As the saying goes, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This is what happens in the best documentaries. Those films which start out as one thing and suddenly morph into an entirely different animal. Which defy expectations. These are the rare gems which take an audience on a journey. In 2016, Tickled did precisely that. What started out as an investigation into something seemingly quite innocent, if strange, soon opened a Pandora’s Box of horror.
David Farrier is back and this time it’s personal. Really personal. The New Zealander is drawn to a local Auckland story about clamping in a car park. Enter Michael (or Micheal) Organ, the villain of the piece. The Kiwi was dismayed when he was subsequently taken to court, and lost. It seemed like this character had a shady history and left a trail of destruction in his wake. He asked for an interview and to his astonishment he showed up. In Mister Organ, it just gets weirder.
Mister Organ is a very personal story, which works both for and against it. Michael Organ is obviously a fascinating subject whose life only seems to get odder the more is revealed. However, Farrier being so involved himself in this story does rather skew the narrative. Maybe focusing on elements which are more important to him than the actual film. That being said, Mister Organ is another oddity of investigative journalism which is highly entertaining. It will both shock and amuse in equal measure.
Mister Organ screens at Fantastic Fest.
