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Alexander Skarsgard and Anya Taylor-Joy star in a scene from the movie "The Northman." Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Writer-director Robert Eggers made his feature debut with the slow-burn horror film The Witch (starring Anya Taylor-Joy). He followed this up with the slow-burn horror fantasy The Lighthouse. While audiences had mixed reactions, he received critical acclaim for both. His newest work, The Northman, is his most accessible and certainly most commercial. 

The story begins in 985 AD. Young Prince Amleth’s (Oscar Novak) father, King Aurvandill War-Raven (Ethan Hawke), returns from battle and is murdered by his half-brother, the bastard Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Fjölnir takes the throne and abducts Aurvandill’s queen, Gudrún (Nicole Kidman). 

If the plot sounds vaguely familiar, there is no surprise as it draws from the same source as Hamlet. Shakespeare derived his play from the legend of Amleth, preserved by the 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum and retold in the 16th century by François de Belleforest.

And while the two works share DNA, tonally and stylistically, they are opposing forces. The Northman is a film of great violence and fewer words. Eggers relies on strong and effective visuals rather than dialogue to tell his story. The screenplay (written in collaboration with the Icelandic poet, novelist, and lyricist Sjón) presents a universe of blood and blood oaths, visions and vengeance. Amleth repeats, “I will avenge you, Father. I will save you, Mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir.” This litany becomes the watch cry of the adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), whose sole purpose is to right this wrong. 

After witnessing his father’s murder,  Amleth flees. Vikings find the boy and raise him as a berserker. Years later, following a brutal Viking attack in the land of Rus, a seeress (Björk) tells the now grown Amleth he will soon have his revenge. Amleth learns that soon after the betrayal, Fjölnir was ousted. Amleth has himself branded a slave and sent to his uncle’s pastoral exile. 

While being transported, he connects with Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Slavic sorceress also captured in Rus. They form an alliance that becomes a bond. Eventually, she tells him, “You have the strength to break their bones; I have the cunning to break their minds.” On the Icelandic farm, Amleth discovers that his mother became Fjölnir’s wife and bore him a son, Gunnar (Elliot Rose).

The Northman is steeped in death—by arrow, axe, spear, knife, and sword. The savagery extends to slaughter, rape, and slavery. Eggers never shies from the perpetual devastation, embracing the primal existence. His hero is not the indecisive Hamlet but a warrior with a monomaniacal purpose.

Cinematically, the film is compelling and moves along, but always at the same brisk pace, both the film’s strength and weakness. The Northman never becomes “more than.” The characters never surprise because their actions alone define them, no less but no more. As they must live moment to moment, they are not individuals of nuance or subtlety, reflecting this unyielding world.

The cast uniformly delivers, but there are few complicated arcs because there is no subtext. The exception to this is Kidman’s queen, whose revelations shock Amleth. Kidman gives an unbridled and ferocious performance. 

Skarsgård manages to find different if limited shades, but Amleth’s almost unwavering focus does not provide a great number of opportunities. He states later in the story, “Hate is all I have ever known. I wish I could be free of it.” Taylor-Joy (best known for her outstanding performance in The Queen’s Gambit) mines the limited role for as much variety as possible. 

There are a few odd elements in an otherwise consistent realm. The accents seem to be rooted in some “once-upon-an-oldie-timey.” The CGI ravens that rescue Amleth seem out of step with Eggers’ hyper-reality. And in a world of dirt and mud, Olga manages to keep her nearly white dress and blonde tresses immaculate. While this could be symbolic, it is jarring.

Eggers’s attention to detail is the driving force that climaxes with a sword fight on the side of a volcano. Whether he is showing an attack, a close-up of a brooding Skarsgård calculating his next step, or drug-induced prophecies, Eggers offers a raw and brutal world in this predictable but powerful film. 

Rated R, The Northman is now playing in local theaters.

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A scene from 'We Feed People' Photo courtesy of National Geographic

By Melissa Arnold

When Russia first began its major assault on Ukraine earlier this year, the whole world turned its eyes on the conflict. As days turned into weeks and scenes of destruction played out on screens everywhere, it seemed like everyone had the same questions: How will this end? What can we do?

