There are certain words in film descriptions that can produce hives in reviewers. A prime example is “meditative,” an often-used adjective that’s particularly susceptible to abuse. But there’s no denying it’s the word to describe Mi Steinbach’s nature documentary Strange Neighbors, which chronicles the abundant wildlife on a man-made island in the Elbe River near Hamburg that’s closely adjacent not only to giant container ships passing by but also huge factories and refineries near its shores. Shot on-and-off by the filmmaker over the course of three years, the documentary is receiving its world premiere as the opening night film of the…
