Sundance 08- Part 2
 | Author: Jauretsi | Posted: December 29th, 2007 | Filed under: Film, Film Festivals | | Comments Off |
Alrighty, so here’s my 7 pick of docs worth checking out at Sundance this January…why seven? Because its my lucky number and the day I was born. Plus after you see some of these heavy world docs, we’ll need all the luck in the world to save this planet.
J
(1) Patti Smith: Dream of Life
A 12-year project in the making. An intimate peephole into a brilliant poet and musician. Patti once said “Life isn’t some vertical or horizontal line. You have your own internal world, and it’s not neat”. What a badass. As much as it documents her external adventures, it also breaks down the ideas, losses, and memories she wrestles with internally. Directed and Written by Steven Sebring.
(2) Made In America
About South Central LA, an area with “enough history, tragedy, and hope to inform a nation”. True dat. Director Stacy Peralta (of Dogtown) combs through hardcore streets and speaks to key figures breaking down the complexities and politics of an area that has literally broke out in war. Sprinkle in some beautiful historical Black Panther footage. Also, a really interesting crew of guys producing — including Quincy Jones III (EP), Jesse Dylan (Producer), and Cash Warren (CoProducer).
(3) Slingshot Hip Hop
This one is a look at Palestinian rappers. I’ve been tracking this one since early 2000 online while I was making my own doc on Cuban rappers (East of Havana) for inspiration. It’s essentially the same universal story: Liberation through art. In this case, it’s political therapy through Hip Hop. It’s finally coming out. Directed by Jackie Reem Salloum.
(4) American Teen
This film tracks some genuine 17 years olds living in a small town in Indiana. The director followed 4 teenagers during their High School Senior year. That means insecurities, cliques, heartbreak, first sex, alcohol, parents, career pressures…. you name it. The music is created by Michael Penn. Directed and Written by Nanette Burstei (her past film On the Ropes won a Special Jury Prize at the 1999 Festival).
(5) Recycle
What makes a terrorist? Well, to stray from Bush’s “Good” and “Evil” kindergarten breakdowns, this Jordanian/Palestinian filmmaker takes us to the town he grew up, Zarqa (Jordan’s 2nd largest city = almost 1 million people) to show us the real ‘hood where some terrorists are carved out by political Islamists and their powerful forces. Maybe a couple of other reasons contribute to recruiting for the jihadist cause — Poverty? Humiliation? Lack of opportunity? Religious doctrine? Maybe it’s about the daily rhythms of a man and his family? Super simple, yet extremely complicated. Strong Cinematography. Directed by Mahmoud al Massad.
(6) Tie between 2 fascinating docs exploring American Government
a- I.O.U.S.A.
We all know America is in major DEBT. Let’s see, there’s increased government/military spending, no Social Security left for us Gen X’ers after the Baby Boomers clean it out, international competition, debts to foreign countries…yikes. Anyway, this is the fiscal version of Inconvenient Truth which horrifies you with facts, then swoops back in towards the end with proposed solutions. It remains topical and non-partisan, but nonetheless, a serious wake-up call for every single American citizen to activate at a local level. Directed by Sundance veteran Patrick Creadon (Wordplay)
b- Secrecy
This doozie is about the art of a secret, or in our governments words, “Classified”. Classified documents are growing. In a single recent year, the United States government classified about five times the number of pages added to the Library of Congress; the cost is about eight billion dollars a year–just to keep secrets secret. It’s been 70 years since the builders of the bomb created a national information security system. Add up 9/11 secrets plus looming war on terror? Hmmm. The main question asked in this doc is “when does security erode, rather than enhance, democracy?”. Directed by Peter Galison and Robb Moss.
(7) Tie between 2 docs about Men who were Maniacs.
a- Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
The father of rebel writers, Hunter S. Thompson created an entirely new style of journalism, dubbed “gonzo”. Don’t forget the superhuman doses of drugs. The doc features some haydays from 1965-1975, and clips of never-before-seen (and heard) home movies and audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts. Should be surreal. Directed by Alex Gibney.
b- Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.
We all know the broad strokes — Director of Chinatown and Rosemary’s Baby. Wife Sharon Tate was killed by Manson in 1969. Then there was the big case in 1978, he plead guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13 year old girl. Thus his escape to France where he continues to live by US authority standards, as a fugitive from justice. This doc revisits all the key players — the lawyers, the victim, the media. The director aims to show “a clear miscarriage of justice” among all the court hearings and media hype. I frankly don’t know enough about the case to opine one way or another, so I’ll be checking this doc out. Directed by Marina Zenovic. Executive Produced by Steven Soderbergh.
MY FINAL TIP:
Did you know that Sundance only recently chose to air all their Short Films — FOR FREE — on their website?
It’s such a better alternative than waiting in freezing snowy lines in Utah for some Shorts Programs. Warning: Some are real crappy, and others are clever nuggets of brilliance (its a real “hit-or-miss” selection but worth diving in the pool to discover new talent). You’ll have to wait until the festival begins on Jan 17, as each short film is released online after its premiere at some theater.
Some to peek at:
(1) Welcome
A 12 minute short Written and Directed by Kirsten Dunst and stars Winona Ryder about a ghost in a home. Leslie Russo served as Executive Producer, as well as homegirl New Yorker Francesca Silvestri who’s credited as Producer.
(2) Because Washington is Hollywood for Ugly People
This one is not explained in detail and has no press photo attached (whoa, kinda gangster). It’s a 7 minute short film described as a “scathing work” that “satirizes past and current political leadership with images, color, and music.” Directed by Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung
(3) Green Porno
A 1 minute comical series about the sex lives of bugs, insects, and various creatures. The name of the 3 Green Porno shorts are Dragonfly, Firefly and Spider. Directed and Written by Isabella Rossellini
