The Shape of Now is a documentary that feels a lot like The Act of Killing. This film follows elderly mothers, as they try to find a way to properly acknowledge the men that killed their children. What’s super interesting about the documentary is how it tackles the idea of shared memory. If everyone in Colombia remembers the Civil War in its own way, then what is the official history? There is fascinating stuff going on, but I feel it might alienate most audiences.
Surviving Birkenau is a documentary about Dr. Susan Spatz. Spatz was a child that was sent to Birkenau with her mother. The death camp was her home for three years until it was eventually liberated by military forces. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum worked with Spatz to record the nearly 100 year old woman’s tales. While the short documentary and the 20 minutes of bonus content are informative, I don’t feel like it covers anything that I haven’t already seen.
Nina is about an older woman wanting a baby. As she seeks out a surrogate, she finds a new female lover that sparks something amazing inside of her. Naturally, this isn’t an American movie. It’s pretty cool to see Poland being so progressive, however it feels like I’ve seen this movie before. Honestly, I’ll leave the assessment to a random comment that arised during the AV Theater screening. Basically, it’s Kissing Jennifer Stein with the promise of tribadism.
Bosch is a documentary about my personal hero Hieronymous Bosch. He’s been dead for 500 years, but no one is any closer to understanding his art. This documentary is more of a talking head piece about famous academics trying to put a finger on what Bosch was doing. Nobody comes to an agreement, but it’s fascinating to hear as an Art snob. I know more of us exist out there in Middle America.
