Metacritic reviews

Black and white has never looked more stark.

Portrait of men and a few women who stubbornly try to maintain some dignity in the face of personal disaster.

Remarkable first film.

Compellingly watchable.

Designed neither to warm your heart nor shelter you in the comfort of liberal guilt, the movie does what so many style-conscious, "subjective" documentaries have long forgotten how to do. It shows you a world, and stays the hell out of it.

Compelling, relentless cinema.

Fascinating, beautifully photographed portrait of a vanished community.

Singer achieves remarkable intimacy with his subjects.

Intimate and engrossing.

Given the enormous praise, the film falls short.