AllMovie

A filmmaker digs deep into people's worst fears but he's still wrestling with a few of his own in this mock-documentary horror story from director Kiko Goifman. A well-respected filmmaker (Jean-Claude Bernardet) has chosen something unusual for his latest project; he's making a movie about the nature of human phobias by searching out volunteers with an intense fear of various things, ranging from spiders and birds to airplanes and even buttons, and then confronting them with that which scares them most. However, as the production wears on, the process becomes increasingly difficult for the director. Between takes, he finds himself discussing the physical and emotional impact of fear with his crew, who watch the agony of the volunteers with little involvement. To some, it seems as if the making of the film is emphasizing the director's own fears -- of blood, of his advancing age, of his recent diagnosis as HIV-positive. FilemFobia (aka FilmPhobia) was an official selection at the 2009 Rotterdam International Film Festival.