Wednesday, November 10
Still Doing It: The Intimate Lives of Women Over 65
Deirdre Fishel, US
Little Theatre 1, 7 p.m., Q&A with Deirdre Fishel
If there was ever a film perfectly suited to a festival
highlighting the achievements of women, then Deirdre Fishel’s documentary is
it. The aptly titled piece is by women, about women, and for women — and made
specifically with festivals like High Falls in mind. Year after year, a number
of films selected to themed festivals have nothing but a tenuous connection to
the theme. But Fishel’s documentary about the glories of sex after 65 is a
perfect fit. Through very frank interviews with women society deems past their
prime, Still Doing It attempts to
remove some of the taboos of being a sexually active, desirous grandmother.
Though not a cinematic wonder, this film will be a worthwhile experience for
some, especially those hoping to see selections with women in mind. (CN and KP)
Free Radicals
Barbara Albert, Austria
Little Theatre 2-5, 7:15 p.m.
As if the plane crash, car accident, suicide attempt, child
abduction, and spirit conjuring were not enough, there is sex (and plenty of
it) in Barbara Albert’s film Free
Radicals. Albert casts an incredibly wide net, with the hope, perhaps, of
examining the meaning and purpose of a series of random events. The result is a
film with five, maybe six, separate stories and a cast of a thousand. The
connection between them all lies in a car accident involving one of the
characters, who may have been living on borrowed time anyway, having been the
only survivor of a plane crash six years earlier. Conceptually, this film is
intriguing. The problem is in the execution. For a film with this many layers
and characters to succeed, it must be supremely tight. Albert’s film is far too
busy, attempting to squeeze a plethora of human tragedies and emotions (did we
mention all the sex?) into a very narrow frame. (CN and KP)
The Beauty Academy of Kabul
Liz Mermin, US
Little 1, 8:45 p.m., Q&A with Liz Mermin
A documentary about an American- and British-run beauty
school that opens in Kabul after the Taliban falls.
The Graffiti Artist
James Bolton, US
Dryden Theatre, 10:15 p.m., Q&A with Liz Edwards and
Sarah Levy
Nick is a skateboarding vegetarian prone to stealing cans of
spray paint and unleashing his art on portions of the Pacific Northwest.
Actually, he steals everything, including food, which, he observes, grows
outside so no one should have to pay for it. (Curiously, he apparently has
enough money for pot, but I guess one must prioritize). He’s not much for
social interaction (it’s a full 23 minutes before we hear him speak — I
counted) and has that delicate, sleepy-eyed loveliness that is cinematic
shorthand for “I don’t have long to live” or “I am sexually confused.” Not much
happened that I was able to pick up on — Nick meets a fellow loner named
Jesse and together these talented young men give the viewer crash courses in
graffiti art and how not to treat others. I did appreciate that technique for
roasted corn, though. (DP)
Thursday, November 11
A Place of Our Own
Stanley Nelson, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 6:30 p.m., Q&A with Carol Bash
With a blend of fondness and mixed emotion, Stanley Nelson,
whose previous work includes the PBS documentary The Murder of Emmett Till, turns his focus inward, in this highly
personal look at the summers he spent with his family in the upper-middle-class
African-American enclave of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. Through fairly
routine use of home video, photographs, and interviews, with notables such as
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Lani Guinier, Nelson’s narrative includes a backdrop
of discussion on the historical implications of this community, which came
together every summer to enjoy a place where, as Nelson says in the film, “the
world did not look at us and define us solely by race.” Perhaps as tribute to
his mother, who died months before shooting of this film began, Nelson’s main
focus is an examination of his own history, especially that which was shaped by
his father, a proud, professional man, who left his family shortly after he
purchased a home in the resort town. (CN and KP)
Born Into Brothels
Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 6:45 p.m., Q&A with co-director Ross
Kauffman and Cristina Linclau
Amidst an endless supply of mediocre, politically motivated
documentaries is this brilliant work by first-time filmmaker Zana Briski.
