Instant Netpicks: Marwencol documentary is heavy-hitting
Editor’s note: Central Michigan Life will be sifting through the library of films available through Netflix.com’s Watch Instantly feature to find underrated or forgotten films worth watching. These films are also available for rental or purchase through other services and stores.
“Marwencol” is a documentary about coping with trauma, art and individuality and the heavy emotions on display hit the viewer before they even know what’s coming.
Directed by Jeff Malmberg and released in 2010, “Marwencol” tells the story of Mark Hogancamp, a man struggling with recovery after being beaten nearly to death outside a bar in 2000. Left severely brain-damaged and without any memory of his previous life, Hogancamp began to create his own reality to cope.
Using dolls, toys and building models, Mark created the town of Marwencol, a fictional town in World War II-era Belgium, in his backyard. He populated the one-sixth scale world with soldiers, townspeople, plenty of girls, and representations of himself and the people he knows in the real world.
Hogancamp began playing out stories, scenarios and fantasies in Marwencol, and meticulously documented everything with photographs. Eventually, Hogancamp, his photos and the world he has created caught the attention of people within the art world, who want to display his photos.
The film itself is laid out almost as meticulously as Hogancamp’s tiny, hand-built world. Told primarily through interviews with Hogancamp and his friends, neighbors and acquaintances, the film slowly unfolds this man’s complicated psyche. Troubled before the beating, Hogancamp saw the loss of his memory as a chance to start over and create the reality he wanted to live in.
Interspersed throughout the film are photographs and stop-motion animation using the dolls in Hogancamp’s town. It is a fascinating way to tell this story and examine this man as he deals with trauma by building a world around him.
The technique, pacing and subject matter for this independently produced film are all top-notch and fascinating. This is a greatly affecting film that has earned the indie-film buzz built up around it.
