East Side Story

Long-term observational documentaries are among the most challenging documentary projects due to their time demands. To create something valuable, it's necessary to dedicate many years to following the subjects. Only then do all the twists and turns in the context of the times and the transformations of the protagonists become evident. Tereza Kopáčová took the easy way out and, given the short period she observed her pair, filled the film with a considerable amount of filler. Moreover, by selecting her protagonists, she didn't fulfill her goal of confronting the Christian and Muslim worlds. Alison is as much a Christian as I am the Dalai Lama. In other words, Christianity plays no significant role in her life. The same is true for Sam, who, due to the death of his parents, lost contact with his Islamic extended family and doesn't face its pressures and social oversight. Nevertheless, the piece is valuable in some ways as it captures an immature couple who want to project their romantic notions of love into marriage, despite being quite different in character and socially, with entirely different goals. If Kopáčová had waited another two years, the camera would likely have witnessed the breakup of the relationship. Overall impression: 40%. (31/03/2010)