Directed by Joshua Belinfante, “The World’s Best Film” is an engrossing journey about what it means to be the best and whether one can actually be the best at anything.
When a 1 kilogram tumor was found between his heart and lungs in 2014, Belinfante, facing his own mortality, began to re-examine his approach to life and how he could live more meaningfully.
Over five years and three continents, Belinfante’s search introduced him to a cast of fascinating people all on their own quests to live as authentically and as true to their hearts as possible. In 88 minutes viewers are lucky to meet 12 of them, including “The World’s Best Kind Cab Driver,” “The World’s Best Banana Griller,” and “The World’s Best Loo Tour Guide” just to name a few.
What can you learn from them?
Turns out, a lot.
While the film’s title is grand and Belinfante’s search for people who consider themselves the best large, the film is acutely personal and is able to connect with viewers as though they are learning life lessons from their very close friends.
Belinfante captures the quirky sides of his film’s subjects as their passions are explored, but in addition to the smiles and lighthearted moments there are scenes in which the subjects are interviewed that are beautiful in their warmth and soul-searing in their candor.
How does one edit “The World’s Best Film”?
With so many protagonists it seems like it would be a difficult task to devote enough time to each of their stories without feeling choppy, yet Belinfante assails this and succeeds at smoothly weaving together the narrative and somehow the small windows we viewers get a chance to look through feel remarkably big, clear and complete. There is no lagging either, instead each scene provides just a long enough look into the lives and thought processes of the subjects to captivate the viewer, humble, and make 88 minutes feel like nothing.
We spend a lot of time and energy on things that don’t matter. Things that are mindless. Things that have no value, and things that don’t bring us joy.
“The World’s Best Film” may cause you to pause and think life over. You may learn something from a puppeteer or even a cigarette bummer.
You may laugh. You may more than likely cry. And guaranteed, you most certainly will be inspired.
“The World’s Best Film” will be screening at the special Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Online beginning June 30th. It will also be screening at Revelation Perth International Film Festival: Couched from July 9th – 19th.
