![]() ![]() The film, which opened the 2016 New York Film Festival, tracks the criminalization of African Americans from the end of the Civil War to the present day, assailing a broken prison system and other examples of institutionalized racial bias with a measured gaze. “13th” (2016) Angela Davis in “13th” NetflixĪva DuVernay’s documentary “13th” has the precision of a foolproof argument underscored by decades of frustration. While it unfolds, you’ll experience something magical: you’ll see the world again as if through the eyes of a child. Through her long takes, Speth creates a deep immersion in the classroom, like you’re part of their conversations too. Not one disconnected from the history of its setting either: Bachmann tells the kids about how their town hosted slave labor during the Third Reich. ![]() Watching the film is a kind of Zen experience in hope and tranquility. There are various culture clashes among the children, all hailing from very different backgrounds, and some kinder-crises, but this classroom could practically be a model for a future where our differences are respected and we can all get along together. 64-year-old Dieter Bachmann is not a perfect teacher, but an exceptionally kind and empathetic one. Maria Speth proves herself a cinematic heir to Frederick Wiseman with this 217-minute “fly on the wall” depiction of about six months in the classroom of an elementary school for immigrant children in a small German town. On the other hand, these tools haven’t just granted us new ways of seeing, they’ve also galvanized our desire to look, which in turn has stoked an unprecedented degree of interest in the documentary format on the whole. On one hand, digital technology has infinitely expanded our range of vision, and some of the modern era’s most essential docs have been shot on consumer-grade equipment like iPhones and GoPro cameras. Not only do they reveal our world to us, but they shape how we view it, and the early years of the 21st century have proven that to be more true than ever before. From the a ctualités of the Lumière brothers in the late 19th century to the heavily manipulated ethnographic films of the 1920, from the vérité films of the Maysles brothers to the man-on-the-street agitprop popularized by Michael Moore, documentaries have naturally always been more responsive to their times than any other mode of filmmaking. Non-fiction cinema has been evolving since the birth of the medium while capturing a world in motion. What better time for documentary filmmaking? This young century has been defined by harrowing disasters both natural and man-made, political tribalism, and existential threats to the future of the planet. ![]() The drug use, nudity, sexual material and highly offensive language mean the film needs a restriction to people 16 years of age and over.We live in strange times. ![]() The film is intended for older teenagers and adults who will appreciate its artistic merit while having knowledge of the physical, social and legal consequences of long term drug use. The style of filming serves to separate the clearly well-to-do characters from the real world which reduces the impact to some extent. It is likely that impressionable younger viewers will see drug use as acceptable and fun and be encouraged to emulate it without a view to its consequences. The film requires restriction due to the way it normalises and promotes drug use. There is some sexual content, nudity and highly offensive language but the strongest element is the drug use. Eventually Krzysztof tires of partying and ‘finds himself’. Events occur over the course of one year and take place mainly at night. Much of the film consists of short scenes of the young men socialising at parties and engaging in philosophical conversations. The film follows apparently wealthy and privileged Krzysztof and his friend Michal as they restlessly roam the streets and parties of Warsaw in their quest to live in the moment. ‘All These Sleepless Nights’ has been called genre-pushing and hybrid because of the rehearsed elements involved. Blending actors into his works allows him to push his subjects through new experiences to capture something intangible about the human condition. ‘All These Sleepless Nights’ is a documentary from Poland by director Michal Marczak who is known for his innovative approach. ![]()
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