Hubert Sauper's We Come As Friends is an absorbing documentary about the human phenomenon known as Colonization,which has ravaged the continent of Africa for centuries.  Focusing on the modern day events currently happening in Sudan, which has seen a country divided due primarily to outside investors from the United States and China, We Come As Friends is observant study of a country steeped in its tribal past that is simultaneously being pulled towards the future at a destructive pace for the indigenous people.  We Come As Friends is a film that perfectly captures the emotional and physical detachment which foreign investors have when going to Africa for natural resources. To many foreign investors Sudan is just another piece of land which can be exploited, as these corporations divvy up sections of land on a map with blatant disregard for the locals, routinely slicing up distinct tribal cultures in the process.  In Sudan's case, the foreign investors main focus is in regard to the oil fields, which has lead to the country being split into two distinct entities, North Sudan & South Sudan, each serving the respective, distinct interests of the United States and China.  The leaders of these new defined countries are essentially controlled by the foreign investors, and Hubert Sauper's film paints a convincing portrait of how this type of outside influence is the main reason why this region of the world has struggled to develop.  Through empowering leaders which have little disregard for the overall growth and prosperity of their country, the introduction of capitalism into this culture through these corrupt leaders has hurt the country more than helped it, with greed running rampant among officials while foreign investors continue to show more interest in the quick buck than any type of long term commitment.  While there have been quite a few films about colonialism, We Come As Friends is one of the more balanced films on the subject i've seen, as it fully acknowledges the positive aspects which foreign investment can bring.  The film argues that these investors need to have an interest in the long term development of Sudan, showing how unfortunately many of them are more interested in the quick dollar, not willing to take on the long term investment which would lead to prosperity for both the indigenous people and the corporations bottom-line.  Full of fascinating observations about race, greed, religious oppression, and man's overall desire to own everything it can, Hubert Sauper's We Come As Friends is a film that understands there are no easy answers to this complex and troubling practices of colonialism, offering up far more questions than answers in this observant and detailed examination. 

Charles Rogers & Sara-Violet Bliss' Fort Tilden is an extremely funny and insightful examination of the quarter life crisis, which follows two Brooklyn hipsters in Allie and Harper, who are each struggling to find their place in post-adolescence.  With the stagnation of life weighing them down, Allie has decided to join the Peace Corps as a way of doing something with her life, while Harper remains perfectly comfortable being bankrolled by her father.  In an effort to avoid responsibility, the two friends embark on a lengthy journey to the beach at Fort Tilden, but along their journey they run into a series of escalating inconveniences which in turn makes each of them reevaluate their life plans.   Featuring two star-making turns by Clare McNulty and Bridey Elliot as Allie and Harper, as well as a sharp and clever script, Fort Tilden is a very enjoyable comedy about the pitfalls of extended adolescence which offers some valuable insights into friendship.   A pretty good example of why characters don't have to be likable in a film for it to be considered a success, Fort Tilden offers up two characters in Allie and especially Harper who are essentially the definition of privileged.  Harper isn't a very likeable character, and the strain that she begins to cause Allie is one of the strongest aspects of the entire film, as Fort Tilden uses this friendship to delivery some profound insights into social groups.  Fort Tilden exposes how these ttwo characters have essentially become dependent of one and other, as the film captures the entrapment one can experience when having the same small social circle for a long time.  Fort Tilden captures the roles that can develop in social situations, as Allie has essentially become the pushover, which only enables Harper's privilege.  While Fort Tilden works as a very funny comedy alone, what makes the film truly impressive is the well developed characterizations of its two main characters, enabling the film to delivery some poignant insights into the mid-20s, post-collage era of life.    

Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi's Meru is a documentary about big-wall climbing that follows renowned alpinists Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Oztur in their pursuit of conquering the Shark's fin on Mount Meru, widely regarded as one of the most difficult and dangerous climbs in the world.  Like any great documentary, Meru isn't so much a film about rock-climbing but the passion the men have for the sport, offering a fascinating exploration of psychology of these three men who has dealt with sacrifice and loss in an attempt to pursue their dream and achieve their ultimate goal.  Without giving away details it's hard to understand how strong the storytelling is, but lets just say that Meru unfolds in a way that would make most fiction films blush, diving into the psychology of these characters, examining the culture of wall-climbers, and ultimately coming to understand and appreciate why these men risk their lives in such pursuits.  While the appeal of accomplishing something nobody has been able to do before is a major aspect of these men's pursuit, Meru takes its examination of these characters one step further, tapping into the psychology of its characters, providing engrossing insight into how their past has shaped their present and the men they are to this day.  I particularly found the treatment of Conrad Anker fascinating, a man who is caught between his ultimate passion and his commitment to his family, taking life and death risks every time he goes back out for a climb.  Conrad, the elder statesman of the three climbers, is a man who is essentially obsessed with conquering the mountain, due at least in part to his past mentor's failings, and while Meru certainly explores this obsessive psychology that drives him, the film never judges him for it, providing an even-keeled examination.  While some viewers are sure to still view the pursuit of these men as crazy, I'd argue that Meru is able to capture the essence of the importance of living life to the fullest, showing the power the mind has over the body and the nirvana which can take place when accomplishing one's dreams.  Another thing that jumps out about Meru is the sense of wonder the film is able to create, with the Shark's Fin on Mount Meru taking on an almost supernatural quality.  Meru photographs the mountain in a way that gives it ominous presence, standing in defiance, daring big-wall climbers to scale its dangerous peaks.  The film gives the viewer a front row seat on this extremely difficult climb, providing intimate detail into the sheer scope, danger, and difficulty of such a climb on these three men.  Providing an in-depth look at three rock-climbers and their decade long pursuit of climbing Shark's Fin on Mount Meru, Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi's Meru is a beautiful documentary which captures the essence of the wall-climbing culture, the special bond formed between climbers, and the the risks three men are willing to make in an effort to achieve their ultimate dream.