Sundance Doc Report #3: Joan Rivers, Freedom Riders, Bansky

• by Thom Powers, January 28, 2010

[In her first dispatch, STF passholder Melissa Hibbard wrote about Sundance docs HIS & HERS and SECRETS OF THE TRIBE; and in her second about SPACE TOURISTS and THE RED CHAPEL. Now she dives back in for this report filed on Jan 26]:

So, first I have to say that for those of you who are filmmakers, if you haven’t been to Sundance without a film, or any festival for that matter, I encourage you to attend.  It’s a great experience to attend a festival without the pressure to sell your film, yourself or your next project. 
Today my head is whirling with images of aging comics, freedom fighters and graffiti artists.  I started the day with JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK by powerhouse directors Ricki Stem and Annie Sundberg [pictured in Q and A].  I went in expecting not to like the film; I’m not a big fan of celebrity docs.  But I have to say it was thoroughly entertaining. And more than just being entertaining, it was a revealing look into the insecurities, obsessions and fears that propel great talent to stardom.  For the Q and A, Joan Rivers surprised audiences with an appearance and took questions from fans.  Popping one joke after the next, she thanked the gay community for their endless support, encouraged young women comics to keep pushing boundaries and insulted the locals.  She even confirmed a rumor that she has collections of ashes from all her dear friends who have died.  When someone in the audience gasped, she reassured them that the ashes were resting peacefully in small Louis Vuitton cases.

Can anyone say, “The buses are a’coming”? Stanley Nelson captures the flowering of the civil rights movement in his historical documentary FREEDOM RIDERS, about an integrated band of college students—many of whom were the first in their families to attend a university—who decide to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South.  It’s a beautifully told story that combines archival footage and interviews in a way that takes you right into the heart of the events that transformed America.  Audiences were captivated and sniffles could be heard through out.  At times that songs were sung in the film, you could hear murmurs from the audiences who were humming along. At the end, the filmmakers and 2 freedom riders who attended the Q and A got three standing ovations, and deservedly so.  It’s a poignant film for the times that encourages people to get out there and make a difference.

Then I made a run for a last minute addition to the line up, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, by the infamous graffiti artist, Banksy, who actually left his mark on Main Street in the middle of the night before the film was announced. The film takes on a lot: Banksy himself, the art of graffiti, Terry Guetta – who’s been documenting graffiti artists for almost a decade and becomes the subject of the film – and an expose on the art world with it’s mid-altering mix of hot air and hype.  I’m a big fan of Banksy so it was exciting to see a film about him work and even more so to witness the art in person that’s decorating the walls of Main Street, and causing a bit of controversy as well. 

Banksy hits a local Part City wall on Main Street, stirring up controversy ahead of his documentary premiere, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

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Sundance Doc Report #2

• by Thom Powers, January 25, 2010

[Melissa Hibbard follows her first Sundance report with this new post filed on January 24]

First of all, congratulations to Thom and Raphaela on the birth of their son, Bez.

With the snow still piling up all over town, I woke up early and stood in the wait list line to see SPACE TOURISTS, a science fiction-esque documentary directed by Christian Frei. The film, which explores the impact of space tourism on the heavens and the earth, seemed very much like a homage to the great Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky.  It’s beautiful images, moody dialogue and slow paced editing transports the viewer to the uncomfortable spaces of the old Soviet Union where space tourist are funding the continued exploration of the stars. It’s the kind of film I love to watch: sparse dialogue, stunning landscapes, and a gorgeous soundtrack composed by Jan Garbarek , Steve Teich and Edward Artemyev (who was the composer on some of Takovsky’s more sci-fi films including Stalker and Solaris)  For the Q and A, Frei was there along with the protagonist of the film, Anousheh Ansari [pictured], the first woman space tourist who paid more that 20 million dollars to make her childhood dream of going to space a reality.  Most of the questions were directed to Ansari who answered questions ranging from “What were the after effects on your body?”  to “Was it really worth that much money?” I loved Ansari’s reply: “How do you put a price tag on a dream.”

