Hot Docs 2006 - UPDATE #1
Shadya
Directed by Roy Westler
ISRAEL/52 MINUTES
 Shadya is an intriguing yet undeniably frustrating documentary revolving around Shadya Zoabi, a fiercely independent teenager whose passion for karate has been primarily met with intolerance (particularly among her bigoted, sexist brothers). Complicating matters is her status as a Muslim living in Israel, a dichotomy that seems to manifest itself in controversial ways (ie after winning a pivotal bout, she draps herself in the Palestinian flag - much to the horror of her teammates). Filmmaker Roy Westler, having followed Shadya's exploits for over two years, does a nice job of portraying both her youthful enthusiasm and the pragmatism that starts to emerge as she gets older. Though Shadya initially insists that she'll never give in to the rigid demands of her society, we watch as she's left with no choice but to marry the man to whom she's been betrothed - forced to become precisely the sort of placid housewife she's spent her youth decrying (think The Stepford Wives, except without the robots). On that level, as an eye-opening look at an astoundingly backwards culture, Shadya undoubtedly succeeds - though one can't help but wish things had turned out differently for Shadya (the film's final shot, whether it was intended to be or not, is heartbreaking).
 out of
All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise
Directed by Shari Cookson
USA/91 MINUTES
 All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise follows Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell as they host a cruise aboard a luxury liner exclusively for homosexual couples and their families. Filmmaker Shari Cookson focuses on the individual stories of several passengers, including a lesbian couple awaiting the results of a pregnancy test and former pro-football player Esera Tuaolo (who came out of the closet after retiring from the NFL). Although there are are a number of genuinely engaging and moving sequences within All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise, it becomes increasingly difficult to overlook the uneven vibe with which Cookson has infused the film. Having said that, there are enough individually intriguing moments here to warrant a recommendation - including a sequence featuring a frank discussion by the children of several homosexual couples. Likewise, an encounter with a group of protestors in the Bahamas lends the movie a much-appreciated burst of drama (however brief it may be). In the end, All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise primarly comes off as a glorified home video - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, though there's no denying that the film lacks the kind of impact O'Donnell was likely aiming for.
 out of
Our Own Private Bin Laden
Directed by Samira Goetschel
CANADA/SWITZERLAND/63 MINUTES
 Incredibly pointless and thoroughly pretentious, Our Own Private Bin Laden follows documentary filmmaker Samira Goetschel as she attempts to understand the rise of Islamic fundamentalism by interviewing a series of key figures within the world of politics (including ex-CIA director Stansfield Turner and former Pakistani president Benazir Bhutto). Goetschel's use of wooden, extremely self-conscious voiceover narration lends the film a distinctly amateurish feel, while her inability to extract interesting answer from her various subjects cements her ineptness as a documentary filmmaker. As a result, the movie is about as thrilling as an episode of 60 Minutes - though even that's not really a fair comparison, as Goetschel doesn't possess an ounce of Ed Bradley or Mike Wallace's talent or charisma. And although the film is temporarily elevated by an expectedly fascinating appearance by Noam Chomsky, Our Own Private Bin Laden has little to offer all but the most ardent foreign policy enthusiast (ie this movie simply is not accessible to the average viewer at all).
out of
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