Among them was Lyn Boland, co-director of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS). “I must ask myself at least once a day what more I could be doing, because this situation is so heartbreaking,” she said.

A scene from ‘We Feed People’
Photo courtesy of National Geographic

Boland, co-directors Barbara Sverd and Wendy Feinberg, and board members Honey Katz, Lorie Rothstein and Lynn Rein put their heads together to create an inspiring event to support Ukrainian people in need. On Monday, May 9, they will host a screening of the film We Feed People, a family-friendly documentary about generosity, food and its power to heal.

Directed by Ron Howard, the National Geographic film tells the story of chef Jose Andres, the Spanish-born founder of World Central Kitchen. The not-for-profit organization is dedicated to feeding communities impacted by natural disasters and humanitarian crises around the globe. 

“I have found that in the most challenging moments, food is the fastest way to rebuild a sense of community,” Andres said in the film. “A humble plate of food is just the beginning … there is no limit to what we can achieve when we come together and just start cooking.”

The documentary was already completed when Ukraine was invaded, but World Central Kitchen has been on the ground there ever since, helping to provide food and other basic needs.

Boland said that a contact from National Geographic reached out to the arts council recently, offering the film for consideration in the Port Jefferson Documentary Series. The spring lineup was already planned, but Boland asked if they’d be willing to screen the film as a benefit instead. All proceeds from the screening will be sent to World Central Kitchen to provide immediate support to Ukrainians in need. 

“Getting to see Jose Andres in action, and the embrace of humanity that he has, is incredible. He has a way of pulling everyone in,” Boland said.

A scene from ‘We Feed People’
Photo courtesy of National Geographic

Andres started from the bottom in various kitchens when he arrived in America in the 1990s. Over time, he worked his way through the ranks and eventually became a restaurant owner and cookbook author with his own massive following. He founded World Central Kitchen in 2010 in response to the earthquake in Haiti, and since then, it’s been his way of giving back through his greatest passions.

We Feed People takes viewers inside planes, trucks and kitchens as Andres and his team deliver food over a 10-year period. 

Following the movie screening, there will be a live Q&A session via Zoom with the film’s producer Meredith Kaulfers and Ukrainian singer Olha Tsvyntarna, who fled her country for safety a month and a half ago. Tom Needham, host of “The Sounds of Film” on 90.1 WUSB-FM radio, will serve as moderator.

“What’s happening in Ukraine is an abomination, and the people there need the whole world to step up and help them,” said Allan Varela, chair of the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, which sponsors the Port Jefferson Documentary Series. 

“Our mission at the arts council is to bring joy to our communities and expose people to ideas and subjects they may not otherwise know about. For us, we can use our artistic mission to raise awareness, create a fundraiser and ultimately do our part to assist the Ukrainian people.”

Varela also expressed gratitude to Lori and Tom Lucki of Riverhead Toyota for covering all expenses for the screening.

We Feed People: A Fundraiser for Ukraine will be held at John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd, Port Jefferson Station on May 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.69 per person online at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com ($10 from each ticket will be sent to World Central Kitchen, and the remaining $0.69 will be used to cover Paypal fees for the donation) or $10 at the door (cash only). 

For more information about this event, email to [email protected].

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A scene from 'Fantastic Beasts 3' Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2011, the Harry Potter franchise concluded with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. The eight films have grossed over $7.7 billion. So, for this reason alone, it was no surprise when a new series was announced.

In 2016, Potter creator J.K. Rowling penned the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, launching a proposed five-movie arc. Directed by David Yates, the uninspired film was followed by the disastrous mess, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (reviewed in this paper in December 2018).

Now Yates has returned for his third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. This time, Rowling has collaborated with writer Steve Kloves. Perhaps it is the addition of the Academy Award-nominated Kloves, but the newest chapter is a vast improvement over its predecessors.

The film opens in 1932, with Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) present for the birth of a Qilin, a magical creature that sees into the soul. Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Madds Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp) has dispatched his acolytes to capture the animal he then murders and reanimates. But, unbeknownst to Grindelwald, the mother had given birth to twins, the second of which Scamander hides in his enchanted suitcase.