Briski focuses on a group of children living in Calcutta’s red light district,
in families that survive on the backs of mothers earning a living through
prostitution. As a still photographer interested in the district, Briski became
attached to the children of the region, eventually establishing a photographic
workshop for them, which served not only as education, but as an escape from
their perilous environment. In an almost flawless example of documentary
filmmaking, Briski’s piece is a perfect synthesis of powerful storytelling, beautiful
camera work, and music that brims with all the color and excitement of the
culture. Accompanying the overall storyline of the film is the visual
“soundtrack” of photographs, taken by the children, further emphasizing
Briski’s excellence as both filmmaker and teacher. (CN and KP)
King of the Corner
Peter Riegert, US
Little Theatre 1, 6:50 p.m., Q&A with Peter Riegert
Peter Riegert directs and stars as a man trying to turn all
the makings of a midlife crisis into a new start.
Kinsey
Bill Condon, US
Dryden Theatre, 7 p.m.
A biopic about Alfred Kinsey, the professor who wrote 1948’s
shakeup text Sexual Behavior in the Human
Male, stars Liam Neeson as Kinsey and Laura Linney as his wife.
Juvies
Leslie Neale, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 9 p.m., Q&A with Leslie Neale
Sixteen-year-old Duc, the product of an abusive father, will
be in an adult prison for 35 years to life for attempted murder because the
punks he drove in his car fired off handgun rounds. No one was killed or even
injured. This is Duc’s first offense. He’s not in a gang, but some of his
friends are. He’ll be eligible for parole in 2031.
Juvies, a sobering
documentary directed by Leslie Neal, produced by Doors drummer John Densmore, and
narrated-produced by actor and former juvenile offender Mark Wahlberg, profiles
Duc and 11 other “juvies” — a dozen of 200,000 or so minors who have been
tried as adults and now waste away serving draconian sentences in poorly funded
and overcrowded adult prisons that punish first and rehabilitate (maybe)
second.
Through interviews with the juvies, their parents, social
workers, and law enforcement officials, the documentary makes a strong and
balanced argument for reform by acknowledging the need for strict and swift
consequences, while exposing the hypocrisy of an age-restrictive society
(alcohol and cigarette sales, driving, voting, R-rated movies) that sends
14-year-old first-time offenders to jail with adults. It should be required,
all-ages viewing for anyone who cares about our nation. It will break your
heart. (MK)
Down to the Bone
Debra Granik, US
Little Theatre 1, 9:15 p.m.
Another feature that did well at Sundance this year (and
just won at the Woodstock Film Festival) is this Cinema Verité gem. It stood
out in large part to the enveloping performance of Vera Farmiga as Irene, a
mother dealing with a loveless relationship, two small boys, and a lifelong
addiction to drugs. In rehab she meets Bob, played with gritty realism by Hugh
Dillon. Irene and Bob, both recovering addicts, fall into an ill-advised
affair. Love, addiction, and poor parenting cross paths in the rustic setting
of small-town America. Most independent feature films about addiction, such as Trainspotting and Drugstore Cowboy, have a smattering of cinematic pizzazz that seem
to glamorize the lifestyle. That is not the case with Down To The Bone, where the characters and events appear as real as
if you took a camera to your local NA meeting. Director Debra Granik’s
minimalist style and music choices make for an unflinching look at addiction
and the lives it ensnares. (ME)
Travelers and Magicians
Khyentse Norbu, Bhutan
Little Theatre 2-5, 9:30 p.m.
In this first-ever movie from the country of Bhutan, two
young men start on two different journeys of self-discovery.
