Marwencol
This is a documentary about a man who finds his own unusual method of therapy after suffering severe brain damage following an attack outside of a bar. After learning how to walk, speak, and function again, he spends all of his time building and photographing an imaginary WWII era town 1/6 scale. Inside this town live the alter-egos of himself, friends, family, and enemies. The detail and stories he creates is both remarkable and heartbreaking.
I saw Marwencol near the beginning of Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival last year, and it ended up being the film we talked about all weekend (well, this and Dogtooth, but that had the whole crazy/shocking factor going on). The movie just hits on so much about societal norms and the creative process and brain damage and art itself. Really, I’m still not sure what exactly I felt walking out of that theater. It’s inspiring, upsetting, and informative all at the same time. From a filmmaking standpoint, it’s very well paced without giving in to the temptation for a shocking reveal like so many documentaries. Seriously though, watch this.
