In Complete World

Now that everybody can tell stories about themselves and the world online, it seems superfluous for a filmmaker to go out into the street with a camera in hand and ask people about themselves and the world. And yet this is exactly what director Shelly Silver did in New York. She asks passersby about their ideas on political issues: "Do you feel responsible for the war in Iraq?" She also inquires about their lives: "Do you think you're in control of your own life?" Despite the prevailing opinion in the media that Western citizens aren't really concerned with political matters, Silver often hears strong opinions. The responses also betray a fascinating tension between what people think about themselves as individuals and the United States as a nation. For example, New Yorkers feel that the national government should do all sorts of things for the country, but they fail to answer the question as to what that government could do for them personally. Despite the sober form of the street interview, In Complete World is touching because it shows that these people share the same fears and are struggling to find answers to the same questions. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)