Proud
Mary Pat Kelly, US
Dryden Theatre, 9:30 p.m., Q&A with Mary Pat Kelly
During WWII, the USS Mason was the only destroyer escort
with an all-black crew to see combat. This film is the dramatization of the
crew’s struggle against pervasive discrimination, as well as their decades-long
fight to receive the recognition they deserved from the Navy. Especially
enjoyable was the stopover in Ireland (good to see you, Stephen Rea!) where the
sailors were treated with unexpected kindness, being that the Irish are too
embroiled in religious intolerance to bother with racism. Director Mary Pat
Kelly adapted the screenplay from her book, and her deep involvement no doubt
signifies a fierce desire to see the film done right. The script, however, is
slightly heavy-handed, and the acting would probably have been less wooden
under the guidance of a more experienced director. But when you learn something
from a film, it’s worth watching. (DP)
Friday, November 12
July ’64
Carvin Eison, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 6:30 p.m., Q&A with Chris
Christopher, Carvin Eison, Connie Mitchell, Robert Duffy
On a warm summer night, during a street dance in Rochester,
an arrest spurred three nights of rioting that would forever change the city.
Local filmmakers Carvin Eison and Chris Christopher’s documentary July ’64 is a thoughtful and effective
look at the riots as they erupted that evening. In a city previously unchanged
by the civil rights movement, the riots of 1964 made Rochestarians wake up and
think about something other than the safety of their retirement packages with
Kodak. Through interviews with several prominent local politicians, community
activists and journalists, both past and present, Eison and Christopher present
a highly enlightening, completely nonjudgmental examination of an event that
the city is, arguably, still trying to fully understand. While talking heads
provide the bulk of the information, the debate amongst the participants is
sometimes contentious, sometimes entertaining, and always illuminating. (CN and
KP)
The Woodsman
Nicole Kassell, US
Dryden Theatre, 7 p.m., Q&A with Nicole Kassell
Kevin Bacon stars in first-time director Nicole Kassell’s
story about a convicted child molester trying to reintegrate into society.
Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of
Wrestling
Ruth Leitman, US
Little Theatre 1, 7 p.m., Q&A with Ruth Leitman
Lipstick and Dynamite follows
female wrestling from its rudimentary beginnings to the glitzy business it is
today. Director Ruth Leitman finds and interviews such legends as The Fabulous
Moolah and Gladys “Kill ’em” Gillem. We are treated to vintage wrestling
footage and stories of long tours, shady venues, and even shadier promoters.
The women were expected to dress prim and proper when not in the ring, but once
the bell sounded, look out. The documentary eventually slows down and focuses
on the differences between wrestlers such as Moolah, who found great success
through her relationship with Vince McMahon and the WWF, and others, who
suffered abusive relationships with promoters and live in poverty to this day.
Moolah is never confronted for her shady business practices and we miss the
history between the golden era in the ’50s to women’s wrestling today. But the
biggest omission is a lack of acknowledgement from any woman that pro wrestling
is brutal, painful, but in the end fixed entertainment. (ME)
Jailbait
Brett C. Leonard, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 9:30 p.m., Q&A with Linda Moran and
Brett Leonard
I can’t really say I enjoyed watching Jailbait — it filled me with discomfort and dread. I can say,
however, that I could not take my eyes off the screen. Michael Pitt, with the
juicy beauty of a young Orson Welles, stars as Randy, a three-time felon who
has just been handed a 25-year sentence. His cellmate is Jake (Stephen
Adly-Guirgis), a seemingly likeable guy despite the fact that he’s in the midst
of serving life without parole for offing his unfaithful wife. Jake initially
takes the unsettled Randy under his wing, but when he preps him for mealtime by
tying Randy’s shirt a la Britney Spears, you realize where this is headed.
Adly-Guirgis’s magnetic performance in the meatier part of Jake makes a monster
occasionally sympathetic. Thankfully, the sexual brutality is inferred rather
than on display, but that just renders the possibilities even more harrowing.
(DP)
Untold Scandal
E. J-Yong, South Korea
Dryden Theatre, 9:30 p.m.
With film remakes becoming closer to the norm than the
exception in Hollywood, it should come as little surprise that movie industries
around the world would eventually catch on to the gimmick. It isn’t often that
a remake can even come close to matching the success of an original, but every
once in a while there is an exception. E. J-Yong’s extremely stylish Untold Scandal draws its inspiration
from the Christopher Hampton play, which eventually begat the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons. Moving from
18th-century France to Korea, this film is filled with all the fine
performances, beautiful cinematography, and detailed set and costume design of
its predecessor. However, by tweaking the script with a touch of religious
fervor, capitalizing on the texture and topography of the Asian lands, and
casting a supremely convincing and complex actor in the role made famous by
John Malkovich, this film surpasses the previous version with heavy doses of
elegant sexuality and hateful roguishness. (CN and KP)
Saturday, November 13
20 Fingers
Mania Akbari, Iran
Little Theatre 2-5, 11 a.m.
