Shot over six weeks in December 1971, and January 1972, the film consisted of interviews with Protestants, Catholics, politicians, and some soldiers, combined with TV news clips of bombings and violence. The deaths of four individuals formed the central focus of the film, which Ophüls described as ‘an old, middle-aged, humanistic, social-democratic attempt to give people an idea that life after all is not that cheap’. The BBC refused to transmit the completed film on the grounds that it was ‘too pro-Irish’ (Sunday Times, 5 Nov. 1972). (via http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/media/docs/freespeech.htm)
Having Sersi be the central force in Eternals is unprecedented in its viewpoint and focus, from demonstrating a gentle type of leadership, to being overlooked in a group setting but succeeding in the goal at hand anyways, to having romantic options, to strength and integrity, and majority screen time - for a group that's given less screentime than aliens.
In season 3 of 'Umbrella Academy', Diego, Allison, and Viktor finally get character arcs that address their unique experiences as a Latino man, a Black woman who lived through the 60s, and a trans man.
The most impressive aspect of this film is the honest and natural performances given by the on-screen duo.
A bumpy journey about revolution and family makes us feel fear, disgust, humor, and satisfaction.
Documented human suffering is never easy to view or read about and is understandably triggering for many people, but it can be educational, and education is a key to change. An overwhelming amount queer people worldwide (and in my own country) have it far worse than I could imagine, and documentaries such as Welcome to Chechnya bring issues to light that certain groups of people would never see.
