For many, mention the name Darwin and images of evolution are conjured. While Charles Darwin Herbert Spencer is the origin of the term “survival of the fittest,” which carries a coincidental resonance, he has nothing to do with director Nick Brandestini’s film DARWIN, a film about a small, isolated town that sits at the end of a worn out road in the middle of Death Valley.
Population 35, no children, no true government of any form, Darwin is the decaying remnants of a town more than 150 years old. Once inhabited by miners, prostitutes and outlaws at varying staged of its turbulent past, Darwin now is the unlikely home for a handful of intriguing characters, all of them real, each of them with their own story. Together, the lives captured on film create one of the most compelling documentaries I’ve seen in years.
The residents of Darwin somehow find ways to coexist and survive, despite a sever lack of resources, no employment or even basic human services. They rely on each other, to a great extent, but have mastered the rapidly vanishing art of self-sufficiency. The only residue of organized government that remains are the post office and the water board, formed in an effort to better manage their fragile source of clean water, which also happens to be on a top secret military base nearby. My friends, DARWIN is the epitome of truth stranger than fiction.
Amidst the town’s colorful residents, the filmmakers focus on just a handful, allowing the viewer a richly textured and diverse look into the lives that keep Darwin breathing. Monty, a former miner, has laid roots in Darwin since the ’50s. Together with his wife Nancy, he’s found a way to reconcile his violent past and discover the hidden artist he never knew himself to be. Susan, the town’s postmaster, is a strong but gentle woman with tragedy heavy on her mind, but finds solace in Darwin’s community. Hank and Connie, a couple who each have had multiple failed marriages, broke ground on new lives together in Darwin, turning their backs on past troubles. Connie’s twenty-something trans-gender son and partner Penny live with Hank and Connie, struggling to build their own lives, while opening Hank and Connie’s eyes to an old, but alternative religion.
Not since Errol Morris’ VERNON, FLORIDA have I experienced such a bizarre but moving documentary about the inherent strange nature of the human animal. I love David Lynch’s TWIN PEAKS as much as the next person, but even that town pales in comparison to the town of Darwin, because Darwin really exists. Its easy to judge the people of Darwin at face value, but when given the opportunity to sink in, when viewed with an open mind and open heart, the people of Darwin have some powerful things to say. One of my favorite moments is when Monty explains why he likes Buddha, of which two statues stand smiling at the entrance of his home, when he says “Buddha wasn’t religious. He was a philosopher.”
A theme that carries throughout DARWIN is that a lack of judgment is what binds the town together. In Darwin, it only matters who you are today, not what you’ve done in the past or what you may or may not do in the future. This is a simple, but all too often forgotten philosophy of life. In a world where everything is about the self, or success at any cost, or living into the future, the people of Darwin are living in the moment. The people of Darwin, despite the material hardship, are happy and grateful for the lives they have.
Not only did Nick Brandestini direct DARWIN, but he also produced, edited and shot the film. I bring this up because the film is gorgeous. The cinematography is breathtaking, from the vast stationary landscapes that are meticulously composed, at once capturing the harsh desolation and unquestionable beauty of Death Valley, to the incredibly dynamic aerial shots that truly put the town of Darwin in perspective. The film is co-produced by Sandra Ruch and writer Taylor Segrest.
The melodic and haunting guitar score was composed by Michael Brook, who has worked with U2 and The Pogues, and has written film soundtracks for ALBINO ALLIGATOR, AFFLICTION, and INTO THE WILD, all powerful films that benefit greatly from their music, as does DARWIN.
Nick Brandestini, whose documentary career also includes RETURN TO FLORENCE and H.R. GIGER’S SANCTUARY, is a filmmaker based out of Zurich, Switzerland. This always fascinates me, seeing a film about our culture through the eyes of an artist outside our own perspective. DARWIN asks the viewer to question what is really important in life, what do we need and what can we live without, and what is community, really?
DARWIN rolls to a comfortable end at 88-minutes in length, which is a more than reasonably accessible running time. The film opens in New York on August 12th at the IFC CENTER, then in Los Angeles on August 19th at Laemmle’s 5. No word yet on if or when we’ll see a theatrical release in Saint Louis, but given the opportunity, I couldn’t recommend DARWIN more highly.
For more information about DARWIN, the filmmakers and to view the trailer, visit the website.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