Born Yesterday: STF welcomes Bez Powers Neihausen

• by Thom Powers, January 24, 2010

While much of the documentary world was distracted by the Sundance Film Festival, Stranger Than Fiction stealthily announced the new talent acquisition of Bez Powers Neihausen, a manchild born on Jan 23, 2010 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. The deal was handled by STF executive director Raphaela Neihausen in a negotiation that began at 5:30 am and was concluded at 3:55 pm.

“Bez demonstrates that the year’s best discoveries aren’t necessarily happening in Park City,” said STF artistic director Thom Powers, who fathered the deal.

The infant is named after Raphaela’s paternal grandfather Bezalel Neihausen.

“We’ve been strategizing on this acquisition for a long time,” said Powers, “and Raphaela was nothing short of heroic in the final push to get it completed.” During the intense negotiations, she was heard to make profuse and uncharacteristic use of profanity. She shocked onlookers by declining drugs. “I guess THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN made an impression on her,” said Powers.

Rumors of a new STF acquisition began swirling a week ago at the Cinema Eye Honors where Raphaela appeared in a gag video looking very pregnant. Discussion escalated at the Jan 19 STF Q&A of RUNNING FENCE where filmmaker Albert Maysles expressed his long held desire to film a childbirth. He was hoping to sell the footage as a Kleenex commercial. Gesturing to the STF audience, he noted, “there’s a pregnant woman in the audience tonight.”

“That’s my wife,” said Powers, the moderator. In subsequent days, industry observers speculated over potential filming of the event. “Maysles or [Fred] Wiseman?” asked Dustin Smith of Roadside Attractions. “If you go with Wiseman, that labor would be crazy long.”

Ultimately, the deal remained shrouded in privacy due to Lenox Hill’s policy of no video-taping. “When it comes to family documentation,” Powers said, “we’re not ready to compete with Doug Block or Nina Davenport.”

Sorry, Al.

Raphaela with super doula Meghan Mahar (of Birthday Presence), in between contractions. It wasn’t always this pretty. In fact, you could say this photo is grossly misleading.

Bez Powers Neihausen, a few minutes after signing on with STF.

Powers discusses Bez’s future role in STF.

I love this woman!

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Sundance Doc Report #1

• by Thom Powers, January 24, 2010

[STF is pleased to have passholder Melissa Hibbard pounding the slushy pavement in Park City to bring back eyewitness news. Here is her first report filed on January 23.]

Last year I had a film at Sundance in the World Documentary Competition, THE GLASS HOUSE.  I have to say it was fantastic, one of the best festival experiences of my filmmaking career.  I am excited to be back, this year on behalf of Stranger than Fiction, one of my all time favorite screening venues.

First on my list, HIS AND HERS by director Ken Wardrop [pictured].  This beautiful cinematic mosaic tells a love story through the collective voice of 76 ladies from birth until the end of her life. There’s an innocence and simplicity in the storytelling that leaves a smile on your face as the credits roll.  During the Q and A, Ken who charmed his audience – especially the ladies – with his boyish charisma, said that his own mother was the inspiration for making the film.  And while he went on to say that this is the story of Irish women, I think most people in the audience agreed that this was a universal story of women and their relationships to the men in their lives: father boyfriends, husbands and sons.

Then I made my way to SECRETS OF THE TRIBE by José Padilha [known for his film BUS 174].  This well-crafted investigative documentary puts the entire field of anthropology under fire regarding the scandalous investigation into the research on Yanomami Indians in the Venezuelan rain forest during the 1960s and ’70s.  I wasn’t sure what to expect from a documentary about anthropologists, but I have to say, Padilha delivered.  With every passing minute the story gets weirder and weirder, ranging from bitter academics attacking each other to accusations of pedophilia to top-secret government biological experiments. Padilha didn’t make it to Sundance but producer Mike Chamberlain did.  (It was his birthday and the audience broke out in an impromptu “Happy Birthday” – got to love Sundance audiences.)  He brought with him three of the anthropologists for the Q and A to answer questions, but the story is so twisted that I think audiences left the theater asking, “What the…?”

