list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Intimidad on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Intimidad/365119/default.aspx Title: Intimidad
Year: 2008
Director: Ashley Sabin
Plot: An ordinary couple's dream of building a better life for themselves and their family proves to be a hard road to travel in this documentary by filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin. Camilo Ramirez and his wife Cecy are only 21, but they're old enough to know there isn't much of a future in Santa Maria, Puebla, the small town where they were born and raised. Camilo and Cecy have a young daughter and they want to be able to buy a house and some land to give their child a proper home, so they move to Reynosa, a larger city near the American border where they can get better paying jobs and save towards a down payment. With Cecy working in a garment factory and Camilo laboring in a plant building fire hydrants, they won't have the time to look after their baby, so they leave her at home with family. In time, Cecy can barely stand to be away from her daughter, and when she learns her father is seriously ill, she does go back to Santa Maria to look after them both. Meanwhile, Camilo stays on in Reynosa, working long hours in hopes of raising the cash to buy a home that will keep his small family together. Intimidad received its world premiere at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 11
Number of Lists: 1
Number of blog posts: 15
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:01:21 GMTIntimidad2008Ashley SabinAn ordinary couple's dream of building a better life for themselves and their family proves to be a hard road to travel in this documentary by filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin. Camilo Ramirez and his wife Cecy are only 21, but they're old enough to know there isn't much of a future in Santa Maria, Puebla, the small town where they were born and raised. Camilo and Cecy have a young daughter and they want to be able to buy a house and some land to give their child a proper home, so they move to Reynosa, a larger city near the American border where they can get better paying jobs and save towards a down payment. With Cecy working in a garment factory and Camilo laboring in a plant building fire hydrants, they won't have the time to look after their baby, so they leave her at home with family. In time, Cecy can barely stand to be away from her daughter, and when she learns her father is seriously ill, she does go back to Santa Maria to look after them both. Meanwhile, Camilo stays on in Reynosa, working long hours in hopes of raising the cash to buy a home that will keep his small family together. Intimidad received its world premiere at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide11Tag Target (>10)115http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s365119.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Intimidad/365119/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/12/16/38464.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 12/16/2008 4:01:21 PM
Body: I recently submitted a ballot for indieWIRE’s annual Critics’ Poll, which offers respondents a chance to create two separate lists of the best films of the year: one comprised of films which received theatrical distribution (which is described as, at minimum, a one week run in a commercial theater in New York City, essentially the same type of release required for Oscar consideration); and a list of the best films which weren’t distributed commercially in 2008––ie: those which screened only at festivals, and/or in other non-commercial venues, and/or outside of New York. Because I see so many films at festivals, I had a far greater pool of candidates for the latter list than the former. My “true” top ten list would combine films which were made readily available to audiences via studio subsidiaries (such as Synecdoche, NY and Rachel Getting Married), with films that I fell in love with at a festival and may never get a chance to see again, and with films which had the bare minimum New York release, but nevertheless were probably still seen by fewer people than the average distributor-less festival hit (such as Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness). That said, I understand the purpose of making the distinction––even if there was no other benefit to it, there’s always the hope that some smaller theatrical and straight-to-DVD distributors will look to the annual Best Undistributed list as a reference to films they might have missed. After all, 2007’s “winner,” Hong Sang Soo’s Woman on the Beach, was purchased and ended up in theaters barely a week into the new year. In fact, I think singling out films which are still on the market, and in a perfect world wouldn’t be, is so worth doing, that not only am I revealing here the ten titles I included in the poll, but I’m adding a few bonus films. The following list is presented alphabetically and should be considered unranked, with the exception of the first title mentioned — they all deserve to be seen by wider audiences, but the reception thus far bestowed on the work of one French master in particular is actually a travesty. Frontier of Dawn, directed by Phillipe Garrel Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: Sao Paulo, Mar Del Plata Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A story of amour gone so fou that the natural world becomes subject to the supernatural. Hands down the most accessible Garrel film I’ve seen, it’s still a strange, swoony, genre-bending challenge.” 35 Rhums, directed by Claire Denis Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: Venice Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Rather shockingly, the new Claire Denis film is also a bittersweet family movie, and the work you put into it early on is paid back in surprisingly tender dividends.” The Burrowers, directed by J.T. Petty Reviewed at Fantastic Fest Other notable Festivals: Toronto, Screamfest. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Beautifully shot and tightly scripted, it’s the rare Hollywood genre film (bought and paid for by Lionsgate) that’s more concerned with human relationships and behavior than the mysterious supernatural forces that sets the action in motion.” Worth noting:  Lionsgate originally planned a theatrical release, but announced a couple of days ago that come April 2009, they’re dumping it to DVD. For a film that looks this good on a big screen, this is equivalent to it not being distributed at all. Everything is Fine, directed by Yves Christian Fournier Reviewed in the market at Cannes Notable festivals: Berlinale, Seattle International (where it won the New Directors Showcase Competition. Grand Jury Prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “With a strong sense of style and an especially inventive feel for sound design, first-time feature director Yves Christian Fournier manages to turn the story of the inner conflict of a 17 year-old boy into something almost resembling a thriller, with a final act catharsis that left several of us in the screening room in tears.” Finally, Lillian and Dan, directed by Mike Gibisser Reviewed at CineVegas Other notable festivals: AFI Los Angeles, Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “The mumbling here is so stylized and disturbed that it’s like a precision bomb against the twee subtleties explored by other contemporary filmmakers––it’s more like Tourettescore. But there’s also a tenderness here, and lofty aesthetic ambitions underpinned with authentic melancholy. It’s a heartbreaker.” Forbidden Lies, directed by Anna Broinowski Reviewed at True/False Other notable festivals: SilverDocs, Aljazeera Film Festival (where it won the Golden Award) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Broinowski’s fabrications hardly undermine the film’s integrity––in fact, it’s through the melding of form and content that Broinowski both delivers her most potent commentary on the Khouri clusterfuck, and provides the film with some of its most crowd-pleasing moments.” Go Go Tales, directed by Abel Ferrara Reviewed at NYFF 2007 Other notable festivals: Cannes 2007, CineVegas 2008 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Go Go Tales is probably the most lovingly photographed stripper movie of all time, but it’s most exciting in the friction it finds between the gaga dream gaze of the patrons, and the behind-the-scenes scrambling that supports it.” Worth noting: Though Go Go Tales was rumored to have been acquired concurrent with its New York Film Festival debut in the fall of 2007, an official announcement was never made, and since the film then popped up in the sidebar for undistributed pictures at CIneVegas this past summer, I guess it’s still available…? Intimidad, directed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: AFI Dallas, Sidewalk (where it won Best Documentary), Denver, Sarasota Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “At times, when [its subjects] crumble under the stress of their situation, Intimidad offers moments of genuine emotion that are miles removed from the score-saturated tear-jerking money shots that mark generic issue docs.” Worth noting: Intimidad had two screenings at MoMA this fall, which wasn’t enough to qualify for indieWIRE’s theatrical list, and thus it earned a spot on my undistributed list. But the filmmakers are releasing Intimidad on DVD in 2009, via their Carnivalesque Films label. La Vie Moderne, directed by Raymond Depardon Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: None that I recognize; after theatrical runs in France and Belgium, it opens in the Netherlands and the UK in Spring 2009 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Depardon’s style of inquiry certainly requires more of an investment from his audience than fans of contemporary crowd-pleaser non-fiction might be used to, but it’s an investment that pays off. Where coarser filmmakers approach their subjects with laser-guided precision, essentially turning each question rhetorical, Depardon simply sets up a camera and has a conversation.” Prince of Broadway, directed by Sean Baker Seen at Woodstock Other notable festivals: LAFF (where it won the grand prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: Dardennes comparisons are flying around fast and furious of late, but no joke: Sean Baker’s follow-up to Take Out––shot on location in Manhattan’s wholesale district for a low-mid five figure budget, using virtually all non-professional actors––is Three Men and a Baby meets L’enfant. It’s a genuinely independent crowd-pleaser that never panders. Sita Sings the Blues, directed by Nina Paley Reviewed at Tribeca Other notable festivals: Berlinale. Denver. Winner of the Not Coming to a Theater Near You award at the Gothams. