No, I think the film is about skinning animals and doing taxidermy!

I was a bit reticent to review this brief documentary because I didn't find it all that interesting. You see some taxidermists working--taking a skinned deer and eventually making a mount for the wall using a mold on top of which the skin was secured. I already had a general idea how it was all done, so there were no major surprises. The film also wasn't particularly gross nor was it all that interesting. I really think interviewing the taxidermist would have helped--instead it's practically without words--just a couple of guys going about their job. Competent but not all that enlightening or compelling.

Why I did decide to review the film was because of the review I read on IMDb when it talked about how the film is really about "...the shells and coverings and fronts that people construct and hide behind every day". No, I beg to differ. I really think the film IS about guys who stuff animals so that people can stick these dead animal trophies on the wall! No hidden or deep meaning--just some guys doing a dirty but artistic job and I doubt if the taxidermists themselves would ascribe any deeper symbolism or meaning.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A day at Luther W Kuhlman & Son's taxidermy shop on Long Island, in 1996. UPS delivers forms. Ron Kuhlman prepares a stag, killed that year in the Catskills; his assistants, Bill Arsell and Jeffery Kuhlman, are working on a woodcock and a bearskin rug. The work involves saws, needle and thread, tacks, hot glue gun, stapler, and clay. Arsell talks briefly about when and why he came to work there. When the stag is finished, Ron signs, numbers, and dates the underside. The film begins with a quick shot of live animals together and ends with shots of a display of stuffed beasts at a museum.

Taxidermy: The Art of Imitating Life (1998)

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Taxidermy: The Art of Imitating Life

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