AllMovie

Veteran Canadian filmmaker Geoff Bowie spins this portrait of Peter Watkins -- one of world cinema's most resolutely utopian and obscure major figures. Bowie follows Watkins as he makes his most recent work La Commune, (Paris 1871), an epic six-hour reimagining of the legendary 19th century uprising against Napoleon III by the Communards. For Watkins, the making of a film is a political act and as such he recruited almost 200 people to work not as mere actors but as creative partners who extensively researched their parts, formed discussion groups, and contemplated modern society in relation to life in the commune. The process led to an increased awareness on the set about the arrogance and intractability of media outlets. Contrasting Watkins' unorthodox ways, Bowie also features footage and a number of interviews from the MIP-TV, a Canadian television trade show where industry high rollers hawk documentaries. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival.