DOC NYC 2022, the biggest documentary film festival in the United States, showcased more than a hundred non-fiction films. Among them, we can find three gems that shine a light on sociopolitical and environmental issues around the world: Children of Las Brisas, Lazaro and the Shark, and Path of the Panther. Let’s take a look at each of them from their DOC NYC 2022 screenings.
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Children of Las Brisas
Marianela Maldonado’s documentary Children of Las Brisas is an extraordinary social portrait of a country in crisis seen through the lives of three young musicians that dream of making it big in the industry with the support of El Sistema, a music and education program in Venezuela.
Our three subjects —Edixon, Dissandra, and Wuilly— live in a dangerous zone and use music as a tool to build their future. We learn about their difficult upbringings, personal motivations, and family relationships, and celebrate their achievements as they rise through the ranks of the school. Children of Las Brisas starts as a gorgeous movie about the power of music to change lives. But then 2016 arrives and things go south for everyone in the country.
Prices go up, people lose their jobs, and goods are scarce. Soon there’s a shortage of food, gas, and electricity. El Sistema has financial problems too and, after being rejected in crucial auditions, our subjects are soon forced to take drastic decisions. Music is not enough to feed their families.
Children of Las Brisas is deeply heartbreaking. Instead of explaining in detail the crisis in Venezuela, Maldonado lets you get a taste of its profound devastation through the broken dreams of three talented young souls in love with music. Its brilliant direction and editing create a rich film that veers away from idealism to reveal the faults of a broken system. An exceptional piece of non-fiction filmmaking.
Rating: 9/10
Lazaro and the Shark: Cuba Under the Surface
In the same vein as Children of Las Brisas but different in execution we have William Sabourin O’Reilly’s Lazaro and the Shark: Cuba Under the Surface, a documentary portrait of the reality in Cuba explored through two vastly different subjects competing against each other in the annual Carnival of Santiago.
On one side we have Raul “Shark” López, an old and experienced man who has led his Conga group to victory many times in the annual Carnival; he’s also a big supporter of Castro and his system. On the other side, we have young Lázaro, a man facing financial struggles who’s raising his triplets alone because the government sent his wife to Venezuela on a medical mission; besides his desire to finally win the Carnival, he dreams of a better future for his children, something that seems unlikely given the state of the country. Besides them, the film also follows Rubiester, a Santiago resident known as “The Poet” who is being harassed by the police because of the antigovernment chants he writes.
By following these men throughout a year (culminating in the Carnival), Lazaro and the Shark allows us to understand the struggles of people living in Cuba, and also bathe in their vibrant culture. We learn about the oppression and scarcity the residents of Santiago face but we also see how they use culture as their fuel; the Carnival is an annual opportunity to feel free and celebrate community. It’s a tricky thematical balance that, despite a flat middle part, O’Reilly manages to successfully convey on the screen to bring to light the complicated way of life in Cuba.
Rating: 8/10
Path of the Panther
In Path of the Panther, director Eric Bendick follows wildlife photographer Carlton Ward as he tries to give visibility to the gradual disappearance of the Florida panther. Human construction around their habitat has endangered their migration habits as made evidently clear by the many deaths that occur on a highway that trespasses their territory.
Using trap cameras, Wards tries to capture photos and videos of these beautiful animals to raise awareness of their problems and fight against public indifference. The film has other stories too, like a veterinarian rescuing an injured panther (another casualty of the highway) and rehabilitating her to go back into the wild.
The editing is a tad wonky, sometimes the film is undecided as to what story to tell, and poorly explains a health problem that panthers are facing. However, its conviction and passion toward the subject, as well as gorgeous cinematography makes “Path of the Panther” an important environmentalism tool that successfully shows how precious the lives are of not only panthers but every living being that shares this planet with us.
Rating: 8/10
