Modernity - FilmRoot

Man With A Movie Camera – Cinematic Innovation from Soviet Russia

Man With A Movie Camera Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Man With A Movie Camera is one of the most influential films from the silent era. Made in 1929 by Dziga Vertov, it uses a range of effects that have been copied throughout the existence of cinema. It was one of the first to employ rapid cutting, split screens, slow motion, and dissolves. It also threw in a load of magic through messing with perspective, using stop motion, and literally having magicians on screen. All the effects come together to create a work imbued with excitement for the potential of modernity to change Russia and the world. This film feels like a celebration of life bottled up in a time capsule from 1920’s urban Russia.

From: Russia, Europe
Watch: Kanopy, YouTube, JustWatch
Next: Battleship Potemkin, I Am Cuba, Metropolis

Flesh Out – Eat More to Become More Beautiful

fLESH oUT Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Verida is getting married, and in Mauritania, that means she has to fatten up before the wedding to make sure she’s as beautiful as possible. You’ll get eat all the bowls of cous cous and meat with her on her journey to becoming a big beautiful woman. Flesh Out is a well made portrait of a woman caught in a culture that clashes with modernisation.

From: Mauritania, Africa 
Watch: TBC - IMDb Page
Next: Mustang, Sand Storm, Supersize Me

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – Invention Saves the Day

Shot from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

The Boy who harnessed the wind Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

If you love entrepreneurship and seeing deserving, hard working kids succeed, you’ll love this film. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a humble success story of one bright kid in Malawi. It’s also a quick 101 of the causes of the Malawian famine, and a brilliant addition to the Netflix catalogue.

From: Malawi, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Watch on Netflix
Next: Queen of Katwe, October Sky, Not One Less