The notion that only whites can be racist barely survives this riveting 2009 documentary about Michael Campbell, a humble and honorable Caucasian farmer who acquired his large land holdings in 1980, after the black takeover of Zimbabwe, and ever since then has been fighting the efforts of President Robert Mugabe to violently displace him. Directors Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson document the 75-year-old farmer’s fight to get justice before an international civil rights tribunal; due to Mugabe’s repressive policies, they had to gather most of their footage on the sly, which heightens the suspense. The result is part legal thriller, part five-hankie melodrama.
Reader Recommends: FILM & TV
Our critics review the best on the big and small screens and in the media.
Review: Sunny (Season one)
Sunny helps viewers process their AI robot fears.
Review: Last Summer
French provocateur Catherine Breillat explores age gap relationships with complexity and truth in Last Summer.
Review: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
This French vampire dramedy may not be groundbreaking, but its strong leads and dry humor make it well worth watching.
Review: A Quiet Place: Day One
As a franchise prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One doesn’t do enough world-building, but Lupita Nyong’o makes it worth a watch.
Review: Music
Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex inspired this intentional and affecting drama.
God is seen and heard in Janet Planet
Annie Baker’s quiet film debut explores a strikingly universal parent-child relationship.