True Films

Whole


whole-sm

Whole is a long stare at a disturbing psychological abnormality wherein the afflicted feel an extreme need to amputate a perfectly good, working limb. From childhood the subjects in this film “knew” this limb was not really part of them, and removing its alien presence becomes an obsession. Some can map the alien border on the limb down to a millimeter. Most will get the part amputated one way or the other, or die doing it, and some do die. Those who succeed in amputation (often by deceit) feel happy and whole for the first time in their lives. It’s a hard film to forget. There’s no gore, but a lot of exposed psyches. This is far from a perfect documentary — too many questions are left unanswered — but it is powerful in its simplicity. It does what I always hope a documentary will do: move you to a place you have never been before. The place in this case is the idea that amputating a good limb is a good idea. It moved me several inches closer in understanding this bizarre compulsion.

— KK

Whole - Trailer from Frozen Feet Films on Vimeo.

Whole
Melody Gilbert
2007, 55 min.
DVD, $22

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Posted April 28, 2008 at 12:33 pm | comments



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