Aftenlandet

45 years later, this is like a relic from an ancient time, when unions made decisions on bases that sometimes included considerations about the social good. Eschewing the characterisation common to nearly all cinema, one might early on think this presentation of scenes a bit mundane, but the complex way Watkins organises his cast makes this increasingly rewarding, in a way that does develop quite a bit of power. It is remarkable that this was released one year prior to the Aldo Moro kidnapping.

This ambitious and unfairly overlooked Danish mockumentary is extremely interesting (albeit probably mostly so for Danes). A bit all over the place, but the no name ensemble convince, and there are several masterfully executed moments (e.g., some very effective oners).

Watkins reveals the fragile and indeed illusory nature of democratic capitalism as a general/ideal (the schism between the media-military complex and the working class) through a specific/existent event (the construction of U-boat hulls by the Danes for French nuclear warfare). He does so while also provoking the viewer, who is subjected to stimulating and transformative layers of video/audio as polemic, to think and feel in very particular ways. Watkins wants this film to change you.