IDFA: Lozinski, le Maire, Delane, Cordes

They are quite different in themes and styles, the films that I am going to write about in this post. What they have in common is that the directors mentioned in the headline all have films shown at IDFA, Amsterdam – and that I have seen them, and like them, more or less, for various reasons.

Pawel Lozinski is an internationally known Polish director, whose film ”You Have No Idea How Much I Love You” (PHOTO) I reviewed in connection with its premiere at the Krakow Festival. With top marks, here is a quote: ”As a viewer you know these

stories, in a way it is very banal – a child feeling guilt because of the parents divorcing, just one of the themes coming up, the reason it is so good stems from the filmmaking, the three are so good, they are so well directed, the editing goes smooth from one to the other, you listen while you watch either the one talking or the one listening. Like he proved in “Chemo”, Pawel Lozinski has this unique skill of going to the core taking away all the unnecessary and bringing to us a cinematic conversation piece of universal reach.” It will raise genre discussions at IDFA!

Jerome le Maire, equally, is known in festival circles for his fine ”Tea and Electricity”. Here, at IDFA 2016, he presents, in a convincing observational style, including the director asking questions and getting involved and engaged, a scary story from a hospital in Paris, where he has followed the surgical unit, that suffers from stress and lack of resources and simple communication, making the staff ”Burning Out”, the title of this very strong film, that has a content far too familiar for a Dane, who has been close to hospitals a couple of times during the last years.

Olga Delane, Russian living in Berlin, puts with her ”Siberian Love” the viewer in a much milder mood with her charming, sweet and well made documentary from South-East Siberia, where her family lives. The starting point for the film, made together with Frank Müller, is that Olga is single, why is it so, her family asks her, when she goes back home to visit, you have to get married, become a real woman, hav children… but the focus moves from Olga to convey stories about the three couples she meets and is related to, with Olga behind the camera you get to know, how their life is now and how it is with love? They live in the countryside, they are farmers, they have a hard daily life, but they manage and they have many interesting remarks to Olga, the city girl. Yes, we are in the Russian province and there are alchohol problems and sometimes strong male chauvinistic comments, and men who want to fight, but there are also strong women, with strong personalities, who are not afraid to express their opinions. It’s a film made with love, you feel that right away. The family likes Olga and she likes them, and OMG how beautiful the landscape is – summer or winter.

Sebastian Cordes, young Danish director, has his film placed in the new ”slow film category”, and it is slow his ”A Place Called Lloyd” but for someone who loves Roy Andersson and Jørgen Leth, you see where the inspiration comes from and enjoy this absurd visit to a place where the employed people still come every day even if their Lloyd flight company was declared bankrupt in 2008. Image by image, sequence by sequence, through beautiful shots, you get into this world of dedicated people, who have the hope that things will get back to normal and the airplanes will leave the ground again.

Read more about the films and see trailers on

www.idfa.nl 

IDFA November 16/27

Yes, it started yesterday, the fabulous documentary event in Amsterdam and today it’s all over with screenings, masterclasses, the academy, some films are in competition, others are not, facebook is full of ”come and see my film”, there will be many full houses. And many who prepare their pitches for the Forum. With meetings and parties.

I am not there this year for family and friend reasons – birthdays – but I have seen some of the films already so comments will arrive on this site, don’t have time for longer reviews but I will pick some films via links and Docs for Sale. So check it out – there could be recommendations you want to follow.

For instance the world premiere tonight of Audrius Stonys‘ new film

– yes we love him here on filmkommentaren and have done so since his debut at the beginning of 1990’es. The title is ”Woman and Glacier” and this is what I wrote to the director, when I had seen the film:

“…Magic, Audrius, mind-blowing to be there, … Will watch again, it brings me in a meditative mood, love the way you use archive and the structuring with the musician. Thanks for letting me watch – on a computer… you will have a lot of success with that film…” and later on, ”… this quote from Swedish Sune Jonsson in 1978 fits well to your film, especially the last words “inner landscapes”: “…A documentary work is not intended for the esthetic connoisseur or the preoccupied consumer, but rather for people in vital need of increasing their knowledge: of transforming communicated environments, epochs, nature scenes into personal experiential substance – something with which to enrich their own inner landscapes.”

The IDFA website short description of the film: A filmic ode to a woman’s choice to live in solitude. For 30 years, a Lithuanian scientist has been conducting climate research at the Tuyuksu Glacier in Kazakhstan.

