goes on to explore how the two very different families live, their attitudes toward their way of life, and the impact of coming into close contact with their counterparts. The result is a playful yet serious look at fatherhood, materialism, and values. Apparently it has been a big hit at Cannes and other festivals, and certainly seemed to be a crowd pleaser here. This one is a must-see if you get the chance.

Sunday we finally got in to see Village At The End Of The World, another documentary, this one about a small aboriginal village in north-western Greenland. The subject matter alone is enough to carry this one. The film makers seemed to have gained the trust of the 50+ residents of the village, who let them film their lives, including discussions of the old ways, of the pressures to balance tradition with the modern world, and the villagers' struggle to take over a fish-packing plant that a Danish corporation had closed down. There is also a queasy-making and hilarious segment around the visit of a cruise ship whose passengers seem unable to bring the transitional society they are seeing into line with the noble savages they'd expected. Definitely a film I would recommend.