Visions du Réel 2020 - Jungle
Visions du RéelLouise Mootz’s intimate documentary, Jungle is a fresh and vibrant portrayal of youth culture in Paris. It follows a dynamic and contemporary group of Mootz’s friends with honest, frank and organic conversations on drugs, sexuality, racism and identity.
At a lean runtime of just under fifty two minutes, Mootz’s documentary is an eye-opening and dazzling account of female empowerment with an intrinsic and organic nature from start to finish. Following numerous friends in Mootz’s inner circle, the filmmaker's feature offers distinctive and unique perspectives on multiple themes, particularly on avenues of life as a young woman in a judgemental society.
Mootz, already friends with the subjects of the feature, offers a wonderfully engaging and eye-opening perspective for the viewer to connect with. Before the ten-minute mark, the viewer has a connection to these subjects as if they have known them for years. With that, the charisma and character offer a brilliant and unique perspective from each subject. This provides conversation for Mootz to explore.
Offering a multifaceted approach, as Jungle does, allows the documentary to continually move in a frantic pace, but one that never negates character or underwhelms what's on screen. Everything edited into the feature by Mootz and Cécile Husson relays back to the evolving character arcs and has purpose. Of course, due to this, there is zero fat that feels empty or unneeded.
Mootz also implements a homemade aesthetic in the cinematography department. This elevates the dramatic prowess and engagement level with an intimate and personalised portrait of the friendships and family dynamics offered on screen.
If anything, Jungle is too short for its own good. To watch these unique and empowered subjects be as free and fluid in their lives as Mootz captures them is so engulfing and entertaining, it almost pains the viewer when it is all over. Mootz is never afraid to push the boundaries of expectation and showcase emotion as authentically as possible. It is indeed an eye-opening, thrilling and poignant window into these young subjects’ lives. Jungle undeniably cements Louise Mootz as one to watch for the future.