New (almost) wordless masterpiece by Audrius Stonys with his genius cameraman Audrius Kezemys.

www.idfa.nl 

The DOX Comeback!

It took some thinking before I came to this positive conclusion. In the 20th year of the existence of EDN (European Documentary Network) you will from now on be able to study one of the organization’s main contributions in the past two decades: The publishing of more than 100 issues of the DOX Magazine – contributions to the development of the documentary during these years. As an art form and part of the visual landscape in Europe and beyond. Thanks to Norwegian Truls Lie, former editor of DOX, who is launching his ModernTimes.online with the subtitle ”The European Documentary Magazine” – as was DOX called before it was stopped by the current management of EDN. With around 400 articles and reviews from DOX going back to the late 90’es as the fundament for new articles written by Truls and his staff. So far around 100. A Comeback for DOX.

This is what Truls did, quote from a mail he sent me: ”I am writing

to you now, Tue, because I just bought the rights to the Dox archive, and would put the articles out in the coming doc web magazine ModernTimes.online. Mostly documentary critiques, interviews and political-ethical essays/commentaries. Since nothing is on the web, so would it be ok by you, that we put your articles out there with the others? They will all be referenced as printed in DOX by EDN…”

I said yes and asked Truls how many articles he bought, he answered 350-400. Wow! Indeed a DOX Comeback to celebrate in a year, where celebrations of the 20 years of EDN have been limited, almost non-existing, because of financial problems in the organization. Some celebration might happen at the upcoming IDFA?

Having written this I am happy now to go online to re-read articles and reviews by clever people as Emma Davie, Anette Olsen and (written with tears in my eyes) Ulla Jacobsen, the best editor DOX ever had. Ulla died in 2013. And many many others. Texts put on the site in a nice layout. Check it for yourself. Link below.

In terms of rights for the articles and the whole procedure, Truls has told me that his contract with Paul Pauwels (PP) of EDN is non-exclusive and that all contributors have to agree in beforehand, when approached by Truls.

I am sorry but some thoughts come up:

Is it ethically correct that EDN gets an income for selling articles that the writers have written for free for DOX?

And is it basically correct that PP is “selling off the family jewels”? I know that EDN can still – as right holders – publish them as Truls has bought non-exclusive rights. That will probably not happen. But would it not have been right to inform the members about this action? To open a debate? Who is the next buyer?

And would it not have been right to promote the fact that a core activity of EDN during the 20 years of existence is now having its Comeback as part of a documentary magazine, edited by a previous editor of DOX.

There is still time to do so – promote – on the EDN website and through the weekly newsletter. You could for instance pick one article, ask permission from the writer and put it every week on the website?

As for our site, the one you are reading right now, we consider “modern times” as a colleague and might pick some of the texts we have written (Allan has written a fine review of Audrius Stonys “Uku Ukai” and there are 51 texts by me). Let’s see if we can establish a collaboration one way or the other. It’s also interesting to compare the reviews that the two of us make. Modern Times will be launched at IDFA after Jihlava and Leipzig. Good luck!

http://www.moderntimes.online/

 

 

 

Stefano Lisci & Co: Bar Mario

Take a look at the photo from last week in Bolzano. Marina in her Bar Mario advertising the premiere of the film Bar Mario at the Rome Independent Film Festival later this month. Congratulations! To Marina Fronza, her husband Roberto and her son Paolo – the three heroes of the film and to director Stefano Lisci, who got the idea to make a film about this very special place in the universe and made it with the help of other ex-Zelig students, first of all the brilliant cinematographer Beniamino Casagrande and Livia Romano, editors Maria Radicchi and Marco Vitale, sound engineer Ambrose Mbuya. And many others are thanked at the long credit list. Who also were contributors to the crowdfunding campaign that was set up to realise a film, that I had heard Stefano talk about again and again, when coffee was served by lovely Marina, who countless times has taken the mickey out of me. The music is made by Martino Pellegrini, who is not from Zelig – it’s in the great Fellini-film-music tradition.

For those who don’t know: The Bar Mario is next door to the Zelig

film school and for students, staff and teachers this is the place you go in the breaks to have a coffee, or where you drink a beer at the end of the day. And where you will meet the captain Marina, the cook Roberto and Paolo – who live there behind the door on which ”privato” is written.

