page_title: Act of God (film)
section_title: Critical reception
hierarchical_section_title: Act of God (film) / Critical reception
caption_attribution_description: English: Producer Nick de Pencier and director Jennifer Baichwal introduce their film Act of God at 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
context_page_description: Act of God is a 2009 Canadian documentary film that investigates the "metaphysical" effects of being struck by lightning. It was directed by Jennifer Baichwal and distributed by Zeitgeist Films. The film's world premier was at the 2009 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on 30 April 2009. It went on general release in Canada on 1 May 2009, and limited release in the United States on 31 July 2009. The film's European premiere was at the 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic on 11 July 2009.
context_section_description: Act of God was selected as the Opening Night Gala feature at the 2009 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the largest documentary film festival in North America.
  Chris Jancelewicz of AOL Canada Entertainment said the footage taken by Jennifer Baichwal's partner, Nick de Pencier is "nothing short of remarkable". "One of the amazing things about Act of God is Baichwal's ability to resist this urge to dictate what lightning, and ultimately chance, fate, and destiny mean in the bigger picture." Jancelewicz said that throughout the film Baichwal never imposes her views, and never comes to any conclusion, simply because "there is no conclusion to be found".
  Susan Noakes of CBC News described the film as an "enigmatic meditation on being struck by lightning". Jessica Werb at The Georgia Straight said the film was "one hell of a thesis". She added that while "most of us live [...] somewhere 'in the continuum of meaning and randomness'", the lives of those appearing in the film, "in one terrifying instant, swung to one extreme or the other".
  Norman Wilner of NOW gave the film 4 'N's out of 5, and Nathan Southern at Allmovie gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5.
caption: Producer Nick de Pencier and director Jennifer Baichwal introducing Act of God at the 44th KVIFF.
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