The actor and comedienne Nina Conti embarks on an examination of the power of masks accompanied by her rather sinister ventriloquist puppet Monk.
She looks at rock groups, theater groups, as well as considering the ways in which masks can conceal as well as reveal inner aspects of one's personality. The documentary offers a fascinating insight into the ways in which we mask ourselves through role-playing, even if we might not physically put on a mask.
There were one or two omissions: I'd have liked some more on how masks have been used in drama since Ancient Greek times, as a means of helping audiences gain an insight into character. More recently Bertolt Brecht's dramas have often used masks so as to prevent audiences identifying emotionally with stage performances.
Conti's enthusiasm to discover more about masking was infectious, but we could have done without her puppet's unnecessary bad language, which was neither funny nor contributed much to our understanding of what was otherwise an intriguing documentary.
She looks at rock groups, theater groups, as well as considering the ways in which masks can conceal as well as reveal inner aspects of one's personality. The documentary offers a fascinating insight into the ways in which we mask ourselves through role-playing, even if we might not physically put on a mask.
There were one or two omissions: I'd have liked some more on how masks have been used in drama since Ancient Greek times, as a means of helping audiences gain an insight into character. More recently Bertolt Brecht's dramas have often used masks so as to prevent audiences identifying emotionally with stage performances.
Conti's enthusiasm to discover more about masking was infectious, but we could have done without her puppet's unnecessary bad language, which was neither funny nor contributed much to our understanding of what was otherwise an intriguing documentary.
