Nastia Korkia's "GES-2" is one of more than 30 films screening at True/False Film Fest.
The 2022 True/False Film Fest kicks off next weekend in Columbia, and for its 19th year, the fest returns to its traditional format after a socially distanced outdoor iteration in 2021. The annual documentary festival, which runs from March 3-6, brings with it 50 of the most exciting nonfiction films of the year–in addition to exciting art installations, musical acts, and various parties–for an incredible weekend of culture that draws folks from all over the world to mid-Missouri. Digging through what the fest has to offer can be a daunting task, so here are a handful of films that we think should be on your radar.
With his first feature documentary, director Rahmin Bahrani takes aim at American gun culture through the story of Richard Davis, the inventor of the concealed bulletproof vest, who shot himself on camera more than 100 times to prove that his product really worked.
The latest film from Juan Pablo Gonzalez, recipient of the 2022 True Vision Award, follows Maria Garcia, the owner of the struggling Dos Estaciones tequila factory. Faced with a production-halting plague and the ever-present threat of foreign competitors, Garcia refuses to go down without a fight.
For two decades, married volcanologists Katia and Maurice Kraft documented their globetrotting adventures, searching for answers to help the world better understand volcanoes. Pulling from the 16mm film and photographs the couple shot on their expeditions, director Sara Dosa captures the Krafts’ life’s work in stunning, cinematic detail.
In this documentary, director Nastia Korkia chronicles the conversion of the former GES-2 energy plant that powered the Kremlin into a large public art space over the course of five years, with surprising access to key players from all levels of the project.
Inspired by a Big Top Circus that set up camp in front of his apartment, director Reid Davenport reflects on the long history of freak shows and how they impact not only his perspective, but the way the world sees and interacts with people with disabilities. Davenport took home the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival for the film.
Director Sergei Loznitsa uses a wealth of archival footage to tell the story of Vytautas Landsbergis, the music professor turned politician who helped drive Lithuania’s journey to independence as the first republic to leave the Soviet Union. Clocking in at four hours long, Mr. Landsbergis more than justifies its epic runtime.
To help combat the civil unrest that defined the 1960s, the American military created “Riotsvilles,” fictional towns with the sole purpose of offering a place for military and police to train for how to handle riots and uprisings. Director Sierra Pettengill makes use of rare archival footage and images to explore how these “Riotsvilles” led to the current state of police militarization.
The band Slave to Sirens are Lebanon’s first all-women thrash metal band. Director Rita Baghdadi follows the band members as they fight to make it in the industry and navigate the complex interpersonal relationships of making music together, all set against a backdrop of political turmoil and destruction in Beirut.
This year’s True Life Fund film focuses on the Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people, who are fighting to protect their ancestral land in the Amazon rainforest from threats such as mining and deforestation. Filmmaker Alex Pritz follows charismatic leaders from the younger generation who refuse to be silenced as they join forces with an environmental activist to raise awareness for their cause.
Filmed during the pandemic entirely within the social platform VRChat, We Met in Virtual Reality is first-time director Joe Hunting’s story of two couples who met in VR. The film takes viewers deep into an online community where people can stay connected when safely meeting in-person isn’t an option.
