Kyle writesHighlights From the Fourth Annual Doc10 Film Festival

by Kyle Sanders

The Fourth Annual Doc10 Film Festival was held at the Davis Theater from April 11 - 14. Ten documentaries were presented throughout the festival, diverse in content and yet connected through urgent relevancy of the times we live in today. Here's a few of the docs I was able to check out:

Knock Down the House
Directed by Rachel Lears

The 2016 presidential election shook Americans to their core. Meet four women who decided to shake back: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paula Jean Swearingen, Cori Bush, and Amy Vilela. Each of these women run a grassroots campaign in their respective districts across America, experiencing the inspirational highs and frustrating lows of running for office. Through community canvasing, public rallies and publicized debates, these women share their deeply personal reasons as to what motivates them for getting into politics. Political campaigns have never been more uplifting.

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier

We often find ourselves affected by the environment, but have we ever considered just what sort of effect we have on the planet? Book ended by striking visuals of poached elephant tusks that have been seized and collected only to be set ablaze, this documentary chronicles humanity's devastating reengineering of the Earth, traveling the globe and visiting site after site of ecological destruction of epic proportions. Visually stunning as it is viscerally jaw-dropping. 

Hail Satan?
Directed by Penny Lane

What do you think of when you hear the word "Satanist?" Whatever it is, this documentary will shed light on this controversial religion wrapped in black cloaks and the dark arts. Taking us inside the Satanic Temple, Hail Satan? learns about the motivations of co-founder Lucien Greaves, who pulled the infamous cult out of the shadows and into the political mainstream, evoking justice and defining religion constitutionally. Learning about Satanism through archived footage and a varied amount of talking heads, this documentary will have you second-guessing initial prejudices against the misunderstood organization.

Biggest Little Farm
Directed by John Chester

Meet John and Molly, a California couple who promised their rescued pet dog that they would build a life of purpose. That purpose was to live on a self-sustaining farm, growing a variety of crops and raising diverse livestock on 200 acres of dead soil and weed-ridden foliage. With the help of their kooky farmer friend Allen, this couple learn the ups and downs of building a life in the midst of nature, where coyotes, droughts, and pesky insects can attack at any random moment. Yet they learn that living in harmony with wildlife requires balance, and solve the many issues of running a farm with the help of Mother Nature. This documentary will pull you into their lives as if you're working alongside them every step of the way.