Talihina Sky is the first documentary to delve into the past of the Kings of Leon, something people have been apparently sceptical about up until now. I have to admit up front to being extremely unfamiliar with the Kings of Leon as a band beyond their bigger hits, and their back story in general, for no other reason than innocent ignorance. This lack of familiarity didn’t hinder the experience of watching this film, as, with other music docs this year, this is, first and foremost, a story-driven documentary and a standard music doc, second.

The backbone narrative of the film is their annual week-long family reunion in Talihina, Oklahoma. This underpins the parallel throughout the film of the stark contrast between their childhood to their current rock-star status. As this film opens at the reunion you are initially introduced to a multitude of their extended family from cousins and uncles to their grandfather and namesake of the band, Leon.

The main narrative is divided into three sections: the reunion in Talihina, candid footage of the band on tour, and their parents describing the chronology of their life and context of what was happening. That these different sections rarely, if ever, connect visually does give the impression that you’re watching someone change channel constantly, and is at first a very weird experience, especially as the style of each part is so different.

Within their family there are some incredible characters. Uncle Cleo is the highlight of the film, and serves as the antithesis to their devoutly religious relatives. Described by a member of the band as representing everything they were taught as children to understand as sin, he is incredibly fun to watch and could quite easily have been the film’s main focus.

Religion is a huge theme within the film and it is approached in a cleverly non-judgemental or sensationalist way. It could easily have either been played down or blown out of proportion, but instead the subject of the family’s devout religion is almost a character in itself. There are moments when Caleb’s confusion as to what his life has become are touched upon, from his ingrained personal assumption that he would become a preacher – and I’m relieved that this wasn’t turned into a story arc of the inner turmoil of the tortured artist but, instead, just highlights the bizarre contrast between what they perceived their life would be and what it is now.

Talihina Sky is a strange film, and one about which I left feeling extremely confused. As it sat with me afterwards I realised I liked it more and more. The resounding impression is how honest the film is, and how you are invited into experiencing the atmosphere of their home and the situation they grew up in. Allowing their family to speak truly independently is disjointing, especially as there are so few scenes in which the members of the band interact with them, forcing you to piece together missing parts, but this does prevent stifling scenes engineered for the sake of the film narrative.

The breadth of archival material and footage of them in the studio and on tour will be an absolute joy to Kings of Leon fans. One particularly interesting use is a present day performance being blended with archive from previous performances of the same song, and this is an extremely quick and effective way of showing their progression as performers and musicians. The only time I felt the film stepped over the mark into sensationalism was during a scene in which their live performances are intercut with archival footage of people speaking in tongues, which seems to be making a strange and counter-productive point to the link between their past lives as preacher’s sons and modern day performers.

The film culminates in the two scenes which are by far the strongest moments in the film: an extremely open and insightful interview with Caleb and the band playing a song acoustically. The interview is raw and messy–an extremely candid late-night conversation in which Caleb opens up to his experience of confusion and feelings of guilt about his past and getting past the rebellion of leaving that world and, later, finding some resolution between the two. Throughout the film, beyond the comparison between past and present, the other extreme seems to be the attitude of the family remaining as humble as they have always been despite the enormous success of the younger family members, and the morphed rock star attitudes that the band seem to habitually adopt. This final scene brings both together and the honesty of Caleb’s interview, combined with the stripped down performance, brings the film full circle to a place in which you feel the real theme of the film, which seems to be the conflict of a life of two extremes and how to find a way to handle both.

Talihina Sky is having its European Premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival on June 25 at 20.30. It will also be simultaneously screened the throughout the U.K. with a live Skype Q&A afterwards. Details are here and the trailer is below.

The lineup for the 2011 Hot Docs film festival has been announced, and I have no problem in being utterly shameless and giving a huge congratulations to The Documentary Blog editor Jay Cheel’s first feature film Beauty Day for being included. There will be two screenings at the Isabel Bader Theatre and a third on a rooftop! Details of the screenings and how to buy tickets are below.

Hot Docs has a mammoth programme but always manages to avoid quantity over quality and the selection this year is absolutely superb. We will be covering the festival in a big way, so look out for some preview reviews and interviews from directors at the festival. Below I’ve compiled a list of twenty films I recommend checking out, of course seeing Beauty Day goes without saying.

The festival will open with Morgan Spurlock’s POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold and will also feature a special selection of films by Canadian filmmaker Alan Zweig which you should definitely check out if you can.

