Film of the Month Winners: December
We have Louis Theroux’s thoughts to share on the December Film of the Month finalists. His takes below on three “charming and enjoyable films.” Louis noted his fondness for all three documentaries, “two in a gentler, more whimsical key, and then the more harrowing and darker story of displaced Syrians.”
Louis Theroux’ extraordinary sounding feature film debut ‘My Scientology Movie‘ premiered at London Film Festival last October and should see a wider UK release soon. Find out more about Louis’ past documentaries and upcoming projects on his site.
Louis’ first choice was Syrian displacement tale Trapped in Transition, a sensitively told interview-led but decidedly visual piece in which director Robert Mentov talks to some of the 1 million Syrians caught in Lebanon.
For Louis,”Trapped in Transition is the winner. It is beautifully shot, there is a great balance of interview and actuality. The subject matter is more difficult and in some ways more familiar than the other two (albeit from current affairs stories) but the filmmakers gave it an intimacy and nuance that make it feel fresh.”
Runner up was Adam Greves’ Coven of the Bright Isle, a concise. compelling portrait of the Wiccan witchcraft community on the Isle of Thanet.
Louis’ other runner up was An Afternoon With Mike Kuchar from Oscar Oldershaw, an idiosyncratic, pleasingly ambling yet informative portrait of the artist Mike Kuchar. (Because the film is still undergoing a successful festival run, you’ll have to enter the password – kuchar – to view it.)
Of the film Louis said this – “Regarding Kuchar, I’d heard of him and his brother and I was predisposed to be interested in the subject. There is a lot here and a lot to like – the clips from the camp films, Kuchar’s laidback attitude… I did think it was a little long and that it needed some editorial focus. I wondered if that might emerge more if we heard more from the questioner behind the camera: what the filmmaker is curious about. In a sense it’s a duet but we’re only hearing half of it. What came across to me is the epic scale and outlandishness of his output (a lifetime of prolific work) contrasted with this very cluttered apartment and down-to-earth man.”