Review of Shadowland, the documentary about Richard Stanley

Directed by Otso Tiainen, in competition at the Torino Film Festival

An untouched region, lost in myths of magic and witchcraft, hosts seekers of the Holy Grail, but the journey is neither purely mystical nor simply self-discovery. Unexpected truths seem to emerge throughout the story, like a dynamic evolution that follows the experiences of the characters animating the narrative.

Otso Tiainen’s direction aims to chronicle filmmaker Richard Stanley’s journey—his work as a spiritual guide in Montségur following his Hollywood failures, his rediscovered success, and his human complexities and unreliability. Tiainen embarks to create a production about rebirth, but finds himself forced to investigate events as they unfold, reconstructing the truth that appears before his eyes—precise or distorted, intentional or presumed, but represented nonetheless.

Initially, Tiainen shows the people, the community, with Richard Stanley emerging as a spiritual entity, a tour guide. Then Stanley’s figure becomes ambiguous, changing, as his life takes unexpected turns. Tiainen manages to capture the essence of the protagonist and his evolution. The narrative seems to adapt to the real dynamics, focusing on events preceding accusations against Richard Stanley, evaluating the protagonist’s reinvention, while also revealing the more uncomfortable and harsh aspects.

A story of magic, escape from reality, self-discovery, but also personal abyss and search for truth. Otso Tiainen’s direction sets out to discover and document the unusual world of Holy Grail seekers, but ends up defining the controversial figure of filmmaker Richard Stanley.