Review - McLaren

Review by Rod Freedman

McLaren Dir: Roger Donaldson | New Zealand

One for motorsport enthusiasts, this is the true story of Bruce McLaren, an unassuming, obsessed young Kiwi who became an unlikely star of the Formula 1 circuit in the 1960s, before dying in classic fashion at the age of 32 in a car crash. Directed by Roger Donaldson, the film takes us through his spectacular career through interviews with his wife and colleagues, using a wealth of photographs, footage and effective recreations.

This was a time when the top drivers were treated like movie stars. Yet the foundation of McLaren’s fame was an incredibly hard-working man and his team who designed and built their own cars, starting from his dad’s Auckland garage. Though not a fan of motor racing, I was swept along by the story and the character of McLaren as a modest Kiwi who became world famous.

Review - The Dead Nation

Review by Michael Goss

The Dead Nation   Dir: Radu Jude | Romania 2017

The Dead Nation is Director Radu Jude’s haunting account of a troubled period of Romanian history brought back to life using an extensive photo archive. This found-footage film of life in provincial Romania in the lead up to WW2 makes a makes a superb, illuminating selection from this photographic treasure trove.

As a multi-dimensional snapshot of history, the film is a rich evocation of a community on the brink of war. The soundtrack features extracts from the diary of a Jewish doctor fully aware of the approaching catastrophe interwoven with period radio broadcasts and patriotic anthems.

The film is striking in its purity, with beautiful images placed in the context of barely conceivable horrors, crafting a powerful depiction of fractured times that speaks to the unease of our own age.

Review - I Am Not Your Negro

Review by Rod Freedman

I Am Not Your Negro Dir: Raoul Peck | USA

If you think you know about the American civil rights movement, this Oscar-nominated film directed by political filmmaker Raoul Peck, will give you insight on a deeper level both poetic and political. James Baldwin’s words, narrated by Samuel L Jackson, take us inside those seminal and traumatic times.

Baldwin started but never finished, a book on Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers, three very different activists who were each assassinated. Baldwin’s unpublished writing is the profound, passionate and eloquent voice that takes us inside those times and struggles. The archival footage is extraordinary and powerful, including passages of Baldwin at talk shows, interviews and rallies. The consistency and power of Baldwin’s reflections and intellect make for a cohesive, emotional and ultimately uplifting experience. 

ROD FREEDMAN is an independent director and producer whose documentaries have won many Australian and international awards and screened in dozens of film festivals. Rod is particularly interested in stories about people and their life’s journeys.

Review - Austerlitz

Review by Rod Freedman

Austerlitz Dir: Sergei Loznitsa | Germany

On a trip to Poland, I once went on a ‘tour’ of Auschwitz with mixed feelings. I wanted to go for personal reasons but even the word ‘tour’ seemed to diminish the solemnity and respectfulness required of such a visit. This film, by Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa explores that discomfort but, with no narration or music, leaves the audience time to observe, reflect and think about the complexities. On a hot summer’s day, thousands of sightseers flood through the infamous ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ gates of Dachau and Sachsenhausen Nazi concentration camps. Incongruously dressed in shorts and t-shirts, the crowds would be gaudy if the film were not in black and white. Shot entirely on locked off cameras which simply observe the different reactions and behaviour, with snippets of guide commentary and location sound, we are led to question the nature of remembrance and how we can possibly connect to such places. 

ROD FREEDMAN is an independent director and producer whose documentaries have won many Australian and international awards and screened in dozens of film festivals. Rod is particularly interested in stories about people and their life’s journeys.