This family saga, dealing with a chapter of history slowly forgotten by time, has at its core a story family transcending generations.
However a lot of the emotions we as the viewer feel are coxed out of us by unwarned reenactments. Yes all the 'footage' of the directors grandmother, and most vital part of the story are reenactments. Despite Ruth Brejnholm giving an incredible performance, would this story be nothing else than an afternoon, mediocre history documentary without her performance? Her mannerisms are so real, combined with the handi-cam look, we are forced to feel when in reality all we feel is for her performance not the story. It becomes a long narrative with little substance that is in dire need of distillation.
I hope in years to come that Laurits Munch-Petersen will revisit the subject and, as he says in this film, use the actual footage he shot and make a more concise and honest documentary.
However a lot of the emotions we as the viewer feel are coxed out of us by unwarned reenactments. Yes all the 'footage' of the directors grandmother, and most vital part of the story are reenactments. Despite Ruth Brejnholm giving an incredible performance, would this story be nothing else than an afternoon, mediocre history documentary without her performance? Her mannerisms are so real, combined with the handi-cam look, we are forced to feel when in reality all we feel is for her performance not the story. It becomes a long narrative with little substance that is in dire need of distillation.
I hope in years to come that Laurits Munch-Petersen will revisit the subject and, as he says in this film, use the actual footage he shot and make a more concise and honest documentary.