Of the films I’ve seen so far that will be playing at Hot Docs here are my 20 recommended must-see films of the festival.

1. Beats, Rhymes & Life (our review)
2. Hell & Back Again
3. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (our review)
4. 45365
5. Becoming Chaz
6. Battle for Barking
7. Blood In The Mobile
8. Bobby Fischer Against The World
9. Dragonslayer
10. Family Instinct
11. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
12. How to Die in Oregon
13. The Interrupters
14. Poster Girl
15. Wisconsin Death Trip
16. Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
17. Senna
18. You’ve Been Trumped
19. Vinyl
20. We Were Here

There are loads I couldn’t fit in and so many more that I’m looking forward to seeing, so stay tuned for more festival coverage.

Below are the screening times for Beauty Day:

Fri, Apr 29 6:45 PM
Isabel Bader Theatre Ticket info

Sat, May 7 4:15 PM
Isabel Bader Theatre Ticket info

Wed, May 4 7:30 PM
Rooftop Screening Venue Ticket info

Travelling for the first time to the True/False Film Festival, I had heard nothing but rave reviews from filmmakers who had shown their films there; I knew it was in a small town and that it would be the furthest inland I’d ever been in the US. After a fourteen hour journey from the UK, I landed in Kansas City Airport. From the airport, you face a two-hour drive to get to Columbia, where the festival takes place, but after travelling that amount of time what’s an extra two hours?

After a minor hotel mixup, which was actually quite fun, we stayed the first night in the host hotel The Regency before moving a little further out to the Hampton Inn Suites. After having this dual lodging experience I can say that if scrappy fun is your style The Regency is the way to go – if comfort is the main priority then it’s the Hampton.

The next day we made our way into downtown Columbia. The festival hadn’t started yet, so we made the most of having time to have a look around. Despite being a small town, Columbia has a fair amount going for it, with many great places to eat and extremely good vintage stores. We did also manage to sneak in a screening of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D (The Fan Cut). I will not go into my love of this film here, but check out the next podcast for further explanation.

(note: I don’t condone taking pictures in theatres; this was just a happy accident)

That evening, we went along to the opening night gala: The Jubiliee, at the Missouri Theatre. There was a masked ball theme, and after accidentally breaking several of the amazing masks created by the volunteers I gave up and tried some of the delicious and wonderfully strange drinks provided by local bartenders. It was an incredible atmosphere, which carried into the screening of Benda Bilili! The Missouri Theatre is a wonderful place to watch a film – its architecture is absolutely beautiful.

I was fortunate enough to have been asked to introduce and host Q&As for a few of the films and my first was for Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles by Jon Foy (listen to our interview with Jon on the podcast here). The screening took place at the RagTag Theatre and even though my brain was telling me it was 6am it was a fantastic experience. The thing that immediately struck me about the festival was the level of audience engagement. Many other festivals have an element of public attendance, but nothing quite like True/False. This is a festival that feels entirely for the local people and it really thrives because of this. I’ve seen many other public Q&As, but never with such an engaged, documentary-knowledgable audience.

By Friday, the festival was in full swing. My day began moderating a panel called Africa 11…the Pulse of a Continent, which looked at filmmaking in Africa from both an African and outsider perspective. The panel was comprised of filmmakers from three of my favourite films of the festival – Jarreth Merz from An African Election, Renaud Barret from Benda Bilili!, and Frank Piasecki Poulsen and Sekombi Katondolo from Blood in the Mobile. It was a fascinating discussion that ranged from the technicalities of filming in Africa to the responsibilities of representation and the further purpose of making films there.

I followed the panel with a screening of Zielinski by local filmmakers Chase Thompson and Ryan Walker. It tells the story of author and photographer John M. Zielinski who, after a devastating legal dispute over the publishing of one of his books, turns investigative reporter and dedicates his life to exposing issues through his writing and cable tv shows. Zielenski is a really fun watch, and reminded me of a less scary Collapse. During the screening there was a minor weather apocalypse with extreme tornado warnings. Lucky we were in the right place and safely stayed away from the thunder and lightning outside. However, this meant the weather wasn’t on our side for the next activity of the festival, the March March.

The March March is a festival tradition in which everyone parades through downtown in costume, or with handmade drums and shakers, making serious levels of noise and having a lot of fun. Despite the rain it was fantastic, with the University of Missouri drum line following the procession.

