|
COMRADES IN DREAMS
** out of ***** Reviewed by Mike Cavanaugh Screening in the 2007 New Zealand International Film Festival
Back to KP's Film Fest Coverage Genres
Documentary
 2006
Directed by
Uli Gaulke
Written by
Uli Gaulke
Jeanette Eggert
Comrades in Dreams is an interesting documentary. It covers three continents and four very different independent theatre owners and their passion for cinema. There's no common thread other than each person's drive and struggle with their chosen profession. To be perfectly honest, this wasn't the most enjoyable film. While it started off well. Introducing everyone and their cinematic life, things seems to drag on and numerous interesting asides were never  really touched on. It would have been more captivating to explore why a small town woman felt the need to run two further jobs on top of running her cinema to avoid loneliness; how and why beloved Western films are so alien and foreign to the greater population in India and whether the two can agreeably meet; why it is so difficult to find land for a cinema in Burkina Faso; and further explore the unwitting use of films as propaganda in North Korea. Certainly this felt like four films condensed into one. Or at least, there could have been four films and it was poorly condensed. Everything was left hanging, and any interesting points were cast aside. The feeling I was left with was that someone had just picked up pieces from the cutting room floor and pasted them together with only little thought. Comrades in Dreams could have been superb, but it ended up severely lacking. What started out well had glimpses of something great, yet turned into a poor and ultimately boring effort. It might be that I don't share the same passion as the film makers and stars, but a good film should be able at the very least to instill some of that passion. This film will screen in Wellington at The Film Archive on August 1 at 6:15pm and at Te Papa's Soundings Theatre on August 5 at 4:00pm Please refer to the Film Fest homepage for more information on screenings in other parts of the country Back to KP's Film Fest Coverage |
