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Jessica Meyerson

The experimental, biographical Sink or Swim consists of over twenty short stories that detail the life lessons on a number of different topics she gleaned from her father. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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71% liked it

93 ratings

Unrated, 48 min.

Directed by: Su Friedrich

Release Date: September 30, 1990

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DVD Release Date: March 27, 2007

Stats: 15 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (15)

  • flixsterman
    January 20, 2010
    flixsterman
    An avant-garde "experiment" that effectively characterizes Friedrich's strained relationship with her father. Taken separately, each of the 26 vignettes play out like open-ended beatnik verse, yet they fit together perfectly. Through an odd assortment of video clips and narrati... read moreves, the director lays bare her dysfunctional upbringing with style and clarity. A truly remarkable little film.
  • teetzelk
    January 26, 2010
    teetzelk
    Picked it on Netflix in a whim. I liked the cover and the quick recap combo. I'm glad I did. Felt very personal. I love the images along side the child's voice and words. Very well done piece of film.
  • columbiatch
    October 6, 2009
    columbiatch
    Excellent, one of the best autobiographical essay films that I've seen (not that I've seen many). The film is organized into 26 parts corresponding to the letter of the alphabet in reverse order. In each section Friedrich relates episodes of her family history especially the trou... read morebled relationship between her and her abusive father through a third person story narrated by a young girl. This creates a distance between the text and the narrative that only increases the potency of the narration. The effect is comparable to that of Sans Soleil, except in reverse fashion. The images and section title cards interact in subtle and direct ways, sometimes serving as ironic contrast and sometimes suggest a narrative of their own.

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Critic Reviews

Michael Zryd
July 30, 2010
Michael Zryd, Senses of Cinema

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