The Newburyport Documentary Film Festival wrapped up yesterday, and the entire experience was really rewarding. The film selection was high quality and I honestly wasn’t disappointed with any of the films I saw over the weekend. Not only that, but the festival itself: the venues, location, and people really made it stand out. I spent a lot of time talking with some the other filmmakers, and everyone was very enthusiastic, intelligent, and there were lots of great conversations to be had. I hope I have the opportunity to experience another fest like this in the future.
Anyway, the films I saw, and a little bit of a review (in alphbetical order! yea!):
Asparagus! (A Stalkumentary): Quirky, entertaining, but mostly importantly: it had a point. The film focuses on a rural community in Michigan where most of the farmers depend on asparagus for means of income. This self-proclaimed Asparagus Capital of the Nation goes as far organizing an annual asparagus-themed parade, and female residents of the county run for the position of Mrs. Asparagus. Half of the people’s income depend upon the asparagus harvest, but when big corporations outsource their own asparagus farming to Peru, the community can’t compete with their lower prices. Totally quirky and entertaining, but there is a really important message in there about globaliztion, national policy, and the end of small farming. Director Anne de Mare had a great attitude and perspective and it was exciting to know that this was her first foray into filmmaking. I hope she sees lots of success.
Black Gold: Coffee is a ridiculously profitable business, with two billion cups of the stuff drunk worldwide everyday. While Americans pay up to $5 per cup, Ethiopian coffee farmers make pennies per day, living in small shacks with up to fifteen people. The story follows Tadesse Meskela as he attempts to gain higher wages for the farmers in his cooperative by eliminating all of the business middlemen and addressing fair trade issues. Really well-done and enlightening. Coffee has always been somewhat of a mystery to me (I hate the stuff, if that matters at all), and this film does a great job of exploring the complex economy hidden behind those mugs. Black Gold is similar to many recent documentaries that tackle issues of globalization, the global economy, corporate power, etc. through means of exploring just a single product.
In Debt We Trust: America Before the Bubble Bursts: Credit cards, banking, interest rates, backruptcy… Both the people and the nation are facing serious new levels of debt that have increased dramatically over the past decade. It’s scary and has huge economical implications. This doc is really in-depth and poses major and worthwhile questions that open up the doors to analyzing just how and why we are always broke, and what those massive interest rates are doing to us. Trading debt has become part of our very broken economy. Oh: great music! Director Danny Schechter has some very big opinions (and he does make sure to let you know), and it was exciting to hear him talk about his ideas and concerns. Interesting guy, he is.
Independents Under Fire: The Battle for the American Bookstore: Continuing the ever-important tradition of analyzing corporatization, this doc tells the story of the dying breed of independent bookstores with the onset of massive chains like Barnes and Noble and Borders. We all love (or I do, at least) independent bookstores, and big box retailer concerns are ever-rising, so this is a perfect match for the issue. You know the drill (see docs like: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, etc.)… musings on homogenization, monoculture, etc. are well-represented in this story of several struggling indie bookstores located in California.
Jungle Remedy: This is pretty crazy… Harry Guy, a bush doctor (herbal doctor) living in Belize has discovered a remedy for HIV/AIDS. How did he create it?: by mixing up four ordinary herbs/natural ingredients into a liquid brew. However, Guy has run into some heavy media backlash (of course) because of his nonconventional treatment that has, in fact, helped multiple indiviuals overcome HIV and relieved them (cured them?) of their symptoms and the virus itself. This remedy has huge potential to save millions of people, but what will become of Guy and his remedy? Intriguing, to say the absolute least.
Lieve Monster: ?! One night, a young kid bothers his parents about a monster he claims is living in his room. Strange, but funny and with a cute ending. (I guess it’s a documentary..?)
Sentenced Home: Fascinating… three ex-convict Cambodian men living in Seattle await to be deported/are deported as the result of a new law passed that affects all Cambodian immigrants who have commited crimes, despite the fact that they have already completed their jail time. I’ve never heard of something like this, and it’s unbelievable and saddening to see these men separated from their wives and children when they are sent back to Cambodia with incredibly short notice. Really, really well-done, and beautifully shot.
Subway Film: The end got caught off (d’oh), but this was really sweet and simple. It’s a portrait of some of the musicians who do their thing in the dank depths of the NY subway system. Liked it.
The Comet Model News: A short film about the Comet model airplane company, costructed using material from old 8mm film and letters from director Nancy Kapitanoff’s parents’ (who worked at the company) collection. Some really neat footage in there.
The War Tapes: Really not sure what to make of this one… although the concept of giving soldiers camcorders to record their first-hand experiences during their deployment in the war in Iraq is a great idea, the film is just, well… I don’t know. It doesn’t take a real political stance on the war, and it’s just really disheartening to see these soldiers experience such trauma during (and after) the war, only to seemingly dismiss it all with nearly indifferent attitudes. I don’t know how to feel about this, and director Deborah Scranton’s responses during the Q&A were terse and off-putting, and didn’t help to solidify my feelings about everything. Eh…
Walking to Werner: Easily one of my favorites. I adore this movie. The inspiration and original idea behind this film are brilliant, and director/subject Linas Phillips supplies some really provoking and thoughtful commentary/narration and personal examinations during his epic walking quest to meet Werner Herzog at his Los Angeles home. He meets many eccentric individuals during his journey, but Linas is always respectful and reflects upon his meetings with intelligent purpose. Great idea, funny, touching. I want to see this again.
Awesome weekend, awesome movies, great little town, great people… Exhausting, though!
