The Circuit

by Danielle Beverly
With over 300 documentaries, the 20th anniversary of The International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam – known as IDFA – was a delightful, if daunting, treasure trove of nonfiction. Amsterdam audiences love their documentaries and will bike to the theatre in the constant rain to patiently queue inside for tickets.  Without a bike, but armed with an umbrella, I managed to score a seat at several World or European Premieres:

STRANDED by Gonzalo Arijon (France)
Winner of the Joris Ivens Competition, "Stranded" is a heartbreakingly-painful firsthand account of the infamous 1972 Andes plane crash that killed most of a Uruguayan rugby team.  Those left alive were forced to form their own “civilization” and eat human flesh. This riveting film deeply humanizes what has been a sensationalized and misunderstood story for 35 years.  The film is told through interviews with the survivors, a few photos taken during the 72-day ordeal, and surprisingly affective recreations.

WILD BLUE YONDER by Celia Maysles (USA)
One of the most talked about documentaries at IDFA, "Wild Blue Yonder" (pictured above) is the first film by Celia Maysles, daughter of Direct Cinema pioneer David Maysles, who died when the director was a child.  It follows Celia’s attempt to know her father through his films, but runs into a roadblock when David’s brother Albert Maysles won’t give access to the footage.  It’s a tough watch for any documentary maker (Albert is my personal hero) and is bound to raise debate in the industry about who owns the life of someone else.

EMOTICONS by Heddy Honigmann (Netherlands)
With a curious and respectful eye, Emoticons quietly profiles young women who find community on the internet.  Saski (14), overcomes the pain of being bullied by trouncing male opponents at violent video games.  Zineb, from Algeria, chats with other asylum-seeking teens.  Samantha (17), raped after an online encounter, nevertheless manages to positively counsel other girls about sex and relationships.

DOLLS – A WOMAN FROM DAMASCUS by Diana El Jeiroudi (Syria, Denmark)
Dolls contrasts the rise of Fulla, the Arab version of Barbie, with the day-to-day existence of a young housewife and mother, who is frustrated by her domestic life in a conservative culture.  A satisfying "chick flick", it could be a wonderful tool for women from Western and Arab backgrounds to sit down and view together. Then to talk and laugh afterward, realizing their commonalities, differences and misconceptions about one another.


Danielle Beverly regularly produces for PBS, and works as a Cameraperson on independent documentaries. Her most recent feature documentary is "Learning to Swallow", which follows a bipolar artist who destroyed her digestive system in a failed suicide attempt, as she attempts to rebuild her life over four years.