The thrust of the action centers on Grindelwald’s campaign for world domination by running for Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Future Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) has rallied the forces of good to thwart the evil wizard. These include Newt’s brother and Head of the Auror Office, Theseus (Callum Turner); charms professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams); French wizard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), who goes undercover; and No-Maj (the American equivalent of Muggle) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), WWI veteran, baker, and Newt’s friend.

The film begins as a muddle with characters paraded through and multiple threads touched upon but not clarified. Eventually, the plot focuses first on Grindelwald’s acquittal of criminal charges and then on his full-on crusade. His followers are a rabid mob and always on the brink of violence. His rhetoric is the elevation of purebloods and absolute rule over the non-magical (later taken up by Lord Voldemort).

It is no coincidence that much of the film takes place in 1930s Germany. It is not difficult to draw the parallels between Grindelwald and Hitler, his followers and the citizens of that country, and his closest servants, trenchcoated agents suggesting Gestapo. The images are chilling and effective, making the magical world less fantasy, and the heroes need to triumph all the stronger. (There are also more than thinly veiled nods towards recent politics.)

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore offers glimpses of the better known Potterverse. Several scenes take place at Hogwarts and the Hog’s Head, the tavern run by Albus’s brother, Aberforth (Richard Coyle). An important plotline involves the Dumbeldore family, connecting them to Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller). Even transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall (Fiona Glascott) makes a cameo. The filmmakers are smartly connecting the better-known canon with this burgeoning prequel universe.

Most of the characterizations are broad strokes as the narrative is story driven. However, overall, the performances are strong. Law easily creates a Dumbledore that is knowing and in control, suggesting the Dumbledore he will eventually become. But he also brings shadows of doubt, pain, and regret, enriching the man behind the magic. Mikkelsen makes the villain both cruel and charismatic. The creators did not pull punches on the romantic history between the two, allowing their relationship to inform all their scenes.

Fogler is once again a true delight as Kowalski, a human navigating the wizarding world. Williams’ Lally shows strength and grounding but also mines the role for humor. Turner’s Theseus represents the government agent who understands the big picture, somehow managing to be both stiff and self-aware. Miller brings the right amount of pain and danger to Credence. The weakest link is Redmayne, whose Newt remains a string of stutters and mutterings as if he was more concerned with being precious than present.

The highest praise goes to Stuart Craig and Neil Lamont for the extraordinary production design. Colleen Atwood’s costumes smartly lean towards a dark reality, eschewing the more fanciful dress seen in the Potter films. In addition, the visual and special effects (created by hundreds of artists and craftspeople) are first-rate, whether animating the magic or producing truly fantastic CGI beasts (ranging from the adorable to the horrifying).

The Secrets of Dumbledore breathes life into a series that had neither focus nor purpose before this entry. Hopefully, the production team will build on the film’s integrity and bring Fantastic Beasts to a powerful and welcomed resolution.

Rated PG-13, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is now playing in local theaters.

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TAKE ON ME Relive the 1980's with a movie about the boy band a-ha at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson on April 18 at 7 p.m., part of the award-winning Port Jefferson Documentary Series spring line-up. Photo from PJDS

The Port Jefferson Documentary Series continues its Spring season with a screening of ‘A-HA: THE MOVIE’ at Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson on April 18 at 7 p.m.

The music of Queen and the Velvet Underground instilled a sense of destiny in three teenagers living in a small town in 1970s Norway. That dream led to A-ha: the synth-pop trio featuring keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, vocalist Morten Harket, and guitarist Pål Waktaar-Savoy who burst onto the international scene with 1985’s “Take on Me,” buoyed by an iconic sketch-animation video by Irish-British director Steve Barron.

The band became global sensations and heartthrobs overnight, but it remained to be seen how they would adapt to their newfound fame. How would they follow their original dream: to make music? Featuring new interviews with the band and previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage, A-HA, THE MOVIE delves into this very question. By following the band’s ups and downs—sojourns to post-punk-era England, their James Bond theme song for The Living Daylights thriller, and slow-simmering interpersonal rifts—Robsahm captures a band that constantly strove to challenge itself, never content to simply repeat earlier successes. The result is a moving story of creative intuition and invention.

