Calum Waddell's interest in Cannibal Holocaust has been long and extensive, dating back to before his oft-mentioned desire to burn every copy of the film. He has written thousands of words on it (I recommend his 'Devil's Advocates' book) and spent a lot of time speaking with and interviewing filmmakers and cast including Ruggero Deodato, Robert Kerman, Carl Gabriel Yorke, and Francesca Ciardi.
His interest/fascination took him all the way to South America to see where the film was made, interview locals who appeared in it and helped Deodato, and what might've been going on behind-the-scenes. It's easy to see parallels with Eleanor Coppola's Hearts of Darkness in terms of Calum's obsession, and it's extremely well made by Waddell and Naomi Holwill.
I saw Searching for Cannibal Holocaust six months ago and found it to be a compelling and illuminating film. It's not the typical behind-the-scenes documentary I was expecting, more an exposé of Cannibal Holocaust's dark underbelly, including how members of the cast and crew were protected and how it was (un)knowingly linked to organised crime – it's a documentary I will definitely watch again.
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