(France/Madagascar,
84 min.)
Dir.
Nantenaina Lova
Programme: World Showcase (North American Premiere)
The Malagasy Way
has all the right ingredients for a great documentary, but it plays like a sad
trombone. This well-intentioned yet sluggish pic is a plum example for how an
intriguing subject doesn’t necessarily ensure a great documentary. The film
whisks viewers to Madagascar and tells of the resourcefulness of the Malagasy
people as it chronicles the citizens proudly producing useful items out of
nothing.
It’s a novelty to watch a pair of skillful hands refashion an old rubber tire into pairs of sandals, and there’s a great lesson on recycling to be had with all the scenes of Malagasy people pillaging the landfills for reusable products. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and the same proverb might apply to the film itself.
The Malagasy Way
structures the film around a series of proverbs to illuminate the spirit and
philosophy of the people. The poetry and conceit of the film is refreshing, but
it’s not enough to save it. There simply isn’t enough material to sustain a
tedious 84 minutes. The Malagasy Way
makes its point in about five minutes and then reiterates the same observation
at feature length. It’s a shame that the film didn’t take a cue from the poet
who frames the film with his playful oration. He says that a better poem is one
that’s short and sweet.
Rating: ★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Rating: ★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Screens with:
Flotsam and Jetsam
(UK, 7 min.)
Dir. Jan Bednarz
(World Premiere)
Alternatively, Flotsam
and Jetsam makes good on short form documentary with its efficient essay on
the environmentally friendly mosaic work by Bahamas resident Ashley Saunders.
Saunders, like the Malagasy, mines his neighbourhood for discarded objects;
however, instead of making household products, he makes houses. Director Jan
Bednarz offers a visually sumptuous exploration of found art as the camera
takes in each tile of Ashley’s work. Each element of the mosaic tells a story,
for old propellers, license plates, and broken glass fill in the cracks of the
walls. Even an unfinished bottle liquor holds a dash of spirits in the wall in
case its owner returns thirsty! The film extends Ashley’s story into a global
scope as the artist explains how pieces in his collection could have easily
floated in from around the world. It’s an observation on the global scale of
wastefulness and the collective need to pick up the trash. This playful
character study explores the ways in which one individual can do his or her
part to save the planet one tile at a time.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
The Malagasy Way and
Flotsam and Jetsam screen:
-Saturday, May 3 at 9:15 PM at Cineplex Scotiabank
Please visit www.hotdocs.ca for more information on this
year’s festival.