Preceded by a special concert with singer-songwriter Bryan Gallo who will perform a curated set of Rock, Pop and New Wave Classics from the 1980’s at 6 p.m. and followed by a Q&A via Zoom with Director Thomas Robsahm. Tickets are $10 per person. Advance tiickets are available until April 18 at 6 p.m. at: portjeffdocumentaryseries.com/ticketsvenues or at the door cash only.

 

 

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Photo courtesy of A24

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The famous opening line of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina could also apply to the chaos and vexation that emanates from Everything Everywhere All at Once, the twisty science fiction black comedy from writer-directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as “Daniels”).

Photo courtesy of A24

The film opens with Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) struggling to get ready for an IRS audit while the family prepares for a Chinese New Year party. Her kind but mostly ineffectual husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), does all he can to calm her, but his eagerness to please is more of a hindrance. Adding to the familial strife, Waymond has just served Evelyn with divorce papers, which barely registers with his overwhelmed spouse.

Evelyn’s father, Gong Gong (James Hong), for whom Evelyn has been a life-long disappointment, has arrived from China to live with them. Her conflicted daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), tries to get the family to accept her girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel). Finally, they are confronted with Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis), the IRS inspector who embodies the worst elements of bureaucracy.

There is enough here to generate a domestic drama of complexity and interest. However, Everything Everywhere All at Once is an exploration of multi-universe theory. As Evelyn and Waymond ride the elevator to their IRS meeting, Waymond shifts to his Alpha/alternate self, explaining that the Alpha Evelyn is dead and only this version of Evelyn can save the multiverse. The entire structure of parallel existence is threatened by Jobu Tupaki, Alpha Waymond and Alpha Evelyn’s daughter. Jobu Tupaki experiences all universes simultaneously and can verse-jump and manipulate matter.

What fascinates is this Evelyn is the worst of all the Evelyns. Alpha Waymond tells her she has made every wrong choice and bad decision. But ironically, since she is the least gifted, she has the greatest capacity for change. Drawing on her many selves, she begins to own not just the powers of these different incarnations, but she becomes more connected to herself in “the present.”

The film presents a range of universes during the brisk (if slightly long) two hours and fifteen minutes. Evelyn’s many faces included a martial arts film star, an opera singer, a chef, and more. Some are glimpsed; others are revisited multiple times. From each, she gains not just skills but understanding.

Photo courtesy of A24

Along the way, the filmmakers present well-known sci-fi tropes, dramatic and emotional encounters, and a plethora of action sequences. But added to the mix are outrageous concepts, including a world where the inhabitants have hotdogs for fingers. The mispronunciation of Ratatouille results in a story focused on a cook and raccoon and the most nihilistic and heart-warming encounter between two rocks on a planet with no life. The extreme absurdity somehow plays winningly into the overall chaos.

Jobu Tupaki’s manifestation of oblivion is a black hole that she refers to as the Everything on a Bagel. The idea is that evil is when nothing matters.

The uniformly strong cast adeptly portrays various versions of themselves. And while they play the story straight, their comedic timing appropriately shines. Yeoh anchors the film in her pain and triumph, facing her foes and her inner demons, sliding from one manifestation to another.

Quan’s alternating between the self-actualized Alpha Waymond and the Thurber-esque husband is seamless. Hsu manages to embody the stressed, frustrated daughter and the manipulative destroyer and allows elements of both personalities to inform the other. Hong easily goes from the vaguely unaware grandfather to an almost militant leader. The always wonderful Curtis brings depth to the most extreme characters.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is an artistic triumph, due in no small part to Larkin Seiple’s peripatetic, vivid cinematography. Jason Kisvarday’s production design, along with Shirley Kurata’s costume design, create a range of unique worlds, from the pedestrian reality to the wildly inventive.

The smallest decision creates a new branch in time; a missed chance affects the course of both the individual and the entire world. Deftly harnessing the concept of infinite parallel universes, Everything Everywhere All at Once’s heart suggests every choice is an opportunity. But more than that, as Alpha Waymond states: “We are useless alone.” The final message of connection rises above all else. Don’t miss the chance to take this very meta, often bizarre, but finally uplifting journey.

Rated R, Everything Everywhere All at Once is now playing in local theaters.

