368. Collective (Colectiv); movie review

 

COLLECTIVE (COLECTIV)

Cert 15

109 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language. disturbing scenes

The most worrying aspect of today's society isn't Brexit or even Coronavirus. It is the erosion of serious journalism.

And the way that people believe world leaders who shout foul with claims of "fake news".

Thankfully, there are still tenacious reporters who fight for the truth despite threats to themselves and their families.

Alexander Nanau's shocking documentary demonstrates that relentless journalism can change the world and bring the corrupt to account.

Its story begins in 2015 with a Bucharest music venue fire in which 27 people were killed and 180 injured. But this disaster soon became an even greater national scandal as more burn victims begin dying in hospitals from wounds that were not life-threatening. 

This led to journalists uncovering a vast health-care fraud involving huge numbers of managers, politicians and those who were supposed to be providing disinfectant.

The documentary makers follow the dogged reporters as the layers of corruption are peeled back and then they are allowed fly-on-the-wall access to a new health minister as he attempts to grapple with the nightmare truth which confronts him.

Indeed, the more he and the journalists dig, the greater the horrors which emerge.

Meanwhile, there are stories of those who suffered devastating injuries in the fire and, even worse, those who died unnecessarily afterwards.

The families of the latter are to the fore during public demonstrations.

But then the worm turns, an election approaches and the public faces being fooled again.

Collective shows how people are manipulated and how widely the tentacles of corruption and deception can reach.

But it also demonstrates how, given the opportunity, forces for good can make a difference.

The public needs to understand who the good guys are.

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Reasons to watch: Shattering true story

Reasons to avoid: Upsetting images

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? Other fires started by indoor use of outdoor pyrotechnics include the 2001 Canecão Mineiro nightclub fire in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; the 2003 Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, in the United States; the 2004 República Cromañón nightclub fire in Buenos Aires, Argentina; the 2008 Wuwang Club fire in Shenzhen, China; the 2009 Santika Club fire in Watthana, Bangkok, Thailand; the 2009 Lame Horse fire in Perm, Russia, and the 2013 Kiss nightclub fire in Santa Maria, Brazil.

The final word. Alexander Nanau: "I have witnessed during the days after the fire an institutional lie about how the authorities were perfectly managing the tragedy, that was constantly repeated to a grieving population, I have seen manipulation silencing people and stopping them from asking questions for a time. While young people injured in the fire kept dying in hospitals."

 

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