One of my favourite aspects of True/False is that they actively stay away from the premiere rule that often stifles other festivals. To do this they create several Secret Screenings. There is an unspoken contract with the audience that they must not make it public which films they’ve seen secretly. I managed to get to a few of these and so will keep any reviews at bay until the films have premiered elsewhere. Later that day I went to see the screening of Steve James’ The Interrupters at the Missouri Theatre, and the Q&A was incredible. The Interrupters was the recipient of the True Life Fund which promotes documentaries that create change. We’ll be posting a review of the film soon, but in the meantime check out the interview we did with Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz at Sundance here.

The rest of the day was taken up with a screening of Andris Gauja’s jawdropping Family Instinct, followed by the Gimme Truth game show. Gimme Truth pits three panellists against a host of short docs – each as ambiguous as the next – with them guessing as to which is true and which is false. The shorts were so well made it was near impossible to tell and Ameena from the Interrupters frustrated outbursts at guessing nearly all wrong were amazing. Host Johnny St. John was one of the highlights of the entire festival, creating a hilarious comedy routine against every burst of frustration from the panel.

The last day of the festival was by far my busiest day, with intros and Q&As for two films amongst screenings. The first was Buck, a film that absolutely wowed me. Rather than being largely about horses, as one might expect, it’s a portrait of real life horse whisperer Buck Brannaman who is an absolute joy to watch – from his level of skill to his incredible anecdotes and life view. I highly recommend seeing this film when you get a chance.

My last Q&A was for Resurrect Dead for the second time and, again, the Q&A was nothing short of incredible. It’s a wonderful experience to stand in front of an audience and hear such a range of views and perspectives that really honour the film and show real engagement.

After this I managed to run and catch the Q&A for James Marsh’s Project Nim. James was this year’s True Vision Award recipient, which is an award given to a filmmaker whose work shows a dedication to the creative advancement of the art of nonfiction filmmaking. In honour of this the festival screened his most recent film, Project Nim, and two previous works, Wisconsin Death Trip and Burger and the King, the latter of which is one of my favourite films of all time and, by the reaction during the festival, was also a highlight of the programme.

One of the most notable aspects to True/False that makes it stand out from other festivals is the real attention to detail when it comes to overall festival experience. One of these aspects is the addition of live music in the form of buskers who perform before each screening. All the acts I saw were fantastic, and I left with several CDs picked up from the box office. On the last night this culminates in the Buskers’ Last Stand in which all the bands head to the Missouri Theatre and play. As we got there, Bramble and Pearl and the Beard (highly recommend checking out both) had formed into a super group and had the entire room singing.

True/False is now in its eight year; created by Paul Sturtz and David Wilson, it’s a festival that lives and breathes for its audience. The programme is excellent, with a diverse range of documentary styles and themes and a wonderful balance of high profile and hidden gems. The external events, which range from the march to a campfire stories evening with filmmakers relaying the stories that got away to a morning fun run, give True/False the extra element of fun, and a community spirit which makes the festival now a definite yearly trip for me.

The Missourian got witty the day after the festival, but they had a point.

Yes Sundance was a few weeks ago, but I promise this will have been worth the wait. Jay was busy finishing his film, but Josh and I were fortunate enough to go to the festival again this year, and while we were there we recorded a special Sundance episode of the Documentary Blog Podcast. Josh must take all the credit as he ran around getting no less than seven interviews for this show with filmmakers at the festival (I think he may even have a few more up his sleeve for future shows).

We really hope you enjoy the podcast, the filmmakers featured are Steve James of The Interrupters, Peter D. Richardson of How to Die in Oregon, Joy Foy of Resurrect Dead, Constance Marks of Being Elmo, Leonard Retel Helmrich of Position Among the Stars, Matthew Bate of Shut Up Little Man! and Göran Olsson of Blackpower Mixtape.

00:00 Intro
02:56 Recommendations:
Josh: If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Satan Since 2003
Charlotte: Reagan, Hell and Back Again, Beats Rhymes and Life, Project Nim, Life In a Day
19:45 Interviews with the Sundance Documentary Filmmakers
19:52 Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz of The Interrupters
38.06 Joy Foy of Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
48.09 Constance Marks and James Miller of Being Elmo
1:00:23 Leonard Retel Helmrich of Position Among the Stars
1:08:35 Matthew Bate of Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure
1:24:50 Peter Richardson of How to Die in Oregon
1:35:28 Trevor Anderson of The High Level Bridge
1:40:22 Göran Olsson of The Blackpower Mixtape: 1967-75
1:52:48 Outro

Download the MP3
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Credits:
Intro Music “Check the Rhime” – A Tribe Called Quest [i-Tunes link]
Outro Music “Trains X” –  Bramble [link]

Links and clips mentioned in the show after the jump.