Albert Maysles’ visits STF with RUNNING FENCE

• by Raphaela Neihausen, January 21, 2010

Although I always enjoy STF greatly, once in a while there are evenings that are tinged with some additional inspiration and magic.  That’s how I would describe last Tuesday’s screening of RUNNING FENCE (1978).  Co-presented with the Maysles Cinema, the evening began with a moving intro by STF curator Thom Powers who mentioned that RUNNING FENCE was extra poignant to him now that two of its central people had passed away: David Maysles (Albert’s brother and collaborator) and Jeanne-Claude (Cristo’s partner and collaborator).  He also pointed out that the Eagles’ song “Take It To The Limit” which features prominently in RUNNING FENCE was played at David’s memorial service in 1987 - with not a dry eye in the entire room. 

The film itself is a pure joy to behold: a classic cinema-verite capturing of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s building a 24-mile white fabric fence over the hills of California into the Pacific. This film is one in a larger series of Maysles’ documentaries on these artists’ various public exhibitions - the most recent of which was THE GATES in NY’s Central Park.

The sold-out theater stayed put to hear Maysles interviewed after the film.  Although I’ve heard him speak various time, I am always struck anew by his childlike enthusiasm and purity of purpose.  I find both of these traits infectious and inspiring.  Maysles began by noting that he is now 82 years old, yet he still has 10 or 12 projects that he is working on.  He also stressed how important it is to make films about the “good” of life and that well-executed cinema can sometimes bring you closer to the event than even being there.  For a more detailed summary of the Q&A, visit the Film Panel Notetaker’s blog here.

Below are pictures from the post-show reception at Alibil Lounge.  I confess that I had to leave the bar around midnight, but from what STF insiders report, Albert shut down the bar! Why am I not surprised?
(Photos courtesy of STF house photographer Joshua Z Weinstein)

Albert Maysles holding a captive audience at Alibi Lounge.

Director Nicole Opper (OFF AND RUNNING, opens at the IFC Center on Jan. 29) challenging STF passholder and filmmaker Yoni Brook (BRONX PRINCESS, A SON’S SACRIFICE) at arm-wrestling.

L to R: Director Kimberly Reed (PRODIGAL SONS) with STF passholders editor Anne Chechler (SISTERS IN RESISTANCE, BOUND BY PROMISES), filmmaker Emily Branham (BEBE DOCUMENTARY) and filmmaker Jonathan Goodman Levitt (SUNNY INTERVALS AND SHOWERS, FOLLOW THE LEADER).

More STF passholders: filmmakers Hemal Trivedi and Cathryne Czubeck, with director Ngawang Choephel (TIBET IN SONG, closing night film of STF Spring 09).

L to R: Film publicist Sylvia Savadjian, filmmaker Hugo Perez (NEITHER MEMORY NOR MAGIC, SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON) and blogger Brian Geldin (Film Panel Notetaker).

Filmmaker and Garrett Scott Grant Recipient Rebecca Richman Cohen (WAR DON DON) with Deidre Mask.

Architect Armand Graham, artist William Lamson (you may remember his work from STF’s WHOLPHIN night or his larger-than-life paper airplane that served as an STF trailer) and their friend Dan Barry.

Cinematographer Sam Henriques (NURSERY UNIVERSITY, THE GOOD SOLDIER) with director Larry Locke (ACCIDENTAL MAYOR, PIN GODS).

My dear friend all the way back from our college days, STF passholder Courtney Erwin (Chief of Staff and Director of Programs for the Cordoba Initiative) with moi.

STF passholder and filmmaker Hemal Trivedi outside the IFC Center (great street shot, Josh!).

A very camera-shy STF passholder Maya Corneille with a friend.

L to R: A lady whose name I didn’t catch, STF passholder and editor Jean Tsien (PLEASE VOTE FOR ME and next week’s STF film THE BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD) with director Nicole Opper (OFF AND RUNNING).

Mr. and Mrs. Stranger comparing bumps.

Related Film/Screening:
RUNNING FENCE by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin

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