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A strange and beautiful little film, a potentially wispy slice of autobiography smartly elevated through irresistible, orgiastic style.” Worth noting: As of this writing, Paley *can’t* distribute her film, because she’s still negotiating the right to use the recordings of Annette Hanshaw which comprise the bulk of the film’s soundtrack. Treeless Mountain, directed by So Yong Kim Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: None, as far as I know Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “An autobiographical feature about two tiny girls sent to live with distant relatives by their caring but insolvent mother, Treeless Mountain is a sparse but incredibly moving film about love turning to longing turning to resentment,…Hands down, the thing that makes Mountain a Toronto must-see is the performances, which are all the more impressive considering the fact that the film’s two young stars are non-actors.” Voy a Explotar, directed by Gerardo Naranjo Reviewed at NYFF Other notable festivals: Toronto, Venice, Thessaloniki Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “It’s the rare love letter to influence that’s infused with enough personal style and sentiment to transform the stolen into something thrilling and moving.” Yeast, directed by Mary Bronstein Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: Sarasota, IFFB, St. Louis (where it won the New Filmmakers Forum competition) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Even fans of Frownland (which Bronstein starred in under the direction of her husband Ronald) may not be ready for Yeast’s full-on assault on the senses. This is a film that not only seeks to dodge the audience’s comfort zone, but it actually, actively mocks it.” Worth noting: Yeast went straight from the festival circuit to Amazon VOD. I’m not sure if that counts as “undistributed”, but it definitely went without a theatrical release. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:01:21 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog12/16/2008 4:01:21 PM I recently submitted a ballot for indieWIRE’s annual Critics’ Poll, which offers respondents a chance to create two separate lists of the best films of the year: one comprised of films which received theatrical distribution (which is described as, at minimum, a one week run in a commercial theater in New York City, essentially the same type of release required for Oscar consideration); and a list of the best films which weren’t distributed commercially in 2008––ie: those which screened only at festivals, and/or in other non-commercial venues, and/or outside of New York. Because I see so many films at festivals, I had a far greater pool of candidates for the latter list than the former. My “true” top ten list would combine films which were made readily available to audiences via studio subsidiaries (such as Synecdoche, NY and Rachel Getting Married), with films that I fell in love with at a festival and may never get a chance to see again, and with films which had the bare minimum New York release, but nevertheless were probably still seen by fewer people than the average distributor-less festival hit (such as Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness). That said, I understand the purpose of making the distinction––even if there was no other benefit to it, there’s always the hope that some smaller theatrical and straight-to-DVD distributors will look to the annual Best Undistributed list as a reference to films they might have missed. After all, 2007’s “winner,” Hong Sang Soo’s Woman on the Beach, was purchased and ended up in theaters barely a week into the new year. In fact, I think singling out films which are still on the market, and in a perfect world wouldn’t be, is so worth doing, that not only am I revealing here the ten titles I included in the poll, but I’m adding a few bonus films. The following list is presented alphabetically and should be considered unranked, with the exception of the first title mentioned — they all deserve to be seen by wider audiences, but the reception thus far bestowed on the work of one French master in particular is actually a travesty. Frontier of Dawn, directed by Phillipe Garrel Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: Sao Paulo, Mar Del Plata Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A story of amour gone so fou that the natural world becomes subject to the supernatural. Hands down the most accessible Garrel film I’ve seen, it’s still a strange, swoony, genre-bending challenge.” 35 Rhums, directed by Claire Denis Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: Venice Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Rather shockingly, the new Claire Denis film is also a bittersweet family movie, and the work you put into it early on is paid back in surprisingly tender dividends.” The Burrowers, directed by J.T. Petty Reviewed at Fantastic Fest Other notable Festivals: Toronto, Screamfest. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Beautifully shot and tightly scripted, it’s the rare Hollywood genre film (bought and paid for by Lionsgate) that’s more concerned with human relationships and behavior than the mysterious supernatural forces that sets the action in motion.” Worth noting:  Lionsgate originally planned a theatrical release, but announced a couple of days ago that come April 2009, they’re dumping it to DVD. For a film that looks this good on a big screen, this is equivalent to it not being distributed at all. Everything is Fine, directed by Yves Christian Fournier Reviewed in the market at Cannes Notable festivals: Berlinale, Seattle International (where it won the New Directors Showcase Competition. Grand Jury Prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “With a strong sense of style and an especially inventive feel for sound design, first-time feature director Yves Christian Fournier manages to turn the story of the inner conflict of a 17 year-old boy into something almost resembling a thriller, with a final act catharsis that left several of us in the screening room in tears.” Finally, Lillian and Dan, directed by Mike Gibisser Reviewed at CineVegas Other notable festivals: AFI Los Angeles, Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “The mumbling here is so stylized and disturbed that it’s like a precision bomb against the twee subtleties explored by other contemporary filmmakers––it’s more like Tourettescore. But there’s also a tenderness here, and lofty aesthetic ambitions underpinned with authentic melancholy. It’s a heartbreaker.” Forbidden Lies, directed by Anna Broinowski Reviewed at True/False Other notable festivals: SilverDocs, Aljazeera Film Festival (where it won the Golden Award) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Broinowski’s fabrications hardly undermine the film’s integrity––in fact, it’s through the melding of form and content that Broinowski both delivers her most potent commentary on the Khouri clusterfuck, and provides the film with some of its most crowd-pleasing moments.” Go Go Tales, directed by Abel Ferrara Reviewed at NYFF 2007 Other notable festivals: Cannes 2007, CineVegas 2008 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Go Go Tales is probably the most lovingly photographed stripper movie of all time, but it’s most exciting in the friction it finds between the gaga dream gaze of the patrons, and the behind-the-scenes scrambling that supports it.” Worth noting: Though Go Go Tales was rumored to have been acquired concurrent with its New York Film Festival debut in the fall of 2007, an official announcement was never made, and since the film then popped up in the sidebar for undistributed pictures at CIneVegas this past summer, I guess it’s still available…? Intimidad, directed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: AFI Dallas, Sidewalk (where it won Best Documentary), Denver, Sarasota Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “At times, when [its subjects] crumble under the stress of their situation, Intimidad offers moments of genuine emotion that are miles removed from the score-saturated tear-jerking money shots that mark generic issue docs.” Worth noting: Intimidad had two screenings at MoMA this fall, which wasn’t enough to qualify for indieWIRE’s theatrical list, and thus it earned a spot on my undistributed list. But the filmmakers are releasing Intimidad on DVD in 2009, via their Carnivalesque Films label. La Vie Moderne, directed by Raymond Depardon Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: None that I recognize; after theatrical runs in France and Belgium, it opens in the Netherlands and the UK in Spring 2009 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Depardon’s style of inquiry certainly requires more of an investment from his audience than fans of contemporary crowd-pleaser non-fiction might be used to, but it’s an investment that pays off. Where coarser filmmakers approach their subjects with laser-guided precision, essentially turning each question rhetorical, Depardon simply sets up a camera and has a conversation.” Prince of Broadway, directed by Sean Baker Seen at Woodstock Other notable festivals: LAFF (where it won the grand prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: Dardennes comparisons are flying around fast and furious of late, but no joke: Sean Baker’s follow-up to Take Out––shot on location in Manhattan’s wholesale district for a low-mid five figure budget, using virtually all non-professional actors––is Three Men and a Baby meets L’enfant. It’s a genuinely independent crowd-pleaser that never panders. Sita Sings the Blues, directed by Nina Paley Reviewed at Tribeca Other notable festivals: Berlinale. Denver. Winner of the Not Coming to a Theater Near You award at the Gothams. