No. 35 (2023) MERKEL. (MACHT DER FREIHEIT) Palace German Film Festival. May. 10th.

 

Film No. 35  (2023)  May 10th.  2:00 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 5, Leederville.

 

"Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow mindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is" (Markel speaks to democratic Germany as she attempts to convince her people, that to be good people, they needed to act on issues of immigration and acceptance).

EXIBIT: Documentary (Eva Weber); Telluride Film Festival 2023.

When a documentary, profiling an eminent person, is made without the subjects assistance, there is a sense the themes may not shine a positive light on that subject. Well, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to Eva Weber's, MERKEL.

Here is a profile of one of the greatest leaders of the democratic world. I couldn't help but think that this very wise person, Angela Merkel, chose not to participate because, just perhaps, she knew she could put her trust in Weber. She trusted that a film-maker of Weber's quality would never need  to use the words of the current  subject to "blow her own bag".  MERKEL is a totally engaging documentary that never outstays its welcome (93 minutes).

Angela Merkel left office 18 months ago after 16 years as the German Chancellor. This film highlighting the fairmindedness of her philosophy on leadership is a sobering reminder for these current times. And considering her humble beginnings as a bright scientist working behind 'The Wall' in the east, her rise to "power" was always ground breaking. 

So what does Weber do best while shining a light on Merkel? Well, the thing about Merkel, the leader, to me has always been her kind blue eyes. Weber takes the compassionate, fair-minded aura, plus those eyes,  which are everything we see in Merkel and reinforces these traits using archival footage: talking heads of doting allies (Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair) and emphasising her relationships with the powers that mattered at the time, with just a touch of soap! The segment as she farewells her friend Obama after 8 years of friendship is touching, made all the more so as The Trump Years infect the screen. 

I'm a middle class Australian who admires leadership from those who have an ability to show what real democracy looks like. Someone who leads without a trace of ego or self benefit. Their view is wide and they have a huge sense of others. MERKEL gave me a sense of exactly the sort of leader I'd be keen to vote into power.  10GUMS.