YES, DOCS CANNES

• by Thom Powers, May 12, 2010

On the plane to Cannes, I treated myself to John Galassco’s delightful MEMOIRS OF MONTPARNASSE recounting his glory days in 1920s Paris. “To be able to live well on very little money is the best basis for an appreciation of beauty anywhere,” wrote Galassco. That axiom is hard to apply at Cannes where prices seem skewed toward millionaires.

Yet, the festival remains a gathering place for dedicated art house purveyors. Streaming off my plane at the Nice airport, I spotted numerous familiar faces: Richard Pena, Marian Masone (Film at Lincoln Center); Anne Thompson, Eric Kohn (Indiewire); Richard Corliss (Time Magazine); Tom Quinn, Dori Begley (Magnolia); Jeff Deutchman, Lizzie Nastro (IFC Films); Sheryl Mousley (Walker Art Center); and assorted freelancers. Not to mention, Oliver Stone who has WALL STREET 2 premiering on Friday and is reportedly finishing a doc on Latin American politics called SOUTH OF THE BORDER.

Over the next eight days, I’ll join them in the hunt for cinematic treasure, darting from screenings to meetings and, yes, a few parties. Last year, my bounty included L’ENFER DE HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT from the official selection and TURTLE: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY from the concurrent market screenings - that both wound up at the Toronto International Film Festival.

In my five years of attending, the non-fiction presence has shown a steady increase, including an annual Doc Brunch now in its third year. Among the premieres I’m most anticipating are:

OVER YOUR CITIES, GRASS WILL GROW - examining the world of the artist Anselm Kiefer from director Sophie Fiennes whose collaboration with Slavoj Zizek PERVERTS GUIDE TO CINEMA I presented at TIFF in 2006.

Big Love for Mormons at STF

• by Thom Powers, May 01, 2010

Last week at STF, CLEANFLIX co-director Andrew James took questions about his documentary (made with Joshua Ligairi) examining Mormon video stores that re-edit Hollywood movies for objectionable content without consent from the makers. The co-directors were both raised within the Mormon church. James has since left while Ligairi remains a member. James said that duality brought a healthy balance in the edit room.

Given that the Mormon censors had to expose themselves to forbidden imagery - such as Kate Winslet’s naked breasts in TITANTIC - to do their job, how did they justify that?, I asked. “They were taking one for the team,” said James. He explained that ultra-conservative Mormons refused to rent “cleaned up” films since the process entailed this corrupting influence.

An audience member who identified himself as Mormon praised the film for giving a well-rounded portrayal to a culture that’s often mischaracterized. James said he wanted to dispel mythology around the religion, adding, “if you’ve met a Republican, you’ve met a Mormon.”

(Photo courtesy of EJ / Bear)

CASINO JACK, Alex Gibney & Jack Abramoff’s ex-associates for Q&A at IFC Center

• by Thom Powers, April 27, 2010

On Monday, May 3 at 8:00 pm director Alex Gibney comes to the IFC Center for a special screening of CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY. For the post-show Q&A, Gibney will be joined by three memorable characters who were entangled in the corruption scandals that sent lobbyist Jack Abramoff to jail: former Ohio congressman Bob Ney, his chief of staff Neil Volz and former business associate Adam Kidan. Buy tickets in advance before it sells out. (Please note the STF season pass is not applicable for this event).

The Sundance Film Festival wrote: “This portrait of Washington super lobbyist Jack Abramoff - from his early years as a gung-ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah - confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. A tale of international intrigue with Indian casinos, Russian spies, Chinese sweatshops, and a mob-style killing in Miami, this is the story of the way money corrupts our political process.”

CASINO JACK continues Gibney’s extraordinary directorial track record that includes Academy Award winner TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE and Academy nominee ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM. This month Gibney has a whopping three films playing at Tribeca: THE UNTITLED ELIOT SPITZER FILM; MY TRIP TO AL-QAEDA; and FREAKONOMICS.

