Today is Earth Day.  It’s  a day to celebrate our Earth and remember how we should care for it as we only get one chance.  And it’s a  perfect day to see a film that embraces this concept.  “The River Below” is screening at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, premiering on this very appropriate date.

The film addresses the possible extinction of the Amazon Pink River Dolphin and accentuates  the power of media, television in particular.  “The River Below” is a thrilling investigative documentary filled with gruesome and unthinkable twists and turns, shocking the viewer as it shatters our trust in television.  Mark Greico travels to the Amazon River, deep in the jungle, as he interviews scientist and researcher Fernando Trujillo and television star of Nat Geo’s Fantastico, Richard Rasmussen.  The Amazon Pink River Dolphin is on the endangered species list and these two men, while in very different arenas, fight to save this intelligent water mammal.  We witness their work and the results, discovering the ramifications of good intentions.

Like most documentaries, “The River Below” educates the viewer.  I knew nothing about river dolphins or the fact that they were being used as bait for another fish used for the local economy called Piracatinga.  Trujillo takes us along the river, explaining the great intelligence of this animal and the brutality of how it is fished and cut up to use as bait.  He equates these water-residing mammals to humans.  Over the years, the number of Pink Dolphins have decreased to a point of concern.  Extinction seemed imminent, but compounding the issue is the sheer brutality of the slaughter of such an intelligent species.  Of course, financial gains and survival by this trade are at the core, but what is the ultimate cost of this type of fishing?

We then meet superstar Rasmussen who can’t walk through an airport without getting stopped for selfies with adoring fans.  His show, Fantastico, takes viewers on adventures into the depths of the jungle to learn and interact with the area’s habitat.  Snakes and caymen are just a few of the clips we see Rassmussen handling.  He’s the Amazonian version of the Aussie Steve Erwin.  Rasmussen and his team used television to capture the brutality of this part of the fishing industry which helped the government put a moratoreum on using Pink Dolphin as bait as well as selling the delectable fish.  But there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

Greico and his team, through interviews and old-fashioned investigative journalism, find that something smells a little fishy about this story.  The subsequent interviews and confrontation they encounter, traveling further along the river, is nothing shy of unnerving.  Just when you thought the story was headed in one direction, it suddenly changed course, much like the river itself.  It’s absolutely jarring to watch the unfolding of this true story that takes on a Denis Villeneuve  feel to the film.

“The River Below” is a cinematically gorgeous film, taking us for a ride along the river as well as a swim beneath the surface.  The images captured are in one moment beautiful and then next moment absolutely disturbing.  Images of cruelty with no care are burned into your memory.  What makes this film even more emotionally unique is the courage it took to confront certain subjects and capture that “gotcha” moment.  The emotions from everyone involved are ascertained and depicted so that we, the viewer, are a part of the film.

“The River Below” is an artistic and educational documentary that screens like a fascinating thriller.  It also sends several messages—we must take care of our environment, but we must understand the fallout from doing so.  We have to protect our planet and ourselves—it’s a delicate balance—and to what degree would you consider appropriate to save a species?  The overfishing of one species for human sustainability cannot be justified, but I’ll let you decide after you watch this film.

For more information about seeing “The River Below” at the Tribeca Film Festival, go to TribecaFilmGuide

“Son of Sophia” has its world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.  Written and directed by Elina Psykou and staring Victor Khomut as the young boy, attempting to wrestle with issues of betrayal, abandonment, and love as he leaves childhood behind.  This thought-provoking and psychologically deep film about a mother and her son creates an intriguingly insightful look at growing up in less than ideal circumstances.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Misha (Khomut), a quiet and reserved 11 year-old travels on his own from Russia to Athens to live with his mother, Sofia (Valery Tscheplanowa).  The two have been separated for years and their reunion shows the unfamiliarity but obligatory connection.  The living situation is just one of the many surprises

for Misha as he learns that he and his mother will be living with an older gentleman, Mr. Nikos (Thanassis Papageorgiou).  This man, he will discover, is also his new stepfather.  Misha still needs his mother.  He is still a boy and he clings to the comfort of fairy tales yet is abruptly pulled into the world of an older boy with no parental influence.  The struggle is palpable as Misha grows up in this foreign land, not understanding the language, and thrust into a surprising situation.  The bond between mother and son is shaken as the two sort out how to function as a family of three.

“Son of Sophia” is a complexly layered story, delving into not just the growing pains of young Misha, but of the conflicting loyalty that Sofia has.  She’s torn between the love of her son and the need for her new husband, particularly financial, as she is commanded and demanded to obey and fulfill his needs.  In addition, Sofia has a full-time job, pulling her in yet another direction.  This internal struggle is beautifully portrayed, demonstrating what many wives and mothers deal with on a daily basis.

The film gives us yet another viewpoint; that of Misha.  He longed to be only with his mother and finds Mr. Nikos to be a competitor.  It’s a classic representation of a boy with an Oedipus Complex, attempting to do away with his competition.  Misha’s new-found friend, Victor (Aremois Havalits) couldn’t be any worse of an influence, but with no parental involvement, Misha delves into inappropriate situations.  His ability to understand right from wrong seems to become less clear as do his skills in coping with losing his childhood.

Khomut is the lead actor, supporting the film completely with his nuanced performance.   Balancing on the edge of childhood’s imagination and the dark world of adults is difficult, but Khomut finds a way to do exactly this.  Tscheplanowa gives us a beautifully dramatic performance, creating a conflicted and apprehensive character.  She brings us a character who is not only real, but believable.  The interaction between the two is familiar and relatable while the cinematography gorgeously captures each and every mood and feeling.  The story-line does become disturbing, but it is required to do so in order to expertly bring the Oedipal Complex to its bitter-sweet conclusion.

“Son of Sofia” is remarkably haunting and dramatic as it captures the love between a mother and her son and his need to grow up.  Its complexities are revealed through deft direction and writing, allowing the cast to shine.

“Son of Sofia” is showing at the Tribeca Film Festival Friday, April 21 at 6:30 pm at the Regal Cinema.  For more information about tickets, go to Tribeca Film Guide