An Iranian couple argues a number of topics over the course
of a road trip.
M.C. Richards: The Fire Within
Richard Kane, US
Little Theatre 1, 11 a.m., Q&A with Richard Kane
As a poet, potter, painter, author, educator, and seeker,
Mary Caroline Richards (1916-1999) lived her 83 years celebrating the small
things in life, such as marveling at a leaf of lettuce or stir-frying
vegetables. Filmmakers Richard Kane and Melody Lewis-Kane capture Richards’
spiritual and artistic essence in their hour-long documentary M.C. Richards: The Fire Within. The
documentary chronicles Richards’ life and portfolio, which, along with peerless
works of art, also includes heading the faculty at the experimental art
institute Black Mountain College, authoring the classic Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person, offering the
definitive translation of Antonin Artaud’s French play The Theater and Its Double, and teaching art to adults with special
needs.
We learn the most by watching Richards create — whether
it’s lunch, a painting, or a lesson — and thereby watching her quest to
“spiritualize the physical.” At one point she admittedly gets goose bumps while
talking about her art, her connection, and her inspiration. Goose bumps hit me
during a sequence when one of her students sings a rendition of “America.”
Listen to M.C. Richards’ words and watch her live life and perhaps the same
will happen to you. (MK)
In the Company of Women
Lesli Klainberg and Gini Reticker, US
Little Theatre 1, 12:45 p.m., Q&A with Lesli Klainberg
and Gini Reticker
The talking heads on the screen in this documentary
thoroughly apropos to High Falls are like a Who’s Who of women making movies
without Hollywood’s help: Parker Posey, Allison Anders, Susan Seidelman, Lili
Taylor, Kasi Lemmons, Patricia Clarkson, and Nancy Savoca, among others. They
discuss the challenges faced in getting stories told from a female perspective,
as well as where women filmmakers have come from and where they’d like to go. I
loved the inclusion of Nicole Holofcener, who made the best film I’ve seen
about the friendships between women, Walking
and Talking. The film does come off a little clique-y, though, not really
acknowledging the difficulties no doubt faced by the women making movies inside
the studio system (Penny Marshall, Nora Ephron, Nancy Meyer, et al), since the
phrase “independent film” sadly has about as much meaning at this point as
“alternative music” or “gourmet food.” (DP)
Brotherhood
Lilibet Foster, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 12:45 p.m., Q&A with Lilibet Foster
The most compelling moment of Lilibet Foster’s documentary
about the firemen of Squad 252 in Brooklyn, Rescue 1 in Manhattan, and Rescue 4
in Queens, comes when they speak of the greatest danger they face. It isn’t Al
Qaeda or anthrax that fills these otherwise fearless men with terror: it’s
fire. Hot, uncontrollable, devilish fire, as described by the men, is the
ultimate villain that takes their brothers frequently, viciously, and without
reason. The eloquent words these firefighters use to anthropomorphize the raw
and evil nature of fire are ultimately what saves this otherwise standard
tribute from being another look at these working-class heroes. Since 9/11,
firemen have achieved something of a mythical status. While Foster’s film is
only somewhat enlightening, she is smart enough to get out of the way of her
subject, allowing the simple yet powerful words of the men to translate the
reality of their profession. (CN and KP)
Abadan
Mani Haghighi, Iran
Little Theatre 2-5, 1 p.m.
While his estranged wife and his young girlfriend wait at
his house, a man searches the streets of Tehran for his missing father-in-law.
Silent Waters
Sabiha Sumar, Pakistan
Little Theatre 1, 2:45 p.m., Q&A with Sabiha Sumar
The lives of a widow and her teenaged son in 1979 Pakistan
threaten to change as Islamic extremists start recruiting in town.
