Secrets of the Tribe (2010, documentary) - Padilha's superb anthropology documentary

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1 Film Excess win:

Best Documentary   

1 Film Excess nomination:

Best Documentary (won)

 

An ominous poster for José Padilha's Secrets of the Tribe

 

Secrets of the Tribe looks into the controversy arisen by Patrick Tierney's book Darkness in El Dorado (2000), which raises grave accusations against prominent Western anthropologists concerning their involvements with the indigenous Yanomamö people in the Amazon.

Secrets of the Tribe is a phenomenal example of how to make a documentary of this kind. It deals with relatively intellectual and complex content; scientific research conducted decades ago, ideals of science and research in general, references in many directions, a large gallery of subjects and their conflicts. From the dethroned, megalomaniacal Napoleon Chagnon, who stands out as resourceful and intelligent, - but also monstrous, - to criminal Jacques Lizot, through Claude Lévi-Strauss, Kenneth Good and more peripheral characters, Secrets of the Tribe presents a fascinating and quite disturbing look-in at the world of indigenous anthropology. It raises a critical and keen debate of the discipline to a higher level, where it is the legitimacy of modern science as a whole that is really up for debate.

Secrets of the Tribe is directed by Brazilian master filmmaker José Padhilha (Elite Squad/Tropa de Elite (2007)).

 

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2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

A still of Chagnon with a Yanomami Indian

LA Times critic Kenneth Turan sings his praise for the film here

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Unknown

[Secrets of the Tribe premiered January 22 (Sundance) and runs 110 minutes. It was shot in Brazil, Venezuela and the US as a co-production between 11 companies and institutions. It was screened at 5 US festivals in total and at 1 Polish, as well as on various TV channels. 260 IMDb users have given Secrets of the Tribe a 7.5/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Secrets of the Tribe?

Bad Hair/Pelo Malo (2013) - Rondón's excellent drama of growing up different in a Caracas slum

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+ Best Venezuelan Movie of the Year + Best LGBT Movie of the Year

 

A great poster for Mariana Rondón's Bad Hair, which shows its theme of the difficulties of identity creation in a nutshell

 

Junior lives with his baby brother and single mother, who is struggling to get her security guard job back, in the slums of Caracas, Venezuela. This summer he is obsessed with straightening his unruly hair, which causes his mother extreme worries.

 

Bad Hair is a truly wonderful film, which takes us to a new place, (I and probably most audiences won't be familiar with its setting), where a little, very dear boy (played superbly by debuting Samuel Lange Zambrano) is struggling with his surroundings due to his budding homosexuality. The film is very well-acted and sweet; particularly the portrayed world of the children is funny, - but it is also realistic and grim at times. Its portrayal of Junior's mother, - played by Samantha Castillo (Le Badanti (2015)), - a stressed individual who behaves as a tormented prison guard at their home, and who doesn't really love her son, is tough. It is hard to see her as anything but a just plain bad mother.

Bad Hair is skillfully filmed (by Micaela Cajahuaringa (Postcards from Leningrad (2007))) and at times develops slowly. SPOILER It chooses to leave us with a strong scene with no sugarcoating that highlights the mined mother-son-relationship.

Bad Hair is written and directed by the great Mariana Rondón (At Midnight and a Half/A la Medianoche y Media (1999)) as her third feature. It is a beautiful Venezuelan blues that implicitly screams out for acceptance of sexual minorities.

 

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2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]

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2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown

Box office: 2.4 mil. $ (Venezuela only)

= Unknown (but likely a box office success or big hit)

[Bad Hair premiered September 7 (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 93 minutes. It was shot in Caracas. It has reportedly played in 29 markets, including in a long line of film festivals, where it has likely been a darling. It has won 12 awards, including two at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. It was the 30th highest-grossing movie in its native Venezuela in 2014, indicating a strong national interest and support. Bad Hair is fresh at 94 % with a 7.5 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Bad Hair?