Documentary Features - all nominees

Documentary Feature - Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert

Of Fathers and Sons was the most difficult and most disturbing of the 5 documentary nominees.  The filmmaker returns to his native Syria and builds a trusting relationship with Abu Osama, who is a founder of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Nusra Front.  As he builds up his terrorist organization, he sends two of his eight children (under the age of 13) to a military training camp to also join the fight as Jihadis.  This is the indoctrination into hate that we all know well, but seeing it in action is heart wrenching.

Documentary Feature - RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim

Friends, loyal readers, I watched this entire film and I have no idea what it is about.  Remember those books in the 80's that captured "A Day in the Life" where photographers were sent around the globe to capture a moment in time that would represent the subject? (A Day in the Life Around the World, A Day in the Life of America)  You'd flip through the book and see still photos that were ornate and beautiful and quietly mundane.  A colorful wedding ceremony in India on one page, and a farmer in the midwest milking a cow on another.  This is the only comparison I can make to Hale County, This Morning, This Evening.  It was snapshot scenes of Hale County, Alabama - sometimes with dialogue, sometimes without.  Nothing happens in this film.  Nothing happens at the end of this film.  There is a 6 minute sequence of high school kids in a locker room screwing around, but you can't hear the dialogue, you just see them walking around, talking to each other, sitting around.  There are snippets of a couple of characters talking about their lives and a very sad moment involving Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but even then, it's hard to care (other than basic human empathy) because you don't know these people and you don't care about them.  If ever the tag line of the blog applied (I watch all the films so you don't have to watch the bad ones), it would be to this film.  I didn't get it.

Documentary Feature - Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

Alex Honnold is a famous rock climber, renowned for a style of climbing known as "free soloing" in which climbers ascend thousands of treacherous feet with no climbing equipment - no ropes, no belays, no nothing other than some chalk for the hands.  Alex dreams of being the first person to climb El Capitan free solo in Yosemite.  There is no question that he is fit enough to do it, but in free solo climbing, one mistake equals death.  In his many practice attempts, he fails at many of the most difficult parts of the ascent.  Making this more difficult, he is in a relationship with his girlfriend, and when a friend of theirs dies in a free solo accident, she expresses deep sympathy for the friend's wife.  "What did she expect?" says Alex.  

This film is frightening to watch, especially when we know that documentaries don't have to have a happy ending to be compelling.  But to me, the most important moments of film happen with the documentary crew talks about how they are helping or hindering Alex's aspirations, and what they should do first if he falls.  There is a moment when one of the cameramen has his camera fixed on Alex, and he turns away from watching.  He asks his fellow filmmakers, "how can you guys watch this," and I also asked this of myself.  Am I really supposed to be entertained by a guy risking his life for literally no reason other than he wants to?  If he dies, am I complicit in his death by the act of wanting to watch his attempt at being superhuman?  Is being superhuman even possible?  I won't tell you how the film ends, but I will tell you my husband thinks I was more afraid watching the film than Alex was climbing the rock.

Documentary Feature - Bing Liu and Diane Quon

Minding the Gap follows young skateboarders into their difficult lives.  The filmmaker is Bing, and he pursues the question of his abusive relationships with his family, as he does with those of his friends.  In a way, this film asks the question of why people choose to do dangerous things, and how their upbringing influences their personality development.  It shines a light on people who run to peers who choose danger instead of having peril inflicted on them at home.  It is an unexpectedly wonderful documentary that seems like it's going to be about skateboarding and turns out to be about abuse.

Documentary Feature - Betsy West and Julie Cohen

Original Song - "I'll Fight" - Music and Lyric by Diane Warren

The incredible legacy of one of the most important Supreme Court justices in history is explored in this film.  RBG has not only become a pillar of the law, but an icon to people everywhere.  Her history of acting as a legal champion particularly for women's issues are what have made her a hero to young people.  Her brilliant mind and her feisty leadership make for an outstanding documentary.