Image: tix.antennafestival.org
Spirited adolescent siblings Spartacus and Cassandra, the central figures in the documentary that shares their name, haven’t had an easy life — and they both know it. The children, aged thirteen and ten respectively but clearly wiser than their modest years, don’t dwell on their misfortune, though. Nor does first-time filmmaker Ioanis Nuguet’s look at their attempts to find a sliver of normality to temper their otherwise troubled days. His offering is moving yet modest and measured, even when facing the fact that the twosome might be required to leave their parents behind in the pursuit of stability and happiness.
Indeed, a balanced approach characterises this fly-on-the-wall effort’s chronicle of misfortune, with working towards a hopeful outcome — albeit tinged with inevitable melancholy — resonating strongly beyond the heartbreak shown. That’s not to say that the film shies away from the harsh, harrowing reality its subjects face, or avoids the emotion inherent in their scenario. Indeed, its essaying of their many problems, largely springing from their unemployed, alcoholic father and struggling mother, as well the distress their decision to live with circus worker Camille causes within their family, is simultaneously affecting and gritty.
And yet, the documentary doesn’t let any instance of anguish, despair or suffering overtake what might appear to be a portrait of a marginalised community in microcosm — aka the Romani populace in France — but eventually becomes a testament to the spirit of resilience that lingers within those in such difficult circumstances. The prominent personalities of the titular pair assist in that regard, with Spartacus mischievous and Cassandra determined. The film can never present a down-and-out attitude because the kids it follows never adopt it either. They cry and they laugh. They reflect on their hard past and seek a brighter future. They refuse to be defined by their situation.
In fact, the duo are a gift to a feature that tells a tale seen before, even within factual confines, and could have easily played out as a routine — or even exploitative — excursion through poverty and homelessness. Their forcefulness helps guide Nuguet’s technique, whether punctuating sequences with Spartacus’ raps, or floating through nature-set asides, the voices of the children proving instrumental in piecing the footage together. Eschewing talking heads, the director endeavours to get inside the minds of those he depicts through more expressive means. The naturalistic sometimes gives way to the lyrical in trying to capture not just their thoughts, but their feelings.
It may surprise that the mixture of the matter-of-fact and the intimate works in Spartacus & Cassandra — and the reason they combine in such successful and stirring fashion is the sense of immediacy they evoke. Spending time in the moment, whether tough or tender, is something these robust figures do themselves to get by, and therefore demand in those both capturing and watching their plight.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Spartacus & Cassandra
Director: Ioanis Nuguet
France, 2014, 80 mins
Antenna Documentary Film Festival
13 – 18 October
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