7) The Closer We Get
Social media has never been more prevalent, making it harder than ever to keep our lives away from the inquisitive eyes of others. It takes a brave filmmaker to share their family history with the world, but when the results are this fascinating, one wishes more directors would take the plunge and create a film like The Closer We Get.
Karen Guthrie set out to film a documentary about the skeletons in her family’s closet, but tragedy struck when her mother suffered a debilitating stroke during the early stages of the filmmaking process. What was already a devastating look at the impact of secrets gained a further dimension, simultaneously exploring how physical impairments can affect the lives of victims and their families alike.
Guthrie expertly handles the twists and turns of the central mystery, gradually revealing the painful secrets that tore her family apart many years before. There’s a temptation to compare The Closer We Get to other award-winning documentaries such as Capturing The Friedmans, but that would do a disservice to the human element of Guthrie’s work, which surprises and inspires in equal measure.