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In honor of its 70th anniversary, “Singin’ In the Rain” heads to select cinemas nationwide on Sunday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 13, courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Turner Classic Movies. Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse and Rita Moreno, the 1952 classic musical is still as fresh and delightful as the day it was released.

Photo courtesy of Fathom Events

Musician Don Lockwood (Kelly) rises to stardom during Hollywood’s silent-movie era–paired with the beautiful, jealous and dumb Lina Lamont (Hagen). When Lockwood becomes attracted to young studio singer Kathy Selden (Reynolds), Lamont has her fired. But with the introduction of talking pictures, audiences laugh when they hear Lamont speak for the first time–and the studio uses Selden to dub her voice. Set during the advent of “talkies,” this film’s classic song-and-dance numbers celebrate the beginning of movie musicals.

Written by legendary musical “book” writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, the film was nominated for two Academy Awards and is the No. 1 musical on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) list of the “25 Greatest Movie Musicals.” 

This 70th anniversary event includes exclusive commentary from Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz.

Locally, the film will be screened at AMC Loews Stony Brook 17, 2196 Nesconset Highway, Stony Brook on April 10 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and on April 13 at 7 p.m.; Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas, 1001 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale on April 10 at 4 p.m. and on April 13 at 7 p.m.; and Island 16 Cinema de Lux, 185 Morris Ave., Holtsville on April 10 at 4 p.m. and on April 13 at 7 p.m.

To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of SONY Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

There are good superhero pictures. There are memorable vampire films. Some movies fall under guilty pleasures — entertainment for the sake of fun. Then there is Morbius which manages to get almost everything wrong.

Morbius, the Living Vampire, first appeared in Marvel Comics’ The Amazing Spider-Man (issue #101; October 1971). Due to a failed experiment intended to cure a rare blood disease, the former biochemist, Michael Morbius, was imbued with vampire-like abilities. While he became one of Spider-Man’s antagonists, he was also an adversary of Blade, the vampire hunter. (Originally, Morbius was to appear in Blade (1998) but was cut.)

Morbius follows a similar origin story. A prologue in a private clinic in Greece shows genius ten-year-old Michael Morbius (Charlie Shotwell) joined by the younger Lucien (Joseph Esson), whom he dubs Milo. The boys share the same blood illness that requires constant infusions. They form a deep and lasting connection.

Twenty-five years later, Michael (Jared Leto) is now a successful scientist who has just declined the Nobel Prize. He has now received funding to develop a treatment using vampire bats, and he creates a lab on a private vessel in international waters. Unfortunately, the remedy causes him to have vampiric characteristics, and he murders the entire crew. 

He escapes the vessel and returns to New York. Endowed with new powers (strength, speed, reflexes, and super-hearing), he struggles with a bloodlust he staves off with the serum. However, the efficacy and duration become shorter. The now wealthy Milo (Matt Smith) discovers that Michael has found a cure but becomes furious when Michael refuses to share it. Incensed, Milo goes rogue. Meanwhile, FBI agents Simon Stroud (Tyrese Gibson) and Al Rodriguez (Al Madrigal) investigate Morbius’ victims.

While there is nothing original about the plot, in the right hands, the story is potentially engaging. However, Daniel Espinosa’s uninspired direction of Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama’s inept script make for an anemically leaden, mostly unwatchable hour and a half. 

The dialogue is an insult to clichés. “You get to live, and I get to die,” says Milo. To which Michael responds, “It’s a cure. Forget me, brother.” Later, Morbius says, “Where is the brother I used to have?” Even better is his statement: “I’m starting to get hungry. You don’t want to see me when I’m hungry.” But the nadir is given to Rodriguez, who, looking at one of the victims, is forced to deliver with a straight face: “Those puncture wounds … do they look like fang marks to you?”

Even if The Batman’s noirish cinematography is not to your taste, there is a commitment to style. Here, Oliver Wood provides a murky atmosphere. The desaturation creates a dullness that reflects the film’s lack of energy. When Morbius isn’t drinking his artificial plasma from what looks like Sunny D pouches, there is action, but it feels pedestrian and predictable. The extended fights are not so much by the numbers as they are just numb. Worst of all, the visual effects are bizarre, bargain basement, and just plain annoying. However, it’s a good day to be a CGI bat.

