SXSW 2011: REINDEERSPOTTING Review
[Our thanks to Brandon Tenold for the following review.]
While living in the city of Rovaninemi in Finland's northern Lapland province, Reindeerspotting director Joonas Neuvonen lived off social welfare and spent most of his days doing drugs. During this time, he decided to document his circle of friends, focusing on his friend Jani, a 19 year old who also uses drugs, in particular the heroin detox medication subutex.
Jani lives off social welfare as well, but his habit has grown to the point where he resorts to theft and petty crime to support it, even losing 2 of his fingers because of debts with drug dealers. Bored with his life in Rovanienmi and with a jail sentance for his petty crimes looming, Jani longs to escape the cold Finnish city. After managing to steal 5000 euros, Jani and Joonas hop a train and travel around Europe, during which time Jani talks about quitting drugs and settling down. However, it soon becomes apparent that drugs have become his life.
Culled from grainy, hand-held footage Neuvonen took from a small consumer camera, Reindeerspotting is a gritty documentary that doesn't moralize or try to cram it's message down the audiences' throat. For the most part, the footage is presented in a very straightforward manner, the only artistic touches being the occasional voiceover from Jani regarding his views on his life and situation. Music is used only sparingly and avoids being melodramatic or manipulative. Neuvonen shows both the mundane aspects of Jani's existence, like spending an evening zoning out in front of the TV with friends, to the more extreme lengths he has to go to get his fix, such as the theft of a car stereo early in the film. The fact that it was made by someone who was also a user and a friend of Jani's allows him to open up and be more natural than would have been possible otherwise, both through the graphic footage of intravenous drug use (Note: if the sight of needles piercing skin makes you squeamish, you may want to avoid this film) and his candid behavior and conversations with Joonas during their trip across Europe. Although he comes off as selfish and irresponsible, Jani also never blames others for his habit and has his own personal hopes and dreams about he wants from life. In short, he comes across as a real human being instead of an exaggerated front for an anti-drug argument.
Reindeerspotting has been accused of being pro-drug, with the Finnish government apparently banning the movie from minors for this very reason. It most certainly is not. Although the characters discuss the euphoria they get from their habit and the "techniques" for their use is shown, the consequences of their addictions are still apparent, whether it's Jani's lost fingers or another character hazily rooting around in garbage to find a syringe he has thrown away. This is no over the top after school special that demonizes drugs and the people who use them, but a powerful, honest depiction of something that affects many parts of society, and there are people from around the world who will be able to relate to Jani's story. Though some may think that its apparent lack of a clear moral stand is a knock against it, Reindeerspotting provides a unique insight into drug use and it is one of the best documentaries on the subject I've ever seen.
Review by Brandon Tenold
While living in the city of Rovaninemi in Finland's northern Lapland province, Reindeerspotting director Joonas Neuvonen lived off social welfare and spent most of his days doing drugs. During this time, he decided to document his circle of friends, focusing on his friend Jani, a 19 year old who also uses drugs, in particular the heroin detox medication subutex.
Jani lives off social welfare as well, but his habit has grown to the point where he resorts to theft and petty crime to support it, even losing 2 of his fingers because of debts with drug dealers. Bored with his life in Rovanienmi and with a jail sentance for his petty crimes looming, Jani longs to escape the cold Finnish city. After managing to steal 5000 euros, Jani and Joonas hop a train and travel around Europe, during which time Jani talks about quitting drugs and settling down. However, it soon becomes apparent that drugs have become his life.
Culled from grainy, hand-held footage Neuvonen took from a small consumer camera, Reindeerspotting is a gritty documentary that doesn't moralize or try to cram it's message down the audiences' throat. For the most part, the footage is presented in a very straightforward manner, the only artistic touches being the occasional voiceover from Jani regarding his views on his life and situation. Music is used only sparingly and avoids being melodramatic or manipulative. Neuvonen shows both the mundane aspects of Jani's existence, like spending an evening zoning out in front of the TV with friends, to the more extreme lengths he has to go to get his fix, such as the theft of a car stereo early in the film. The fact that it was made by someone who was also a user and a friend of Jani's allows him to open up and be more natural than would have been possible otherwise, both through the graphic footage of intravenous drug use (Note: if the sight of needles piercing skin makes you squeamish, you may want to avoid this film) and his candid behavior and conversations with Joonas during their trip across Europe. Although he comes off as selfish and irresponsible, Jani also never blames others for his habit and has his own personal hopes and dreams about he wants from life. In short, he comes across as a real human being instead of an exaggerated front for an anti-drug argument.
Reindeerspotting has been accused of being pro-drug, with the Finnish government apparently banning the movie from minors for this very reason. It most certainly is not. Although the characters discuss the euphoria they get from their habit and the "techniques" for their use is shown, the consequences of their addictions are still apparent, whether it's Jani's lost fingers or another character hazily rooting around in garbage to find a syringe he has thrown away. This is no over the top after school special that demonizes drugs and the people who use them, but a powerful, honest depiction of something that affects many parts of society, and there are people from around the world who will be able to relate to Jani's story. Though some may think that its apparent lack of a clear moral stand is a knock against it, Reindeerspotting provides a unique insight into drug use and it is one of the best documentaries on the subject I've ever seen.
Review by Brandon Tenold
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