Over the Hills and Far Away

I went to the Q&A session for Over the Hills and Far Away with filmmaker Michel Scott. I didn't know quite what to expect going into the session, but it was interesting to see some of his previous works before getting a glimpse at his newest film. I both liked and disliked the experimental piece. Aesthetically it was somewhat mesmerizing and the voice of his mother speaking fit well with the images, but it just is not something I would enjoy sitting down to watch on a whim.

I was expecting to see more of the latest film about the autistic child and his family traveling to Mongolia in search of healing for the boy, but from what I saw the film piqued my interest and made me want to see the entire thing. My interest in horses and the journey documentary comes together in Over the Hills and Far Away. The last scene he left us with made me wonder what the ending to the story was when they were worried about the child rejecting the horses again. All the more reason to see it when it comes out. From the preview I am glad he found this project right around when he wanted to get out of film and hope that he continues to fulfill his interests in documentary and native cultures.

BLIND SIGHT

I really liked Blind Sight a lot because it took on so many things and pulled it off. It was a story about how blindness is treated in Buddhist countries, how one man dealt with his loss of sight, and how a team of guides deals with taking 6 or so disenfranchised blind kids on a trek to the top of a Himalayan mountain. The structure was appropriate—a little background, then a little action, then more back story of the kids’ lives interspersed with the footage of them attempting this outrageous feat. I love when a film can make me feel an array of emotions. I was angry when I heard the people shit talking the bind kids in Tibet, happy when all of their parents gave them permission to go, incredulous when they mapped out the trek, inspired when the kids kept going, worried when they kept getting headaches, and they even had comic relief with the infatuation with Imagine Me & You that seemed to exist among Tibetan kids.
The film also had something I think a lot of us wanted to see in Sound & Fury—a way for the subjects of the film to actually watch it, an announcer who described each shot. It awakened me to the fact that the film will still be perceived differently for a blind person than for a sighted person. It kept reminding me of the fact that those kids would still not ever be able to see the beautiful surroundings that they had managed to hike to. But as Sabriye said, and I ultimately agree with, the kids never really needed to reach the top of Lhaka Pri. They wanted to go on an adventure with their hero and their friends and they got that. The last scene was the perfect invitation to reflect on the film and if you didn’t at least almost cry you aren’t warm blooded.
Also I think I should exercise because I could feel an asthma attack coming on just watching them.

Grab dat Catfish Ol' Boy!!!!

I checked out Okie Noodling, a film by Bradley Beesley. I thought the film has amazing and matched the subject matter perfectly. Brad did a great job of portraying the good ol' boys out in nature doing what they do. These fishermen aren't your business man who enjoy a weekend out on the lake with his family, on his new boat, in his sperry boat shoes and fancy columbia fishing outfit. These men who go out and "hunt" catfish are some tough, backwoods, and blue-collar individuals.

Brad portrays those characters in their true atmosphere which I really appreciate. You have guys who work tough jobs and aren't the smartest tools in the shed, but gawd dangit they can bring home the fillets. He introduces you to an array of different individuals and groups who have their own unique style of hunting the catfish. Some prefer to dive deep in lakes, while others risk their life in rivers with other dangerous animals and undertows.

Brad then does an interesting thing with the doc when he keeps hearing these noodlers say that there isn't a competition to see who is the best. He creates the first Okie Noodling tournament. This not only gives an outlet for the interesting characters to perform, but it gives the filmmaker a chance to create an even greater adventure to the story plot. I think we as filmmakers should think more about taking the current situation of our subjects, and see if there is anything we can create for them to perform in to make our work even more interesting and quality.

Over all I thought the film was like a big slimy blue channel cat. It survives and holds its own in the big waters (documentary film world), but it also taste damn good when you cook it up in the fryer (DVD player.)

A Lesson in Trust

The second film I checked out this week was entitled Benjamin Smoke and follows the singularly named Benjamin, lead singer of the infamous and little known musical ensemble, Smoke. Benjamin (no last name) was an HIV-positive, drug-using, song-writing, drag-wearing, all-around grade-A American man.

The film delves into the darkest corners of Benjamin's life, from his first experiments with drag, the history of his drug use, and the journey of Smoke. His story is a fascinating one, and Benjamin is incredibly open about these terrifying, tragic and often ironically funny parts of his life. I'm incredibly impressed with his openness, and I wonder how much of the film was dependent on the filmmakers' connection to the subject. There is immense trust between Benjamin and the camera, and the audience is privileged to get so close to such an interesting character.

The film's footage is comprised of dozens of interviews with Benjamin in his house, his hometown of Cabbagetown and throughout his tours with Smoke. Most of the film is shot on film - 16mm, Super 8 - with bits of Hi-8 and DV footage taken over years of collection and interviews and following Benjamin. Despite the simplicity of the footage, the editing style and narrative construction brings it all together rather poetically, and the aged look of the footage shines through rather than falling apart over time.

I don't want to give too much away about the film, but if you get the chance and are interested in music, drugs, queer cinema or just looking for a fun, insightful movie, check out Benjamin Smoke.