Jared Leto is surprisingly bland in a role that calls for grand strokes. Even when declaring, “I brought this into the world — it’s up to me to take it out,” he lacks passion, running the gamut from A to … well, A. Michael is not so much a mad scientist as a mildly peeved one. He growls and snarls when transformed into the beast, but the ferocity is just above an irritated puppy. 

Matt Smith, best known as the eleventh Dr. Who, has quirky fun with the antagonist, but the homoerotic connection between Michael and Milo is underdeveloped. While the writers hint around the edges (the Spartan reference “We are the few against the many” has multiple levels), they pull punches by introducing a pallid love interest for Michael with scientist Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona, drastically underused). Poor Gibson and Madrigal have little screen time and even less to do. (Maybe they’ve been spared.)

The epilogue more than hints at a future crossover into the Spider-Verse. Michael Keaton appears in a cameo in the credits as Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. The Vulture. It speaks volumes that ninety seconds in the credits have generated more interest than the ninety minutes of film. 

Sadly, Morbius is not a traditional vampire tale, so it cannot be vanquished by stake, sunlight, or holy water. Morbius says, “It’s not a curse. It’s a gift.” Sorry. You got that reversed.

Rated PG-13, Morbius is now playing in local theaters.

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Zooarchaeologist Katheryn Twiss at Stony Brook University.
The documentary Magnificent Beast examines how the ferocious wild boar was domesticated through the centuries and across continents, yet still remains a threat to livestock and humans.
Co-Director and Co-Producer Tess Gerritsen
Magnificent Beast visits with pet pig owners as part of the filmÕs exploration of the domestic pig and the relationship between pigs and humans.
Magnificent Beast Movie Poster
Doreen Burke of Port Charlotte, Florida with her pig Rosie. Doreen makes clothing for pigs and other animals.
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Josh Gerritsen Co-Director and Co-Producer
Magnificent Beast co-director and producer Tess Gerritsen travels the world to tell the history of the pig, seen here on a visit to pig keeper Ian Maccallan in England to discover how these intelligent animals can be raised.

By Melissa Arnold

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pigs? Is it this morning’s bacon or your upcoming Easter ham? Maybe you’re picturing a smelly hog rolling in a dusty barn. Or perhaps your religious or personal convictions leave you saying “No thanks!” almost instantly.

Regardless of how you feel about them, there’s no arguing that the humble pig occupies a prominent place in global culture. From farm to table, predator to house pet, pigs are truly all things to all people.

On March 31, PBS stations nationwide will air Magnificent Beast, a captivating documentary that explores the unique ways pigs and humans relate to one another.

Co-directors Tess and Josh Gerritsen, a mother and son duo, traveled across the United States and around the world to capture the whole spectrum of the pig-human dynamic. Along the way, they met chefs, farmers, hunters, archaeologists, historians, and more, each with a unique connection to the animals. At times, their viewpoints differ so much that it’s almost comical to imagine them in a room together. The film’s strength lies not only in that diversity, but in the great care and respect given to each perspective.  

The idea for a pig-focused film came to Tess Gerritsen, author of the popular “Rizzoli and Isles” book series, while attending a promotional event in Turkey several years ago.

“I found myself craving bacon for breakfast while I was there, but the majority of Turkish people are Muslim, so you can’t find it there,” Tess explained. “It got me thinking a lot about food taboos. What causes certain foods to become off-limits in a society? As [Josh and I] began to dig deeper, we realized that there was something unique about the status held by pigs.”

Josh Gerritsen began his career in short films and photography, but after a while, he needed a change of pace.

“I thought that I was going to live in New York City forever, but I didn’t have a lot of momentum,” he recalled. “I wasn’t making the world a better place, and that really bothered me. So I decided to move back home to Maine, and spent four years in organic farming. That period was also a major inspiration for Magnificent Beast.”

The pair began research for the film in 2016, with Tess, who has a degree in cultural anthropology, taking the lead. She combed through academic journals in search of people exploring the same issues, and found that many of them were based in the United Kingdom and Egypt.

There’s also a local connection among the featured experts: Dr. Katheryn C. Twiss, an associate professor of anthropology at Stony Brook University.

