It isn’t unheard of for a person who has endured a traumatic experience to create an escapist world. In the documentary Marwencol, we are afforded a look into the alternate universe of one Mark Hogencamp. Mark is a former member of the US Navy who was brutally attacked by five men outside of a bar in Kingston, New York. He suffered massive brain damage and was left without the ability to function as he had prior to the attack. When his benefits ran out, Mark created Marwencol as a form of therapy. Creating his secret world helps him regain his hand-eye coordination, and deal with the emotional traumas he was left with after the attack. His best friend is quoted as saying, “When Mark has a bad day, he really takes it out on his SS officers.”

        Marwencol is a 1/6-scale Belgian village frozen in time during World War II that Mark created in the yard next to his trailer. It is made up of 12-inch GI Joe like action figures and Barbie dolls modeled after real people in his life. Among the village’s inhabitants are Mark’s mother, his ex-wife, his first crush in his new life, his boss at the bar where he is employed, and his best friend.

        Mark’s counterpart, “Hogie”, stumbles upon this war-torn village to discover that all of the men have been massacred by the SS, and only the women survived. In Marwencol, “Hogie” opens the local bar and often comes out the hero. He has multiple encounters with SS officers, and when he cannot save himself, the women of Marwencol band together to rescue him. The stories of Marwencol are painstakingly documented by Mark through photographs, and he tells the stories of its people with strong emotion. Watching this film, I could tell that Mark’s world is quite real to him, and a driving force in his life.

        One day, Mark and his photographs are discovered and he is offered a show at a prestigious New York gallery. This presents Mark with a decision—does he take the offer and share his secret village with the rest of the world, or keep it to himself? The days leading up to the show are documented, and you can see and feel the trepidation Mark is experiencing about revealing such a huge part of himself to possible criticism.

        Marwencol is the directorial debut of Jeff Malmbergs. He tells the story with care and respect for his subject. Marwencol is a portrait of a man who has decided that if the real world will not fully accept him, he will create one that does.

        Marwencol screens Thursday, March 25th at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 27th at 7:20 p.m., and Sunday, March 28th at 9:30 a.m.

- KTCV ktcv@clevelandindependent.com