The film enters to the ”privato”, to the world of the three, in a chaptered, visually impressive story that takes us viewers on board a ship that has crossed mountains to be here, among mountains. The father of Marina, Mario, was a sailor and she has taken over his job to conduct the ship of life in good and harsh weather. She, and the film, does so in a warm, sweet and compassionate way. And with the fun and atmosphere that reigns in the Bar.

But the film also accompanies some of the clients to their homes like wonderful Roland, who is a passionate collector of ancient buttons (!) and lives in a van. In one of many comic scenes he enters the Bar, asks for his morning coffee and a croissant. Marina comes with a paper tablecloth that is illustrated with drawings of KamaSutra positions, tough one for the eyes in the morning, Roland is laughing his … off and gets in an even higher mood, when he discovers that the croissant is stiff, pure plastic symbol. Hmmm, I have been met with same kind of surprises…

The main quality of the film, however, is to see how Marina, ”wife, captain, mother”, as the film’s voice-off narrator puts it, ”never abandons the ship”. Her constant caring about the grown-up son Paolo is not an easy job as he needs to be told, how to behave when he goes into town, ”don’t upset anyone”, he wants help to be dressed and so on so forth. Paolo does not like open doors, so we see him closing shop doors, when he is in central Bolzano. And we see and hear him talking on the phone specifying, what kind of dishes he loves. Paolo is such a sweet grown-up boy, who has always greeted me with a smile, when I was on my way back to the hotel and he back from town to his mum and dad.

The cook, the father, also needs the attention of Marina as he is having an illness. Nevertheless, behind the sometimes grumpy, probably pain suffering look, you see a man who helps the ship to sail. He is the cook, he smiles when the whole family, wonderful scene, gets their pedicure treatments, and equally well arranged and composed is a scene, where he is watering the plants from the roof top of the Bar with the consequence that Marina follows her clients out protected by an umbrella! Hilarious!

Yes, this is a film that has many layers and crazy ideas, a family, professional non-home-movie film told in a documentary surrealistic tone – if you can put it like that. Well, I just did. Enjoy that emotional ship journey. And the premiere in Rome very soon. I was in the bar when Stefano came in proudly telling Marina that he had bought the train tickets to Rome. With a fine reduction!

Italy, 63 mins.

https://www.facebook.com/barmarioilfilm/

https://www.kisskissbankbank.com/bar-mario-il-film

 

 

Johan Grimonprez: Shadow World /2

(2) FORFATTERE

Jeg er helt tryg ved denne mand. Det er forfatteren Eduardo Galeano (1940-2015), han har på sin reflekterende måde skrevet om politik hele sit liv. Den vældige trilogi Memoria del fuego, 1982-86 (dansk Ildens erindring, 1983-90) er en beundringsværdigt etableret sammenstilling af myter, krøniker og andre tekster om de amerikanske kontinenters historie fra førcolombiansk tid til nu. Herfra kender vi ham. Smukt passet ind i filmens lyddesign læser Galeano her i filmen stykker fra sin sidste bog Children of the Days: A Calendar of Human History fra 2015, som vist ikke er oversat endnu. Galeano medvirker selv som stemmen, der læser op og den stemme er i høj grad en medvirkende, et vidne i filmen, og jeg stoler på dens og på poesiens sandhed, som her også er den alvorlige bas af forståelse gennem uhyrlighederne, orgelpunkterne af menneskelig erfaret indsigt på afgørende problemsteder i filmfortællingens linje. Omhyggeligt har Grimonprez og klipperen Per K. Kirkegaard og hans kolleger contrapunktisk, erkendelsesnode for erkendelsesnode, bragt forfatterens sætninger i kontakt med historiske arkivoptagelser, ofte af sindbilledlig natur. Den første tekst, to sætninger i en skabelsesberetning, lyder ”Videnskaben siger at vi er lavet af atomer. Men en lille fugl har fortalt mig, at vi er lavet af historier…”

Filmens historier er herefter den politiske forfatter Andrew Feinsteins, han var engang ANC-medlem i Sydafrikas parlament, men røg uklar med dem og flyttede til England, hvor han grundlagde Corruption Watch UK. Han er våbenindustiekspert, ekspert i korruption og i den globale våbenhandel og han har skrevet bogforlægget til filmen, en journalistisk politisk bog med samme titel som filmens, men i bestemt form med forklarende og præsicerende undertitel: The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade. Den er fra 2011. Det er aldeles utroligt, hvad han fortæller i sin medvirken, men jeg må jo nødvendigvis tro på ham og altså tro det utrolige, og dertil har han været ind over Grimonprez’ manuskript og som produceren skriver ”hjulpet produktionsholdet med de aktuelle emner og historier, der behandles i filmen.” Han har altså ført sine undersøgelser i bogen á jour.

