Documentary Film Festival Angst Arrives In DC
We found a film festival in DC that has nothing to do with a "screen" or a "green" and that focuses on our nation's current emotional obsession: angst! Nordic angst to be exact. And why wouldn't you want to see films from Scandinavia that explore this most overdone of topics, especially when they involve Danes in North Korea and only cost $10 each?
The Silverdocs Film Festival is happening now, as in right now, at the AFI Silver Theater, and it features over 100 documentary filmsfrom around the world -- including nine feature and three short films from Sweden, Finland and Denmark that focus on angst. There’s a film about angst-ridden Finns in saunas (Steam of Life), angst-ridden Finns in living rooms (Living Room Of The Nation), and angst-ridden Swedes who do synchronized swimming (Men Who Swim).
Life sure is hard no matter what country you're in, whether you're in a pool, in your own home, or even if you're a perfectly happy well adjusted Washingtonian with the funds to spend a night out at the movies.
The films featured at the festival are not limited in scope to Nordic angst, though they're all about either a gut-wrenching or superfluous topic. You can catch films about educational angst (Waiting for Superman), environmental angst (On Coal River), gentrification angst (The Other City), and even Star Wars angst ( The People vs. George Lucas ).
Navigating the Festival can be really, really overwhelming -- there are more than a hundred documentaries, each claiming to "shed light" on an important issue, inspire deliberative dialogue, and/or bring about world peace and who knows what else. But if you enjoy going to the movies -- especially if you're an intern under 21 in need of something legal to do -- the Silverdocs Film Festival is worth your indulgence.
Silverdocs Film Festival, Monday, June 21: Sunday, June 27, AFI Silver Theater.