Review of Just An Ordinary Life by Joanne Skeels

Review of Just An Ordinary Life


From Pamela Meyer Arndt, Just An Ordinary Life is a honest documentary revealing the personal motivations and inspirations behind three female photographers (Sibylle
Bergemann, Helga Paris and Gundula Schulze Eldowy)‘s series of photos of life in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), showing life before and after the Berlin wall, which was shown at the Focal Point Gallery.

What attracted me to this documentary was the personal motivations behind the photos, and how events in society (particularly significant ones such as the Berlin Wall and the war) can affect people’s artistic techniques. I saw the ‘Do not Refreeze’ photos in the gallery and was intrigued to the motivations and life of the photographers who dared to take these pictures in a time of oppression and dread.

The documentary revealed the background and life of each of the photographers, so you got a sense of knowing them personally, and how they evolved in both their techniques and as an artist. They gave personal stories behind the photos which gave a poignancy and realism to the people portrayed in the photos. On the other hand, some of the photos were shocking and explicit in nudity, and I felt that was not needed, it took away the poignancy.

The three photographers freely talked about their motivations and inspirations, and were not afraid to talk about issues such as censorship and being oppressed by the state not to show the photos. This freedom of speech in the film showed a persistent passion alive in each of the women.
The feminism view of the photographers and also the director could be criticised, it would have been nice to have a male voice to balance the contrast between male and female photographers in the GDR. It was felt that the film was not shared between the female photographers, so you felt more affinity with one artist compared to the others.
The technique and structure of the film was also a weakness. It jumped between the three artists, and there was a cross section of different issues and you got confused with who was who. It would be less confusing if it focused on one photographer, and then moved on to the next one. Having said that, the direction and clarity of the film, especially in showing the photos was superb.

Just An Ordinary Life gives a worthy conclusion to the series of photos in ‘Do Not Refreeze’ series, by providing the personal experiences and motivations of three of the artists. It gave a culture eye opener about life behind the Berlin Wall, and how life and art goes hand in hand. I specifically liked how it showed that in a country known for its harsh censorship and oppression, ‘the artistic urge’ as quoted in the film could not be stopped, and showed an honesty and realism of life in the shadow of the Berlin Wall.

By Joanne Skeels