Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE CRAB SEASON [Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The notion of existence is the idea of what makes one happy, productive and fulfilled. It differs from person to person whomever it by their personal history, trauma and nostalgia. With "The Crab Season" made by Martin Benoist, sometimes filming himself, it is a journey of an almost blind man who goes out during low tide among the kelp to search for crabs and lobsters. He does so almost purely by touch. Made originally it seems for French Television, it is pretty much a long profile feature but is definitely lyrical. The beauty of the cliffs and kelps beds supposedly near Etretat in France on the northeast coast south of Dunkirk. It is an insular story but quite intensive because of Christophe Leboucher's determination and gracefulness (for the most part). He works for his catch but it seems part of his DNA, even with said disability. Filmed along in the water with the tide moving in and out, there is a rebirth metaphor that is undeniable which balanced with his blindness which is undeniable. He describes the sight talking to Martin who is always unseen except for shadows across from a lunch table as Christophe speaks towards camera. Leboucher speaks of the hole of black in his vision though he can see some from the sides so his brain creates a picture, however abstract.

While the journey is quite wonderful including him heading out at night, there are some holes and missed opportunities. The film comes in right under an hour and one thinks there was enough footage to make a feature length doc which would have been better for wider distribution. One of the things that is not touched upon is how the sea or everything feels different to Christophe, what he sees in his mind's eye when he is in the wate, and how the blindness happened. The fact that we want to know these facts shows that there is interest. Also Martin ends up doing the VO narration as Christophe and while it tells the story, it would have been better to have Christophe say it in his own words. Benoist doing it was likely economical but comes out less authentic. But again technically that is a challenge but it would have made it more inherently Christophe's story and his world. "The Crab Season", as a slice of life documentary, is definitely effective with intricate visuals and a story to tell though it falls short in a full-rounded view of its subject when more was definitely possible. B-

By Tim Wassberg