The Gift 2018
Distributed by Good Docs
Produced by Robin McKenna and Ina Fichman
Directed by Robin McKenna
DVD, color, 90 min., subtitles
General Adult
Art, Performance
Date Entered: 12/19/2018
Reviewed by Barb Kundanis, Longmont Public Library, Longmont, COInspired by the book The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World (2009) by Lewis Hyde, this documentary explores sharing gifts through different experiences. In the Pacific Northwest, a tribe prepares for a potlatch. Lee Ming Wei presents The Moving Garden and performers offer gifts of song in a museum. In Rome, Metropoliz is an art space that also houses people for free. Another woman goes to Burning Man to interact and dispense honey and mead.
Gift discusses the various aspects of giving and receiving (or not accepting). Beautifully photographed, this film is strong in its depiction of how art is tied into the philosophy of giving and the concept of our place in the world regarding generosity of spirit. Viewers will appreciate this glimpse into an alternative way of connecting with people.