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A strange and beautiful little film, a potentially wispy slice of autobiography smartly elevated through irresistible, orgiastic style.” Worth noting: As of this writing, Paley *can’t* distribute her film, because she’s still negotiating the right to use the recordings of Annette Hanshaw which comprise the bulk of the film’s soundtrack. Treeless Mountain, directed by So Yong Kim Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: None, as far as I know Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “An autobiographical feature about two tiny girls sent to live with distant relatives by their caring but insolvent mother, Treeless Mountain is a sparse but incredibly moving film about love turning to longing turning to resentment,…Hands down, the thing that makes Mountain a Toronto must-see is the performances, which are all the more impressive considering the fact that the film’s two young stars are non-actors.” Voy a Explotar, directed by Gerardo Naranjo Reviewed at NYFF Other notable festivals: Toronto, Venice, Thessaloniki Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “It’s the rare love letter to influence that’s infused with enough personal style and sentiment to transform the stolen into something thrilling and moving.” Yeast, directed by Mary Bronstein Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: Sarasota, IFFB, St. Louis (where it won the New Filmmakers Forum competition) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Even fans of Frownland (which Bronstein starred in under the direction of her husband Ronald) may not be ready for Yeast’s full-on assault on the senses. This is a film that not only seeks to dodge the audience’s comfort zone, but it actually, actively mocks it.” Worth noting: Yeast went straight from the festival circuit to Amazon VOD. I’m not sure if that counts as “undistributed”, but it definitely went without a theatrical release. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/12/16/38463.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 12/16/2008 4:01:08 PM
Body: I recently submitted a ballot for indieWIRE’s annual Critics’ Poll, which offers respondents a chance to create two separate lists of the best films of the year: one comprised of films which received theatrical distribution (which is described as, at minimum, a one week run in a commercial theater in New York City, essentially the same type of release required for Oscar consideration); and a list of the best films which weren’t distributed commercially in 2008––ie: those which screened only at festivals, and/or in other non-commercial venues, and/or outside of New York. Because I see so many films at festivals, I had a far greater pool of candidates for the latter list than the former. My “true” top ten list would combine films which were made readily available to audiences via studio subsidiaries (such as Synecdoche, NY and Rachel Getting Married), with films that I fell in love with at a festival and may never get a chance to see again, and with films which had the bare minimum New York release, but nevertheless were probably still seen by fewer people than the average distributor-less festival hit (such as Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness). That said, I understand the purpose of making the distinction––even if there was no other benefit to it, there’s always the hope that some smaller theatrical and straight-to-DVD distributors will look to the annual Best Undistributed list as a reference to films they might have missed. After all, 2007’s “winner,” Hong Sang Soo’s Woman on the Beach, was purchased and ended up in theaters barely a week into the new year. In fact, I think singling out films which are still on the market, and in a perfect world wouldn’t be, is so worth doing, that not only am I revealing here the ten titles I included in the poll, but I’m adding a few bonus films. The following list is presented alphabetically and should be considered unranked, with the exception of the first title mentioned — they all deserve to be seen by wider audiences, but the reception thus far bestowed on the work of one French master in particular is actually a travesty. Frontier of Dawn, directed by Phillipe Garrel Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: Sao Paulo, Mar Del Plata Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A story of amour gone so fou that the natural world becomes subject to the supernatural. Hands down the most accessible Garrel film I’ve seen, it’s still a strange, swoony, genre-bending challenge.” 35 Rhums, directed by Claire Denis Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: Venice Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Rather shockingly, the new Claire Denis film is also a bittersweet family movie, and the work you put into it early on is paid back in surprisingly tender dividends.” The Burrowers, directed by J.T. Petty Reviewed at Fantastic Fest Other notable Festivals: Toronto, Screamfest. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Beautifully shot and tightly scripted, it’s the rare Hollywood genre film (bought and paid for by Lionsgate) that’s more concerned with human relationships and behavior than the mysterious supernatural forces that sets the action in motion.” Worth noting:  Lionsgate originally planned a theatrical release, but announced a couple of days ago that come April 2009, they’re dumping it to DVD. For a film that looks this good on a big screen, this is equivalent to it not being distributed at all. Everything is Fine, directed by Yves Christian Fournier Reviewed in the market at Cannes Notable festivals: Berlinale, Seattle International (where it won the New Directors Showcase Competition. Grand Jury Prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “With a strong sense of style and an especially inventive feel for sound design, first-time feature director Yves Christian Fournier manages to turn the story of the inner conflict of a 17 year-old boy into something almost resembling a thriller, with a final act catharsis that left several of us in the screening room in tears.” Finally, Lillian and Dan, directed by Mike Gibisser Reviewed at CineVegas Other notable festivals: AFI Los Angeles, Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “The mumbling here is so stylized and disturbed that it’s like a precision bomb against the twee subtleties explored by other contemporary filmmakers––it’s more like Tourettescore. But there’s also a tenderness here, and lofty aesthetic ambitions underpinned with authentic melancholy. It’s a heartbreaker.” Forbidden Lies, directed by Anna Broinowski Reviewed at True/False Other notable festivals: SilverDocs, Aljazeera Film Festival (where it won the Golden Award) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Broinowski’s fabrications hardly undermine the film’s integrity––in fact, it’s through the melding of form and content that Broinowski both delivers her most potent commentary on the Khouri clusterfuck, and provides the film with some of its most crowd-pleasing moments.” Go Go Tales, directed by Abel Ferrara Reviewed at NYFF 2007 Other notable festivals: Cannes 2007, CineVegas 2008 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Go Go Tales is probably the most lovingly photographed stripper movie of all time, but it’s most exciting in the friction it finds between the gaga dream gaze of the patrons, and the behind-the-scenes scrambling that supports it.” Worth noting: Though Go Go Tales was rumored to have been acquired concurrent with its New York Film Festival debut in the fall of 2007, an official announcement was never made, and since the film then popped up in the sidebar for undistributed pictures at CIneVegas this past summer, I guess it’s still available…? Intimidad, directed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: AFI Dallas, Sidewalk (where it won Best Documentary), Denver, Sarasota Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “At times, when [its subjects] crumble under the stress of their situation, Intimidad offers moments of genuine emotion that are miles removed from the score-saturated tear-jerking money shots that mark generic issue docs.” Worth noting: Intimidad had two screenings at MoMA this fall, which wasn’t enough to qualify for indieWIRE’s