Still the Children Are Here
Dinaz Stafford, India-Italy-US
Little Theatre 2-5, 3:30 p.m., Q&A with Dinaz Stafford
and Mira Nair
Surrounded by documentaries shot digitally, Dinaz Stafford’s
film, produced by acclaimed director Mira Nair, deserves attention just for the
fact that it was shot on good, old-fashioned film. An actual budget can make
all the difference and is obviously an element to consider when viewing this
handsomely crafted film. Wisely exploiting the richness of color available when
using film, Stafford is able to fully exploit the look and feel of life for the
rice-farming Garos tribe. Indigenous to Meghalaya, India, and living in the
isolated mountain village of Sadolpara, the Gara people cope with the constant
clash between old traditions and the modern world. This becomes especially
evident as they face the possibility of the disappearance of the rice-farming
trade, which has always sustained them. This admirable film succeeds because it
is documentary filmmaking in its purest form. Objectively made and with a
certain artistry, Stafford enlightens audiences through craft, not dogma. (CN
and KP)
Persons of Interest
Alison Maclean, US
Dryden Theatre, 4:45 p.m., Q&A with Alison Maclean
Proving that the development of digital video is as much a
curse as it is a blessing are films like Persons
of Interest. For nothing more than the cost of a few digital cassettes, it
seems, anyone can make a film on anything they want. Filmmakers Alison Maclean
and Tobias Perse choose to expose the various injustices perpetrated on Muslim
immigrants caught in the dragnet unleashed by John Ashcroft and the Patriot Act
after the 9/11 attacks. While the stories of these unfortunate few might be
compelling, the filmmaking is most definitely not. Shot entirely in a plain,
simple, white room (perhaps chosen to symbolically suggest a jail cell) and
from one camera angle, individuals are interviewed by a monochromatic offset
voice. This film somehow manages to turn some fairly disturbing personal
accounts of abuse of authority into a battle just to stay awake for the viewer.
(CN and KP)
Intimate Stories
Carlos Sorin, Argentina
Little Theatre 1, 5:15 p.m.
Some films are made with festivals in mind. Without the aid
of high-profile names, big budgets, or special effects, these films rely on
positive reviews to gain distribution and release. The exquisite acting, elegant
cinematography, and simple storyline of Carlos Sorin’s Intimate Stories should more than garner the critical accolades
required to get this piece the attention it deserves. Sorin tells the stories
of three completely separate characters, who share almost nothing but the
desire to make a pilgrimage to the distant city of San Julian. Among the three
is Don Justo, an elderly man who has been told that his long lost dog,
“Badface,” has been spotted in San Julian. Defying his son, he decides to
hitchhike to the city to search for his pet. Along the way, he accepts a ride
from Roberto, a neurotic traveling salesman, desperately trying to impress a
woman in San Julian. With equal parts humor and sadness, isolation and
community, Sorin skillfully demonstrates the old adage that less is always
more. (CN and KP)
Off the Map (Gala Awards Night Presentation)
Campbell Scott, US
Dryden Theatre, 7 p.m., Q&A with Joan Allen, Campbell
Scott, and Joan Ackerman
Campbell Scott directs Joan Allen, Sam Elliott, and
Valentina de Angelis as a family living on their own in the New Mexican desert.
