What will they think of next? Documentaries come in all shapes and sizes. Come to think of it, so do people. Fascination with the human anatomy provides the genesis behind The Final Member. Unique and bold is this unbelievable quest, documented for all to see at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver starting Sunday March 16.
Lonely Iceland is home vase and the starting point of this grand tour. Forget about the bright lights of Amsterdam or strolls down Germany’s famed brothel neighbourhoods, here we have an elderly gent living in the town of Husavik, some 30 miles from the Arctic Circle whose passion is the penis. So enamoured is Sigurdur ‘Siggi’ Hjartarsu with this famed organ that he has created a penis museum in his own house. And has been collecting examples of them for over 40 years.Talk about an icebreaker when inviting people over walls throughout parts of this elderly man’s house are adorned with specimens of male genitalia So far only one species has eluded Siggi’s search – that of a human male.
Directors Jonah Bekhor and Zach Math take an analytical and academic approach to profiling Siggi and tracking his search. Titillation and cheap thrills are absent in this 75 minute movie that works surprisingly well largely because of the presence of one determined (and likeable) man on a rather unusual quest.
News of two potential volunteers to add their private part to the museum simply makes interest in the collection and in this film soar. Candid interviews with local aging celebrity Pall Arason and American cowboy Tim Mitchell help underscore the world’s fascination with the phallic symbol and all the mystique surrounding its universal appeal.
Different, insightful and certainly thought-provoking The FinalMember is a cut above most documentaries and awaiting your verdict. Oh, it also has some humour which is also a good sign.
