by MATTHEW HAYS

The very act of reviewing a documentary about the famous French theorist Jacques Derrida in a mere few hundred words is inherently absurd. The man’s philosophies are complex, intricate and defy easy summary. The man himself is complex, intricate and, as California-based doc filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering Kofman found, defies any easy summary either.

This didn’t deter them, though. In Derrida, their often funny, always fawning portrait of the septuagenarian prof, we get various glimpses of the man at home, on the road, espousing various bits of his famous deconstructionist theories while gently ticking off the filmmakers for even trying to present a documentary truth or reality.

Derrida himself understands the absurdity of the practice throughout the film. Indeed, many of the funniest and liveliest moments arrive through bits and pieces of bungling by the crew. At one point after a lecture, Derrida pauses to chat with some academic groupies; a techie spends what seems like at least five minutes fussing with his lapel microphone, making it almost impossible to actually hear what the philosopher is saying. At another point, Derrida complains that the interruptions that occur due to repeated technical difficulties make it close to impossible for him to explain anything in any proper detail. Generalities, he states, are really all the filmmakers must be interested in, and he’s not certain he can deliver.

At points we do get some insights into Derrida’s fascinating thought processes; it is incredible to hear the man’s reflections on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation trials and the very concept of unconditional forgiveness.

But ultimately, the best parts of Derrida come when its namesake is resisting the very idea of the reality-based news media and doc filmmakers who surround him. I loved the scene where a British interviewer asked Derrida to expound on the American sitcom phenomenon Seinfeld. If people think they’re getting deconstruction when they watch a sitcom, he says, they’re wrong. They should try reading instead. It’s a sharp kicker in this engaging doc, one that knows its own limitations and succeeds despite them. :

Derrida opens at the Cinéma du Parc on Friday, Feb. 21

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