MeetingResistance Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Quick hits on three titles of interest: As I wrote last November, Meeting Resistance "is not the end-all, be-all of Iraq War documentaries, nor does it pretend to be. Filmmakers Steve Connors and Molly Bingham stay tightly focused on their subjects -- members of the resistance movement in Iraq -- and get them to open up about their motivations. In doing so, they provide an invaluable window into a world that remains unknown to most foreigners." The DVD from First Run Features includes an audio commentary, filmmaker Q&A, biographies, and a photo gallery.

Olivier Meyrou's documentary Beyond Hatred examines the aftermath of the brutal murder of a young gay man by a gang of skinheads. Ed Gonzalez in Slant Magazine felt it "arrives at essential truths about suffering and loss through abstract means." The DVD from First Run Features appears to be a bare-bones edition; no extras are listed at the official site.

I'm waiting for my rental copy of The Flock to arrive in the mail, but I don't have high hopes for this psychological drama, even though it stars Richard Gere and Claire Danes. Hong Kong director Andrew Lau can be hit (Internal Affairs) or miss (Confession of Pain), and the long delay between production (late 2004) and release doesn't bode well. The DVD from The Weinstein Co. has no extras, according to this review by Brian Orndorf at DVD Talk, who felt the movie looked too much like a bad TV show.

Meeting Resistance is not the end-all, be-all of Iraq War documentaries, nor does it pretend to be. Filmmakers Steve Connors and Molly Bingham stay tightly focused on their subjects -- members of the resistance movement in Iraq -- and get them to open up about their motivations. In doing so, they provide an invaluable window into a world that remains unknown to most foreigners.

The filmmakers don't put literal faces to the resistance; the interviewees are presented out of focus or otherwise hidden. Their words create indelible images, though. Identified by descriptors such as "The Teacher," "The Warrior" and "The Traveler," they spin tales of furious vengeance and quiet resolve, dogged determination and fierce betrayal. It's not easy to keep track of these elusive figures; while their anonymity is understandable, it's difficult to keep each one's background and perspective straight without notes. Yet they appear to be a representative cross-section, coming to the movement from a variety of backgrounds and ages. They don't all agree as to the most effective methods of resistance, but they share a fervent desire to repel what they view as the occupation of their country.

The documentary begins shortly after the war itself began. Connors and Bingham were in Iraq at the time, working as freelance photographers. They heard about resistance fighters and decided to investigate. Their investigation led them to the Adhamiya neighborhood of Baghdad, and they started talking to people. The interview subjects speak at length about their personal experiences, religious beliefs and political orientations. As they talk, a compelling portrait emerges of a nation under siege.