IDFA International Documentary Festival Amsterdam

Position Among The Stars

Watched Position Among The Stars at IDFA, Amsterdam. The film makers home press were gushing over it plus the festival director had announced it as a masterpeice before the festival had even started.

I just didn't get it. No film maker had won twice at IDFA so I was expecting something stunning for this film to do so, but it felt like more of the same.

Is shot on shaky DV and not suited to a cinematic experience. Might play better on tv as the wobble made me feel queezy. The directors held shots longer but these felt very set-up with the camera zipping across characters eyelines and bumping around people. These long unmotivated camera moves felt very contrived and set up while at the same time passing the scene off as verite.

Was perplexed at the film and why it won at IDFA when there was such a strong cinematic line up this year.

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