Saturday, November 14, 2015

MIRIAM HOME DELIVERY (2015) DOC NYC 2015

This is a super portrait of midwife Miriam Schwarzschild, a really cool woman who works in New York City delivering babies. Its also makes a really good case on why using a midwife is the way to go for some people.

This is a great film.

While the idea of following a midwife around for several births may not sound like something you'd find entertaining for 90 minutes, the fact that not only do we get to spend time with a great lady but also get a look into the various communities she serves, in particular the Jewish communities of Brooklyn. And on top of all of that things take a rather dramatic turn as Super Storm Sandy comes crashing into New York just as one of her clients goes into labor. Additionally the aftermath of the storm results in complications for another.

Who needs Hollywood drama when you can have real life?

If you want to know how good this film is, consider I was way too many films into DOC NYC and starting to burn out.  I was was in a rut where four or five films in a row just sort of washed over me and left me with very little to say about them. A couple I knew were just okay, a couple I knew were good but I'd have to revisit. Mostly I was feeling as though I was pretty much done with the festival. I would watch one more and depending on  how I reacted I would stop coverage until the festival started or keep going. After I saw this film I wanted to keep going. This was a film that filled me with life and hope, not just for the festival but in life in general. This is just a big warm hug of a film about a good person doing good things to make lives better.

A must see.

This film plays tomorrow and Tuesday at DOC NYC. For more information and tickets go here.

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