I really enjoyed this film. In my opinion it’s probably one of the best we have screened. There is no doubt that the story in and of it self is extremely compelling, but I thought the film’s flow and editing were just as well executed.
This movie is as much about the Rhen as it was about autism and that mysterious and enchanting country that Mongolia seems to be for so many documentaries. Scott does a really effective job of balancing these three elements, that I think would otherwise have probably out shined each other.
Some of the more interesting images for me were the scenes involving Rhen’s tantrums. Whether public or private, it was pretty rough watching this kid deal with the symptoms of his disorder...all the while, I kept thinking how diligent and utterly great his parents were with dealing with every single outburst.
At the end of the day I came away with a lot from this film, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Apart from a new understanding of the disorder and a new perspective on children, I came away with the urge to go out and make a film…hopefully with half the amount of inspiration and heart Over the Hills and Far Away evoked.
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I also enjoyed this film. It is not my place to question the integrity of these parents. It is obvious they truly love their child. However, at times, it felt as if the situation was being forced for the documentary, which was a bit painful. The shamanistic healing does not come across as really working even though sometimes Rhen seems a bit hypnotized by their actions. I don't think that lessens the story but instead may make it stronger. Parents going to all lengths just to try to help their child with absolutely no guarantee. To me, I think the actual journey with his parents, rather than the Shaman rituals, is the thing that helps. But what do I know except for the fact that this story is incredible, and the images are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this film a lot too. I really felt the emotion of the parents throughout the entire movie. I liked the way they set it up with the mom not really being so ecstatic about the trip. Obviously, this is not a normal treatment for autism, and it was good to see that cynical point of view played out from the mother. Right away the audience had someone to identify with.
ReplyDeleteThose tantrums were so painful. I teared up during one of them...I really feel for how awful that must be every day. Not only does it suck to have to listen to that, but no one wants to see their kid that unhappy. Again, right away you have the audience feeling the desperation of the parents.
I liked the structure a lot. I thought it was a nice break to leave the hills of Mongolia and all the traveling and go back to Elgin. I think the way they weaved in all of Rhen's major problems due to his disease was very clever and very engaging.
I agree that there wasn't a whole lot of the shamanism, so it's difficult to see how they really healed him. Either way, at the end I was so surprised and happy to see the way Rhen had changed.
I also enjoyed this film very much. It is probably one of the best ones this semester in my eyes. I feel that not only were the subjects great, the story was also very compelling and worth telling. I think who they started the film showing his tantrums was the best way about it. It would be very hard to imagine why they would put their child through all the traveling and why they would seek out shamans without seeing what the real side of autism is.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how you could tell the crew was actually very close to the family. I remember one moment when the father told the camera man to turn off the camera and help. This shows that they aren't just there to shoot but were there for the whole trip.
Lastly, I feel like its a good documentary because it left me with the feeling there is hope but obviously no magic potion. I think you start to realize that its how you care for your child and trying to do whats best for them is what really helped the situation.
Of all the documentaries we have screened thus far, this is the one that had the strongest impact on me. The story was quite epic, following Rhen and his family from utter confusion to hope to despair to eventual happiness. I think the most amazing part of this documentary was watching the influence the shamans had on Rhen. As was said in the documentary, autistic children usually have a negative reaction to high stimuli, yet Rhen was somehow comfortable around these shamans in excessive and sometimes frightening wardrobe. Along the way you feel especially sympathetic for the dad, and begin to wonder if the shamans will have any influence on Rhen because of his continual meltdowns. The biggest feel of relief and happiness comes at the end when the master shaman tells the family that after Rhen walks down the hill his meltdowns will cease and he will gradually become better over the next three years. At this point everything is on the table, either Rhen is going to get down the hill and stop his tantrums and we are going to believe in the power of shamanism, or he is going to relapse and we are going to wonder why we were taken on this painful journey and feel terribly sad for Rhen and his family. Needless to say, at least as was perceived in the documentary, Rhen made it down and was a changed boy. Simply amazing.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me wonder the future of film and story when such a remarkable documentary gets sold to HBO for only $250K when they used to pay $500K. I don't understand why people find a higher desire to be engaged by a story that is NOT REAL, and is just something made up in someone's head. To me, that's not nearly as special as the stories that are actually happening around us.
This film was also one of my favorites of the semester. The story was beautiful and the characters were all very compelling. You could just tell that there was a special relationship between the filmmakers and the family through the openness exerted in the interviews, and the struggle with Rhens tantrums. It was shot really well and the scenery was amazing. Rhen was certainly changed after the trip, whether it was the shamans or the journey itself we may never know. I think the filmmaker did a great job of illustrating the love and passion that the parents had for there child and the conflict they were having with themselves about whether or not they were wrong to bring him to this foreign place. All in all it was a beautiful and compelling story that I believe all parents and future parents should get to see.
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