criterionforum.org

They certainly are stingy with the awards, aren't they?

At least they found room for Mo'nique

I didn't get to see as many films at Sundance as I'd hoped, but here's some brief thoughts on the films I did see, in rough order of how much I liked them.

The Girlfriend Experience (Steven Soderbergh) - This was a special "sneak preview" screening of an unfinished cut. And damn if this isn't his best work in ten years. It's elliptical narrative, subtle and not-so-subtle political implications, and Sasha Grey's utterly perfect performance really made this stand out for me. No joke gents, girl can really act, which is no surprise for those of us familiar with her previous work. And the film is gorgeous - which is even more astonishing given the claim that he didn't light anything.

Paper Heart (Nicholas Jasenovec) - Figures crits would eat this alive while praising the fuck out of Juno, which is the actual holocaust of twee. This film is sweet and funny - and it's structure and fiction/doc meld is something to marvel at.

I am so proud of you! (Don Hertzfeldt) - His latest masterpiece, further pushing his own boundaries in both animation style, humor, and philosophical inquiry. Don is simply unmatched.

Protect You + Me. (Brady Corbet) - The best live action short I saw by the kid from Funny Games US and Mysterious Skin. Starring Daniel London from Old Joy, it's about a man, at lunch with his mother, who is riled up to the breaking point by a mysterious stranger. Dude is only 20 and was the youngest filmmaker there besides me, but fuck him because he got Darius Khondji to shoot his movie (not really, he was a really cool guy).

Hot Dog (Bill Plympton) - HIlarious as usual, the third "Dog" film follows the titular enthusiastic K9 as he tries to become a firefighter, only to eventually burn down an entire house himself.

I Love You Phillip Morris (Glenn Ficarra, John Requa) - Ever want to see Jim Carrey fuck a guy in the ass? See this movie.

Mystery Team (Derrick Comedy) - A ridiculous comedy by these guys ( http://www.youtube.com/derrickcomedy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ), which certainly isn't for all (older) tastes but I laughed. A lot.

The Carter (Adam Bhala Lough) - Not a great film by any means but who wouldn't want to spend 90 minutes behind the scenes with Lil' Wayne? If Lough was a much better filmmaker this would have been our generation's Dont Look Back.

Bronson (Nicolas Winding Refn) - Really fucked up and violent - sorta like A Clockwork Orange with more beatings.


As for my own experience, Sundance was amazing. I'm still wrapping my head around everything that happened in the last ten days. It was a whirlwind to be sure. It had it's ups and downs, but overall it couldn't have been anything but incredible. All five of our screenings were nearly full and the audience laughed their asses off. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing 500 people laugh through your movie. I met such wonderful people, from new filmmakers like me to idols I've been following for years. I saw great films and skied, met a girl I liked and drunkenly told Q'orianka Kilcher that I seriously thought The New World was one of the best movies ever made ever seriously. I'll honestly remember this experience for the rest of my life.

Here was Sundance for us in 4:20 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6LzzcypVig" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And here's "Sundance So Far" and "Sundance in Pictures" by Gavin McInnes (star of "Asshole")
http://streetbonersandtvcarnage.com/blo ... ce-so-far/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://streetbonersandtvcarnage.com/blo ... -pictures/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

chaddoli wrote:I am so proud of you! (Don Hertzfeldt) - His latest masterpiece, further pushing his own boundaries in both animation style, humor, and philosophical inquiry. Don is simply unmatched.

It made my top ten for 2008. Unbelievably good.

Glad that you had a good experience out here, Chadd. It was a pretty great festival from a fan's perspective.

Attack of the awkwardly bad acting.

Looks pretty cute to me though I can be easily swayed by things twee.

Looks twee. And was that Seth Rogen I sighted?

Now that I've picked up Scott Pilgrim, whenever I see Michael Cera I think of how he's going to be completely unable to pull off the role.
This only adds to that sense.

Maybe he has some special acting talent we've never seen and can do more than George-Michael. It seems that his on screen persona is definitely based on his awkward real life personality.

I'm not sure if he can act. I suspect they have deluded him into believing he actually is those characters.

Il Cinema Ritrovato - Cineteca di Bologna

Main site

Introduction in English

Program (pdf file)

There's a very nice Documentary Film Festival held in Yamagata, Japan every other year in October. Love of all things cinema aside, I like to go just for the English subtitles which are otherwise lacking somewhat in these parts. Sure, I can find out about the outside world in English on the Internet nowadays, but I don't get to chat about them over good Yamagata sake afterwards. Anyway, it's a good fun festival with a healthy attitude towards the "wavering boundary between 'fiction' and 'documentary'" which I like.

So, here's this year's selection. I don't know much about any of these directors but I notice Heddy Honigmann and Péter Forgács' names mentioned in good light here and at other respectable sites. If anyone's seen any of these, or would like to comment on any of the directors mentioned, please do so (I seem to recall getting no replies at all for a similar thread two years ago, maybe I'm breaking the rules by not knowing enough about the films showing? Or making a post which looks more like an advertisement than a launchpad for an exciting discussion?).