Vi er lavet af historier, siger Eduardo Galeano. I Shadow World er der tre slags fortællinger, der er redegørelser for omfattende længere forløb af konkrethistoriske økonomiske og politiske sammenhænge som BAE-Saudi-Arabien affæren, Iran-Contra affæren, militærkuppet i Chile og El Salvador borgerkrigen præget af voldsom korruption, grusomme forbrydelser og afgørende hemmeligholdelser, der er små anekdotiske belysninger af detaljer og pointer ofte i munter eller satirisk stil som når Margaret Thatcher synger sin version af My Way; og så er der den mellemliggende linje af juxtapositioners filmiske billede-, lyd-, dialogkunst i og Chris Markers og Jean Luc Godards tradition og ånd, som Grimonprez og Kirkegaard effektivt bruger som mørtel i deres filmessays arkitektur. Klippet stiller hele vejen sindrigt ved disse detaljer med juxtapositioneringernes forslag til til nødvendige associationer og irrationelle tankespring store både rimelige og nødvendige krav til os.

Montagen tilstræber tillige at vi som publikum faktisk mister overblikket over historierne. Den giver i stedet for plads til vore egne tanker, men i så nøje afmålt kort tid, at jeg ikke kan nå at tænke efter, men må overgive mig til ét eneste totalbillede af en anden verden ved siden af den jeg kender. Jeg vidste godt den verden var til, men fortrængte den viden. Nu ved jeg det fuld af angst igen, og Grimonprez har tillidsfuldt overladt eftertanken og det nødvendige tjek af sine facts til mig. Filmen er af den særlige art og klasse, som indebærer, at vi nu må i gang med at læse artiklerne og bøgerne… Men se nu først den foruroligende film på DR2 I MORGEN tirsdag 15. november 20:45!

SYNOPSIS

Directed by Johan Grimonprez (“Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y”) and in part based on Corruption Watch UK founder Andrew Feinstein’s globally acclaimed book The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, the film reveals how the international trade in weapons – with the complicity of governments and intelligence agencies, investigative and prosecutorial bodies, weapons manufacturers, dealers and agents – fosters corruption, determines economic and foreign policies, undermines democracy and creates widespread suffering. The film unravels a number of the world’s largest and most corrupt arms deals through those involved in perpetrating and investigating them. It illustrates why this trade accounts for almost 40% of all corruption in global trade, and how it operates in a parallel legal universe, in which the national security elite who drive it are seldom prosecuted for their often illegal actions. Shadow Worldposits alternatives through the experience of a peace activist and war correspondent, as well as through the voice of Eduardo Galeano who contributed selections from his stories for the film.

Ultimately Shadow World reveals the real costs of war, the way the arms trade drives it, how weapons of war are turned against citizens of liberal democracies and how the trade decreases rather than enhances security for us all. In shedding light on how our realities are being constructed, the film offers a way for audiences to see through this horror, in the hopes of creating a better future. (Final Cut for real)

Johan Grimonprez: Shadow World, Belgien / USA / Danmark, 2016. 94 min. Filmkommentarens vurdering: 6/6, seks af seks pennespidser.

http://www.finalcutforreal.dk/shadow-world 

Zelig – First Year

There they were, 30 new faces at the Zelig film school, and I was to be the first teacher of their three year long education at the school for ”documentary, television and new media”. Thank you Emanuele Vernillo and Heidi Gronauer for your trust in me to give the students inspiration to watch films, read books and study painters and photographers, who know about composition and use of light and shadow.

I had four days to motivate the students and to make them talk. About themselves and about what they saw. It was forbidden to say ”I like” or ”I don’t like”. We were looking for descriptions, impressions, analysis. They did so very well.

”My” film menu included Robert Frank, Wojciech Staron, Sylvain Biegeleisen, Herz Frank, Jon Bang Carlsen, Jørgen Leth, Viktor Kossakovsky, Piotr Stasik, Michael Glawogger… and a bombardment of other names and titles they should study. Auteur documentaries – and the youngest student of them all, 19 years old, knew where that term comes from.