theatrical list, and thus it earned a spot on my undistributed list. But the filmmakers are releasing Intimidad on DVD in 2009, via their Carnivalesque Films label. La Vie Moderne, directed by Raymond Depardon Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: None that I recognize; after theatrical runs in France and Belgium, it opens in the Netherlands and the UK in Spring 2009 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Depardon’s style of inquiry certainly requires more of an investment from his audience than fans of contemporary crowd-pleaser non-fiction might be used to, but it’s an investment that pays off. Where coarser filmmakers approach their subjects with laser-guided precision, essentially turning each question rhetorical, Depardon simply sets up a camera and has a conversation.” Prince of Broadway, directed by Sean Baker Seen at Woodstock Other notable festivals: LAFF (where it won the grand prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: Dardennes comparisons are flying around fast and furious of late, but no joke: Sean Baker’s follow-up to Take Out––shot on location in Manhattan’s wholesale district for a low-mid five figure budget, using virtually all non-professional actors––is Three Men and a Baby meets L’enfant. It’s a genuinely independent crowd-pleaser that never panders. Sita Sings the Blues, directed by Nina Paley Reviewed at Tribeca Other notable festivals: Berlinale. Denver. Winner of the Not Coming to a Theater Near You award at the Gothams. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A strange and beautiful little film, a potentially wispy slice of autobiography smartly elevated through irresistible, orgiastic style.” Worth noting: As of this writing, Paley *can’t* distribute her film, because she’s still negotiating the right to use the recordings of Annette Hanshaw which comprise the bulk of the film’s soundtrack. Treeless Mountain, directed by So Yong Kim Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: None, as far as I know Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “An autobiographical feature about two tiny girls sent to live with distant relatives by their caring but insolvent mother, Treeless Mountain is a sparse but incredibly moving film about love turning to longing turning to resentment,…Hands down, the thing that makes Mountain a Toronto must-see is the performances, which are all the more impressive considering the fact that the film’s two young stars are non-actors.” Voy a Explotar, directed by Gerardo Naranjo Reviewed at NYFF Other notable festivals: Toronto, Venice, Thessaloniki Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “It’s the rare love letter to influence that’s infused with enough personal style and sentiment to transform the stolen into something thrilling and moving.” Yeast, directed by Mary Bronstein Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: Sarasota, IFFB, St. Louis (where it won the New Filmmakers Forum competition) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Even fans of Frownland (which Bronstein starred in under the direction of her husband Ronald) may not be ready for Yeast’s full-on assault on the senses. This is a film that not only seeks to dodge the audience’s comfort zone, but it actually, actively mocks it.” Worth noting: Yeast went straight from the festival circuit to Amazon VOD. I’m not sure if that counts as “undistributed”, but it definitely went without a theatrical release. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:01:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com12/16/2008 4:01:08 PM I recently submitted a ballot for indieWIRE’s annual Critics’ Poll, which offers respondents a chance to create two separate lists of the best films of the year: one comprised of films which received theatrical distribution (which is described as, at minimum, a one week run in a commercial theater in New York City, essentially the same type of release required for Oscar consideration); and a list of the best films which weren’t distributed commercially in 2008––ie: those which screened only at festivals, and/or in other non-commercial venues, and/or outside of New York. Because I see so many films at festivals, I had a far greater pool of candidates for the latter list than the former. My “true” top ten list would combine films which were made readily available to audiences via studio subsidiaries (such as Synecdoche, NY and Rachel Getting Married), with films that I fell in love with at a festival and may never get a chance to see again, and with films which had the bare minimum New York release, but nevertheless were probably still seen by fewer people than the average distributor-less festival hit (such as Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness). That said, I understand the purpose of making the distinction––even if there was no other benefit to it, there’s always the hope that some smaller theatrical and straight-to-DVD distributors will look to the annual Best Undistributed list as a reference to films they might have missed. After all, 2007’s “winner,” Hong Sang Soo’s Woman on the Beach, was purchased and ended up in theaters barely a week into the new year. In fact, I think singling out films which are still on the market, and in a perfect world wouldn’t be, is so worth doing, that not only am I revealing here the ten titles I included in the poll, but I’m adding a few bonus films. The following list is presented alphabetically and should be considered unranked, with the exception of the first title mentioned — they all deserve to be seen by wider audiences, but the reception thus far bestowed on the work of one French master in particular is actually a travesty. Frontier of Dawn, directed by Phillipe Garrel Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: Sao Paulo, Mar Del Plata Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A story of amour gone so fou that the natural world becomes subject to the supernatural. Hands down the most accessible Garrel film I’ve seen, it’s still a strange, swoony, genre-bending challenge.” 35 Rhums, directed by Claire Denis Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: Venice Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Rather shockingly, the new Claire Denis film is also a bittersweet family movie, and the work you put into it early on is paid back in surprisingly tender dividends.” The Burrowers, directed by J.T. Petty Reviewed at Fantastic Fest Other notable Festivals: Toronto, Screamfest. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Beautifully shot and tightly scripted, it’s the rare Hollywood genre film (bought and paid for by Lionsgate) that’s more concerned with human relationships and behavior than the mysterious supernatural forces that sets the action in motion.” Worth noting:  Lionsgate originally planned a theatrical release, but announced a couple of days ago that come April 2009, they’re dumping it to DVD. For a film that looks this good on a big screen, this is equivalent to it not being distributed at all. Everything is Fine, directed by Yves Christian Fournier Reviewed in the market at Cannes Notable festivals: Berlinale, Seattle International (where it won the New Directors Showcase Competition. Grand Jury Prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “With a strong sense of style and an especially inventive feel for sound design, first-time feature director Yves Christian Fournier manages to turn the story of the inner conflict of a 17 year-old boy into something almost resembling a thriller, with a final act catharsis that left several of us in the screening room in tears.” Finally, Lillian and Dan, directed by Mike Gibisser Reviewed at CineVegas Other notable festivals: AFI Los Angeles, Denver Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “The mumbling here is so stylized and disturbed that it’s like a precision bomb against the twee subtleties explored by other contemporary filmmakers––it’s more like Tourettescore. But there’s also a tenderness here, and lofty aesthetic ambitions underpinned with authentic melancholy. It’s a heartbreaker.” Forbidden Lies, directed by Anna Broinowski Reviewed at True/False Other notable festivals: SilverDocs, Aljazeera Film Festival (where it won the Golden Award) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Broinowski’s fabrications hardly undermine the film’s integrity––in fact, it’s through the melding of form and content that Broinowski both delivers her most potent commentary on the Khouri clusterfuck, and provides the film with some of its most crowd-pleasing moments.” Go Go Tales, directed by Abel Ferrara Reviewed at NYFF 2007 Other notable festivals: Cannes 2007, CineVegas 2008 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Go Go Tales is probably the most lovingly photographed stripper movie of all time, but it’s most exciting in the friction it finds between the gaga dream gaze of the patrons, and the behind-the-scenes scrambling that supports it.” Worth noting: Though Go Go Tales was rumored to have been acquired concurrent with its New York Film Festival debut in the fall of 2007, an official announcement was never made, and since the film then popped up in the sidebar for undistributed pictures at CIneVegas this past summer, I guess it’s still available…? Intimidad, directed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: AFI Dallas, Sidewalk (where it won Best Documentary), Denver, Sarasota Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “At times, when [its subjects] crumble under the stress of their situation, Intimidad offers moments of genuine emotion that are miles removed from the score-saturated