Act of God

The phenomenon of being struck by lightning is explored in documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal's evocative and haunting Act of God, which features interviews of survivors of strikes, including writers Paul Auster and James O'Reilly, and former Marine (now spiritual teacher) Dannion Brinkley, who recount their experience and ponder its impact on their lives. Other segments focus on storm chasers, including a French couple who preside over a virtual museum of objects transfigured by lightning bolts, and a Cuban public ceremony designed to appease the god of lightning, Shango. The most poignant sequence visits a site in Mexico where five children were killed while on a pilgrimage to pray at a wooden cross high on a mountainside; their parents are still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. Interspersed throughout are magnificent shots of rolling clouds and blazing bolts, as well as musical pieces written and played by guitarist Fred Frith, whose jagged compositions are inspired by thunderstorms and accompanied by images of brain waves that represent the same sort of electrical energy. DVD extras include an interview with Baichwal; filmmaker Peter Greenaway's 1980 short, “Lightning: Act of God”; interviews with Greenaway and Frith; and Auster reading from four of his works. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)