And a game at the end: form groups of three, you have two hours to find a topic, put the proposal down on paper and pitch it to your colleagues and me the next day. They did so and the teacher was impressed. Themes: dreams, a monument in Bolzano, a tour with the cable car up to Ober Bozen, rituals, public transport when the cable car is out for inspection, grafitti artists, Schüttelbrot, a toxic mushroom, a vegan chef. One team – the one with the monument – even managed to make a two minute teaser for the presentation. I ran into them in the evening and took the picture.

http://www.zeligfilm.it/en/

Johan Grimonprez: Shadow World /1

1 VIDNER

Jeg vælger at tro, at denne mand er troværdigheden selv. Han hedder Chris Hedges, han har været krigskorrespondent for The New York Times, han er forfatter, hans seneste bog er Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt, 2015 og han arbejder nu tillige som præst. Han arbejdede tidligere gennem et par årtier uafbrudt som udenlandsk korrespondent i Mellemamerika, Mellemøsten, Afrika og på Balkan, han skrev fra mere end halvtreds lande for The Christian Science Monitor, NPR, Dallas Morning News og The New York Times, hvor han var udenrigskorrespondent i i årene1990 -2005. I 2002 var Hedges del af en gruppe på otte journalister på The New York Times som blev tildelt Pulitzerprisen for avisens dækning af den globale terrorisme.

Chris Hedges er et af de medvirkende vidner (som jeg én for én også vælger at tro på, især er det vigtigt at tro på våbenhandleren, hans nonchelant underholdende praleri er blot et nervøst træk ved ham, som de øvrige vidner er han sagkyndig), Hedges er altså medvirkende vidne i Shadow World, en krævende og foruroligende film, som bearbejder også mine pinlige historiske forglemmelser og flig for flig løfter dækket af også mine fortrængninger af bestemte historiske kendsgerninger.

Johan Grimonprez, som nok især huskes for Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-I-Y, 1997 om flykapringernes historie skildret på arkivmatriale fra de populære tv-stastioner sat i ramme af en personligt reflekterende filmkonstruktion, har tilsvarende lavet Shadow World om det militært-industrielle kompleks’ halvt- eller helt ubelyste, men sandt at sige angstprovokerende historie. Det er sket i samarbejde med blandt andre produktionsselskabet Final Cut for Real, København, og filmen får biografpremiere i Grand Teater i København nu på søndag 13. november og tv-premiere på DR2 15. november.

Til københavnerne: Gå i biografen på søndag og se den film! Og til alle danskere: se den på DR2 på tirsdag! Jeg kan kun anbefale sådan en nødvendigt rystende ophobning af bitre facts i et klogt og roligt forfærdende filmessays form…

SYNOPSIS

SHADOW WORLD afslører virkeligheden bag den globale våbenhandel – en branche, som tæller sin profit i milliarder og sine tab i menneskeliv. Gennem interviews med whistleblowers, efterforskere, anklagere samt insidere fra både militæret og militærindustrien, viser SHADOW WORLD hvordan våbenhandlen, med vores politiske ledere som villige mellemmænd, er drivkraften bag krig.

Resultatet er en verden hvor det politiske demokrati korrumperes i jagten på en fed kommission, og hvor synet af en klar, blå himmel for nogle ikke længere er fredfyldt: Det er optimale omstændigheder for tilbagevendende bombende droner.

SHADOW WORLD giver publikum en mulighed for at gennemskue de skjulte dagsordener bag enhver krig, i håbet om en sikrere fremtid. (Final Cut for real)

SYNOPSIS ENGLISH

Directed by Johan Grimonprez (“Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y”) and in part based on Corruption Watch UK founder Andrew Feinstein’s globally acclaimed book The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, the film reveals how the international trade in weapons – with the complicity of governments and intelligence agencies, investigative and prosecutorial bodies, weapons manufacturers, dealers and agents – fosters corruption, determines economic and foreign policies, undermines democracy and creates widespread suffering. The film unravels a number of the world’s largest and most corrupt arms deals through those involved in perpetrating and investigating them. It illustrates why this trade accounts for almost 40% of all corruption in global trade, and how it operates in a parallel legal universe, in which the national security elite who drive it are seldom prosecuted for their often illegal actions. Shadow World posits alternatives through the experience of a peace activist and war correspondent, as well as through the voice of Eduardo Galeano who contributed selections from his stories for the film.

