This documentary captures life at a Louisianan city's annual crawfish festival - with all of Americana on display; it is a film that 3 non-American filmmakers could easily have made into a mockery of such a very different experience that they were used to. Instead they turn it into something much different in terms of tone, although it is on the very edge of what one could describe as a 'documentary'. Without dialogue the film observed the festival closely; whether it is focusing on one person in a crowd, or part of a ride, or a procession watched from the front rather than the side, the whole thing sets a tone that is slightly at odds from what you would expect.
At times it is dreamy, like watching something unreal that seems at once familiar but yet at the same time so strange and odd. At other times it seemed a little sinister in how it was presented; not threatening, but certainly a little bit ominous. None of it is done in a mean way, but the use of music and careful shot selection means that the viewer feels disconnected from the whole, and only able to draw from the moment and the sound. I'm sure those who love this festival feel aggrieved about it being presented in this way, but for me I really enjoyed the experience more than if it had just been played straight or for laughs.