Megacities (1998) - Michael Glawogger

Michael Glawogger's Megacities is an intoxicating documentary which spans the entire globe documenting the human struggle in contemporary life.  With segments in Moscow, Mexico City, Bombay, and New York among others, Megacities encapsulates the human condition in a variety of slum settings throughout the globe. Glawogger's lens captures these various people struggling to survive by any means necessary - some use humor, some use resourcefulness, while others turn to violence in an effort to provide for themselves and/or their loved ones.  Like Glawogger's other documentaries, Megacities is a very observant film, capturing details and small occurrences in everyday life that some filmmakers would view as trivial.  These small details of these various individuals slowly show just how similar humanity is all across the world.  Megacities is never stagnant, constantly evoking emotion in every frame as it goes from subject to subject effectively exploring these human beings who do what they deem necessary.  As the film progresses the viewer begins to realize that Glawogger has captured the ultimate truth about humanity in that we all share the dream of a better life.  Michael Glawogger's Megacities is another fantastic documentary, further cementing him as one of the greatest documentary filmmakers of recent memory.

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