Ultimately Shadow World reveals the real costs of war, the way the arms trade drives it, how weapons of war are turned against citizens of liberal democracies and how the trade decreases rather than enhances security for us all. In shedding light on how our realities are being constructed, the film offers a way for audiences to see through this horror, in the hopes of creating a better future. (Final Cut for real)

Johan Grimonprez: Shadow World, Belgien / USA / Danmark, 2016. 94 min. Vurdering: 6/6, seks af seks pennespidser. 

http://www.finalcutforreal.dk/shadow-world

Ukrainian Sheriffs in Copenhagen

… as documentary of the month of the Danish Cinemateket, running for a week with the start of November 11. This wonderful, charming, funny and – it takes place in Ukraine – serious film won the IDFA Jury Special Prize last year and is now Ukraine’s contribution to the Oscar race. The filmmakers are on their way to Los Angeles to promote their work. The following is a copy-paste of a text I wrote a year ago:

I have had the pleasure to follow from the sideline how Ukrainian filmmakers and friends Dar’ya Averchenko (DA), Roman Bondarchuk (RB) together with Latvian producer and friend Uldis Cekulis have developed their “Ukrainian Sheriffs” that will have its premiere at IDFA on this coming Friday, competing in the main feature duration competition.

At DOK Leipzig 2015 I met them and their wonderful little girl Agata. And we had a conversation of one hour that is now in an edited version to read on the website of the film. Here is a tiny clip that also demonstrates that a romantic date can become much more in real life, a marriage and a film!

“RB: It was during one of our dates – Dasha and me – that we met each other. I took a car, we went for some driving around Kherson. There was a huge sign on the road like “Georgievska church, 19-th century, fortress, Cossacks graves” and we were interested to find them. They were touristic signs.

TSM: How many years ago?

DA: It was late 90’es.

RB: No! (Roma says) Really?

TSM: And you were not a couple at that time?

RB: No, it was just one of our first dates… and we turned to the road to nowhere, looking for all these attractions. We couldn’t find anything, so we stopped on the road to ask the way. That’s how we met a local man, a teacher of history.”

This teacher of history became the mayor of Stara Zburjivka and is one of three main characters of the film. Check the website and read the whole interview. And see the film!

www.ukrainiansheriffs.com

Michael Kirk: The Choice 2016

DR2 sender i aften denne helt nye gedigne tv-dokumentar, en dobbeltbiografi over Hillary Clinton og Donald Trump, deres levnedsløb fra barndommen til nu i præcise kapitler skiftevis vekslende mellem de to. Dokumentaren er i den næsten altid foretrukne amerikanske stil bygget af et voldsomt stort og her i landet for en stor dels vedkommende nok ukendt arkivmateriale kombineret med nye interviews med Clintons og Trumps venner og kolleger samt forfattere til bøger om dem og iagttagere af deres karrierer fra aviser og tv-stationer.

Indholdet er seriøst, koncentreret, ærligt og klart, og der er selvfølgelig en del vægt på det underholdende sladderstof, de spændende skandaleforløb spredt i to parallelt psykologiserende familiehistorier begge begyndende med brutale og dominerende fædre. Alt i overensstemmelse med denne særlige tv-tradition for biografi.

Den meget erfarne tv-journalist Michael Kirk holder imidlertid alt i stramme tøjler, så de 100 tv-minutter fremstår som et aldeles voksent og faktisk interessant resumé over dagens to nok vigtigste politikerbiografier, en tillidvækkende sammenfatning, som jeg må anbefale. Mens vi venter på resultatet.

USA 2016, 100 min. Produktion: Frontline, WGBH/Boston i samarbjde med Kirk Documentary Group. Sendes I AFTEN 8. november 20:45 på DR2 og kan derefter ses på DR TV.

Christoffer Dreyer: Den sidste tid

Hans Lauridsen sidder i nervøs venten. Han har inviteret til foredrag i et forsamlingshus i Ribe. To timer med pause. Han vil fortælle om alle de tegn i tiden nu, som viser hen mod, at den sidste tid, at dommedag er nær. Man sidder på det her sted i filmen i nervøs venten med ham, der kommer da ikke nogen til det foredrag? Man har jo fulgt forberedelserne, rystet lidt på hovedet af hans plan, ingen går da til foredrag om sådan noget uden foredragsholderen er et navn.