-The Interrupters Website
-Resurrect Dead Website
-Being Elmo
-Position Among the Stars Facebook
-Shut Up Little Man! Website
-How to Die In Oregon Facebook
-The High Level Bridge Website
-Blackpower Mixtape Website
-Josh’s Twitter
-Cleanflix Website
-Cleanflix Facebook
-Charlotte’s Twitter
-The Documentary Blog Twitter

Related Videos

The Interrupters Trailer

Resurrect Dead Trailer

Being Elmo Teaser

Position Among the Stars Trailer

Shut Up Little Man! Teaser

The High Level Bridge Trailer

The Blackpower Mixtape Teaser

Bramble Live at Sundance Last Year

It’s lovely to see El Ambulante by Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano and Adriana Yurcovich, which I loved at HotDocs and Benda Bilili! by Renaud Barret & Florent de La Tullaye, which has received incredible buzz throughout its festival tour.

There are a few films included that were recommended in our Documentaries to look out for in 2011 list–Dragonslayer (pictured) being one that seems to be highly anticipated. True/False’s David Wilson named it one of ‘Ten Movies that People Will Be Talking About One Year From Today’ in our list. I also am extremely looking forward to seeing Michael Tucker & Petra Epperlein’s Fightville and Jeanie Finlay’s crowd-funded film, Sound It Out.

The Documentary Feature Competition films are below and the full programme of documentaries is after the jump. SXSW takes place between March 11-19 in Austin, Texas. Their website is here.

Documentary Feature Competition

This year’s 8 Documentary Feature Comptetition films were selected from 808 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere

A Mouthful
Director: Sally Rowe

Considered a rising star of haute cuisine, Paul Liebrandt found his career stalled in New York’s austere environment post 9/11. Paul struggles over the next decade as he tries to make his way back to the top. (World Premiere)

Better This World
Directors: Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega

Two childhood friends from Midland, Texas cross a line that changes their lives forever. The result: eight homemade bombs, multiple domestic terrorism charges and a high stakes entrapment defense hinging on a controversial FBI informant. (World Premiere)

The City Dark
Director: Ian Cheney

The film chronicles the disappearance of darkness, following astronomers, cancer researchers, ecologists and philosophers in a quest to understand what is lost in the glare of city lights. (World Premiere)

DRAGONSLAYER
Director: Tristan Patterson

Killer Films presents the transmissions of a lost kid, falling in love, in the suburbs of Fullerton, California. Featuring skateboarding, the usual drugs, and stray glimpses of unusual beauty. (World Premiere)

FIGHTVILLE
Directors: Michael Tucker & Petra Epperlein

A documentary about the art and sport of fighting: a microcosm of life, a physical manifestation of that other brutal contest called the American Dream. (World Premiere)

Kumaré (U.S.A/India)
Director: Vikram Gandhi

A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona. (World Premiere)

LAST DAYS HERE
Directors: Don Argott & Demian Fenton

The film follows middle-aged rocker Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult hard rock/heavy metal band Pentagram, as he leaves his parents’ basement in search of the life he never lived. (World Premiere)

Where Soldiers Come From
Director: Heather Courtney

Prosecutors say Issa Sesay is a war criminal, guilty of crimes against humanity. His defenders say he is a reluctant fighter who protected civilians and played From a snowy small town in Northern Michigan to the mountains of Afghanistan and back, the film follows the four-year journey of childhood friends and their town, forever changed by a faraway war. (World Premiere)

Headliners

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (Ireland)
Director: Rodman Flender

Did Conan O’Brien go on tour to connect with his fans or fill a void within himself? Rodman Flender’s documentary captures an artist trained in improvisation at the most improvisational time of his career. (World Premiere)

Spotlight Premieres

Shining a light on new documentary and narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.

