MERMAIDS (Ali Weinstein). 76 minutes. Open Friday (July 14). See listings. Rating: NNN
If youre unaware of the fact that mermaids are a thing bordering on fetish, then this documentary will open your eyes. Fans flock to mermaid tourist attractions to watch women in tails perform in aquariums and the spectators are gobsmacked by their aquatic skills something like those of synchronized swimmers.
The members of the mermaid subculture are extremely committed. Its big fun watching them relish the activity of choosing their next outfits, stroking their tails lovingly. Director Ali Weinstein alights on several women including trans woman Julz and abuse survivor Cookie who are able to let go of their troubled pasts thanks to the empowering experience of putting on those tails.
Theres also plenty of info about mermaid myths, especially the one that centres on the powerful desire to become human, and about how performers make a living. Those swimmers are impressive, and sequences featuring their routines are beautiful.
Weinstein has found mermaid cultists with difficult histories and just plain wild reasons for being into the half-fish, half-human phenomenon. But she never digs deep enough into the trauma or the weirdness. So in the end, the film feels disappointingly lightweight.
