Brian Flemming's dramamentary, Nothing so Strange, is an innovative satirical film that pretends to be a documentary exploring the fictional assassination of Bill Gates in December, 1999.
The film follows the grassroots organisation, Citizens for Truth for a year. The group is formed to investigate why a black man, Alek Hidell, shot by a rookie LAPD officer minutes after the death of Gates, is blamed for the murder. Hidell, a social activist, is accused of wanting to start a class war by executing Gates. Citizens for Truth is headed up by two co-Presidents, the organised and efficient Debra Meagher (Laurie Pike), and the dedicated but hotheaded David James (also the actor's name). The group sets up focus meetings and determines to agitate for the release of the files by the LAPD, and to counter the Garcetti Report--the official internal report conducted by the LAPD about the shooting of Gates and Hidell.
Flemming proves himself a master of the conventions of documentary filmmaking. What is fascinating is how quickly the film sucks in the viewer. Flemming does this by creating a self-consistent world, keeping the subjects and their attempts to uncover the conspiracy behind the deaths totally serious, and allowing the viewer to delight in the rich multi-layered satire without any obvious winking on the part of the director. We follow the group recreating the crime scene, investigating the confused testimony by Julia Serrano that is pivotal to the case, appearing on local public television debating the issue, setting up a three-day conference for their members to present the facts they have uncovered, and the inevitable implosion of the group and the scattering of its members. It's an incredibly clever film that examines group dynamics, the obsession of conspiracy theories, and how information is distorted. In the ultimate post-postmodern trick, it even questions the integrity of the Nothing so Strange documentary itself.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Maura, i apologise but i only read the start of your review (im writing my own at the minute and don't want to unintentionally mimic anything you wrote), but certainly fleming is highly adept at forging the conventions of the documentary.
I look forward to reading the rest of your post i get mine finished.
Aaron
Duke De Mondo