SIFF Recommendations: Week 3 and Beyond

Wetlands
Screenings: May 30 and June 6
Not for the queasy or the prude, Wetlands is a bizarrely tuned exploration of the teenage psyche in the aftermath of trauma. Seventeen-year-old Helen’s hygienic and sexual habits frame her story. She’s an average teenager, except that she does a lot of things with her body that would make anyone else sick. Somehow Wetlands makes these happenings (often involving bodily fluids) intriguing, laughable, and maybe even understandable. It’s a compelling watch, if you can stomach it.
- Kali S.

Ballet 422
Screenings: June 2 and 3
There’s no doubt that ballet is absolutely fascinating. The limber bodies, flowing costumes, and synchronized music of even the most standard ballet performance can leave viewers in awe. But what does it take to create that effect? Ballet 422 offers some insight. The documentary follows choreographer Justin Peck as he creates the New York City Ballet’s 422nd original piece. Not too surprisingly, the creative process rivals the result.
- Kali S.

To Be Takei
Screenings: June 6 and 7
To Be Takei is a feature length film following Star Trek’s George Takei and his husband with fewer cuts of intergalactic space and more of gay rights activism and discussion of Japanese internment. The film was assembled with a whimsical and witty eye, perfectly emphasizing the iconic deep voice and sometimes inappropriately-timed laugh of George Takei. The rich content and humor embedded in the film were a delightful surprise for this documentary.
- Emily H.