tear-jerking money shots that mark generic issue docs.” Worth noting: Intimidad had two screenings at MoMA this fall, which wasn’t enough to qualify for indieWIRE’s theatrical list, and thus it earned a spot on my undistributed list. But the filmmakers are releasing Intimidad on DVD in 2009, via their Carnivalesque Films label. La Vie Moderne, directed by Raymond Depardon Reviewed at Cannes Other notable festivals: None that I recognize; after theatrical runs in France and Belgium, it opens in the Netherlands and the UK in Spring 2009 Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Depardon’s style of inquiry certainly requires more of an investment from his audience than fans of contemporary crowd-pleaser non-fiction might be used to, but it’s an investment that pays off. Where coarser filmmakers approach their subjects with laser-guided precision, essentially turning each question rhetorical, Depardon simply sets up a camera and has a conversation.” Prince of Broadway, directed by Sean Baker Seen at Woodstock Other notable festivals: LAFF (where it won the grand prize), Denver Why it’s on this list: Dardennes comparisons are flying around fast and furious of late, but no joke: Sean Baker’s follow-up to Take Out––shot on location in Manhattan’s wholesale district for a low-mid five figure budget, using virtually all non-professional actors––is Three Men and a Baby meets L’enfant. It’s a genuinely independent crowd-pleaser that never panders. Sita Sings the Blues, directed by Nina Paley Reviewed at Tribeca Other notable festivals: Berlinale. Denver. Winner of the Not Coming to a Theater Near You award at the Gothams. Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “A strange and beautiful little film, a potentially wispy slice of autobiography smartly elevated through irresistible, orgiastic style.” Worth noting: As of this writing, Paley *can’t* distribute her film, because she’s still negotiating the right to use the recordings of Annette Hanshaw which comprise the bulk of the film’s soundtrack. Treeless Mountain, directed by So Yong Kim Reviewed at Toronto Other notable festivals: None, as far as I know Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “An autobiographical feature about two tiny girls sent to live with distant relatives by their caring but insolvent mother, Treeless Mountain is a sparse but incredibly moving film about love turning to longing turning to resentment,…Hands down, the thing that makes Mountain a Toronto must-see is the performances, which are all the more impressive considering the fact that the film’s two young stars are non-actors.” Voy a Explotar, directed by Gerardo Naranjo Reviewed at NYFF Other notable festivals: Toronto, Venice, Thessaloniki Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “It’s the rare love letter to influence that’s infused with enough personal style and sentiment to transform the stolen into something thrilling and moving.” Yeast, directed by Mary Bronstein Reviewed at SXSW Other notable festivals: Sarasota, IFFB, St. Louis (where it won the New Filmmakers Forum competition) Why it’s on this list: (from my review) “Even fans of Frownland (which Bronstein starred in under the direction of her husband Ronald) may not be ready for Yeast’s full-on assault on the senses. This is a film that not only seeks to dodge the audience’s comfort zone, but it actually, actively mocks it.” Worth noting: Yeast went straight from the festival circuit to Amazon VOD. I’m not sure if that counts as “undistributed”, but it definitely went without a theatrical release. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/21/37523.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/21/2008 9:01:33 AM
Body: Now that Quantum of Solace has had some time to sink in, we get to the pressing questions is raises. Sure, it was a quality action movie, but was it spy movie? Where were the gadgets? The new Bond Girl kicked plenty of ass, but where was the deception? We dig into all this and more when we ask: what happened to Bond? Meghan O’Hara, producer of The IFC Media Project, joins us to talk about the truth behind the news. The show, which is more cinéma vérité than TV news magazine, airs on the IFC channel Tuesdays at 8:00 PM. Karina checks in before heading off to the Denver Film Festival. We talk about her panel regarding DIY filmmaking, and three titles worth catching at the fest: Intimidad, The Prince of Broadway, and Last Chance Harvey. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 2:38 - Quantum of Solace, what’s a spy movie? 20:14 - Meghan O’Hara of The IFC Media Project 32:59 - Karina on indie film, Denver fest filmcouch-97 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:01:33 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/21/2008 9:01:33 AM Now that Quantum of Solace has had some time to sink in, we get to the pressing questions is raises. Sure, it was a quality action movie, but was it spy movie? Where were the gadgets? The new Bond Girl kicked plenty of ass, but where was the deception? We dig into all this and more when we ask: what happened to Bond? Meghan O’Hara, producer of The IFC Media Project, joins us to talk about the truth behind the news. The show, which is more cinéma vérité than TV news magazine, airs on the IFC channel Tuesdays at 8:00 PM. Karina checks in before heading off to the Denver Film Festival. We talk about her panel regarding DIY filmmaking, and three titles worth catching at the fest: Intimidad, The Prince of Broadway, and Last Chance Harvey. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 2:38 - Quantum of Solace, what’s a spy movie? 20:14 - Meghan O’Hara of The IFC Media Project 32:59 - Karina on indie film, Denver fest filmcouch-97 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/11/14/37334.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 11/14/2008 6:01:17 PM
Body: I’ll be heading out to the Denver Film Festival on Wednesday, to sit on a jury and moderate a panel. The festival started last night, and through next Sunday they’ll be showing a ton of my favorite films from the 2008 festival circuit (like Intimidad, Guest of Cindy Sherman, Prince of Broadway, Finally, Lillian and Dan, SIta Sings the Blues, Two Lovers, and Everything is Fine), plus a number of titles that I’ve missed at over festivals but hope to catch up with (like Three Monkeys, Woodpecker, Song Sung Blue). Also, they’re doing a tribute to pioneering video/performance artist Carolee Schneemann, which is awesome. The panel I’m moderating, called DIY Filmmaking in an Indie Apocalypse, will bring together a number of filmmakers who have found some success (with critics, with festival juries, or even financially) making personal films outside of the broken indie film stuctures that we’ve all been wringing our hands over for the last couple of years. It’s on Friday, November 21 at 7pm. If you’re going to be in town, do stop by. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:01:17 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog11/14/2008 6:01:17 PMI’ll be heading out to the Denver Film Festival on Wednesday, to sit on a jury and moderate a panel. The festival started last night, and through next Sunday they’ll be showing a ton of my favorite films from the 2008 festival circuit (like Intimidad, Guest of Cindy Sherman, Prince of Broadway, Finally, Lillian and Dan, SIta Sings the Blues, Two Lovers, and Everything is Fine), plus a number of titles that I’ve missed at over festivals but hope to catch up with (like Three Monkeys, Woodpecker, Song Sung Blue). Also, they’re doing a tribute to pioneering video/performance artist Carolee Schneemann, which is awesome. The panel I’m moderating, called DIY Filmmaking in an Indie Apocalypse, will bring together a number of filmmakers who have found some success (with critics, with festival juries, or even financially) making personal films outside of the broken indie film stuctures that we’ve all been wringing our hands over for the last couple of years. It’s on Friday, November 21 at 7pm. If you’re going to be in town, do stop by. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/14/37333.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/14/2008 6:01:02 PM
Body: I’ll be heading out to the Denver Film Festival on Wednesday, to sit on a jury and moderate a panel. The festival started last night, and through next Sunday they’ll be showing a ton of my favorite films from the 2008 festival circuit (like Intimidad, Guest of Cindy Sherman, Prince of Broadway, Finally, Lillian and Dan, SIta Sings the Blues, Two Lovers, and Everything is Fine), plus a number of titles that I’ve missed at over festivals but hope to catch up with (like Three Monkeys, Woodpecker, Song Sung Blue). Also, they’re doing a tribute to pioneering video/performance artist Carolee Schneemann, which is awesome. The panel I’m moderating, called DIY Filmmaking in an Indie Apocalypse, will bring together a number of filmmakers who have found some success (with critics, with festival juries, or even financially) making personal films outside of the broken indie film stuctures that we’ve all been wringing our hands over for the last couple of years. It’s on Friday, November 21 at 7pm. If you’re going to be in town, do stop by. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:01:02 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/14/2008 6:01:02 PMI’ll be heading out to the Denver Film Festival on Wednesday, to sit on a jury and moderate a panel. The festival started last night, and through next Sunday they’ll be showing a ton of my favorite films from the 2008 festival circuit (like Intimidad, Guest of Cindy Sherman, Prince of Broadway, Finally, Lillian and Dan, SIta Sings the Blues, Two Lovers, and Everything is Fine), plus a number of titles that I’ve missed at over festivals but hope to catch up with (like Three Monkeys, Woodpecker, Song Sung Blue). Also, they’re doing a tribute to pioneering video/performance artist Carolee Schneemann, which is awesome. The panel I’m moderating, called DIY Filmmaking in an Indie Apocalypse, will bring together a number of filmmakers who have found some success (with critics, with festival juries, or even financially) making personal films outside of the broken indie film stuctures that we’ve all been wringing our hands over for the last couple of years. It’s on Friday, November 21 at 7pm. If you’re going to be in town, do stop by. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/11/10/37150.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 11/10/2008 1:01:15 PM