Becoming Santa
Director: Jeff Myers

In an effort to rekindle his Christmas spirit, Jack decides to spend this season as Santa Claus, but the role of Kris Kringle is more complex than he thinks. (World Premiere)

Bob and The Monster
Director: Keirda Bahruth

A highly compelling portrait of outspoken indie-rock hero Bob Forrest, through his life-threatening struggle with addiction, to his transformation into one of the most influential and controversial drug counselors in the US today. (World Premiere)

Elevate
Director: Anne Buford

From a basketball academy in Senegal, to the high-pressure world of American prep schools, the film documents the extraordinary personal journeys of four particularly tall West African Muslim teenage boys with NBA dreams. (World Premiere)

Fambul Tok
Director: Sara Terry

Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal war come together for the first time in an unprecedented reconciliation program of grassroots truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies. (World Premiere)

It’s About You.
Director: Kurt Markus

First-time filmmakers, photographer Kurt Markus and son, Ian, document John Mellencamp’s 2009 summer tour and recording of his latest album. This film celebrates the visual beauty and power of Super8 film and the human voice. (World Premiere)

The Other F Word
Director: Andrea Blaugrund Nevins

When the most anti-authoritarian among us become the ultimate authorities… we might just have to use The Other F Word. (World Premiere)

One Night in Vegas
Director: Reggie Rock Bythewood

On the evening of 9/7/96, Mike Tyson attempted to regain the WBA title in Vegas. Sitting ringside was his friend Tupac Shakur. This ESPN Films documentary tells not only the story of that infamous night but of their remarkable friendship. (World Premiere)

PRESSPAUSEPLAY (Sweden)
Directors: Victor Köhler & David Dworsky

The first real testimony of the digi-creative revolution. It’s an 80 minute global journey capturing how digital technology and mindset has transformed the concept of art and culture. (North American Premiere)

Something Ventured
Directors: Dan Geller & Dayna Goldfine

Apple. Intel. Genentech. Cisco. Atari. This film tells the story of a handful of risk-takers who alongside visionary entrepreneurs created these revolutionary companies, and in the process ignited the industry known as venture capital. (World Premiere)

Square Grouper
Director: Billy Corben

A colorful portrait of Miami’s pot smugglin’ scene of the 1970s, populated with redneck pirates, a ganja-smoking church, and the longest serving marijuana prisoner in American history. (World Premiere)

UNDEFEATED
Directors: Dan Lindsay & T.J. Martin

A volunteer coach helps a neglected inner-city football team in their quest to win the first playoff game in the high school’s history. (World Premiere)

Emerging Visions

Innovation and creativity from new and emerging feature filmmakers, showcasing raw talent in documentary and narratives of varying premiere status.

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye
Director: Marie Losier

A portrait of the life and work of ground-breaking performance artist and music pioneer Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) and his wife Lady Jaye, centered around their sexual transformations for their “Pandrogyne” project. (North American Premiere)

CONVENTO (Portugal)
Director: Jarred Alterman

Artist Christiaan Zwanikken resurrects deceased wildlife by reanimating the skeletal remains with servomotors and robotics. He breeds these new species in a 400-year-old monastery in Portugal, restored from ruins and converted into his laboratory. (North American Premiere)

World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements
Director: Chris Farina

World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements portrays John Hunter, a remarkable public-school teacher who has dedicated his life to teaching children the “work of peace.” (World Premiere)

Lone Star States

Texas proud! Documentaries and Narratives with a special connection to the Lone Star State.

Building Hope
Director: Turk Pipkin

Filmmaker Turk Pipkin’s promise to help build the first high school for a remote African community connects Americans and Kenyans in this true story.(World Premiere)

24 Beats per Second

Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

Benda Bilili! (France)
Directors: Renaud Barret & Florent de La Tullaye

Ricky dreams of making Staff Benda Bilili the best band in Congo Kinshasa. Roger wants to join these stars of the ghetto. Together, they must avoid the pitfalls of the street and believe in music. (U.S. Premiere)

Foo Fighters
Director: James Moll

The definitive documentary of the last great American rock n’ roll band: chronicling Foo Fighters’ 16 year history from their first club gigs to the recording of their new album in Dave Grohl’s garage. (World Premiere)

Le Tigre: On Tour
Director: Kerthy Fix

A concert film that follows a feminist electronic band across 4 continents and 10 countries and provides an unusual peek behind the curtain of the contemporary pop machine. (World Premiere)

Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale
Director: Danny Clinch

The film documents the collaboration between New Orleans’s legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band and American rock band My Morning Jacket, demonstrating the power of Preservation Hall to inspire a whole new generation of musicians. (World Premiere)

Love Shines (Canada)
Director: Douglas Arrowsmith

Love Shines follows Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he makes his latest studio album with legendary producer Bob Rock. (U.S. Premiere)