Easy
Jane Weinstock, US
Little Theatre 1, 7:15 p.m., Q&A with Jane Weinstock
We meet Jamie (Marguerite Moreau) through a series of lush
stills and voicemail messages from guys ditching her telephonically. Her luck
seems to have changed once she hooks up with John, her former poetry professor
(played by the knee-weakening Naveen Andrews from The English Patient). Jamie has a quirky job naming products, and
when her relationships go south she has close family and friends to lean on —
friends like new pal Mick (Brendan F. O’Byrne, InterMission), who she assumes is not romantic material even though
they get on like gangbusters. Likeable people making selfish choices equals a
flick in which you get wrapped up as it’s unfolding but scold yourself
afterwards for even caring. And do I need to watch a movie about someone who
puts herself through the wringer for an alluring cad when there’s a good man
dying for a chance with her? I can just watch my friends. (DP)
Peter Gabriel: Growing Up on Tour, a Family Portrait
Anna Gabriel, UK
Little Theatre 1, 9:45 p.m., Q&A with Anna Gabriel
Whether you’re a huge fan or just really like “In Your
Eyes,” you have to admit that Peter Gabriel puts on one hell of a show. He
consistently raises the bar for arena rockers as he creates more and more
spectacular concerts. Anna Gabriel picked up her camera and captured the on-
and off-stage shenanigans of her father’s 2002 Growing Up tour. We are given an
intimate look at the makings of the highly visual show as well as personal
stories and images of Gabriel’s family. Melanie, his other daughter, is also on
tour as a vocalist, and I would have liked more insight into Melanie’s career
and her thoughts on touring with Dad. The movie might not hold a huge amount of
interest for non-fans, but if you are a fan, it’s a treat. (ME)
Sunday, November 14
Heir to an Execution
Ivy Meeropol, US
Little Theatre 1, 10:30 a.m., Q&A with Michael Meeropol
As yet one more example of a film that might not have been
made without the advent of digital video, Ivy Meeropol’s amateurish documentary
about Julius and Esther Rosenberg is much like every other study of the
condemned atomic-bomb spies, expect for one difference: she is the couple’s
granddaughter. Shifting perspectives and searching for the humanity behind the
history, Meeropol’s film clings desperately to the innocence of her
grandparents. This is true even as she tries to reconcile the revelations of
the Venona papers, which were released in 1995. By frequently inserting herself
into the fabric of the film, Meeropol attempts to give her audience a certain
insider knowledge. Unfortunately, this often serves to undermine the central
argument of her work, leaving viewers to wonder if a less personal documentary
might yield a more objective picture of this historic couple. (CN and KP)
Rolling
Gretchen Berland and Mike Majoros, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 11 a.m.
Three people in wheelchairs videotape the details of their
lives for over a year.
Arna’s Children
Juliano Mer Khamis and Danniel Danniel,
Palestine-Israel-Holland
Little Theatre 1, 1 p.m., Q&A with Osnat Trabelsi
Juliano Mer Khamis’ unfocused and scattered documentary
begins as a standard biopic and ends as a one-sided, shallow examination of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the film’s narrator and sometime onscreen
presence, Mer Khamis focuses first on his mother, Arna Mer Khamis, an Israeli
Jew who married a Palestinian Arab in 1948. Arna went on to do years of
humanitarian work on behalf of Palestinians. Her work included the
establishment of Care and Learning, an organization to give refuge to the youth
of the West Bank. Mer Khamis follows a group of boys — who participate in the
project as preteens — through adulthood. Their outcomes are not particularly
surprising; some become terrorists and others end up dead. With little
attention to the aesthetic quality of filmmaking, the director must rely
entirely on the controversial, emotionally charged subject matter, which
requires a far deeper intellectual discussion than this film provides. (CN and
KP)
The Green Hat
Liu Fen Dou, China
Dryden Theatre, 2 p.m., Q&A with Peggy Chiao
At the start of The
Green Hat the director credit read, “the first film by Liu Fen Dou,” as if
portending a string of films to follow. I quickly understood the reason for
this seemingly arrogant title credit, though, because what followed was a film
crafted by a brazen and skilled new talent. The film effortlessly breaks
traditional genre constraints as it shifts its focus from one set of characters
to another. First the film has the makings of a hip gangster film, then a
hostage drama, then a romantic drama. Just when you think you’ve figured out
where it’s going, it changes again. The opening and end sequences feature
mesmerizing, long, single-take shots that not even seasoned directors would attempt.
