Silverdocs - Saturday recap

The final day for Silverdocs (Sunday has films, but none will be seen by this writer) turned out to be short but sweet. Two excellent documentaries finished up the festival and they are certainly worth the price of admission:

Into Eternity - as artful a film as you could imagine in this investigation of a permanent solution to dealing with nuclear waste. Though it might come off as pretentious at times, it does an excellent job helping audiences fully comprehend just how long 100,000 years actually is (that's the amount of time it takes for the waste to no longer be harmful to humans).

The Tillman Story - why would a story about one soldier's death be so interesting? Well it's a story of government cover ups and lies in order to generate war propaganda. It's a great documentary from an established filmmaker and is worth watching whether you know the story or not.

Stay tuned for a full festival wrap up in the coming days!

Silverdocs - Friday recap

Friday at Silverdocs will now be known as 'European Day', as it turned into a day of four films from the continent. Not surprisingly, each and everyone was very well made. Let's dissect:

Living Room of a Nation - a documentary with no real message or theme, but to show the lives of the people they record. Perhaps that sounds boring, but this ode to daily life is as simple and charming as its characters.

Woman with 5 Elephants - a film about a woman who translates Russian literature into German may sound dull, but what it lacks in entertainment it makes up for in intimacy and sincerity.

Men Who Swim - easily the most enjoyable documentary of the festival. Men's synchronized swimming sounds like the perfect subject to ridicule but watching characters as bizarre and enjoyable as the sport, it's hard not to ponder joining your own team as well.

Steam of Life - saunas and men pouring out their souls, that is the premise of this documentary and it works perfectly. Equal parts touching and humorous, it's hard not to appreciate this honest reflection of Finish society.