NYMAN IN PROGRESS (Germany/England)
Director: Silvia Beck

A documentary about composer and artist Michael Nyman, who at 65, surprises the world with a new insight into his creativity. (U.S. Premiere)

Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW
Director: Alan Berg

Four guys living on next to nothing created a music event in the hopes of giving bands a way of connecting with music insiders. The result was the biggest music industry event in the world. (World Premiere)

Sound It Out (England)
Director: Jeanie Finlay

A documentary portrait of the very last record shop in Teesside. A distinctive, funny and intimate film about men, the North of England and the irreplaceable role of music in our lives. (World Premiere)

Taken By Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis
Director: Roddy Bogawa

Real? Surreal? Iconic? Impossible? The album art of Storm Thorgerson is so far deeply embedded into our psyche, it’s hard to believe it all came from one mind. (World Premiere)

UPSIDE DOWN: THE CREATION RECORDS STORY (England)
Director: Danny O’Connor

The definitive and fully authorized documentary of the highs and lows of the UK’s most inspired and dissolute independent record label – Creation Records. (North American Premiere)

SX Global

A diverse panorama of international filmmaking talent, including premieres, interactive documentaries and shorts.

Armadillo (Denmark)
Director: Janus Metz

Following a group of Danish solders on a 2009 tour of Afghanistan, Janus Metz’s acclaimed documentary is a gripping, visually stunning probe into the psychology of young men in the midst of a senseless war.

Beats of Freedom (Poland)
Directors: Leszek Gnoinski & Wojciech Slota

A captivating film about the birth of rock music in Poland.

El Ambulante (Argentina)
Directors & Writers: Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano and Adriana Yurcovich

A traveler arrives at a village and proposes to make a feature film – but only the villagers will act in the film.

El Bulli – Cooking in Progress (Germany)
Director: Gereon Wetzel

The starred chef Ferran Adrià is known as the best, most innovative and craziest cook in the world. Every year, the restaurant closes for six months and Adrià and his creative team retire to their cooking laboratory in Barcelona, to create a new menu for the following season. Everything is allowed – except copying themselves.

Heaven Hell (Czech Republic)
Director: David Calek

A documentary film dealing with human diversity that doesn’t necessarily lead to hell even though it might seem like that from the outsider’s point of view. (U.S. Premiere)

IDFA DocLab presents: New Documentary Narratives (Finland)

For the third year in a row, SXSW has invited IDFA DocLab (www.idfa.nl/doclab) to organize a panel and a special live cinema screening. IDFA DocLab is the new media program of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Since 2008, IDFA DocLab showcases the many new and unexpected forms of documentary storytelling made possible by digital technology. In Europe, the program has become a platform for transmedia and multiplatform projects, ranging from interactive webdocs to documentary media art.

My Life With Carlos (Chile/Germany/Spain)
Director: German Berger-Hertz

The film chronicles the journey of a son (director German Berger-Hertz) trying to learn the truth about his father, who was killed in 1973 in Pinochet’s Chile.

Reindeer Spotting (Finland)
Director: Joonas Neuvonen

Without moralizing the film shows the real life of a group of friends in the Arctic Circle, dabbling in petty crime and hard drugs. Disturbing, brutal and beautifully honest. Trainspotting in Santa Land. (North American Premiere)

WAY OF THE MORRIS (England)
Directors: Tim Plester & Rob Curry

Filmmaker Tim Plester journeys from the English village green to the killing fields of The Somme, in search of a connection with the much-maligned native dance traditions that run deep in his blood. (World Premiere)

Festival Favourites

Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey
Director: Constance A. Marks

The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (France)
Director: Werner Herzog

Filming in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on earth.

The First Movie (Canada/England)
Director: Mark Cousins

What’s it like to be a child in war – not when the conflict is raging, but when the war tide is out, as it were, when kids are telling stories or playing games?

How to Die in Oregon (Iceland)
Director: Peter D. Richardson

The film tells the complex stories of terminally ill Oregonians, their families, doctors and friends, as they decide whether to end their life by lethal overdose under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.

Page One: A Year Inside The New York Times (Ireland)
Director: Andrew Rossi

Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Director: Morgan Spurlock

Morgan Spurlock (Oscar nominee, Super Size Me) explores the world of product placement, marketing and advertising in POM Wonderful Presents: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD, a film fully financed through product placement.

