One of the best docs playing at TIFF this year, SO SURREAL: BEHIND THE MASKS (co-written and co-directed by Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson) is a look at the masks used by Native Americans in rituals, as well as their connection to the surrealist artists who collected them.
This film is a joy. It's a film that is so alive that it makes us feel that way by the end.
Focusing on director Neil Diamond's journey to understand why and how the surrealists became interested in the masks, it's a film that opened my eyes to how the masks were collected and used, and the power they contain (I did not know that masks were often burned after ceremonies because it released the magic and spirits).
Using differing styles to tell the story, SO SURREAL transcends the typical doc form to become something truly special. This is told in the manner of the best raconteur you've ever heard - one who changes things up as the story changes. I was enraptured.
Honestly, I was watching this film late at night and figured I would watch a little bit before going to bed, and instead found myself wide awake and leaning in, wanting to know more. When it was done, I was popping online to do more reading.
Yeah, the film is that good... and then some!
Highly recommended, not only for anyone who is interested in the subject, but for anyone who wants a great story expertly told.
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