IFFR 2021 - Archipelago (Archipel)
IFFRWith two narrators combining to form a single fictional narrative, there is room for Archipelago to flow and prosper. A semi-fictional documentary from Félix Dufour-Laperrière affords time to the story of its narrators, just as much as their fakery of Quebec culture and cityscapes. Neither mockumentary or non-fiction, this strange tangent only a few films have attempted to follow. Once witnessing the results, though, it is clear to see why creatives rarely traverse the path of artsy, semi-fiction. The result is a mixed affair, one that wishes to take its audience on an authorial journey through the many sights and sounds of Quebec, painting a dreamy picture and hoping that this will be enough to cover the lack of direction.
It does not. The clear failings of the film come from its premise and spread from there. Archipelago does nothing to incite or expose the facets of its creativity; its French narration softly spoken and alluring, alludes to nothing of particular interest. Crooning through animated highs and real-world lows, Archipelago is starkly forgettable and worryingly bland. For a film that has the benefit of removal from the real world, it is a shame to see that Laperrière can do nothing to attract audiences. The lack of charm is clear, as well as the lack of content. Archipelago is a difficult film to comment on or criticise, for it leaves no lasting impression.
Critically, though, this lack of impression means the rest of the film falls apart. With nothing rewarding to fall back on, there are only brief, fluttering moments that can feasibly offer audiences anything suggesting an overwhelming excellence. Narration of this variety depends on interest, and that is not something this cast and crew can offer. There is nonsensical, vague dialogue that wishes to express some poetic meaning regarding the images, and animation that flashes on and off the screen without much consideration for the direction the story is going. Archipelago is frustrating, rather than exciting. It toils incredibly hard to make itself look good and feel artistic, but in doing so, manages to leave out those moments that charm and win over an audience. The flourishes of a director finding their voice are lost to a humdrum approach that sees them grasp and reach for generally banal and vague themes.
Ironic it may be to craft a documentary without detail and a fiction without fun, Archipelago garners some sympathy thanks to its nice animation. A shame that it isn’t utilised the best it could be, but at least it is there and present for viewers who may be wanting a series of nice moving pictures that have flimsy links between them. Archipelago reaches for the weird world of quasi-documentary-fiction filmmaking, and falls completely flat. Instead of an intense and odd spectacle, the film instead hides away in a flimsy shell of its own making. Nice animations and pockets of poetic prose are not enough to salvage such filmmaking.