DOCUMENTARIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD David House: Vancouver Foreign Film Society
I am a lover of many different genres of film and the Vancouver International Film Festival has always happily filled my many varied interests, with dramas and comedies from around the world, horror and sci-fi, experimental films, animation and short film programs. However another big part of the festival program is documentaries. Usually at the end of the fest I will discover that about a third of what I watched were docs. This year there are a number of very different and interesting non-fiction offerings to educate, entertain and inform the curious viewer.
Two of this year’s that come to us from Europe are set in a hospital
I AM NOT A HERO is a very timely look at front line workers in Belgium dealing with the onset of Covid back in early 2020. Everything is a brand new challenge; from setting up special isolation wards for those with severe symptoms, finding enough personal protection equipment and dealing with family and loved ones of seriously ill patients. The film examines the effect on health care and the mental, emotional and physical stress on all of the hospital staff. What one small hospital in Belgium encounters gives us an eye opener on the Covid experience in other hospitals around the world.
MY VOICE WILL BE WITH YOU is also filmed in Belgium. Here we meet two doctors who are using hypnosis as anesthesia. The doctor’s soft, quiet and tranquil voice is able to relax certain patients, helping their mind to ‘travel to a special place.This experimental procedure can replace other forms of anesthetic for some patients in certain types of surgery. It is much easier on the their system and their recovery time is a lot shorter. The experience of watching this film can be very meditative and relaxing. That’s a nice bonus for the film viewer after the stress we’ve all been under the last several months.
INTO THE STORM takes us to Peru where we meet Jhonny, a young teen living in the barrio. His passion is surfing and his dream is to become a professional surfer, so that he can help his family escape their crime ridden neighbourhood and the endless cycle of a life of poverty. The film follows Jhonny over several years, through his successes, setbacks and failures. Of course the movie has some great scenery and surfing footage, but it also is a film that has a lot of heart in dealing with Jhonny’s need to prove himself to his father, who has been in prison through much of Jhonny’s early teen years. Some very sensitive and touching moments may have you reaching for a tissue in the heartwarming ending to this inspirational coming of age tale.