1st shoot comments

Josh and I drive up west of Ft. Worth this weekend to catch the Mineral Wells D1 Underground drift competition. Four cameras, 7 hours of footage, sunburnt to hell and sore. Had a great time and some excellent footage. Will be a looong time in the ending room though...

Interviewing an unsuspecting victim


Some footage from the trip up there, some from the kamikaze cam, and my comments at the end of the day

Brilliant! (Alan Berliner - Four Short Films)

This week I checked out two DVDs from Ellen's doc library. It took me a few days to actually sit down and watch them, but I'm glad that I finally did.

The first "film" was actually a collection of four short films from Alan Berliner, who has directed a handful of very famous, very well respected documentaries over the past twenty years. These short films predate his feature-length doc work and establish his controlled, purposeful editing style in a really remarkable way. All four of the films are a hodgepodge of seemingly unrelated images linked together with sound and editing. Most are related to themes of urban sprawl, the destruction of nature, human history, technology, life and death.

The first of the four films was my favorite, and I think it was the strongest. "City Edition," made in 1980 manages to sum up all of 20th Century American history through headlines from the morning newspaper. Striking black and white images of nuclear explosions, religious ceremonies, sports legends, political marches, protests, wars, violence, destruction, natural disasters, musical icons, great film moments, and urban sprawl blend with sounds of the last 100 years in a very poetic way.

Berliner is very playful in his editing style, creating stark tonal shifts without giving away too much. It seems as if he reached into a footage grab bag and pulled out a few rolls of film and was told to splice everything together. In fact, there are pieces of footage that appear in all four of his films. Yet somehow, Berliner manages to create very interesting stories by exaggerating sounds, placing things where they don't belong, building melodies and music out of disharmonious noises and sounds from nature, and editing with a strong, clear vision.

Editing has always been a fascinating subject to me, and Berliner's use of Soviet montage is inspiring. I won't claim to understand every cut he makes or every sound he chose, but Berliner's techniques are beautiful, remarkable, clever, and often terrifying. This guy knows what he's doing.

Ellen Kuras interview on The Betrayal

Hi All,

As we discussed in class cinematographer Ellen Kuras (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) who will be visiting RTF, completed her first documentary, THE BETRAYAL.

Please read this interview with Kuras and watch the trailer at The Betrayal homepage.

http://www.altfg.com/blog/directors/the-betrayal-ellen-kuras-interview/

The Betrayal trailer:

http://www.thebetrayalmovie.com/

We will discuss in class.

Ellen

Good Book on Film Fests now FREE online

Hi All,

For those of you wanting to know more about navigating the film festival circuit, a good book on the topic has just been offered for FREE, downloadable off this website:


http://www.filmfestivalsecrets.com/book/

Enjoy,

Ellen

Examined Life

“I’m trying to present these materials and the film itself as something that is the opposite of pretentious, to make it inviting, accessible, playful, entertaining.  That was my intention all along.  After all, I find this entertaining; it’s how I entertain myself.  I don’t think it’s such a huge leap that others might enjoy it.  However, there’s such intimidation and such a culture of fear around intellectual matters.  We’re so obsessed with credentials and that goes back to the whole academic trip.”

Astra stated this in the interview we read, but I don’t think it translated into her film, Examined Life. While I did get the sense that the philosophers were toning down their jargon, the film is still clearly for a niche audience of academics, intellectuals, philosophers, etc. The reality of the film is that it is one based on credentials. She chose her subjects according to their CV and academic following. One person in the audience questioned why she didn’t interview the “people of the streets” as to their philosophies. I was also interested in the question. Would the film have gotten funded and distributed with the inclusion of unknown, non-academics?

The themes that were chosen (animal rights, revolution, otherness, disability and gender, ecology, etc) were diverse but also very selective. With this selectiveness (i.e. the random topic of animal rights), the filmmakers’ presence is perhaps needed. Astra is a lifelong animal rights activist, which is not expressed in the film. While I got a kick out of seeing Peter Singer in the documentary, it was most likely a personal motive to include him. Astra says that Ross McElwee is an influential filmmaker for her. Maybe she should have followed his steps and gone with a more personal documentary?

At first I absolutely loved the interview style of constant movement, but the talking heads still got old. There was so much room for beautiful and relative imagery with this topic. I honestly felt relief when they would cut to random passersby on the streets and beaches of New York. 

the strange boys "woe is you and me"

this is a music video i made after documenting live performances by this band, the strange boys, on super 8 mm film.  i recently posted it online and today fader magazine used it for an article on the band.  i thought i'd share.  

http://www.thefader.com/articles/2009/2/16/video-freeload-strange-boys-woe-is-you-and-me-heard-you-wanna-beat-me-up

Filmmaker Interviews

Hello All:

Please read/watch the following filmmaker interviews this week:

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (Times of Harvey Milk):

http://www.ifc.com/film/film-news/2008/11/interview-rob-epstein-on-the-t.php

Astra Taylor (Examined Life)

http://stillinmotion.typepad.com/still_in_motion/2008/11/interview-astra-taylor-director-examined-life.html

Roko and Adrian Belic (Ghengis Blues)

http://www.reel.com/reel.asp?node=features/interviews/belicbros

For next week:

