Review: Collective
One of this year’s documentary award season contenders, Collective, is an apt name for more than one reason. Besides the fact that it’s a nod to the name of the nightclub in Bucharest where 27 people died after the stage caught fire during a concert, it also describes the collective anger and anguish about the events that followed the tragedy.
The controversy around insufficient building permits and a lack of fire exits that lead to the death of dozens of people and injuries of over 180 others is enough of a scandal to warrant a story. Romania was gripped by the events that happened on that fateful night, but there was another scandal brewing under the surface that was brought to light by a team of local investigative journalists. Interestingly enough, the publication that broke the story wasn’t the Romanian equivalent of The Boston Globe or The Washington Post (other publications that have been featured in recent retellings of well-known scandals). The story was uncovered by a group of journalists from a sports publication.
What the journalists at the small publication found out exposed corruption at the deepest levels of government and the healthcare community. The shady practices compromised the treatment and recovery of hospitalized Romanian’s after the fire. The director, Alexander Nanau, captures the extremely important role of thorough, honest investigative journalism. Nanau is not exploitative but he portrays the victims and their families with honesty and respect. It’s an outstanding film and surely deserves all of the recognition that’s coming its way.