MIFF 2017 - Day 14

Winnie

It's always interesting to hear the other side of history. Perhaps no more so than here, with Winnie Mandela telling her story in her own words. A lifetime spent fighting for her people, against the state apparatus. We hear from police and intelligence agents who spent their careers trying to discredit and isolate her. And frame her, as we discover witnesses paid to lie and we learn truth around some of the charges levelled against her. Depressingly we also hear how the apartheid government attempted to groom Nelson Mandela for the presidency, with a goal to preserving their power. And part of that was to set the ANC against Winnie. Something they achieved. The end is a bit grim, celebrating the achievements but also mourning the cost and wondering at the compromises made by some in pursuit of power.

Brigsby Bear

James is raised in a small bunker by his loving parents who warn him of the toxic air outside and get him his weekly Brigsby Bear videotape. Then the police raid and reunite him with his real parents and the real world. But all he wants is to know what happens next in Brigsby Bear. So he decides to make it himself. As a way to explore emotional trauma it's smartly done with a lot of humour, and never minimises the underlying horror of what happened to James. It's also dope as shit.

Have a Nice Day

A man steals a million rmb, and kicks off a series of interrelated incidents as people screw each other over to get the bag of cash. It's a fun and effective comedic thriller, with a through line examining how capitalism and the desire to be wealthy has broken family and social bonds in China. It's a running theme in the Chinese films I've been seeing, which is interesting. There's also an hysterical musical number in the middle parodying Chinese propaganda posters. Loved it.