Men jeg tager fejl, tager fejl af den særlige styrke i foredraget som form, tager fejl af styrken i den særlige ældre folkelighed, tager fejl af Ribe og foredragskulturen der. Og måske er Hans Lauridsen og hans kone Ester navne der i byen, selv om de, som de har fortalt tidligere i deres optagethed af deres oplysningskampagne med at forberede menneskene på Jordens undergang, har mistet næsten alle deres venner.

Imidlertid er foredraget omhyggeligt forberedt, det har Christoffer Dreyers film film gjort mig til vidne på. Og lidt efter lidt kommer folk, hjemmevante foredragsbrugere, lyttende og interesserede og spørgende ind til detaljer og Hans Lauridsen svarer og de nikker og accepterer det han siger og de accepterer ham og de vil komme igen hvis han vil lave en fortsættelse.

Christoffer Dreyer har tidligere lavet en film om byen Gedsers diskrete kultur (En detektiv i provinsen, 2012), han er opmærksom på detaljerne sådanne steder, og som foredraget er omhyggeligt tilrettelagt, er hans film omhyggeligt konstrueret i enhver detalje. Hans arbejde er respektfuldt inspireret og påvirket af de to medvirkendes velordnede research og formidling, ligesom han også ved venlige og diskrete referencer vedkender sig sin afhængighed af filmhistoriens og filmæstetikkens arv, her især oplagt i Jon Bang Carlsens vestjyske landskab, sprog og tanke. Hans og Esther Lauridsens tillid til Gud er skildret grundfæstet som Jennys er det i Bang Carlsens film: ”Det er fredag den anden januar 1977, og jeg føler mig sund og rask… Der er sket meget i min tid…” Og Jenny sammenligner sit liv med den nye usikkerhed. Hun er i det moderne: ”I et kontrolrum et sted i USA, har jeg læst, er der altid to til stede. Hvis den ene skulle bryde sammen og ville trykke på knappen, skal den anden kunne gribe ind. Sådan også på Cheminova, vores kemifabrik. Der er der også to, skulle den ene falde i søvn. For mennesket må selv tage ansvar og ikke give Gud skylden for ulykkerne, det selv har skabt grundlaget for.”

Ingmar Bergmans fisker Jonas Persson i Nadvergæsterne (1961) kan i sin paniske angst ikke selv tale om den. Fru Persson må gøre det, hun opsøger præsten i sakristiet i kirken og siger under samtalen: ”Det begyndte i foråret. Jonas havde læst i en avis om kineserne… Der stod i den artikel, at det er et spørgsmål om tid, hvornår kineserne har atombomben. De har ingenting at tabe. Sådan stod der. Jeg er ikke bange. Det er vel bare, fordi jeg ikke har så meget fantasi. Men Jonas tænker altid. Og vi vender og drejer det. Selv om jeg ikke kan være til så megen hjælp…”

Tilsvarende kæmper Hans og Ester Lauridsen med en angst, men hvad fiskeren ikke kan og præsten slet ikke hjælpe ham med, det kan de to. De tager opgaven på sig. Ved bøn ja, men derefter bestemt også ved nøje gennemtænkte handlinger. De forbereder sig, og når de viser vær-beredt-rygsækkene med alt både simpelt og sindrigt overlevelsesudstyr frem, er de for mig at se tillige tydeligt i slægt med en bestemt af de eventyrligt rejsende tænkere af den praktiske fremskredne sekulære vildmarksskole, som Werner Herzog møder ved verdens ende i Antarktis og får hans flugt-rygsæks indhold bredt ud for kameraet.

Endelig da Esther og Hans sidder i deres hus i Ribe under århundredets storm i december 2013, filmer Christoffer Dreyer i en vidunderligt fint distanceret scene Hans’ målbevidste arbejde med at afstive sit stakit omkring parcellen som var det Don Quijotes kamp mod vejrmøllerne, og instruktøren får med denne blide reference til verdenslitteraturen sin film forbundet med menneskets universielle angsthåndteringer al tid.

