Three Miles North of Molkom (2008)

The Age of Commercialism

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

At first I thought I was watching a parody and I laughed to death when the people talked or when they trembled in delirium on the ground.But as the movie evolved I was almost certain that it was in fact a documentary of shorts and this realization was most shocking. Of course I guess everybody has met one or two such "spiritual" people and has come across at least some trendy "spiritual" movement (yoga,tandra,christianity or whatever)that waxes and wanes in time in hers life. That this kind of movements are constantly present though( with different names ) from before WWII (see the excellent documentary "The Magic Mountain") through the hippie movement and the new-age version of our days,really is a proof that the Neanderthals actually never disappeared, they live among us (and they vote),Flying Spaghetti monster save us.Because otherwise it is not possible that Homo Sapiens beings of the 21th century believe to such things. So I give it 10/10 for amazing implicit proof that the Neanderthal is still alive

I was lucky enough to be invited to the premiere in London a few years ago and it was the first time I saw people from the audience actually falling off their seats in laughter. The Australian protagonist is a gold mine, if you can understand his accent. This is a great example of what a good documentary one can make with a great idea, very little money and a lot of luck (if the Ozzy hadn't mistakenly ended up there, there would be no movie).Really recommended.I guess only on DVD at this point but well worth it.Buy it if you can and support these guys. They made it with almost nothing.

You may well have missed this little gem of British cinema, which had a far shorter run in the cinemas than it rightly deserved. Most explicitly Molkom is a film about collective therapy as an antidote to the alienating individualism of our consumerist societies. It is also a very funny character study. As a sounding board for the audience, sceptical Aussie Nick (who arrives at the Angsbacka festival by chance) encapsulates the mixture of curiosity, amusement and mild terror we feel right from the film's opening scene when we follow the camera down a boulevard of smiling faces – that little bit too welcoming. For me, the success of the film is that it takes us beyond those maniacal smiles, capturing both the communal frenzy of the festival and the quiet intimacy of the individual journeys within. Directors Cannan and McFarlane achieve this through their focus on one of the festival's customary 'sharing groups'– a group that brings together eccentric characters including a Finnish grandmother, Swedish pop star, Californian goatherd, a Viking-like Swedish harbourmaster. And Nick. This intimate focus allows the individual personalities to shine but also provides us with real insight into the group dynamics as they evolve and are disputed – sometimes quite unexpectedly. In this way the film achieves an accomplished balance between genuine sensitivity and laugh-out-load humour. A truly emotive experience. Visually the film is quite beautiful and the fluid camera movements capture the raw physicality of the workshops that presumably give the 'no mind' festival its name. It is this strategy (adopted by both cinematographer and directors) of tracing bodies, landscapes and personalities unobtrusively rather than through a contrived script that allows for the unpredictable development of the characters and in doing so (paradoxically) gives Molkom an feel of a feature film rather than a documentary. Looking forward to seeing what the team put together next!

I was lucky enough to see Three Miles North of Molkom at the Edinburgh International Film Festival screening on the 29th June.Along with Encounters at the End of the World, Standard Operating Procedure and To See If I'm Smiling it was one of the most interesting (and funny!) films I saw.The directors Rob and Corrina were kind enough to spend time answering questions after the screening which they answered with honesty and humour.Nick the Australian rugby coach was also there and he's exactly the same in person as he was in the film. Anyone who wears shorts and a t-shirt in Edinburgh in June is a legend in my book.Rob, Corrina and Nick also spent time chatting to people outside who didn't get the chance to ask a question at the screening. Nick did say that Rob and Corrina suggested he do some things for the cameras - the trip in the plane with Swami G is the most obvious but the film doesn't suffer because of this.Hopefully the film will have a wider release so more people can see it as it's worth the price of admission alone to see an instructor ask one of the group to stop him running at them with their mind (I'm not spoiling anything if I say this didn't go entirely according to plan!) Check out www.threemilesnorthofmolkom.com for more information.