Just got back from a screening of the film at Hamptons Film Festival. Honestly went because all major features were sold out but WOW–this was an entertaining and informative piece of work that left me and my guests conversing throughout the rest of the afternoon. I'm still left thinking about the subject matter hours later and don't see myself stopping anytime soon. A real thought-provoker, covering important subject matter especially if you're an urban dweller.
Director Andreas Dalsgaard brilliantly weaves through an admittedly budget-limited number of cities (in China, Bangladesh, America, Europe and perhaps most importantly New Zealand) delivering a convincing argument for a more social-minded layout of possible urban planning of the future. His directorial vision is largely based on architect Jan Gehl's social visions of a more communicative urban environment–one where work, live and play are all in close quarters, preventing the isolation of a commuter's life; one filled more with streets for pedestrians rather than roads built for cars.
The film is divided into 5 chapters, each covering a new topic (although all cleverly intertwined to grace his overarching themes of social connectivity in the urban environment), most of which are displayed through the introduction and demonstration of a particular city and its model for urban development. This ranges from the largely bike-accessible and pedestrian-friendly Copenhagen, to capital city Dkaha of Bangladesh where cars are threatening the already harsh living conditions for residents.
As far as documentary is concerned, I thought Dalsgaard did an excellent job of objectively presenting his material and allowing for the audience to interpret his data-based facts as they please. This is NOT a documentary that will make you regret living life the way you presently do, but it IS a documentary that will make you more aware of your surroundings and how(why) you can(do) appreciate different elements in different places.
Given its small budget, cinematography and overall direction was top-notch. The viewer is transported to multiple urban landscapes–each with their own unique fabric–which together weave a full-length feature film of international importance. 8/10 simply for the fact that I do wish Dalsgaard was able to dive deeper into more cities and perhaps extend the running time closer to 2 hours. Having said that, this movie did not feel like it was cut short; pacing was excellent and each chapter was as enthralling as the last. An absolute must-see for any curious urban dwellers or anybody interested in global societal matters.