Dreyer begynder sin film midt i en optagelse med Esther bag kameraet, en optagelse af Hans’ foredrag til en af deres talrige film om den sidste tid, hvor han på YouTube fremlægger sine og Esthers bibelstudier sammenholdt med klimasituationen og vist nok også andre trusler mod livet på kloden. Man får aldrig rigtigt indblik i det, for det er selvfølgelig ikke Dreyers ærinde, selv om hans film og deres film har samme titel. Dreyer skildrer stilsikkert deres filmoptagelse som alvorligt dilettant i forsamlingshuset. Hans Lauridsen overspiller i nervøs iver sin rolle ubehageligt, men kort efter afløses den instruerede scene af interview som voiceover til billedet og det dæmper det opskruede, og når interviewets billede klippes med, begynder man at lære Hans og Esther at kende som stilfærdige og ganske almindeligt ræsonnerende i deres engagement.

Deres åndelige baggrund antydes ved et besøg på galleri i indre missionsk regi for religiøs kunst, men det slås i dialogen udtrykkeligt fast at de to ikke tilhører noget trossamfund. Imidlertid bliver de ved forslag fra tilhørerne ved foredraget fristet af tanken om en lille menighed. Og snart er en bibellæsekreds i gang i deres stue.

Men Dreyer og hans klippere sætter nu stille og roligt en anden og en tredje udvikling ind i fortællingen. Først er der Esters helbred, hendes dårlige ryg og polio senvirkningerne, så ser man at Hans bruger kontorstol ved køkkenbordet, han har for lavt blodtryk og svimmelhedsanfald. Han klarer dog alene foredrag nummer to, Esther må blive hjemme, men han gennemfører og sikrer endnu en succes. Dernæst er der deres kærligheds udvikling i ømhed så diskret fortalt som i en kort fin scene uden dialog, kun musikken og lyddesignet så omhyggeligt som resten i konstruktionen.

De havde planlagt deres guldbryllup, men de må aflyse gildet, og den i filmens forløb efterhånden ganske afdæmpede og på anden måde indsigtsfuldt afklarede Hans indser filmtitlens dobbelthed, de to slags afslutninger, to sæt sidste tider. Det lave blodtryk, de fire indlæggelser på en måned, Ester alene hjemme begynder i interviewet at tale om Hans i datid. Men guldbryllup for de to bliver det dog til derude ved havet.

Det bedste ved Christoffer Dreyers film er genkendeligheden, dens aldeles indforståede iagttagelse af de to ægtefæller, deres liv og tanker, deres arbejde i mange detaljer, deres kærlighed i sarte nuancer og så først og fremmest en sjælden, men selvfølgelig og naturlig ægte empati uden nysgerrighed og med ligeværdighed i sagkundskab: Esther og Hans, I laver filmens åbning, jeg og holdet laver så resten sammen med jer, vi fordeler rollerne mellem os, den her film er holdarbejde, Den sidste tid er en sikkert gennemført filmovervejelse af enhvers tanker om afslutningen. Afslutningen for sig selv, afslutningen for vores kultur.

Christoffer Dreyer: Den sidste tid, Danmark 2016, 73 min. Premiere for DOXBIO i en række biografer 16. november:

http://www.doxbio.dk/kob-billet/ (biografer og tidspunkter)

http://www.doxbio.dk/movie-archive/den-sidste-tid/ (om filmen)

SYNOPSIS

Esther og Hans elsker livet og hinanden. De har tilbragt næsten hver en vågen time sammen og som mange andre ægtepar, glæder de sig til deres guldbryllup. Det særlige er, at lige netop dette par samtidig håber, at de aldrig kommer til at opleve det. Esther og Hans er nemlig danske ”preppers” og forbereder sig på dommedag med lige dele frygt og længsel. Siden 1972 har de brugt al disponibel tid på at studere biblen i forhold til begivenheder, der er sket i verden omkring dem – og svaret er entydigt: Jorden kan gå under hvert øjeblik, det skal være. De har rygsækken pakket og klar, så de kan overleve i de svenske skove, når ragnarok kommer, men nu har de ventet i 40 år, og da Hans bliver alvorligt syg, må de se i øjnene, at det ikke er jordens sidste tid, de står overfor, men deres egen. (Filmens pressemateriale)

CREDITS

Foto: Christoffer Dreyer og Matthias Nyholm Schmidt. Medvirkende: Esther og Hans Lauridsen. Klip: Christian Einshøj, Thomas Papapenos og Morten Giese samt Pernille Bech som konsulent. Illustration: Kristian Eskild Jensen og Simon Bang. Musik: Martin Pedersen. Produktion: Jesper Jack, House of Real.