“A film is a portrait of an aspect of society.”
Yes, there has been a lot of film and documentary shares and reviews on this blog for the last 5 years, but in my mind we can can never have too much. And therefore I have to create my own personal database, that simultaneously is being done online, which is then, for those interested viewable for all. There are simply so many incredibly well made documentaries and films on the web since the end of the 90′s, and from a few directors that keep film, to use Roger Ebert legendary words: “vibrating for me. Not every movie needs to vibrate, but unless a few do, the thrill is gone.”
English documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield (67) is one of these ‘vibrating directors’, known from “Kurt & Courtney (1998)”, “Biggie and Tupac (2002)” and “Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003)” and his son, cinematographer Barney Broomfield digs deeply in their latest documentary called “Tales of the Grim Sleeper” (TRAILER) (USA/England, 2014) (Broadcasted on HBO: April 27, 2015) of the notorious serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper (alleged Lonnie Franklin Jr), who terrorised South Central Los Angeles over a span of twenty-five years.
- “Mesmerizing, chilling, and greatly disturbing. A meditation on race, class, institutional racism and abject horror.”
- “[Broomfield’s] finest work to date."
– Patrick McGavin, RogerEbert.com
Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested in July 2010 after a 25 year killing spree in which it is thought he could have killed over a 100 victims, potentially making him the most prolific serial killer in history. Simply by driving around in South Central Los Angeles, Broomfield, in his always investigative and experimental style tries to find some more loose information on the case. This time helped by the former addict and promiscuous woman Pamela Brooks. Is there ignorance or unwillingness of the LAPD? The film is an extraordinary and admirable well made documentary with an almost necessary true social critique standpoint of a neighbourhood that suffers from decades of municipal neglect and racism. The long history of poverty and drug use in South Central (as the district was called until 2003) appears to be fertile ground for the serial murders. (IDFA)
Watch the revealing and shortlisted for ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at the 87th Academy Awards full film below:
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Can’t get enough?
In the mood for more ‘vibrating’ filmmakers. Have a look at the documentary set in the burning oil fields of Kuwait following the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, ‘where science fiction meets documentary maybe for it’s first time’. In the epic astonishing visual poem from the new German Cinema hero, Werner Herzog’s “Lektionen in Finsternis” (1995) (TRAILER) is fully online here
VIP Doc Lessons of Darkness NPO Doc (VPRO) (Trailer NPO Doc)
More 2Doc online documentaries here.
Photo Credit: HBO / Sky Vision / Lafayette Film Ltd