Nina Conti starts by introducing herself, her monkey puppet, and her mentor Ken Campbell. When she is filming this documentary, Campbell has already died, and left all his ventril-o-quipment to her. In honor of Ken, she wants to bring the puppets to the ventriloquists' convention and to the dummy graveyard in Kentucky, Venthaven. Because of that (and possibly the need for income,) now there's a video recording of her trip to Kentucky. Fun connection: Ken Campbell was "Bartlett" in Fish Called Wanda. There's an overhanging sadness for part of the film, partly due to the rain falling, (which makes it difficult to carry puppets around), as well as the fact that Nina had been considering giving up the act but before she could talk with Ken about it, he had passed away. There's also a lot of humor in here... we watch as Nina carts a (really large) "dummy" of Ken Campbell around. and the games and interviews with the various puppeteers. The best part of all of this is that she treats all the puppets like members of a big family. At one point, she takes the "Granny" doll into the pool with her, and even dunks her under the water. Fun stuff. Written and directed by Nina herself. Very well done, and it's the perfect memorium to Ken.

What a shame this is not more easily available. In short, I thought this was an astonishing programme. Part tribute to Ken Campbell and part document of Nina Conti's visit to an international ventriloquism conference for a final contemplation of this art-form before giving it up herself (spoiler: she decides to carry on) this documentary riffs on ideas of identity, creativity, grief and regret. Through Conti's relationship with her puppets we are invited to consider our relationship with our own internal monologue and how it often says things which we do not allow to be expressed in conventional ways. In Campbell's words, this voice within us gives expression to what sometimes might be considered "madness" and for ventriloquists provides a legitimate outlet for individualistic expression, the same type of expression that channels our artistry and creativity. This documentary is fascinating, it raises many questions about who we are as individuals, how we present ourselves, what voice or character we choose to put on and what goes unsaid, and is also almost unbearably moving as Conti tackles head on her feelings about her one time mentor and lover Campbell whose unexpected and premature death has driven her on to greater heights within her field almost as a way of somehow keeping him alive. If you get the opportunity, watch this, it really is remarkable television.

For me, it was just very enjoyable to watch. What a talented ventriloquist! Her on-stage performance at the convention alone was worth the price of admission. That said, I don't ever understand why review sites insist on ten lines of text before they will upload your review, but they do. I'm not sure I have ten lines in me. We'll see. I've never written a movie review before, because I've learned over the years that hardly any two people who see the same movie, see the same movie. What I think isn't important. The movie touched me, for whatever reasons; and I just felt like saying how much I enjoyed it. And, once again, the bit she did at the convention was very clever, or so I thought. And now, line eleven (or so it was in the window where this was written).

Nina Conti's film begins with the film-maker asking herself a peculiar question - is this a documentary? - which leads one to wonder, how doesn't she know? Bt the truth is, it is both a documentary and a performance, for Conti, a ventriloquist, is undoubtedly acting for the camera, yet also seems to reveal the extent to which so many practitioners of her art really do live through their creations. Conti seems more natural, almost, in character than as herself - and this is in effect why her former lover first encouraged her to take up the art, as a way of unleashing her creative side. Now he is dead, and this film is a kind of homage to him. Aside from Conti's own genius, what makes this potentially bizarre film work is what it has to say about the way that human beings choose their own characters; and how some of us manage to escape from them.