Rat Film (2016)
(Theo Anthony, US 2016, 82 min., DCP)
Rochester Premiere. “There’s never been a rat problem in Baltimore, it’s always been a people problem.” In his dazzling directorial feature debut, Theo Anthony uses the rat as a passageway into the dark, complicated history of Baltimore. A unique blend of history, sci-fi, poetry and portraiture, Rat Film brilliantly breaks documentary norms and dissects how racial segregation, redlining, and environmental racism built the Baltimore we see today. Frenetic in its focus, the film thrusts the viewer into a kaleidoscopic look at the city, allowing the viewer to create their own connections between scenes. Despite the title, the core of Rat Film is deeply human—an unflinching anthropological look at the racial injustices entrenched in the city’s past. With a haunting score by Baltimore native Dan Deacon, Rat Film is a chilling documentary that refuses any easy answers.