July 18th
Apollo 11
White Crow
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

Another great week for film. With the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, it's time to relive it with a brilliant doco, discover the story of famed dancer Ruldolph Nureyev as he prepares to defect from USSR, and enjoy even more docos with a dedicated documentary festival. 

Apollo 11
Director: Todd Douglas Miller
Length: 93 min

© Madman - relive it with this
inspiring doco

It is possibly humankind's greatest achievement - sending three men to the moon and bringing them safely home. Fifty years later you can relive this monumental feat in an immaculately crafted doco that uses only archival footage and audio recordings, many never before unearthed. There are no narrative voiceovers - rather it is as if we, the audience, are following the mission from several days before the launch, through every detail from go to whoa. From the critically vital details of the Houston control centre and its myriad of scientists, through to the human sideshow of your average folk camped out within view of the launchpad, hardly any stone is left unturned. Surprisingly simple diagrams help explain the logistics of the manoeuvres required to execute the mission, while on the emotional level we feel the excitement and awe as if we are watching it afresh. Despite knowing the outcome, all the tension and anticipation is revived. Awe-inspiring shots taken from within the spacecraft are even better on the big screen, and sometimes I had to remind myself this was real, and not some digitally created sci-fi replica of a space mission. For those reliving the time, or those who are too young to have known it, it is compulsory viewing.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended!

The White Crow
Director: Ralph Fiennes
Length: 127 min

© Universal - portrait of a time, and a man 
determined to defy society's strictures

In a nutshell this is the true story of Soviet ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev, his humble beginnings, and the ballet tour to Paris that provided him the opportunity to defect to the west. Ukranian dancer Oleg Ivenko makes the transition to acting, and has thoroughly grasped the vexatious character of Nureyev - talented, at times charming, arrogant, superior, obsessed with perfection and emotion in his art - and determined to escape the strictures of a communist regime that he felt stifled his freedom and creativity. I find a lot to engage me in this film, particularly the climactic denouement that takes place at Paris airport. The scenes of Rudi's impoverished childhood, and already superior manner around other kids are compelling created in black and white, though ultimately there is too much repetitive flashback. The restlessness that builds, as he asserts himself at dance school then later experiences the tantalising life in Paris, is well portrayed. A drawback however is the constant flitting around in the timeline, which serves to confuse the dramatic momentum. Linear storytelling would have done just fine. Director Fiennes is very impressive as Pushkin, Rudi's dance tutor, and his ability to speak Russian is awesome. Lovers of ballet will enjoy the dance sequences, and the soundtrack is lovely. As a portrait of an iconic dancer seeking self-expression it works well, while as a snapshot of repression in the USSR it is a fascinating historical piece.
3.5 - well recommended!

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
19th - 30th June
Cinema Nova and Backlot Studios 
For synopses, locations and times visit mdff.org.au
Or download this wonderful guide: http://mdff.org.au/assets/MDFF-Festival-Guide-2019.pdf

Documentary lovers rejoice - this cornucopia of films features many "strands" - among them stories themed around Melbourne, animals, sports, LGBTIQ, Indigenous issues, crime and much more. Many of the films are feature length, others are short. The main thing is there are heaps of them, with far-reaching topics to engage everyone.

I make no secret of my love of docos - there is such a world out there to learn about, and a well-made doco has it all. I'm lucky yet again to have previewed several. (I'm placing them in the order in which I enjoyed them.)

Tommy with Chet

Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road: This is a must-see for lovers of guitar. Tommy's personal life is under the microscope, especially in regard to the addictions he has battled, but the biggest thrill is to hear and see his virtuoso playing, and to be in awe of his relentless enthusiasm for his craft and entertaining audiences. His long friendship with iconic Chet Atkins also makes for a heart-warming thread in the story. 
Dog's Best Friend: On the outskirts of Sydney Jacob Leezak runs a dog psychology centre, aimed at rehabilitating difficult dogs, whose owners have been unable to control or handle them. This is no misty-eyed doggie tale, but a hard look at the intense work that goes into training a strong and possibly aggressive animal. It also highlights the way the dogs have enhanced the lives of Jacob and his girlfriend. This is a must-see for people contemplating the deep responsibility of dog training.  
Homefront: This very locally based doco looks at a wonderful project taking place in a War Memorial Park in Greensborough, Melbourne, After the existing carved statues have rotted and been burned in a ceremonial fire, it is up to the sculptors and concept artists to replace them with new sculptures. This inspiring doco traces that project, with a renowned Japanese chainsaw sculptor helping out the original Aussie artist. 

Singled Out: This is an incisive look at five single women in today's world where the expectation is that people pair up. The women, from Spanish, Chinese Turkish and Aussie backgrounds talk about how they feel to be single. This should definitely strike a chord for those wondering why they can't find Mr Right.   

Madness or bravery?

Chasing the Jet Stream: Swiss adventurer Marc Hauser wants to draw attention to the potential use of wind energy by jumping into the hurricane force jet stream which circles the earth at about 8000 ft up. This is thrilling, scary stuff, and another innovative look at possible alternative sources of energy.
The Art of Incarceration: The Torch is an organisation that runs art programs for indigenous prisoners. This doco looks at the power of the program, along with the prisoners' quest for identity and reconnecting with their culture. While inspirational, the facts also attest to the shocking disparity of numbers between indigenous and non-indigenous prisoners in our system, something that should be of concern to all Aussies.  

Saving Warru: The black-footed rock wallaby (known as warru to the Indigenous people) is near extinction. This excellent doco traces the conservation measures being taken to save the marsupial, and how the project is bringing together environmental science and the knowledge of the locals. 
Red Sunday: Locals who survived the devastating East Gippsland fires of 2014 reminisce upon their experiences - what it was like, how the community bonded together, the problems they encountered with the authorities, and how the trauma continues on even as they struggle to rebuild their lives. This is definitely the human face beyond the news reports of a natural disaster and tragedy that occurs far too frequently.  

Waiting: The Van Duren Story: In the 70s Memphis musician Van Duren was tipped to be the next big thing. After one album he faded into obscurity. Two Melbourne musos come across his album and set out to discover what went wrong. 

Woodstock at Fifty: This is a look back at one of the most influential and famous music festivals ever. It features interviews with many of the artists and crew, and draws out info about the politics of the time and how that festival fitted in.  
This festival is, of course, wholeheartedly recommended!