Greetings again from the darkness. One cannot dispute the importance of this story. Children are starving and adults are dying. The presentation of the story; however, lacks focus, direction and clarity. Documentaries should be held to a minimum standard and an important topic is merely the basics.
The story centers around Tanzania's Lake Victoria and the ever-worsening existence of the villagers as they become victims of capitalism. The locals seem to have no comprehension of their bleak future as the ecosystem in the lake dies. It is dying because of an apparent science experiment gone bad. A "bucket" of Nile Perch were introduced and since have destroyed all other forms of life including the algae eaters that keep them alive and their own offspring, which threatens their future.
Where the filmmaker succeeds is asking questions. Where he fails is providing any answers. Why have the villagers forsaken their farming efforts for fishing when they are starving? Why do the religious leaders not accept the use of condoms as the HIV virus spreads like wildfire? Why the introduction of a possible conspiracy on arms shipments with not even the slightest hint of evidence? Again, the message is not lost despite the shoddy presentation. However, this message could have been much more powerful with just a bit of structure in the story telling. This one gets an Oscar nod due to subject matter, not artistic merit.
The story centers around Tanzania's Lake Victoria and the ever-worsening existence of the villagers as they become victims of capitalism. The locals seem to have no comprehension of their bleak future as the ecosystem in the lake dies. It is dying because of an apparent science experiment gone bad. A "bucket" of Nile Perch were introduced and since have destroyed all other forms of life including the algae eaters that keep them alive and their own offspring, which threatens their future.
Where the filmmaker succeeds is asking questions. Where he fails is providing any answers. Why have the villagers forsaken their farming efforts for fishing when they are starving? Why do the religious leaders not accept the use of condoms as the HIV virus spreads like wildfire? Why the introduction of a possible conspiracy on arms shipments with not even the slightest hint of evidence? Again, the message is not lost despite the shoddy presentation. However, this message could have been much more powerful with just a bit of structure in the story telling. This one gets an Oscar nod due to subject matter, not artistic merit.