Twiss’ research focuses on social and economic practices in early agricultural and urban societies. As a zooarchaeologist, she studies animal bones and other remains to learn more about past interactions between humans and animals. 

In the film, Twiss explains how pigs have been increasingly domesticated over the course of human history, along with some of the surprising traits that pigs and humans share.

“We were really impressed by the passion Dr. Twiss has for her work, and for pigs in general. It’s clear that she loves what she does, and that was a big part of why we chose to include her,” Tess Gerritsen said.

Dr. Twiss’ curiosity about the ancient world began with an elective class she took early in her undergraduate years.

“Like a lot of people, I had no idea what I wanted to study when I started college. I liked biology, history, languages … and then I took an Introduction to Archeology course and completely fell in love,” she explained. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is awesome! Archeology has everything — I don’t have to choose!’” 

Much of Twiss’s research has been on the Neolithic period (between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago) in southwest Asia. In this period, people were first building large communities and relying on foods that they produced or farmed themselves. Pigs were also domesticated at this time. Twiss said that in some Neolithic societies, carved pig tusks were used as personal adornments, and pig bones were embedded in the walls and buried below the floors of homes for symbolic purposes.

“I’m interested in how humans relate to different kinds of animals — how do we obtain our food? How do we feed ourselves, and what rituals are associated with the way we eat? Pigs are environmentally and socially important, just like cattle,” she added.

When the Gerritsens reached out to Twiss about being a part of their film, she was excited and happy to pull a few skulls from the lab for her segment.

“I enjoyed the film’s deeper dive into the social relationships that people have with pigs, especially as pets. It didn’t make me want to get a pet pig, but it did make me want to meet someone with one so I could visit,” she joked. “I hope that Magnificent Beast helps people develop a greater awareness of the many ways in which people interact — or choose not to interact — with pigs. It highlights both the complexity of pigs and the diversity of human cultures.”

To further highlight this complexity, Josh went on social media to find people who interact with pigs on a non-academic level. Using Facebook, he was able to connect with a number of pet pig owners as well as wild hog hunters.

“I made it clear that I wanted to give everyone a fair say, and after a while it led to some really great conversations and a sense of trust,” Josh said. 

Ultimately, the Gerritsens were able to meet with members of both groups in person. The pet pig owners taught them more about the deep affection, intelligence and social skills of domestic pigs, while the hunters took them along on a nighttime search for dangerous and destructive wild hogs.

“When people think about pigs, they have a tendency to think of a lazy, sloppy animal, but they are so much more than that,” Josh said. “Our goal is to encourage greater respect and understanding for pigs, and to promote more mindful eating when you do choose to eat pork.”

Distributed by the National Educational Television Association, Magnificent Beast premieres locally at 10 p.m. Thursday, March 31 on WLIW Channel 21. The documentary will air on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and stream on www.PBS.org. For more information, visit www.magnificentbeastmovie.com.

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'The Automat.' Photo courtesy of PJDS

The Port Jefferson Documentary Spring Series continues on Monday, April 11 with a screening of “The Automat” at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson at 7 p.m.

Chock-full of rich archival footage of old Philadelphia and NYC, this everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-automats film is a lighthearted trip through the history of Horn & Hardart’s iconic and innovative eateries. Led by the irrepressible Mel Brooks, the film also features an impressive roster of celebrities (Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carl Reiner, to name a few) waxing nostalgic on their experiences at the nickel-driven restaurants and their dreamy lemon meringue pie. Automats fed millions throughout the Depression and two World Wars, serving all comers in palaces of marble, silver, and steel.

Good food served cheap, and the enduring thrill of the automat machines themselves wins the Automat a place in our culture and hearts alike. More than just entertainment, THE AUTOMAT is a parable of how we once dined happily together before turning to the isolated and unhappy experience offered by fast food, a bad deal that no amount of advertising can disguise. Running time is 79 minutes.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Lisa Hurwitz moderated by Tom Needham, Host of The Sounds of Film at WUSB radio.

Tickets are $10 per person at the door or at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.

See a trailer of the video here.