Michel Scott (Over the Hills and Far Away)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiwNZYukziw

Filmmaker websites

Hello Students,

Please explore two of the very best filmmaker websites. Be sure to see Alan Berliner's early work and Errol Morris' commercials where his interviewing and editing technique is demonstrated very powerfully:


Alan Berliner
http://www.alanberliner.com/

Errol Morris
http://www.errolmorris.com/

Ellen

Ghengis Blues

I definitely enjoyed this documentary the most so far. I feel that Paul Pena is an extremely compelling subject to the point that it gave leeway to other mistakes that may occur. I feel the structure was pretty strong and very much like a story telling. It did seem to have a slightly dragged on ending (but not as bad as King Corn or Maya Lin). Paul Pena was such an outgoing character and expressed so much emotion through his facial features that I feel that video was the best way to capture his character. I think I am so excited about this documentary mainly because of the interaction between Paul Pena and the people of Tuva.

I thought the documentary was going to be about throatsinging, which essentially that is what it is about, but I feel that the documentary portrayed more than that. The greatness in Ghengis Blues is the bond between the people. It is not something you can fabricate in a fiction but rather a very real life experience that can be shared with everyone. You can definitely notice the cameramen and realize that the footage isnt always white balanced or lit well but I feel that everything is overlooked with the plot and character of the story. Great documentary!

Correction: Next Tuesday: Times of Harvey Milk

Hi folks,

Jason corrected my dates.

The Michel Scott event is Feb. 24th, not next Tuesday.

We are showing THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK on Tuesday Feb. 17th. It is the documentary upon which the Oscar-nominated MILK was based. Very interesting to see the doc and also to see the feature. A great lesson in what can be done in non-fiction but not in fiction and vice-versa.

Ellen

Your Treatments, Your Stories

Hi All,

I feel compelled to let you all know just how impressive your story ideas are. After reading your treatments this evening, I am very excited to see them all unfold and come to be. You took on compelling, engaging and challenging ideas. HAVE FUN! The key to success is to work consistently.

I hope to see some raw footage cued up next week from those of you who have begun shooting (that should be most everyone). And I look forward to see some of these films traveling beyond the walls of our classroom and campus to larger audiences.

Please post your comments on Ghengis Blues, and remember to write as a maker, not just a watcher.

Next week:

Tuesday: 6 p.m. in 4D: THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK

Wednesday at 7: Examined Life by Astra Taylor

WATCH THIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex1XV52L3OQ

Tuesday Feb. 24 (new date):Michel Scott (RTF grad) 6 p.m. in 4D

WATCH THIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiwNZYukziw


Happy documentin'

Ellen Spiro

SPEAK TO ELLEN IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONTEST AS PART OF OUR CLASS

Environment Texas Solar Power Video Contest
- $2000 grand prize
- Under 4 min.
- deadline: March 1st, 2009

Texas has the greatest solar resource potential in the nation. We can protect our environment and move to a cleaner energy future by using our technological know how to tap into solar energy.
To help get the word out about Texas' solar power potential, Environment Texas is hosting a video contest on the subject of solar power in Texas.
We want you to create your most persuasive video about why we need more solar power in Texas. What's your vision for solar in our state? We'll use the winning videos to help decision-makers imagine a better energy future. Your video will be a critical part of an effort to educate city councils, the Texas Legislature, and lawmakers in the state.
-- Grand Prize winner will receive $2000 prize, and will be featured on our Web site.
-- First runner up will win $500 and a free membership to Environment Texas.
-- Second runner up will receive an Environment Texas t-shirt.
Entries are due by March 1, 2009. For full rules and to enter the contest, please visit: http://www.environmenttexas.org/solar-video-contest

RESOURCES for YOU

Hi all,

Here is a website that has GREAT resources for YOU. Also, a great place to put your work for people to see.

If I don't comment on your blog posts, please know that it does not mean I am not reading them ... I am reading religiously, I just don't comment on every post.

Please visit CURRENT TV site and let us know what you think (CLICK THE LINK).


Ellen

Maya Lin

I'm excited to see the Maya Lin documentary tomorrow. When I decided to take an Art History course as my Fine Arts credit for the RTF degree, we spent several class periods talking about Maya Lin and her Vietnam War Memorial. I am familiar with a lot of the controversy that surrounded her design, but I didn't know how much effort there was to actually prevent her design or have it changed.

In retrospect, the Memorial is loved by all, but at the time, so many people found it distasteful, like a "scar" in the earth. Maybe that was Maya's point? We'll have to wait and see............

...tomorrow night at the screening.

Video Interview of Maya Lin

Documentary Fun - New and Improved!

Hey Everybody!

Something's new about our blog. Look in the right hand column and you will find a list of documentary links, including a direct link to the Doc Center's calender! Now you don't have to worry about remembering any url address, and you might actually view the calender a little more often (since it's right on the blog). Hope these links are useful.

As for today, there are three events on the calender. If anybody missed King Corn last wednesday, you can check it out tonight at Monkey Wrench Books. Also, there's a doc on campus, and one at the Alamo Drafthouse. Enjoy!