Not a full review, more a reaction ...
This documentary captures perfectly the desperation, the helplessness, the commitment and the surreal contrast between tourists enjoying their ouzo at the restaurant tables while volunteers performed CPR or wrapped people in survival blankets. I was on the quayside in Molyvos harbour during the scenes shown between around 16.20 and 18.30 (I even appear briefly!). If authenticity and capturing a mood are important, then this is a truly great documentary.
5 Reviews
Coast guard officers rescuing refugees
arseelektronika18 April 2017
Harrowing account of a small Greek island's coast guard as it contends daily with refugees fleeing oppression in the Middle East. A riveting documentary short. Apparently this was a student film that got nominated for the documentary short Oscar and that's a nice accomplishment for it.
reality of the horror
lee_eisenberg19 February 2017
The waves of people fleeing terrorism in Syria, Afghanistan, etc, has made news in the past few years. Most of what people have heard of it has only been through reports. Daphne Matziaraki's "4.1 Miles" puts a human face on the story. The focus is a coast guard captain near a Greek island who has to rescue large numbers of the refugees. I suspect that the tough experience faced by the captain is nothing compared to the horror that the refugees experienced in their homelands. This is one gripping documentary.
The documentary has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject. I haven't seen any of the other nominees, but I'd say that it would be justified to give "4.1 Miles" the award. This will probably be the closest that most people in the west will come to experiencing what the Syrians, Afghans, etc, have been through for the past few years. To think that we could've avoided all this by not invading Iraq or Afghanistan.
The documentary has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject. I haven't seen any of the other nominees, but I'd say that it would be justified to give "4.1 Miles" the award. This will probably be the closest that most people in the west will come to experiencing what the Syrians, Afghans, etc, have been through for the past few years. To think that we could've avoided all this by not invading Iraq or Afghanistan.
Giving a face to the phenomenon
Horst_In_Translation30 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"4.1 Miles" is an American movie that is mostly in the Greek language. The writer, director, editor... is Daphne Matziaraki and she already triumphed at the Student Oscars for her work here. Now she also received an Academy Award nomination for this 26-minute documentary and the main reason for that is probably how much of a relevant subject this is in terms of contemporary events. It is of course about the refugee situation, and in this very case about refugees coming from Turkey to Greece and about those people who have to help them get out of the water before they drown. This also involved mothers with children in a particularly drastic example here. So yeah, like I already wrote in the title of my review, the subject here is probably what results in all the praise this one is getting and because it is so close to the action. Is there any great direction in here or is it much better than other documentaries dealing with the subject on scene? I am not sure. I personally would not say it is Oscar-worthy, but I also would not be too surprised if it manages the win because it would very much fit liberal Hollywood's pick for a winner this year. Lets see. If you want to check it out yourself, right now it can be seen at the website of the NY Times.
Insightful, yes. Oscar worthy?
Searsino26 February 2017
I think not. I will preface this by recommending anyone who wants to find out more on this subject, to watch Fire At Sea (2016) which covers the migrant crisis in greater detail and length.
First the content: an account of two men in Greece in the Coast Guard. They have seen a large number of refugees coming by sea on poorly constructed substitutes for boats (generally). This should not be news to anyone. Most news outlets have been covering the dead children washing up on beaches, crying mothers, and families packed in tents for quite some time now.
With that being said, yes these two men are good human beings. It is an enormous tragedy what these families are experiencing and the measures being taken to leave the danger back at home.
Documentaries usually cover material that is lesser known, from the dark places in society that most are unaware of. It's a way of helping people better understand a situation (generally) or elicit some sort of awareness previously not widely held (at least for my ratings).
But I think everyone understands how bad this situation is. In fact, this is a crisis in many countries around the world. I didn't feel any different. It didn't change my views or thinking differently about the situation. I therefore see no immediate value in having watched it. As I've said before, the situation was awful. I am aware who these people are and the extent they went to escape. That has not changed.
I would also speculate that "4.1 Miles" has garnered much of its attention because of the recent Oscar nomination. A nomination which likely is the result of being politically relevant.
My point is not to discredit the current situation, but rather to express frustration. The only reason I am here right now is out of habit for watching something new (go to IMDb and add/review/rate).
It's too short for something that wants to address the refugee crisis. This has been covered in extensive detail on the west (that's right other reviews, the west is well aware of the situation). I give 6 stars entirely because of the brave men depicted, and the dangerous environment at sea with high winds and water. The 4 stars have been removed because of the efforts of the director being lazy (in my opinion).
If this subject was so important, perhaps they should have invested more than 26 minutes of screen time to it.
----- 6/10 STARS -------- Review by Searsino -----
First the content: an account of two men in Greece in the Coast Guard. They have seen a large number of refugees coming by sea on poorly constructed substitutes for boats (generally). This should not be news to anyone. Most news outlets have been covering the dead children washing up on beaches, crying mothers, and families packed in tents for quite some time now.
With that being said, yes these two men are good human beings. It is an enormous tragedy what these families are experiencing and the measures being taken to leave the danger back at home.
Documentaries usually cover material that is lesser known, from the dark places in society that most are unaware of. It's a way of helping people better understand a situation (generally) or elicit some sort of awareness previously not widely held (at least for my ratings).
But I think everyone understands how bad this situation is. In fact, this is a crisis in many countries around the world. I didn't feel any different. It didn't change my views or thinking differently about the situation. I therefore see no immediate value in having watched it. As I've said before, the situation was awful. I am aware who these people are and the extent they went to escape. That has not changed.
I would also speculate that "4.1 Miles" has garnered much of its attention because of the recent Oscar nomination. A nomination which likely is the result of being politically relevant.
My point is not to discredit the current situation, but rather to express frustration. The only reason I am here right now is out of habit for watching something new (go to IMDb and add/review/rate).
It's too short for something that wants to address the refugee crisis. This has been covered in extensive detail on the west (that's right other reviews, the west is well aware of the situation). I give 6 stars entirely because of the brave men depicted, and the dangerous environment at sea with high winds and water. The 4 stars have been removed because of the efforts of the director being lazy (in my opinion).
If this subject was so important, perhaps they should have invested more than 26 minutes of screen time to it.
----- 6/10 STARS -------- Review by Searsino -----
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