Many of the staged scenes creates a portrait of life that hid much of the deprevation of the ghetto. The Jewish captives were shown to be better dressed, better fed, and more content than was the case. They were also forced to appear uncaring and cold toward the poorer population. These staged scenes could have served as propeganda to make the camps seem not as cruel to the outside world and to cast the character of the Jews in an unflattering light. However, much of the raw footage did indeed capture the true deprevation of the ghetto raising the question as to why the Nazis would want the true nature of the camps to be exposed.

A Film Unfinsihed presents much of the raw footage and the alternate takes as it creates a mesmerizing narrative about the discovery of the films and of the process of the filmmaking.

This straight-forward legal battle was, of course, complicated by a subtext of racial tension because Mugabe was redistributing land only owned by white farmers. The story is further complicated by the long history of colonialism. Although Campbell obtained his land legally, his farm was resented by many in the community. The tale is even further complicated by the accusation that Mugabe was not actually redistributing land to poor farmers but to his cronies.

It could be easy to assume Mugabe and the White African is the tale of a white Englishman who faced reverse racism. But the film is much more than that as it raises many issues that are too complex to resolve. However, it’s hard to say whether or not this strategy works in favor of the film. The main focus is on Campell, his son-in-law and his son-in-law’s parents in England. There is some footage of Mugabe’s legal team and the men trying to occupy the farm. Oddly, the film does not present any interviews with any of the black farm workers whose insights could have gone a long way to providing some context for the racial issues.

The film also provides unique insight into the fall of Communism which led to the harsh economic climate that made these women vulnerable to the tactics of the traffickers. Often, Chakarova laments how things were better under Communism and takes the viewer to her all but abandoned hometown.

The first half of the film focuses on the initial tragedy and legal battle. The second half revolves around Charlene’s continuing advocacy and the stories of other people who faced similar discrimination.

Despite the importance of the issues raised and Charlene’s emotional story, For My Wife is not consistently engaging. Even with a relatively short 60 minute running time, the film drags in spots and is a bit repetitive.

War, Love, God and Madness seems to meander in the first half, but the diverse elements all contribute to a deeper understanding of the tragedy that is to follow. Because the production is taking place under such stressful conditions, War, Love, God and Madness is suspenseful in ways most documentaries aren’t and is an excellent example of guerrilla filmmaking.

Top Secret Rosies Trailer from LeAnn Erickson on Vimeo.

Gasland relates numerous stories of people living in Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Colorado who have felt the impact of the fracking process. The film also documents how restrictions have been loosened to allow coroporations to quickly establish new drilling locations. Gasland invites comparisons to the equally engaging and moving Split Estate, including, if my memory is correct, interviews with some of the same people and footage of one of the incidents in which one of the residents sets part of a creek on fire.

Gasland relies a bit heavily on the anecdotal evidence presented by the people affected, which raises some concerns about actual cause and effect. The film’s website has a helpful document affirming the research presented, but I wish more expert opinion was given in the film. That said, Gasland is a disturbing introduction for those who may not be familiar with the process of fracking.