International Competition

AUTO*MATE: CZECH / Director: Martin Mareček
Because We Were Born: FRANCE, BRAZIL / Directors: Jean-Pierre Duret, Andrea Santana
Driving Men: USA / Director: Susan Mogul
Dust: GERMANY, SWITZERLAND / Director: Hartmut Bitomsky
Encirclement—Neo-Liberalism Ensnares Democracy: CANADA / Director: Richard Brouillette
The Fortress: SWITZERLAND / Director: Fernand Melgar
I am Von Höfler (Variation on Werther): HUNGARY / Director: Forgács Péter
Japan: A Story of Love and Hate: UK, JAPAN / Director: Sean Mcallister
The Lightning Testimonies: INDIA / Director: Amar Kanwar
The Mother: SWITZERLAND, FRANCE, RUSSIA / Directors: Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov
The New Rijksmuseum: THE NETHERLANDS / Director: Oeke Hoogendijk
Oblivion: THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY / Director: Heddy Honigmann
The Pier of Apolonovka: GERMANY / Director: Andrei Schwartz
RiP! A Remix Manifesto: CANADA / Director: Brett Gaylor
International Competition Jury (plus film they're showing)
Nurith Aviv(French, Israeli / From Language to Language)
Garin Nugroho(INDONESIA / A Poet Unconcealed Poetry)
Karel Vachek (CZECH REPUBLIC / Who Will Watch the Watchman?)
Wu Wenguang (CHINA / Fuck Cinema)
Yoshimasu Gozo (JAPAN / KI-SE-KI)


New Asian Currents (Competition focussing on directors from and living in Asian countries)

American Alley: Kim Dong-ryung
BILAL: Sourav Sarangi
Chronicle of an Amnesiac: Anirban Datta
SAMIA: Ammar Albeik
The Convert: Panu Aree, Kong Rithdee, Kaweenipon Ketprasit
Death of the Poet: Elif Ergezen
Crescent Moon Over the Sea: Yuli Andari M
Disorder: Huang Weikai
Doctor Ma’s Country Clinic: Cong Feng
The Fool Doesn’t Catch a Cold: Kim Kyung-man
Green Rocking Chair: Roxlee
I Wonder...: Anupama Srinivasan
The Memory of Being Here: Kawabe Ryota
This is Lebanon: Eliane Raheb
Nagai Park Elegy: Sato Leo, NDS
The Passionate Culture: Chung Kam-tong (Keith)
Spiral Staircase of Harbin: Ji Dan
Ximaojia Universe: Mao Chenyu
YURI—About Loving: Azuma Mieko
New Asian Currents Special Invitation Films:
Weabak; Stayed Out Overnight: Kim Mi-re
Seven Blind Woman Filmmakers: Mohammad Shirvani
New Asian Currents Jury:(plus film they're showing)
Shabnam Virmani (INDIA / Director and Video Activist: Journeys with Kabir)
Oki Hiroyuki (JAPAN / Director and Actionist: NA-MU)

Other programmes include:

New Docs Japan - Ten new Japanese documentaries.
Tomorrow's a Day Away - EUNIC Japan programme. Five documentaries about youth in the world today.
Against Cinema— Japan's first ever Guy Debord Retrospective. Featuring all 6 of his films.

Films About Yamagata:
Yamagata related films and documentaries. This year includes A selection of films from Honda Ishirou, "Natco Films (Films commissioned after the war for the re-education of the Japanese people including such classics as "Let's Square Dance" and "Coal Mining in UK"), and other films recently uncovered in Yamagata.
Honda Ishiro films:
Ise Shima 1949 / 20 min
Night School 1956 / 44 min
Song for a Bride 1958 / 87 min
Seniors, Juniors, Co-Workers 1959 / 89 min
The War of the Gargantuas 1966 / 88 min
Man of Aran Dir: Robert J. Flaherty / 1934 / 70 min (cited as inspiration for Ise Shima)

Islands/I Lands (One of this year's 'themes' focussed on islands and other isolated regions including a retrospective of Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's film work).
The Sorceress of Dirah Dir: Sardono W. Kusumo / 1992 / INDONESIA / Video / 39 min
Meta Ekologi Dir: Gotot Prakosa / 1979 / INDONESIA / 16mm / 14 min
Foreign Sky Dir: Kum Soni / 2005 / KOREA / Video / 70min
each film . . . an island? Dir: Kidlat Tahimik / 2009 / THE PHILIPPINES / Video
Accentuation Dir: Jane Jin Kaisen / 2004 / DENMARK, KOREA / Video / 29 min
The Place Where I Live Dir: Higa Chiaki / 2004 / JAPAN / Video / 7 min
Reflection Dir: Marutani Hajime / 2007 / JAPAN / Video / 60 min
Amami Film: In Memory of Miho-san Dir: Yoshimasu Gozo / 2008 / JAPAN / Video / 13 min
Dolce... Dir: Alexander Sokurov / 1999 / JAPAN, RUSSIA / Video / 63 min
Puppet Shaman Star Dir: Takamine Go / 2008 / JAPAN / Video / 34 min
Promised Paradise Dir: Leonard Retel Helmrich / 2006 / INDONESIA / Video / 52 min
Order Dir: Jean-Daniel Pollet / 1974 / FRANCE / 35mm / 42 min
At the End of the Arc: Yaeyama Islands Dir: Toyono Kosuke / 1964 / JAPAN / Video / 40 min
Life on the Distant Island Dir: Naeda Yasuo / 1961 / JAPAN / Video / 20 min
The Struggle of Endemic Diseases Dir: Kikuchi Shu / 1961 / JAPAN / 16mm / 27 min

