SIFF Day 22: Reviews

North Face (Austria) : B+

This mountain climbing drama is closely based on the story of four climbers' 1936 attempt to summit The Eiger ("Ogre"), the last unconquered peak in the Alps. The story is told with such gravity and tension that it works wonderfully as a nail-biting thriller, and all the more so when you realize that this was a real-life story. The secondary storyline of the spectators down below successfully adds another dimension to the narration. Unfortunately, the fictional elements eventually step into the realm of sensationalism, which detracts somewhat from the power of the story.

NOTE: If you are interested in this topic, check out the 2004 documentary "Touching the Void," which I absolutely loved. It is not a pure documentary per se, since it utilized dramatic re-enactment to tell the story.

Afghan Star (Afghanistan) (Doc) : B

A fascinating look at the Afghan TV show that is the equivalent of "American Idol," this documentary works both as entertainment and as social study. You will be so grateful that you don't live in Afghanistan! (Especially if you are a woman...)

The Red Race (China) (Doc) : B

This film follows a group of young Chinese kids as they go through rigorous gymnastic training in hope of future glory. With no narration and virtually no interviews, this is a rare breed of a documentary. Such an "objective" and "slice of life" approach is consistent with the trend I see in a lot of Chinese narrative films, and it may not be something that most Western audience are used to. If you are OK with that, you may find this documentary to be very effective in what it sets out to convey. One particular shot, which stays on two young girls for what seems like minutes with no camera movements, is especially impactful.