See him live to find out whether he’s a man or myth!

Watch the CASINO JACK trailer.

Read the NY Times story about Alex Gibney, “a filmmaking pitbull without the sentimentality.”

Catching up on STF: Horses, Family Affair, The Kids Grow Up

• by Raphaela Neihausen, April 22, 2010

With a new festival (www.DOCNYC.net) and a new baby (pictured on left), we’ve fallen a bit behind with our usually prompt blogging! Better late than never, here’s a quick recap of the last two weeks at STF.

Last week was a double header of Liz Mermin’s HORSES and Chico Colvard’s FAMILY AFFAIR.  This week we had family night of a different sort with Doug Block’s THE KIDS GROW UP.  Below are photos from all three evenings.

HORSES:

Thom Powers with director Liz Mermin.

Kimberly Reed (director of PRODIGAL SONS) and Ann Rose (Sundance Channel).

Kristi Jacobson (director of TOOTS), Thom Powers and sound editor Margaret Crimmins.

Filmmaker Hemal Trivedi with a friend.

FAMILY AFFAIR:

Directors Chico Colvard (FAMILY AFFAIR) and Doug Block (THE KIDS GROW UP)

Chico Colvard joined by editor Larry Silk and his wife.

L to R: Chico Colvard, directors Lucia Small and Dia Sokol, editor Garret Savage (MY PERESTROIKA - showing at STF on May 18)

THE KIDS GROW UP:

Director Doug Block with his wife (and film subject) Marjorie Silver.

Q&A - Thom Powers, Marjorie Silver, Doug Block and Josh Silver (Marjorie’s son)

Sound editor Margaret Crimmins and producer of THE KIDS GROW UP Lori Cheatle

Raphaela Neihausen with STF’s youngest passholder Bez Powers Neihausen.

Bez was hynpotized by the IFC lobby’s screen.

Nurse from Lenox Hill (missed her name!), producer Lori Cheatle and STF passholder / filmmaker Theresa Loong.

Filmmaker Judith Helfand (A HEALTHY BABY GIRL) and film professor at Hunter Kelly Anderson

Related Film/Screening:
THE KIDS GROW UP by Doug Block

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Soderbergh kicks off STF’s spring season

• by Raphaela Neihausen, April 10, 2010

Steven Soderbergh took center stage for STF’s Opening Night presentation of his new documentary AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE about the monologuist Spalding Gray. Soderbergh was joined in the Q&A by his editor Susan Littenberg, producer Amy Hobby and Gray’s widow Kathie Russo.

Soderbergh said he instantly agreed to the project when Russo proposed it. When the production took longer than anticipated, he bought it back from the original investors and plans for a small theatrical release in the fall.

Combing through 90 hours of archival material, the film team made a choice to only use pre-existing material and not shoot any new interviews. Soderbergh said he couldn’t imagine any fresh way to shoot new interviews. “After Errol Morris, what else can you do?” he said.

The film makes memorable use of an interview that Gray gave in 2001 during the filming of Barbara Kopple’s doc about the Hamptons. Kopple and one of her editors Jean Tsien were in the STF audience that included other notable film figures including Doug Liman, Elvis Mitchell and Gary Winick.

For more about the film, see Anthony Kaufman’s blog. 

(Top photo courtesy of EJ; additional photos below courtesy of Joshua Z Weinstein)

L to R: Amy Hobby, Kathie Russo, Thom Powers, Steven Soderbergh, Susan Littenberg

STF passholder Yoni Brook chats with Steven Soderbergh at the post-film reception.

Laure Parsons joins Doug Block and his wife Marjorie (Doug’s new film THE KIDS GROW UP shows at STF on April 14)

Susan Littenberg, editor of AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE, and Jean Tsien, an editor on Barbara Kopple’s “The Hamptons” discuss the “howling dog footage.”

Related Film/Screening:
AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE by Steven Soderbergh

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