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha films:
Secret Spill1974 / Video / 30 min
Mouth to Mouth 1975 / Video / 8 min
Vidéomè 1976 / Video / 3 min
Permutations 1976 / Video / 10 min
Re Dis Appearing 1977 / Video / 3 min
Passages Paysages 1977 / Video / 10 min
Exilée 1980 / 16mm, Video / 50 min


Oh, and of course, if anyone happens to be in Japan I highly recommend the festival. Everything's subbed and interpreted in English and Japanese.

*edited to add programmes

Sanjuro wrote:Japan: A Story of Love and Hate
UK, JAPAN / 2008 / English, Japanese / Color / Video / 110 min
Director: Sean Mcallister

This was shown on BBC earlier this year as part of the "Hidden Japan" season on BBC4 - details here. (The clip may not be visible outside the UK.)

I found it surprisingly intimate and rather touching in its way....

Sanjuro wrote:RiP! A Remix Manifesto
CANADA / 2008 / English / Color / Video / 86 min
Director: Brett Gaylor

US residents can download the film via a "Pay What You Want" pricing scheme at the film's official website.

stephenp wrote:

Sanjuro wrote:Japan: A Story of Love and Hate
UK, JAPAN / 2008 / English, Japanese / Color / Video / 110 min
Director: Sean Mcallister

This was shown on BBC earlier this year as part of the "Hidden Japan" season on BBC4 - details here. (The clip may not be visible outside the UK.)

I found it surprisingly intimate and rather touching in its way....

Yes, I keep getting emails from friends and family about this one about how depressing life in Yamagata seems. Seems I'm the only person not to have seen it yet. I was about to download it from somewhere, but I guess I'll wait for the festival. Will be nice to see the Japanese response to it.

Wish I could provide some first-hand account (like sharunasbresson here) but the following links maybe of interest:

Official Poster

The complete catalogue is freely available as a 10MB download (232-page .pdf file) here

Festival trailer and image galleries

The latest press releases

Finally this year winners of the DVD Awards (English-version .doc file at the bottom of the page)

Oh well, perhaps next year...

Addenda: Kristin Thompson comments and David Bordwell observes.
The (not so) average public shares some images and impressions

So there's a Guy debord retrospective playing apparently. I don't know much about him but from what I've heard it sounds like it should be interesting. Is anyone familiar with his work? I found an English translation of a book (Guy Debord) by Anselm Jappe on Google Books and was going to read through it, but maybe his films work better going in cold. I like challenging political films but does any of it make any sense any more (I wasn't around in the sixties or indeed most of the seventies), or should I at least find out what a Situationist is before I go?

Well, if it's all too much of a headache I can always escape to the Honda Ishiro retrospective. Matango - Fungus of Terror? Oh yeah.

The only one of these I've seen so far is Because We Were Born, which is good, but not great (another recent documentary, Los Hereredos, offered a more interesting take on similar material). Honigmann is always reliable, so don't miss Oblivion.

Thanks for that!
Oblivion is on my must see list.

From what I can tell, I think I'll enjoy the Peter Forgacs film too. I like the clips of his other work on the website (and Youtube) and I read an interview. He seems to be an elusive guy to track down on DVD though.
And I'll try to catch Dust too. Anyone weird enough to make a 90 minute documentary about dust has gotta be worth listening too, right?

I've heard that Dust is excellent, but it hasn't played in Los Angeles yet. Hartmut used to be head of the film program at Cal Arts.

I held the North American premiere of Susan Mogul's Driving Men at Los Angeles Filmforum. Very different from the rest, a personal doc by a long time video and performance artist. I think it's excellent as well, but I know that some others also find it a bit too, well, personal in the first ten minutes. I recommend it, but if you find it too precious or autobiographical at the start, give it time. It's a short film anyway.

I updated my first post now that the festival's a bit closer and more films have been announced. Lots of fun trying to schedule this one - the Guy Debord programme does it's best to clash with everything else (as is appropriate, I guess). Still, I think I managed to work out something that looks fun and doesn't involve too much running around.

Sanjuro wrote:The New Rijksmuseum: THE NETHERLANDS / Director: Oeke Hoogendijk

Has anyone seen this entry? There are hardly any reviews of it on IMDb. There are several positive ones on Amazon, counter-balanced by a scathingly negative one that doesn't in any obvious way appear to be written by an imbecile or raving lunatic. So I'm on the fence about buying this blind as a gift, especially since it's a touch dear for a DVD.