Denial

By: Taylor Gates

“People, in general, don’t want to hear the truth,” says Christine David Hallquist near the end of Denial, a documentary of which she is the star. She’s right, of course. A clinical psychologist interviewed in the movie tells us as much: people don’t like things that are unfamiliar or difficult to define. In these circumstances, though, Hallquist’s line is as ironic as it is accurate. Denial is all about the truth–in all its unflinching, messy, freeing glory.

Denial begins as a fairly straightforward science narrative with Hallquist as our guide. An ambitious, intelligent and quirky CEO, Hallquist is not only an expert in the field but is genuinely passionate about radically changing the way we use electricity. Though complicated technology is involved in an even more complicated industry, the moral of the story is that human beings are not maximizing our electricity use and a large number of people have vastly different opinions and solutions on how to go about fixing it. This documentary exposes a vital but rarely discussed topic, pulling back the curtain on the battle and bureaucracy surrounding fossil fuels and green energy–a complex tinderbox with millions of intricacies and issues all centering on one thing: the electric grid.

In addition to the interviews with Hallquist herself, there are quiet moments of impact as well. Artistic shots of power lines and wind turbines against a stunning Vermont backdrop, Hallquist looking on reverently, are particularly affecting.

The nitty-gritty of the information is well-balanced and smartly presented. The director encourages Hallquist to dumb the information down every once in a while so even an audience member with no prior knowledge of the subject can grasp the main points. However, he still keeps a few elusive, lingo-heavy rants of Hallquist’s in there in order to establish her driven, magnetic and unique personality. After all, letting us get to know Hallquist as a person is just as–if not more–important than understanding every nuance of energy management. It comes as little surprise then that the director of the film is none other than Christine’s son Derek Hallquist. The fact that the documentary is a family affair adds another layer and level, resonating more deeply and displaying more range than a traditional filmmakers/subject relationship could.

Though behind the scenes as the director for a large portion of the film, Derek isn’t afraid to step in front of the camera in order to make his own thoughts known, especially if they clash with Christine’s. Instead of editing around these points of conflict, Derek makes the decision to keep them in and those scenes of challenge and vulnerability are when the movie shines the brightest.

Towards the beginning of the film, Derek calls Christine “obsessive,” saying she never had a line between work and life. Though leading to a complicated relationship between the two of them, as well as Christine’s ex-wife and now best friend Mary, focusing in on that thin line between work and life is what makes Denial so interesting. What starts out as a simple climate documentary quickly changes into something much more when Christine (formerly known as David) announces that she is transgender and has always suffered from gender dysphoria.

What began as a purely informational documentary quickly morphs into a strange hybrid of scientific broadcast, coming-out story, family drama, workplace debate and even cancer narrative. Old television clips from various talk and reality shows are masterfully integrated throughout, as are interviews with Hallquist’s supportive but flawed family. The blend of blunt honesty, dark comedy and unconditional love gives the film an undeniable authenticity that never feels offensively cheesy nor overly melodramatic.

In the hands of a lesser director, blending all these genres and mediums would spell disaster. However, Derek manages to masterfully weave unlikely but fresh thematically-linked narratives into a fascinating, cohesive and impactful documentary. Denial ultimately educates, raises questions, inspires and defies nearly all categorization. It’s truly in a league of its own.