The specials at IDFA: Part II Paradocs

Nov 14, 2012 | by Anouk | Art, Event

About the author

As a freelance journalist, Anouk (26) usually writes about what other people do or like. In her precious spare time she watches arthouse films. Not a few. A lot, thanks to her trusted Cineville pass. Here she can finally share her film-fetish with the world.

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. During twelve days it will show 317 (!) different documentaries. Not only in the regular programme, but also in special programmes like Doclab and Paradocs. You might overlook these two specials, due to the wide range of films and other activities. That would be a shame, because the chances are big that Doclab and Paradocs will pleasantly surprise you.

Don’t miss the specials: Paradocs

A film from space

If you like experimental documentaries and video art, Paradocs is your programme to check carefully. This year the programme is working together with Het Stedelijk Museum. Their curator Bart Rutten will present nine video art works the museum acquired in the past 8 years.
The Danish multidisciplinary artist Jørgen Leth made a huge collage of 14 of his films, showed with eight beamers on a big wall. “Leth is mostly interested in how people move and what they do. He’s fascinated by all that is physical,” says Joost Daamen. The programme chief of Paradocs is also very much impressed by Dana Ranga’s I Am In Space. This documentary has no dialogue. We only see images from space and quotes from astronauts. “You totally get their fears, their loneliness. They miss their family, but the earth is thousands of kilometres away. Fascinating.” According to Daamen I Am In Space is a bit of a meditative trip. Sounds good.

Be a fish

Daamen has some other great tips for the lover of visual spectacles. In Leviathan “we” board a massive fishing ship, as if we are the fish itself. The ship represents a sort of mini society and the camera doesn’t miss a thing. “This is truly an amazing, visual journey.”
Talking about journeys, filmmakers Eline Jongsma (NL) and Kel O’Neill (VS) followed the path of the VOC and WIC-ships. In old Dutch trading posts they go looking for the remains of Dutch culture that are still there. Their three channel installation interweaves three different stories from Ghana, Surinam & Brazil; “In this case it’s more about the form than about a compelling narrative.”

Looking for love

León Siminiani made an ego document pur sang. In his “Map”, the Spaniard travels to India, searching for true love. He finds out his actual love life isn’t really working out. “The story is told from his own perspective,” says Daamen. “Sometimes he fast-forwards or he stands still at a point that is important to him. It’s actually a lesson in looking.” What also makes Siminiani’s film interesting is that he shows how he constructs his story, he also comments almost everything we get to see. A filmmaker who knows very well how to use self-reflection in a story telling sense.
“All these films and expos show what Paradocs is; films are never made according to the usual standards.”