I had the chance to screen the documentary Land during this year’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. It was one of many documentaries dealing with social and political issues that affect many areas of the world. In Land, director Julian T. Pinder brings us to Nicaragua in 2006; a time where this place was seen as the “new” land of opportunity for real estate and resort developers. As the synopsis puts it, “Fred, Sean and Keith, three naive Americans wide-eyed at the prospects of finally making it big, set up shop and start constructing resorts for your next discount tropical vacation. But what these inexperienced developers don’t know is that the seemingly inexhaustible cheap manual labour is about to run out. The natives are restless and starting to see through this new form of imperialism… So when former revolutionary leader Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas sweep back to power, legitimately or otherwise, not one of our gringos is left unscathed. Dreams of planeloads of vacationers and pool-side margaritas give way to death threats and armed assaults.”
I had a chance to talk to Pinder about the film prior to its premiere at Hot Docs and after to see how the film has been received. As Pinder said to me earlier this month, “people will either love or hate the film.” That was also been apparent on various reviews of the film pre-festival time. Perhaps it’s because the film is not one-sided. On one side, Pinder introduces us to these “gringos” who seem to be invested (no pun intended) in this land only for the money while at the same time, we meet the “locals,” who are mostly peasants looking for a way to earn money to sustain their families. The other side, presents to us the corruption that exists in Nicaragua and its authorities in terms of administering land deeds and dealing with land disputes in and out of court. So we’re left with the question: who, if at all, is at fault? I guess you’ll have to see the film to answer this for yourself.
At our post-festival meeting, I asked Pinder how the audience received the film (as I’d screened it on my own). He stated that both screenings sold out at Hot Docs, which is a great response in itself. Like before, some people liked the film and others, not so much. The question and answer sessions went well and created a lot of dialogue; it’s the type of film this is. Since Hot Docs, the film has been shortlisted for Cannes and was picked up by Kinosmith for Canadian distribution. There is also interest from Zeitgeist Films as well as IFC for wider distribution. While attending the festival at Cannes, Pinder and Company were advised to submit the film to the Venice Film Festival and the San Sebastián International Film Festival. The film is set to open in Toronto this week, June 4th at The Royal; it will then have a wider Canadian release. Robin Smith from Kinosmith has great plans for the film and Pinder sounds quite excited about it.
According to Pinder, the direction the film has taken is great. When I asked him if he’s getting tired of the interviews that come with promoting the film, he said, “this is its life.” This is the time when things begin to happen for the film. Before this, however, it took about four years to make the film; with a whole year dedicated to post production: editing, music, etc. The project was a labour of love in some ways, as most people worked for little money. As many of us know, funding for documentary films can be a limiting factor. “The editor (Alex Shuper) did about a year’s worth of work for two months’ pay,” shared Pinder. The original music was composed by Ivan Barbotin, who also worked for little pay. Barbotin has composed for film, television and ballet; the reason why the soundtrack for this film is quite phenomenal.
This may be Pinder’s first feature length documentary but he is not a first-timer. He went to film school for a couple of years but left early because he really wanted “to make films.” His first projects include two experimental short-medium length films about Kosovo during the time of the war. He’s also worked as a producer for television but his real passion is film. A close second would be wine. He owns a winery in the west end of the GTA, which allows him to work freely on his films. The way he sees it, even if he’s making documentaries, these films are still a form of entertainment on some level. The director along with the editor usually manipulate the story to draw people’s attention in some way. And I agree with him on this point; he’s pretty honest about how he sees himself as a filmmaker. His next project will be another documentary. This time he’s travelling to northeastern British Columbia to document one of the many activists working against companies like EnCana, which have invested in the pipeline there. The pipeline has brought created some trouble in the area, including some leaks that may be leading to health concerns among others. Sounds like Pinder will be off to make another thought-provoking, maybe even controversial film.
For now, he continues to promote Land. He will be in attendance for Q&A’s at most screenings at the Royal in Toronto. For those who didn’t get a chance to see this documentary at Hot Docs, bring yourselves to the Royal this week. Its story relates to other areas of the world, which have had similar land conflicts. I think you’ll learn something one way or the other. For more details about the film, visit this page. For details about screening times and location, check out www.theroyal.to
Image courtesy of filmmaker.
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