Body: A sampling of movie events happening around town this week: Flaherty NYC will present its second monthly program of non-fiction shorts tonight at Anthology Film Archives. The lineup includes two pieces by Sylvia Schedelbauer and two by Alison Kobayashi. Pamela Cohn, who will moderate a discussion after the screening, describes Kobayashi as a “very young, Tracey Ullman-esque performance artist” who “does everything by herself–makeup, wardrobe, shooting, editing.” More info on the program here. Also tonight: Rooftop Films is putting on a free showcase of animated shorts at Chelsea Market. I can’t find info on the specifics of the lineup, but the Rooftop website promises free beer. David Redmon and Ashley Sabin are bringing one of my favorite non-fiction films of the year, Intimidad, to MoMA this Friday and next Wednesday. You can read my review of the film from SXSW here; more info at MoMA’s website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:01:15 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog11/10/2008 1:01:15 PMA sampling of movie events happening around town this week: Flaherty NYC will present its second monthly program of non-fiction shorts tonight at Anthology Film Archives. The lineup includes two pieces by Sylvia Schedelbauer and two by Alison Kobayashi. Pamela Cohn, who will moderate a discussion after the screening, describes Kobayashi as a “very young, Tracey Ullman-esque performance artist” who “does everything by herself–makeup, wardrobe, shooting, editing.” More info on the program here. Also tonight: Rooftop Films is putting on a free showcase of animated shorts at Chelsea Market. I can’t find info on the specifics of the lineup, but the Rooftop website promises free beer. David Redmon and Ashley Sabin are bringing one of my favorite non-fiction films of the year, Intimidad, to MoMA this Friday and next Wednesday. You can read my review of the film from SXSW here; more info at MoMA’s website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/10/37149.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/10/2008 1:01:06 PM
Body: A sampling of movie events happening around town this week: Flaherty NYC will present its second monthly program of non-fiction shorts tonight at Anthology Film Archives. The lineup includes two pieces by Sylvia Schedelbauer and two by Alison Kobayashi. Pamela Cohn, who will moderate a discussion after the screening, describes Kobayashi as a “very young, Tracey Ullman-esque performance artist” who “does everything by herself–makeup, wardrobe, shooting, editing.” More info on the program here. Also tonight: Rooftop Films is putting on a free showcase of animated shorts at Chelsea Market. I can’t find info on the specifics of the lineup, but the Rooftop website promises free beer. David Redmon and Ashley Sabin are bringing one of my favorite non-fiction films of the year, Intimidad, to MoMA this Friday and next Wednesday. You can read my review of the film from SXSW here; more info at MoMA’s website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/10/2008 1:01:06 PMA sampling of movie events happening around town this week: Flaherty NYC will present its second monthly program of non-fiction shorts tonight at Anthology Film Archives. The lineup includes two pieces by Sylvia Schedelbauer and two by Alison Kobayashi. Pamela Cohn, who will moderate a discussion after the screening, describes Kobayashi as a “very young, Tracey Ullman-esque performance artist” who “does everything by herself–makeup, wardrobe, shooting, editing.” More info on the program here. Also tonight: Rooftop Films is putting on a free showcase of animated shorts at Chelsea Market. I can’t find info on the specifics of the lineup, but the Rooftop website promises free beer. David Redmon and Ashley Sabin are bringing one of my favorite non-fiction films of the year, Intimidad, to MoMA this Friday and next Wednesday. You can read my review of the film from SXSW here; more info at MoMA’s website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/8/5/33580.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 8/5/2008 5:01:12 PM
Body: On the surface, Mardi Gras looks like good, cheap (if not always clean) fun. On the internet, $17 will buy ten dozen Mardi Gras beads––roughly what a group of revelers might be expected to toss as bait for tossed-off tops on Bourbon Street in a single hour. This ritual––one part libido, one part alcohol, one part peer pressure, one part historical precedent––leaves no room for practical realities, harsh or otherwise. So maybe it’s not much of a surprise that when sociologist-turned-filmmaker David Redmon went to New Orleans in 2004 and asked the question, “Where do you think the beads come from?” none of the young party people he encountered knew that $17 American dollars is enough to pay the salary of the average underage worker who makes Mardi Gras beads in sweatshop conditions in China for weeks Yes, there’s a secret, hidden cost to this tradition-steeped debauchery: a complete divorce between the economics, the social realities, and the moral ambiguities that make production of a commodity possible, and the relative wealth, privilege and, well, moral ambiguities that transform that product, once transported across oceans and continents, into something virtually worthless. With his 2005 documentary Mardi Gras: Made in China (a Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee which just came out on DVD), Redmon manages to bridge these disparate worlds by spending time in both New Orleans and Fuzhou, China, and smuggling information from one locus to another, using his own curiosity to enlighten the hand on one end of the global marketplace as to what the other hand is doing. That Redmon secures candid (if often less than enlightening) testimony from the intoxicated revelers of New Orleans is maybe a given, but the film’s real gift is the stunningly intimate material Redmon brings home from China. If his camera doesn’t flinch from the barely-legal bare breasts of Bourbon Street (the 72-minute theatrical version of the film is uncensored; the DVD also contains a shorter, sanitized version designed for educational use), Redmon is equally unsparing in pointing his camera at the barely-legal women who staff the bead factories. A factory owner named Roger gives Redmon full access to his floor, his workers, and his management philosophy. The vast majority of Roger’s employees are teenage girls, who work so fast (they’re paid by the piece) that Redmon has to put a disclaimer on the screen to confirm that the footage hasn’t been sped-up after the fact. The materials used to make the beads would have a carcinogenic effect even if handled by workers with adult cardiovascular systems. Female employees are kept apart from males, and if they’re found mingling, they’re punished. On the whole, it seems like an odd environment into which to welcome a camera. But Roger has nothing to hide––on the contrary, he insists that the work environment at his shop is exemplary compared to his competition. Of course, Redmon’s interviews with the actual workers suggest otherwise, but the real lesson here is not that working conditions in China are unjust, but that the standards of justice there are so radically different. That the efforts of young women are being exploited by older, marginally wiser men on both sides of the world is an irony to comes through the material without Redmon needing to spell it out. Redmon has completed two films since Mardi Gras––Kamp Katrina, about a backyard tent city in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, and Intimidad, which tracks a young family’s struggle to build a house in Northern Mexico; both films were co-directed by Mardi Gras associate producer Ashley Sabin––but Redmon’s unique style and attitude has been apparent throughout. Redmon and Sabin make films about the kinds of global and social issues that could easy scare off a casual viewer (Globalism! Poverty! Human rights! Corporate responsibility!), but these filmmakers approach their subjects without the finger waging or lecturing common to dreaded edutainment treatments of the same. Even when Redmon presents footage from the Chinese bead factories to New Orleans bead throwers mid-celebration, you don’t get the sense that he’s trying to shame the revelers as much as he’s trying to get into their heads, without guile or contempt. The Mardi Gras DVD hit store shelves last week as the first release from Carnivalesque Films, a company set up by Redmon and Sabin in order to produce and release films which “explore how personal stories relate to complex social issues.” They’re one of several alternative distribution companies that have emerged over the past few years (DVD label Benten Films and download-to-own site