[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.
[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.”
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.
[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…?”
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.
[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]:
[Melissa Hibbard follows her 
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.
[STF is pleased to have passholder 
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