Questions about gender, identity, and territory were prominent themes at the 22nd annual Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (RIDM), Quebec’s only all-documentary film festival. These thought-provoking motifs were on brand for a festival that showed a diverse lineup of 154 works from 47 different countries, and achieved gender parity for the third consecutive year with 54% of its films directed by women.
RIDM’s expansive slate of films were shown over 175 sessions during the festival’s run from November 14-24, 2019, and given this epic roster, it was important for me to soak in as much as possible during the three days (November 14-16) the festival was kind enough to have me. The following five reviews represent my favorite films from RIDM.
The Disappearance of My Mother; Beniamino Barrese; Italy, 2019; 94 minutes
Based on its title, RIDM’s opening night film The Disappearance of My Mother sounds like a true crime documentary about a filmmaker haunted by loss. The actual premise of Beniamino Barrese’s film is a lot less somber, but still intriguing on its own terms. Heartwarming and funny, his documentary is a self-aware love letter to his mother, model and feminist icon Benedetta Barzini. After a lifetime of having her image captured by photographers Barzini hopes to escape the spotlight by retreating far from it to somewhere remote, however Barrese, who has lovingly filmed his mother since childhood, tries to hold on by recording her for as long as she’ll let him. The documentary’s meta premise creates an amusing push and pull between mother and son, and although it seems like he’s constantly annoying her, thankfully a post-screening Q&A with them revealed that their disagreements were mostly schtick. In telling his mother’s story as a model and feminist, Barrese creates a moving commentary on beauty and aging that’s further enhanced by the film’s production values. Barrese effectively mixes different footage formats (digital, analog, and film) with an immersive score and sound editing that transports viewers right into the moment. A standout scene where Barzini lays in bed listening to fireworks drops the audience right into the room, and into her head. Spending this time with Barzini makes viewers feel like family, and in a way they are, for sharing this intimate experience with her and her son.
Read the rest of my RIDM 2019 reviews at The Independent.