FILM REVIEW: Retrospective Bolton - Bolton Film Festival

The final section of this year's Bolton Film Festival was titled, 'Bolton Retrospective'. I imagine that means that the films in this category have already been shown at previous years' festivals, since the films themselves have no reference to or relevance with Bolton.

1. Green Screen Gringo - The Netherlands - Dir: Douwe Dijkstra

We are in Brazil, in and around Sao Paolo, and the dialogue is in Portuguese with English subtitles. 

A man with a mobile green screen travels the streets of the city and beyond, and as we follow the camerman's perspective there is a mix of reality, superiomposed green screen images and actual images of the green screen before the superimposing takes place. In between all of this there is a little politics and lifestyle thrown in the mix.

It's odd and left-side without a doubt, but it is also strangely clever and helps the viewer to engage in some things about Brazilian life and culture that we wouldn't know or care about otherwise.

2. Sex Ed - UK - Dir: Alice Seabright

Ed (Mark Weinman) is a sex eductaion teacher at a secondary school. Before class, we see him sitting in his car; something obviously upsetting him. That morning he has received some bad news which, as we watch him enter the school and into the classroom to teach the class, obviously affected him deeply and is connected to the lesson he is teaching. Half way through his class he has a minor break-down and is forced to leave the classroom to sit in the corridor as the film finishes.

What was most interesting and illumiating about this film was not the story nor the acting, but the classroom technique and how Ed handled a bunch of rowdy, disrespectful, immature and badly behaved teenagers. It seemed to me that Weinman might already have experience as a secondary teacher as his manner and classroom skill seemed very natural and real.

As far as the film goes however, it would be nice to know more, and see what happens after he has had the time out on the corridor, and what happens to him and his family when he gets home.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 25/10/20