Piece Comment

Review of Here There is No Moon (European version 32:28)


As one of the leading causes of death, suicide is a topic worthy of a documentary, both from a public health perspective and because it is misunderstood and scary. Here, the producer of "Here There is No Moon," weaves interviews with people who have attempted suicide (including a chilling account of one man who survived a leap from the Golden Gate Bridge) with music and readings from fictional texts. The piece lacks narration and doesn't focus long on any single story, choosing to move back and forth between stories. This unconventional approach didn't work for me. I found myself wanting to be guided, even just a little bit, by a narrator. Also, just as a particularly effective piece of audio was sending a chill up and down my spine (I especially liked the clip from the police officer telling someone --- a possible jumper? --- "Open your eyes, sir"), another piece of audio from a separate story was arriving. This montage continued throughout the documentary.