2020 may have been a hellishly intense introspective nightmare. BUT, it left us with an incredible year of documentary films. I don’t know if it was the ample down time to properly hone edits and find the right distribution partners, or maybe it’s just a generation of visionary talent approaching a zenith. Either way, non-fiction storytelling is in a modern Golden Age - an age in which I feel fortunate to participate and constantly humbled. 2020 also left me with more time to watch films, and I consumed as many as I could (many of which came through my IDA membership, which pays for itself with their member screening series).
Some of my choices are based on innovative new approaches to the craft, some based on social significance and timely arrival, and some based simply on charm. As a filmmaker myself, my opinions are informed by more than entertainment value, but I do assign that quality plenty of value. I’ve also given consideration to the films that are less likely to get attention based on sensation or lobbying dollars in an attempt to boost some of the underdogs. Finally, I’ll wax contemplative about the modern docu-series and list a handful of “honorable mentions.”
Favorite Features:
The Reason I Jump
This was a profound and poetic exploration of what it’s like to be autistic, based on a book written by a teenage boy with autism. Through the experiences of a handful of people and their families, you get a glimpse into the minds that are often hard to penetrate in “real life”, which the film shows us is simply a construct of each of our personal experiences. The film is also an opportunity for the autistic community to participate in the conversation about themselves, which they’re often not given in today’s “TLDR” culture. It is beautifully shot, written, scored and edited. Highly recommend!
Feels Good Man
This was a super fun film about Pepe the frog, the strange cartoon started as a stoner comic book character that was co-opted by the alt-right and turned into a meme representing hate, division and bigotry. The film follows Pepe’s original creator, a cartoonist who wants to reclaim the original vibes of Pepe - the stuff that Feels Good Man. It is an incredible exploration of meaning, semiotics, evolution, good vs evil, manipulation, and ultimately leaves you feeling encouraged about the future.
Welcome to Chechnya
This one is heavy. “Welcome to Chechnya” is about LGBT+ members escaping from oppressive Chechnya where gays and lesbians are systematically killed by the government and their own families. Putin has installed a puppet dictator to the nation that has vilified LGBT+ members for the last ten years. A rogue group of activists works in the shadows to help anonymous victims escape the country, and the filmmaker uses Deepfake technology to hide the subject’s likenesses without compromising their depth of feeling. It is horrifying, informative and extraordinary.
Crip Camp
I loved this film. Executive Produced by the Obamas, it is the story of a summer camp in the sixties that activated a remarkable crew of differently abled campers to fight for equal rights. The archival material is intimate and beautiful, the modern interviews are super fun and vulnerable, and I learned a lot about the Americans with Disabilities Act and everything it took to reach this important legislation.
I am Greta
We’re all familiar with climate change documentaries and the familiar faces, scary science, and grizzly futures foretold. This film doesn’t skirt those tropes, but at its core it is simply a character profile of a young girl facing a world of criticism and challenge, shouldering the full gravity of the cause when she is hardly emotionally equipped - oh, and she has aspergers syndrome. This is the story of Greta Thunberg’s meteoric rise, meeting with world leaders, but also seeing her life as a teenager growing up in a scary world. My favorite moments were the quiet ones, when she might not have known that the camera was on her and she’s dancing by herself, lost in her own world of possibilities. Definitely worth a viewing.
Time
This is an incredibly important film and should definitely be seen, it’s only at the bottom of my “must watch” list because I know it will get a lot of attention on its own. It is the heartbreaking story of a single African American mother raising her kids while trying to get her husband out of jail. Shot with interesting angles, jumping around in time elegantly, and expertly unraveling a story that never feels predictable, this is a tour de force that I hope gets the attention it deserves.
Honorable Mentions:
Becoming
Michelle Obama. Period. This movie is awesome.
The Truffle Hunters
This is a quirky, hilarious profile of a community of eccentric Italians who have devoted their lives to hunting for truffles in the forest. The cinematography is super interesting, with a Wes Anderson style treatment using static shots and symmetry, and the characters are amazing.
The Social Dilemma
This is a sobering look at our culture’s descent into screen addiction and depression. Thesis: The more time we spend “together” on our devices, the further apart we actually become. It lifts up the hood of social media algorithms to reveal the insidious truth about their motives.
Docu-Series:
Tiger King, The Last Dance, Tiger, Don’t Fuck with Cats, et al
I’m going to have to write a further blog post about this because I’m still developing my thoughts… I enjoyed these series very much, but they all took huge liberties with their creative license and bent the stories to their will. They are incredibly entertaining, but also pretty irresponsible in their approach - much authenticity is sacrificed for the sake of entertainment. I’m not sure if that is wrong - it is, after all, entertainment - but I’m curious why it’s okay to take this kind of approach in a series, when a documentary feature would be chased off the stage for the same style. I think this is something we should keep our eyes on as docu-series continue to be more popular.
PS - This film was not finished in 2020, but I watched it early in the year, and I want to say: anyone that hasn’t watched “Three Identical Strangers” is in for a wild trip.