GFF 2013: What's Up Docs?
The old adage "truth is stranger than fiction" is the driving force behind Glasgow Film Festival's long-running documentary strand – and looking at GFF 2013's doc lineup, it's one that it is determined to prove true
Amongst Great Scots, New Brazilian Cinema, and the annual retrospective, GFF's Stranger than Fiction strand is the home of curiosities, intriguing tales, and poignant stories from all over the world. This year is no exception, with documentaries ranging from Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story (17 and 21 Feb) about a remarkable illustrator and author, to The Final Member (15 and 16 Feb) about the world's only penis museum and its eccentric owner, via the life of Marilyn Monroe (Love, Marilyn; 15 and 16 Feb) and a remote village in Greenland (Village at the End of the World; 19 and 20 Feb).
The strand also boasts the world premiere of award-winning documentary filmmaker Yasmin Fedda's unique and personal A Tale of Two Syrias (16 Feb). Filmed largely before the uprisings in 2011, this personal perspective on the tumultuous events in Damascus explores the human interest stories of this country weighed down by brutal oppression.
Scotland's first mass participation documentary, We Are Northern Lights, also has its world premiere at GFF. The recently completed film showcases submissions from camera-wielding citizens across the country. This screens as part of the Year of Creative Scotland, programmed as part of the Great Scots strand.
More Great Scots are further explored in Treasures from the Far Fur Country (23 Feb), which chronicles a 1919 coast-to-coast expedition of Canada’s vast wilderness. At this special screening, the film will be introduced by writer and documentary maker Chris Nikkel and the footage accompanied by live fiddle.
Keeping with the Scottish theme – now with those programming the Festival – Kapow!@GFF, co-curated by Glaswegian comic book writer Mark Millar, is also up on its documentaries this year. The ultimate annual geek week is celebrated in Morgan Spurlock and Stan Lee’s anticipated Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (20 and 21 Feb). Meanwhile Indie Game: The Movie (19 and 22 Feb) finds a home in this year's brand new strand, Game Cats Go Miaow!, curated by Glasgow's biggest gamer, Burnistoun's Robert Florence.
Whether you’re meticulously calculating the best 10 films to book on your saver ticket or casually dropping in at GFF, save a spot in your festival calendar for one or two of this year’s fantastic selection of documentaries.
Top 3 Picks:
1. How to Make Money Selling Drugs (18 and 19 Feb): Matthew Cooke uses humour and a satirical documentary to raise serious points about the war on drugs and disproportionate punishment of the black community. Features 50 Cent, Eminem and Susan Sarandon
2. Banaz – A Love Story (23 Feb): The 2006 story of a young Kurdish woman living in London, who was murdered by members of her own family in an honour killing. The screening will be followed by a discussion on the issues raised with DCI Caroline Goode and representatives from local women’s charities.
3. The Road: A Story of Life and Death (15 and 16 Feb): Filmmaker Marc Isaacs’ journey along the A5 from London’s Marble Arch to Holyhead in North Wales, documenting the extraordinary lives of ordinary people who are ‘emblematic of the immigrant experience.’