 

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A scene from 'I Am Here'. Photo courtesy of @Micha Serraf/ Sanktuary Films

By Jeffrey Sanzel

The opening of Jordy Sank’s documentary I Am Here is a montage of news reports from recent anti-Semitic events. It is a visual and emotional assault, with the ever-present and always disturbing swastika. From this, he cuts to a disc jockey at a Jewish radio station talking about Holocaust survivor Ella Blumenthal’s response to a hateful attack from a Holocaust denier. In Blumenthal’s letter, she offers to meet with the author. She wants to answer hate with a connection. 

I Am Here is an account of Blumenthal’s life. Celebrating her 98th birthday in Cape Town, South Africa, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and friends, she relates her story. 

A scene from ‘I Am Here’. Photo courtesy of @Micha Serraf/ Sanktuary Films

Born in Warsaw, she was 18 years old when World War II broke out in 1939. She lost 23 family members—“dear souls”—sent from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp. She, her father, and her niece, Roma, went into hiding, but following the Ghetto uprising, the three were deported to Majdanek. She witnessed her father struck down by a guard—which was the last time she saw him. In 1943, she and Roma were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau (where she was tattooed prisoner 48632) and finally ended in Bergen-Belsen before liberation. 

Blumenthal shares her harrowing journey with passion and raw honesty. Speaking of things that she had held inside for years, her details evoke deep pain. She remembers the smell of burning feathers in the destruction of the Ghetto. She tells of the room in which they were held before deportation. At night, guards would come and take young girls and rape them. 

The camps’ horrors are told in vivid, clear detail. She relates of nearly being gassed but getting a reprieve because the quota of five hundred exterminations had been filled. She describes the hanging of a prisoner after an escape attempt. At one point, Roma was contemplating suicide by throwing herself on the electrified fence. When they arrived in Bergen-Belsen, the camp had become nothing more than a charnel house, with the dead and dying everywhere. But even in this nightmare, she states: “I never lost hope, even in the darkest times of my life.”

She believes it was neither luck nor chance but God that helped her survive. Even in her tenth decade, she shows joy, light, and appreciation for all she has. She strives to bond with people, making visits, going on Facebook, and talking to her niece, who lives in New York. She believes that we must “make friends and show kindness.”

Her post-war life led her to Paris, then Palestine, where she met her South African husband, Isaac. They wed after only knowing each other for thirteen days. After that, they moved to Johannesburg, where they opened a business and raised a family. Her married life is shown in a wealth of home movies.

A scene from ‘I Am Here’. Photo courtesy of @Micha Serraf/ Sanktuary Films

Juxtaposed with her history are clips of her current life: spending time with family, swimming, walking, and even making the Sabbath challah. References to “no food must be wasted” and “the plate must be cleared,” as well as a certain frugality (the use of one tea bag to make multiple cups), are presented with humor tinged with the shadow of one who went without.

What separates I Am Here from similar documentaries is the 2D animation. Created by Greg Bakker, the rough cartoons enhance the narrative with muted colors and stilted movement. These sections are more effective and affecting than the standard archival photos and stock footage that are employed elsewhere in the film. These moving illustrations create haunting images.

At the behest of her husband’s family, Blumenthal had her tattoo removed, an unusual and disturbing request, essentially eradicating her experience. She claimed the resulting scar was from a freak car accident. For years, she did not tell her children about her suffering “because the open wounds were still bleeding.” And yet, the adult children speak of her waking up screaming from nightmares. Blumenthal said that these terrible dreams were of the Nazis taking her children. Unfortunately, these questions and ramifications are not fully addressed. The letter from the beginning of the film is never mentioned again.

Blumenthal touches on some of the things that still haunt her. When speaking of her lost family, she muses, “Every person has a grave to go to. I have none. Not even ashes.” She admits that she had trouble mixing with people after the War for they did not know what she went through. She had to build a family to find a new world.

I Am Here offers a portrait of survival but a celebration of life. Blumenthal demonstrates gratitude for the family “next to her now” and “who can hear her when she laughs or cries.” People come to her for blessings as they see her as a source of positivity. She fears that what happened could happen again, and “we should not forget.” But her final message is “We must love people around us. Love everybody” — a powerful statement from a remarkable person.

Rated PG-13, I Am Here is now playing in local theaters.

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