Of course, everyone heard about this movie. First time in the history documentary film won the main award of the Venice Film Festival - the Golden Lion at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. When you listen to this news you are expecting that this documentary is something incredible, breathtaking piece of art.
I was disappointed, I was so disappointed that wanted to say to all the people around me that there are a lot of another really great documentaries in the world. Why this film was in the Main Competition? Why this film won main prize? It just ordinary documentary that observes people who live along the Grande Raccordo Anulare - the ring-round highway around Rome. Different people, different social status - from prostitute to rich person, there is no any real dramaturgical line, only shots of road between scenes with different characters. And what? The ambulance could become the main line of the movie, but it appears and disappears with no reason. All characters give interviews, do something at their places but it doesn’t touch you.
What was the main idea? Why film is so long? Why we see these people? They all live along the same road… and what? It is obvious that they are different.
I don’t want to be so critical. Yes, I found some scenes that I really liked. For example, one of them is when camera was outside of window of flat - we see room and all what happens there. Old father is telling to daughter not to sit so long on the FB and to go to find a husband… The unusual position of camera gives to viewers feeling that we pry into other lives, we feel ourselves as spies and think that they don’t know about us. Another scene that touched me emotionally was scene of conversation of one of ambulance’s doctors with mother (?) at his home. So sincere and so beautiful!
I think that Sacro Gra is a good movie, especially it is good movie for Italian viewers who would understand all jokes and comic moments, the whole subtext. But it is not a film for the main prize of Venice Film Festival. 20/30