The result is a unique new style of filmmaking that elicits a vast range of
emotions from the viewer. It is no wonder The
Green Hat was the winner at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. I am looking
forward to the second film by Liu Fen Dou, no matter how they list him in the
title credits. (ME)
Seeds
Marjan Safinia and Joseph Boyle, US
Little Theatre 1, 3:15 p.m., Q&A with Marjan Safinia,
Julia Lemle
The benevolence of journalist John Wallach’s youth
leadership program, Seeds of Peace, is clear. After the 1993 World Trade Center
bombings, Wallach established Seeds, a summer camp for youth from ravaged
countries like Israel and Palestine to gather and have voice in their future.
The good intentions of the program, however, do not excuse filmmakers Marjan
Safinia and Joseph Boyle from asking questions, and this chaotic, laborious
look at the 2002 camp ignores some pertinent issues. You can’t help but notice
that the kids at this camp are affluent. Their English is perfect; their education
level is evident. They are not the ones on the frontlines of conflict. It’s
often common people who do daily battle in these regions, so where is their
representation in this camp? It is one of many questions ignored by the
filmmakers, who are more interested in charming the viewer with the children
than examining the reality of their situation. (CN and KP)
David Hockney: The Colors of Music
Maryte Kavaliauskas, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 3:30 p.m., Q&A with Maryte
Kavaliauskas
“I’m just an artist who occasionally happens to work in the
theatre.” So says David Hockney, painter, photographer, designer, and apparent
master of understatement. Hockney’s life and work could fuel a dozen films, but
this delightful documentary focuses on his breathtaking accomplishments in
opera set design. Filmed mostly during the early ’90s, we witness Hockney in
action as he nurtures many ideas from birth to execution, deriving inspiration
from the mountains near his California home, toy stores, and old engravings.
Unfortunately, his infectious passion for opera is made slightly bittersweet by
the revelation that he’s slowly losing his hearing. Hockney’s whimsical designs
for the Theatre du Chatelet’s Poulenc-Ravel-Satie triple bill, Parade, are complete eye candy, but the
crosshatch theme for the San Francisco Opera House’s production of Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress is nothing short of
genius.
Another Road Home
Danae Elon, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 3:50 p.m., Q&A with Danae Elon
More closely resembling a student project from Filmmaking
101 than a festival selection is Danae Elon’s documentary Another Road Home. After the 9/11 attacks, Danae, who is the
daughter of noted Israeli writer Amos Elon, became interested in the fate of
the Palestinian man her parents hired to help care for her in the late 1960s.
The film is both a self-portrait and Danae’s coming-of-age story, who contrasts
her positive personal experiences against the warring relationship between
Israelis and Palestinians. Aside from her rather unique upbringing, this film
is an unremarkable and unimaginative personal account of a tired and overworked
subject matter. Even more disappointing is Elon’s complete lack of attention to
filmmaking craft and technique, evidenced by the mundane camera composition and
lack of overall artistry. (CN and KP)
The Master and His Pupil
Sonia Herman Dolz, The Netherlands
Little Theatre 1, 5:45 p.m.
Is there a richer subject for a filmmaker than three young
conductors in a master class taught by unconventional Russian maestro Valery
Gergiev? With a captain as unpredictable and passionate as Gergiev at the helm,
not to mention a score as complex as the one they have by Scriabin to
interpret, director Sonia Herman Dolz easily has one of the most intriguing
concepts in this year’s festival. By installing two cameras in the orchestra,
Dolz allows the viewer to experience Gergiev and his students from the
perspective of the musicians. This is perhaps the most inventive aspect of the
filmmaking, as the narrative can be flat at times. Still, the charisma and
artistry of the surprisingly caring mentor Gergiev, and the experience, as
presented by the students, of working with such a master more than make up for
any creative deficiencies in the filmmaking. (CN and KP)
Dorian Blues
Tennyson Bardwell, US
Little Theatre 2-5, 6 p.m., Q&A with Mary-Beth Taylor
Bardwell
Suburban high-schooler Dorian sets out for NYU to find his
just-un-closeted self.
Dear Frankie
Shona Auerbach, UK
Little Theatre 1, 7:30 p.m.
A mother tells her son, Frankie, that his absent father is a
sailor. She sends fake letters and hires a fill-in dad to keep up the fiction.
This article appears in Nov 3-9, 2004.