Indiepix also come to mind) in an effort to bridge the gulf between the spoils of Hollywood excess and the asceticism of true independent film production. In relative terms, it’s an economic disparity almost as severe as the one depicted in Redmon and Sabin’s movie. Over the coming months, Carnivalesque will shepherd the DVD releases of a number of beloved film festival-feted indies, including Ry Russo Young’s SXSW-winning feature Orphans, and Low and Behold, a doc-drama hybrid set in post-Katrina New Orleans. For more information on these and other releases, check out the Carnivalesque Website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:01:12 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog8/5/2008 5:01:12 PM On the surface, Mardi Gras looks like good, cheap (if not always clean) fun. On the internet, $17 will buy ten dozen Mardi Gras beads––roughly what a group of revelers might be expected to toss as bait for tossed-off tops on Bourbon Street in a single hour. This ritual––one part libido, one part alcohol, one part peer pressure, one part historical precedent––leaves no room for practical realities, harsh or otherwise. So maybe it’s not much of a surprise that when sociologist-turned-filmmaker David Redmon went to New Orleans in 2004 and asked the question, “Where do you think the beads come from?” none of the young party people he encountered knew that $17 American dollars is enough to pay the salary of the average underage worker who makes Mardi Gras beads in sweatshop conditions in China for weeks Yes, there’s a secret, hidden cost to this tradition-steeped debauchery: a complete divorce between the economics, the social realities, and the moral ambiguities that make production of a commodity possible, and the relative wealth, privilege and, well, moral ambiguities that transform that product, once transported across oceans and continents, into something virtually worthless. With his 2005 documentary Mardi Gras: Made in China (a Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee which just came out on DVD), Redmon manages to bridge these disparate worlds by spending time in both New Orleans and Fuzhou, China, and smuggling information from one locus to another, using his own curiosity to enlighten the hand on one end of the global marketplace as to what the other hand is doing. That Redmon secures candid (if often less than enlightening) testimony from the intoxicated revelers of New Orleans is maybe a given, but the film’s real gift is the stunningly intimate material Redmon brings home from China. If his camera doesn’t flinch from the barely-legal bare breasts of Bourbon Street (the 72-minute theatrical version of the film is uncensored; the DVD also contains a shorter, sanitized version designed for educational use), Redmon is equally unsparing in pointing his camera at the barely-legal women who staff the bead factories. A factory owner named Roger gives Redmon full access to his floor, his workers, and his management philosophy. The vast majority of Roger’s employees are teenage girls, who work so fast (they’re paid by the piece) that Redmon has to put a disclaimer on the screen to confirm that the footage hasn’t been sped-up after the fact. The materials used to make the beads would have a carcinogenic effect even if handled by workers with adult cardiovascular systems. Female employees are kept apart from males, and if they’re found mingling, they’re punished. On the whole, it seems like an odd environment into which to welcome a camera. But Roger has nothing to hide––on the contrary, he insists that the work environment at his shop is exemplary compared to his competition. Of course, Redmon’s interviews with the actual workers suggest otherwise, but the real lesson here is not that working conditions in China are unjust, but that the standards of justice there are so radically different. That the efforts of young women are being exploited by older, marginally wiser men on both sides of the world is an irony to comes through the material without Redmon needing to spell it out. Redmon has completed two films since Mardi Gras––Kamp Katrina, about a backyard tent city in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, and Intimidad, which tracks a young family’s struggle to build a house in Northern Mexico; both films were co-directed by Mardi Gras associate producer Ashley Sabin––but Redmon’s unique style and attitude has been apparent throughout. Redmon and Sabin make films about the kinds of global and social issues that could easy scare off a casual viewer (Globalism! Poverty! Human rights! Corporate responsibility!), but these filmmakers approach their subjects without the finger waging or lecturing common to dreaded edutainment treatments of the same. Even when Redmon presents footage from the Chinese bead factories to New Orleans bead throwers mid-celebration, you don’t get the sense that he’s trying to shame the revelers as much as he’s trying to get into their heads, without guile or contempt. The Mardi Gras DVD hit store shelves last week as the first release from Carnivalesque Films, a company set up by Redmon and Sabin in order to produce and release films which “explore how personal stories relate to complex social issues.” They’re one of several alternative distribution companies that have emerged over the past few years (DVD label Benten Films and download-to-own site Indiepix also come to mind) in an effort to bridge the gulf between the spoils of Hollywood excess and the asceticism of true independent film production. In relative terms, it’s an economic disparity almost as severe as the one depicted in Redmon and Sabin’s movie. Over the coming months, Carnivalesque will shepherd the DVD releases of a number of beloved film festival-feted indies, including Ry Russo Young’s SXSW-winning feature Orphans, and Low and Behold, a doc-drama hybrid set in post-Katrina New Orleans. For more information on these and other releases, check out the Carnivalesque Website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/5/33579.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/5/2008 5:01:03 PM
Body: On the surface, Mardi Gras looks like good, cheap (if not always clean) fun. On the internet, $17 will buy ten dozen Mardi Gras beads––roughly what a group of revelers might be expected to toss as bait for tossed-off tops on Bourbon Street in a single hour. This ritual––one part libido, one part alcohol, one part peer pressure, one part historical precedent––leaves no room for practical realities, harsh or otherwise. So maybe it’s not much of a surprise that when sociologist-turned-filmmaker David Redmon went to New Orleans in 2004 and asked the question, “Where do you think the beads come from?” none of the young party people he encountered knew that $17 American dollars is enough to pay the salary of the average underage worker who makes Mardi Gras beads in sweatshop conditions in China for weeks Yes, there’s a secret, hidden cost to this tradition-steeped debauchery: a complete divorce between the economics, the social realities, and the moral ambiguities that make production of a commodity possible, and the relative wealth, privilege and, well, moral ambiguities that transform that product, once transported across oceans and continents, into something virtually worthless. With his 2005 documentary Mardi Gras: Made in China (a Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee which just came out on DVD), Redmon manages to bridge these disparate worlds by spending time in both New Orleans and Fuzhou, China, and smuggling information from one locus to another, using his own curiosity to enlighten the hand on one end of the global marketplace as to what the other hand is doing. That Redmon secures candid (if often less than enlightening) testimony from the intoxicated revelers of New Orleans is maybe a given, but the film’s real gift is the stunningly intimate material Redmon brings home from China. If his camera doesn’t flinch from the barely-legal bare breasts of Bourbon Street (the 72-minute theatrical version of the film is uncensored; the DVD also contains a shorter, sanitized version designed for educational use), Redmon is equally unsparing in pointing his camera at the barely-legal women who staff the bead factories. A factory owner named Roger gives Redmon full access to his floor, his workers, and his management philosophy. The vast majority of Roger’s employees are teenage girls, who work so fast (they’re paid by the piece) that Redmon has to put a disclaimer on the screen to confirm that the footage hasn’t been sped-up after the fact. The materials used to make the beads would have a carcinogenic effect even if handled by workers with adult cardiovascular systems. Female employees are kept apart from males, and if they’re found mingling, they’re punished. On the whole, it seems like an odd environment into which to welcome a camera. But Roger has nothing to hide––on the contrary, he insists that the work environment at his shop is exemplary compared to his competition. Of course, Redmon’s interviews with the actual workers suggest otherwise, but the real lesson here is not that working conditions in China are unjust, but that the standards of justice there are so radically different. That the efforts of young women are being exploited by older, marginally wiser men on both sides of the world is an irony to comes through the material without Redmon needing to spell it out. Redmon has completed two films since Mardi Gras––Kamp Katrina, about a backyard tent city in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, and Intimidad, which tracks a young family’s struggle to build a house