The Human Scale
This is a documentary that poses fundamental questions about living and sustainability. The essential point is, how will we retain our humanity in an urbanization of gigacities in the future?
The Human Scale looks at the present and is told in five distinct chapters, each one focusing on a particular city. The 'scale' in question is the measure of happiness and health of people, as compared to the cold and calculated figures of population and size of buildings. The documentary poses that architecture and city planning should primarily consider human beings and frame the construction of the city based on their habits and comfortable habitats.
China is scrutinized for this very reason and once compared to New York, a city that redesigned its main square, it is understandable why. New York transformed its iconic Times Square to allow for more foot traffic, bicycle lanes and seating, removing busy roads almost completely.
Meanwhile in Dhaka, chaos reigns as private cars are being hired and sold in parking lots and rickshaws are banned. Over in Melbourne Australia, architects praise the grid nature of the city and its ingenious use of alleyways, but are concerned over its rapid growth and inflexible infrastructure. Furthermore cookie-cutter suburbs on the outskirts are given a grim outlook as interest points to the city, and these locations will become barely inhabited ghettos in the near future.
Other cities and architects are also brought into the mix, but ultimately as interesting as The Human Scale is it does not come together in a satisfying manner. There are still too many unanswered components of the future that is posed that it does not pursue. Perhaps this is the point as there is some anxiety behind our rapid development, and with that, uncertainty.
If anything, The Human Scale will certainly make for an engaging talking point.
Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
It all begins with three young women: Nadia, Masha and Katia. At one stage they dominated the western media due to their public 40 second “punk prayer” inside Russia’s main cathedral. They are Pussy Riot, and this performance led to their arrest.
With unparalleled access and exclusive footage, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer looks at the real people behind their now famous colorful balaclavas. Following the bizarre and intricate twists of the trial, we observe three young women fight back against a justice system that seems impervious to logic.
Twitch colleague J. Hurtado states in his review that "for those seeking to be outraged, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer can certainly provide you with plenty at which to direct your emotions" check out the rest of his review here.
The House I Live In
Quickly selling out all sessions at the Melbourne International Film Festival and featuring The Wire creator David Simon himself, The House I Live In pulls no punches. Like internet piracy, the urgency to stop it merely fuels its proliferation, unlike internet piracy however lives, communities and detention rates are significantly and negatively impacted.
This documentary looks at that impact of this 'war' from every level and questions who the real casualties are and what the war is for when drugs are more readily available than ever before. The film effortlessly blends big picture statistics with personal tragedies and characters, creating an evocative tapestry of the complex interrelations and players, willing or not, in this war.
The talking heads are gripping and relevant with each sequence, particularly David Simon who gets hung up on the intricate details but returns to the big picture. The film also poses possible solutions to the perpetually pointless cycle with fascinating points to ponder, particularly as Obama is fingered as the possible change for this redundant self-harming conflict.
The Stone Roses: Made of Stone
Now for something really different. English auteur Shane Meadows (This Is England) returns with a critically acclaimed concert documentary about one of the greatest English bands ever, The Stone Roses, as they announce and perform a comeback tour.
The passion, energy and excitement is inherent from the beginning, through the frame it is clear The Stone Roses is Meadow's favorite band. Not much is actually said to Meadow's, and he recounts little of their turbulent years or conflict. Instead the feeling and emotion is all captured through the music, as it should be.
Meadow's goes for broke and appeases fans everywhere with a truly memorable concert recording. What builds this concert is of most interest to Meadow's and he captures it beautifully; from the band's song decisions to their fans reactions, this is a labor of love, and their dedication to the craft and Meadow's utmost admiration for them bleeds through the screen. This is a must for fans of the band.