2011 Documentary Edge Festival

I can personally say there will be a very high calibre of film-making being showcased throughout the duration of the 2011 Documentary Edge Festival. I would love to see them all (though I know I can’t). Here are five I definitely want to see…

In many ways, ‘the documentary’ holds particular importance in telling the story of culture and society.

More than merely ‘news’, a good documentary seeks out the core of a story; attempting to reveal something new to the viewer in a fresh, unique way.

Documentaries can be whimsical, ‘hard-hitting’, or downright painful, but something every documentary must do is leave the viewer with a sense that life has taken a unique turn; that sometimes the questions are just as important as the answers, and that the answers themselves can be just as confounding.

The 2011 Documentary Edge Festival will be delivering such tales of human life and existence. A wide variety of cinematic story-telling, consisting of 64 films selected from a pool of 600, will be shown across the festival. They have arrived from 20 different countries (from Denmark, to Egypt, to Colombia), and are split into eight sections, each with their own theme.

The themes are:
• New Zealand
• Best of Fest
• World Cinema
• Heroes and Icons
• Culture Vultures
• On the Edge
• Shorts
• Spotlight: All in the Family

Having personally seen a selection of the trailers, I can personally say there will be a very high calibre of film-making being showcased throughout the duration of the festival. I would love to see them all (though I know I can’t). Here are five I definitely want to see.

Erasing David
England is apparently one of the most intrusive states in the world; they know where you are, they know what you are doing. ‘Erasing David’ is a real-time adventure story tracking David Bond as he leaves behind his young family; embarking on a social experiment that sees him on the run from two surveillance experts, hard on his tail – and messing with his mind. This film looks f***ing exciting; I’m sure it will also be a very chilling exposé on the state of privacy in the UK.

The People vs George Lucas

Star Wars is officially part of the world’s woolly-eared zeitgeist. One particular oddity this has led to is the fans seeming to know more about the sci-fi fantasy series than its own creators. ‘The People vs George Lucas’ looks at a few of these ‘crazed fans’, showing the impact story-telling can have on the lives of people who get a little bit too into a story about light-swords and rubber aliens.

A Small Act

‘A Small Act’ follows the trail of a young Kenyan man- who once had his education sponsored by a Swedish Holocaust survivor – as he follows in the footsteps of his miracle-aunt; paying it all back through creating a scholarship programme for children with a similar upbringing to his own. The film gives a look-in to the current development of the Kenyan nation; I’m sure I’ll be a teary wreck by the time the credits start rolling.

Make Believe

Magic is an odd business – one that has always attracted ‘characters’. ‘Make Believe’ reveals where that quirky sub-culture begins, focussing on six young magicians as they undertake the mystical quest for the title of Teen World Champion. My ex-flatmate was a budding magician; he was quite an interesting person. This film is going to be very entertaining.

An African Election

The content of this film is explained in its title; African Democracy is by no means a simple process. In 2008, the West African nation of Ghana tried very hard to be seen as a legitimate democratic state. ‘An African Election’ follows this political journey, detailing the complexities of the various power-struggles, endless squabbling factions, and other cultural factors which seem to typify the politics of the mother-continent.

The 2011 Documentary Edge Festival is spending time in both Auckland (16 Feb – 6 March), at Event Cinemas Newmarket, Victoria Picture Palace (Devonport), and Academy Cinemas (CBD) – and Wellington (10 – 27 March), at the Angelika Reading Cinemas (Courtney Place), and Wellington City Gallery. The Opening Night Film is Alexandra Philippe’s ‘The People vs George Lucas’ (which I really want to see!!), and the Closing Night Film is Oliver Stone’s ‘South of the Border’. The Documentary Edge Awards Gala, celebrating the best works, will be held in Auckland on Feb 24.

I’d suggest going to as many as you can.

Documentary Edge Festival – 2011 – Auckland – Wellington
www.documentaryedge.org.nz

By Theo Sangster, 20 December 2010.