Great for capoeiristas (I assume), less so for outsiders

This isn't the documentary I was looking for: I wanted to learn something about capoeira. I don't think I did.

The vast majority of the runtime is devoted to the personal stories and perspectives of a handful of practitioners, and where these are imparted, information about capoeira is not. Terms and names are thrown at us with no real explanation of what they mean, or what their importance is in capoeira. What kernels of knowledge we do get are only bits and pieces, and are communicated only in scattered fits and starts. Why, the "beetle" in the title is a reference to a popular legend that's mentioned so casually that you'll miss it if you blink! It becomes evident that the intent of the filmmakers was to focus on these few individuals instead of giving a broad portrait of the art form, or its history; the result is that the movie comes across as something best enjoyed by those who already have extensive experience and knowledge of the subject matter. This is, more than not, a look at capoeira of, by, and for insiders.

Rather emphasizing that point, from the outside looking in: one of the individuals featured in 'Capoeira: Fly away beetle' - we don't know who; the filmmakers don't identify their interviewees until the very end, in brief footnotes - accentuates that there is no "why," no explanation forthcoming for the development of the art, or its cultural significance. It just is, he tells us. I can appreciate that sentiment; many things are life are very difficult to truly delineate to someone who doesn't already admire them. Capoeira is important; what else is there to know? Unfortunately, this picture tries to have it both ways: it declines to specify or identify, and informs that specification and identification isn't possible, yet at the same time fleetingly allows us to peek for an instant at ideas that could have been expanded with actual meaning. Instead, what we get feels like a schoolchild's outline of an oral presentation, with only a few keywords written down (slavery, music, outlawed, community), and instead of earnestly discussing those keywords, the talk devolves into unrelated personal anecdotes. I'm no teacher, but I'd think such poor performance would earn very, very low marks.

That's not all, though. The camerawork is often needlessly embellished, suggesting style over substance as the driving force in no few instances. This even applies to those sparing few collective minutes to which we're treated of capoeiristas in action, diminishing the value of the footage. That value is reduced still further with overzealous editing that limits how much of capoeira we see with our own eyes. If you want to see what this martial art really looks like, I feel like one is better served searching for random videos online, uploaded by ordinary folks, or perhaps even playing fighting videogames who have one or two capoeiristas in their cast of characters.

The only pieces of information that are concretely communicated in these 70 minutes, with perfect fidelity, is that capoeira is a critical aspect of the lives of those who practice it, and in the culture to which they belong. I feel that sincerity with my whole heart. Sadly, that's not nearly enough to carry a full-length feature. Maybe I'm just extra cynical, and less appreciative than I think I am of the content 'Fly away beetle' does provide; like I said, I readily admit that this isn't what I was expecting. All the same, my expectations have been upended with plenty other films, fiction and non-fiction, and I greatly enjoyed them. This is just an altogether let-down.

If a viewer is themselves already highly enamored and involved with capoeira, then I suppose this documentary might appeal to them as a movie that further speaks to the joy of the art. For anyone else, however, I can't imagine 'Capoeira: Fly away beetle' will satisfy any more than it did for me, and you'd best look elsewhere.

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Capoeira: Fly Away Beetle

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