SONS (2024) DocLands 2025

More essay than documentary, SONS is Justin Simms meditation of the relationship between fathers and sons and if it is possible to end the toxic masculinity that is causing young man, especially in America, to break apart and do terrible things.

This film is going to make grown men to cry. 

This is a heartfelt look at men and boys and how they interact. It's Simms dsperate try to make the next generations healthier.  Watching it I could feel the connection to my dad for better and worse.

There is a lot to unpack here and I know that I am going to have to see it again to fully take it all in. Simms raises a great number of questions concerning how we are rasing our sons. While the film is relatively short it is a film full of ideas.  I haven't had a chance to process them. Additionally I know that not being a father meant that I did not connect with portions of this film. I suspect that this film will also play differently with men who have daughters.

Emotionally this film is a kick in the pants. Watching the film you can feel the love Simms has for his love and his worry that perhaps he isn't doing the right thing. The emotion creeps up on you and results in the viewer getting misty.

And while my words may be unclear, I absolutely love this film. This is a film is going to change lives and make a difference. Recommended.

INCANDESCENCE (2025) screens at DocLands Sunday, May 4

I want to say right up front that INCANDESCENCE is a must see film on the big screen. The visuals of the wild fires are going to take your breath away even as they scare the hell out of you. This is going to be one of the most visually arresting films you’ll see all year.

Beyond the visuals the film  is a heady and well thought out look at wildfires. Not just what is causing them and the immediate damage they cause to the places they burn, but more importantly the film shows us how the fire change the ecology and the land they go through. When you have large scale wild fires the whole fabric of nature is altered.  While there are some places where occasional burns are part of the ecology of an area (the Pine Barrens on Long Island for example) the truth is that these wild fires in most places are not natural and the alterations made by man make them worse. This film ponders all aspects of the fires and leaves us with a great deal to consider.

I was rocked. While I had thought about some of the topics discussed I either had considered some or thought about others deeply enough. While the images rocked me, the ideas shook me.

I really loved this film and as such it’s very recommended.