in Northern Mexico; both films were co-directed by Mardi Gras associate producer Ashley Sabin––but Redmon’s unique style and attitude has been apparent throughout. Redmon and Sabin make films about the kinds of global and social issues that could easy scare off a casual viewer (Globalism! Poverty! Human rights! Corporate responsibility!), but these filmmakers approach their subjects without the finger waging or lecturing common to dreaded edutainment treatments of the same. Even when Redmon presents footage from the Chinese bead factories to New Orleans bead throwers mid-celebration, you don’t get the sense that he’s trying to shame the revelers as much as he’s trying to get into their heads, without guile or contempt. The Mardi Gras DVD hit store shelves last week as the first release from Carnivalesque Films, a company set up by Redmon and Sabin in order to produce and release films which “explore how personal stories relate to complex social issues.” They’re one of several alternative distribution companies that have emerged over the past few years (DVD label Benten Films and download-to-own site Indiepix also come to mind) in an effort to bridge the gulf between the spoils of Hollywood excess and the asceticism of true independent film production. In relative terms, it’s an economic disparity almost as severe as the one depicted in Redmon and Sabin’s movie. Over the coming months, Carnivalesque will shepherd the DVD releases of a number of beloved film festival-feted indies, including Ry Russo Young’s SXSW-winning feature Orphans, and Low and Behold, a doc-drama hybrid set in post-Katrina New Orleans. For more information on these and other releases, check out the Carnivalesque Website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:01:03 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/5/2008 5:01:03 PM On the surface, Mardi Gras looks like good, cheap (if not always clean) fun. On the internet, $17 will buy ten dozen Mardi Gras beads––roughly what a group of revelers might be expected to toss as bait for tossed-off tops on Bourbon Street in a single hour. This ritual––one part libido, one part alcohol, one part peer pressure, one part historical precedent––leaves no room for practical realities, harsh or otherwise. So maybe it’s not much of a surprise that when sociologist-turned-filmmaker David Redmon went to New Orleans in 2004 and asked the question, “Where do you think the beads come from?” none of the young party people he encountered knew that $17 American dollars is enough to pay the salary of the average underage worker who makes Mardi Gras beads in sweatshop conditions in China for weeks Yes, there’s a secret, hidden cost to this tradition-steeped debauchery: a complete divorce between the economics, the social realities, and the moral ambiguities that make production of a commodity possible, and the relative wealth, privilege and, well, moral ambiguities that transform that product, once transported across oceans and continents, into something virtually worthless. With his 2005 documentary Mardi Gras: Made in China (a Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee which just came out on DVD), Redmon manages to bridge these disparate worlds by spending time in both New Orleans and Fuzhou, China, and smuggling information from one locus to another, using his own curiosity to enlighten the hand on one end of the global marketplace as to what the other hand is doing. That Redmon secures candid (if often less than enlightening) testimony from the intoxicated revelers of New Orleans is maybe a given, but the film’s real gift is the stunningly intimate material Redmon brings home from China. If his camera doesn’t flinch from the barely-legal bare breasts of Bourbon Street (the 72-minute theatrical version of the film is uncensored; the DVD also contains a shorter, sanitized version designed for educational use), Redmon is equally unsparing in pointing his camera at the barely-legal women who staff the bead factories. A factory owner named Roger gives Redmon full access to his floor, his workers, and his management philosophy. The vast majority of Roger’s employees are teenage girls, who work so fast (they’re paid by the piece) that Redmon has to put a disclaimer on the screen to confirm that the footage hasn’t been sped-up after the fact. The materials used to make the beads would have a carcinogenic effect even if handled by workers with adult cardiovascular systems. Female employees are kept apart from males, and if they’re found mingling, they’re punished. On the whole, it seems like an odd environment into which to welcome a camera. But Roger has nothing to hide––on the contrary, he insists that the work environment at his shop is exemplary compared to his competition. Of course, Redmon’s interviews with the actual workers suggest otherwise, but the real lesson here is not that working conditions in China are unjust, but that the standards of justice there are so radically different. That the efforts of young women are being exploited by older, marginally wiser men on both sides of the world is an irony to comes through the material without Redmon needing to spell it out. Redmon has completed two films since Mardi Gras––Kamp Katrina, about a backyard tent city in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, and Intimidad, which tracks a young family’s struggle to build a house in Northern Mexico; both films were co-directed by Mardi Gras associate producer Ashley Sabin––but Redmon’s unique style and attitude has been apparent throughout. Redmon and Sabin make films about the kinds of global and social issues that could easy scare off a casual viewer (Globalism! Poverty! Human rights! Corporate responsibility!), but these filmmakers approach their subjects without the finger waging or lecturing common to dreaded edutainment treatments of the same. Even when Redmon presents footage from the Chinese bead factories to New Orleans bead throwers mid-celebration, you don’t get the sense that he’s trying to shame the revelers as much as he’s trying to get into their heads, without guile or contempt. The Mardi Gras DVD hit store shelves last week as the first release from Carnivalesque Films, a company set up by Redmon and Sabin in order to produce and release films which “explore how personal stories relate to complex social issues.” They’re one of several alternative distribution companies that have emerged over the past few years (DVD label Benten Films and download-to-own site Indiepix also come to mind) in an effort to bridge the gulf between the spoils of Hollywood excess and the asceticism of true independent film production. In relative terms, it’s an economic disparity almost as severe as the one depicted in Redmon and Sabin’s movie. Over the coming months, Carnivalesque will shepherd the DVD releases of a number of beloved film festival-feted indies, including Ry Russo Young’s SXSW-winning feature Orphans, and Low and Behold, a doc-drama hybrid set in post-Katrina New Orleans. For more information on these and other releases, check out the Carnivalesque Website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/7/29/33223.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 7/29/2008 1:01:08 PM
Body: David Redmon’s Mardi Gras: Made in China comes out on DVD today, as the first release from Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s DVD distribution gambit, Carnivalesque Films. I returned home from San Diego last night to find a screener waiting for me, and though I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, as a big fan of Redmon and Sabins later films, Kamp Katrina and Intimidad, I’m excited to see it. I’m even more excited after reading this GreenCine interview with Redmon, where he shares some of the secret history of the Bourbon Street party scene. An excerpt: The first such recorded event in exchange for beads was in 1978, and it was actually the showing of the penis…The women first started yelling at the men to show theirs, and initially this was called weenie-wagging (men dangling their weenies from balconies). After that is when the beads became big - and became a commodity that could be marketed as a kind of commerce - in exchange for nudity. Oh, equal opportunity objectification. What became of you? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth
]]>Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:01:08 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog7/29/2008 1:01:08 PMDavid Redmon’s Mardi Gras: Made in China comes out on DVD today, as the first release from Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s DVD distribution gambit, Carnivalesque Films. I returned home from San Diego last night to find a screener waiting for me, and though I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, as a big fan of Redmon and Sabins later films, Kamp Katrina and Intimidad, I’m excited to see it. I’m even more excited after reading this GreenCine interview with Redmon, where he shares some of the secret history of the Bourbon Street party scene. An excerpt: The first such recorded event in exchange for beads was in 1978, and it was actually the showing of the penis…The women first started yelling at the men to show theirs, and initially this was called weenie-wagging (men dangling their weenies from balconies). After that is when the beads became big - and became a commodity that could be marketed as a kind of commerce - in exchange for nudity. Oh, equal opportunity objectification. What became of you? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/daughter/MemberTagFilms.aspxdaughter
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