| Re: "What is it saying? Disjointed interviews make for a painful doc," by Jeremy Klaszus, Film, October 27 — November 2.
I was very disappointed when I read the "review" of Democracy in the Shadows in Fast Forward. I read your paper almost religiously and always flip to the film section first, since I generally agree with the reviews and find it to be a good guide to which films are worth seeing. When I read Jeremy Klaszus's barrage of insults on Brent Spiess's film, I was shocked that my favourite paper would print something so unprofessional.
It sounds like Klaszus simply woke up in a bad mood and, armed with a grumpy disposition and a sarcastic simile about a cheese grater, set out to write an unjustifiably harsh review – not one positive aspect of the film was mentioned.
He also fails to understand the word "school." This film was made on practically no budget, mostly by students. Of course it is far from perfect. As a student of the Inglewood Film and Art School, I was happy to have the opportunity to do some camera work. If my interviews were "badly filmed" it's because it was one of the first times I was ever behind a camera, and I was there to learn.
Klaszus uses the quotes out of context. They are relevant because the film was about Calgarians' views on democracy in Canada. He states a lack of a message and direction in the film, when there are blatantly obvious messages, such as Calgarians' dissatisfaction with the government and their perceived powerlessness to change things.
He shows no tolerance for something more experimental and less structured and rigid than people are used to. It wasn't intended to be polished and perfect.
Marcella Manasek,
Calgary
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