CINEMA: Sleep Furiously

This documentary about a small Welsh community slowly dying out charts a way of life many will believe has, in fact, already vanished.

From the local school having to close due to lack of pupils, to the travelling library bus arriving with its books with stories of exotic peoples and places, it details the passage of time and the passing of old ways. Unfortunately, director Gideon Koppel, never actually introduces us to any of the people whose everyday lives he follows, and this means there is a sense of distance between the film and its audience.

Also, although the scenes of the local children and the older members of the community are charming, he manages to totally ignore the generation in between – if these kids have parents then we never see them, either at home or going about their business. This means probably the most important link between the past and the village’s potential future is never shown and so the film lacks focus and any distinct outcome.

Dee Pilgrim