Post-moving to Wellington from the melting pot of London, often feels like I have retreated from the ‘real world’. It can sometimes feel like everything is happening so far away and it barely even touches us here. Wellington is removed both geographically and politically, which most of the time , is a great; far away from the trials and tribulations of the rest of the world. The downside, is that this also means we are removed from some of the amazing, reactive and juicy ‘culture’ that thrives in Europe and other parts of the world. By this I mean things like the latest and greatest of goings on, in art, fashion or cinema. Don’t get me wrong, there are some truly amazing projects and work in New Zealand that develop out of this ‘removedness’. But sometimes it is easy to miss being part of “IT”. This feeling is part of the reason why I really love Documentary Edge Festival, which comes to Wellington (and Auckland) in May. Doc Edge brings the world to Wellington; the stories, the lives, the truths and the high quality film-making. It makes me personally feel just a little bit closer to all thats far away.
Doc Edge Festival began in 2004 to “promote an appreciation for documentary and make NZ a leading documentary destination for the world”. The festival was Oscar qualifying in 2016 and the programme features documentaries from all over the world as well as New Zealand. The subjects are far ranging from arts and culture to human rights to economics. There is really something for everyone.
Likely, big favourites this year, will be the stories around environmental issues and climate change. Anote’s Ark, Genesis 2.0 and Thank You For the Rain for example. I personally am looking forward to diving deeper into these topics.
Matthieu Rytz Anote’s Ark is this years Gala premiere film. A beautiful and heartbreaking account of President Anote, of low lying Pacific country, Kiribati and his moves to save his sinking island. This is combined with stories from a family living at the front line of the flooding as the island faces its inevitable decent into the sea as the icecaps melt. The movie is thoughtful, truthful and the optimism of the Kiribati’s commitment and innovation for finding an solution to their unimaginable situation is inspiring.
When I was a kid, my idea of a documentary was David Attenborough and big cat chases. These were, and still are brilliant, but the documentary genre, or at least my narrow view of it, has grown in to something on an entirely different scale in recent years. As with everything TV and Film, it is probably changing with the rise of the Netflix and high production value documentaries like Making a Murderer that have given the documentary genre and real life stories a bit of a boost into the mainstream. This is great, film makers have more scope and opportunity and documentaries now, are as varied and tantalising as the dramatic film genre. Wellington’s Doc Edge Festival brings the best of this.
I wont lie, I am a (not so closet) lover of the celebrity documentary genre and at last year’s festival opening film, Whitney Houston, Can I be me was incredible. This year, her once collaborator George Micheal’s last piece of work, the film, Freedom is a highlight. This film takes us through each stage of his career with voice overs from George himself, with the help of Stevie Wonder, Mark Ronson, James Corden and some questionable quips from Liam Gallagher. Freedom is both sad and beautiful and an honest tribute to the late singer. Taking you to his dark times but not in a voyeuristic way as is so typical of celeb documentaries. It will make a George Micheal fan out of the best and the worst of us. Worth seeing if you love fame and glamour stories, along with others this year: Spielberg, about the directors life and work, and The Gospel according to Andre following Andre Leon Talley’s life in the big world of fashion.
The great thing about Doc Edge is that it introduces and platforms films we might not otherwise be able to see. This years quirky and original, Big in Japan from Lachlan McLeod, Louis Dai and David Elliot-Jones is one of these for me. Sort of Louis Theroux meets Jackass, this documentary is for anyone who has ever wondered if they could be famous. Made by a group of mates from Australia and their quest to make their ‘weird’ friend big in Japan and prove that this is a world, where really, anyone can be famous. Although there are some hilarious moments, the darker side of this pursuit is not missed.
Other Films to watch out for at Doc Edge:
The Doc Edge programme is extensive and diverse and I’m looking forward to getting back in touch with the rest of the planet through these films. The festival in Wellington starts on 9th May and goes through to the 20th.(In Auckland, 23rd May to the 4th of June). All held at the beautiful Roxy cinema in Miramar. Check out the programme here: Doc Edge Festival Timetable.
Thanks for reading.
Let me know what you see at the festival, or what you are looking forward to.
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Josie x