TABLOID
Director: Errol Morris

Errol Morris further redefines and pushes the boundaries of documentary film with the tale of Joyce McKinney and the infamous “Case of the Manacled Mormon.”

So this year’s Sundance has come to an end. It now seems to be a yearly tradition that I’ll fly home the day of the awards and jetlag will allow me to stay awake and watch the ceremony that runs until 4am UK time. We tried to predict the winners this year during the festival but, as always, the majority that win are the films I didn’t get a chance to see. Next year I’ll make my predictions solely on that basis.

Sundance 2011 was an amazing year for documentaries, and an extremely eclectic one when it came to subject matter. The new Documentary Premieres section took the big name directors out of the competition and allowed less-seasoned filmmakers a chance at the awards. This proved to be a great idea as the diversity of viewpoint really came through in the programming. It would be great to have an award for this section though, as the Premieres category standard was understandably high.

Danfung Dennis’ film Hell and Back Again was undeniably the shining star of the documentary awards, being the only film to take home two, with the World Cinema Cinematography Award for Documentary Filmmaking and World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in Documentary. We posted a brief description of how the film was made here, and the review will be online soon. Of those that I had a chance to see, I was absolutely thrilled that first-time filmmaker Jon Foy’s Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles won the U.S. Documentary Competition Directing Award, Marshall Curry’s If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front won the U.S. Documentary Editing Award, and The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 took home the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award (review here).

We still have many reviews on their way and they should be posted throughout the next few weeks, and also look out for a special Sundance podcast that we recorded during the festival. Podcast host Josh spent the majority of his time at the festival chasing down filmmakers to take part, so it will definitely be worth listening to.

The full list of documentary awards are below the jump.

Winner of the World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Documentary Film:
Position Among the Stars (Stand van de Sterren), directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich (Netherlands)

Winner of the World Cinema Cinematography Award for Documentary Filmmaking:
Hell and Back Again, cinematography by Danfung Dennis (U.S.A./U.K.)

Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award:
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, edited by Goran Hugo Olsson and Hanna Lejonqvist, and directed by Goran Hugo Olsson. (Sweden/U.S.A.)

Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award:
Project Nim, directed by James Marsh (U.K.)

Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in Documentary:
Hell and Back Again, directed by Danfung Dennis (U.K./U.S.A.)

Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award for Documentary Film:
Senna, directed by Asif Kapadia (U.K.)

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Competition Audience Award, presented by Acura:
Buck, directed by Cindy Meehl.

Winner of the Special Jury Prize, U.S. Documentary Competition:
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, directed by Constance Marks

Winner of the Excellence in Cinematography Award, U.S. Documentary Competition:
The Redemption of General Butt Naked, cinematography by Eric Strauss, Ryan Hill and Peter Hutchens.

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Editing Award:
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, edited by Matthew Hamachek and Marshall Curry.

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Competition Directing Award:
Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, directed by Jon Foy

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize:
How to Die in Oregon, directed by Peter D. Richardson

Beats, Rhymes and Life is very brave in its approach as it aims to cover so many bases when it comes to the group’s history, dynamics and cultural significance. The structure simultaneously covers the history of the group and where they stand today in terms of their relationships and status of their careers. Through numerous interviews with each member you gain an intimate sense of their experience within A Tribe Called Quest but also who they are as people. It is an absolute joy to hear Q-Tip describing his love for certain aspects of music while record shopping, Phife’s absolute obsession with sports of any kind, and Jarobi’s second career in culinary arts – an insight that helps to explain the current dynamic in the group so far down their twenty year career.

The film has just the right amount of every aspect you want from a music doc: from amazing concert footage from raw early days to present monumental performances, with comments from other artists influenced by their music. Every great music documentary leaves you with a desire to listen to their music again instantly afterwards and every time one of their songs began during the film you desperately want to hear more.

Beats, Rhymes and Life is obviously made with a huge amount of love and this really shows, but, at the same time, it is impressive the way it doesn’t shy away from delving into the tough issues. The conflict in the band, over time and to present day, is shown in depth and you hear the complaints and difficulties in Phife’s and Q-Tip’s relationship through extremely candid and honest interviews.

As a fan I really felt that first-time director Michael Rapaport truly succeeded with his portrayal of this iconic story. The background and history of the group is extensive and fascinating, and the interviews with other artists and contemporaries really help to explain the context of their impact on the world of hip hop. Seeing many of the biggest hip hop artists today being so enthusiastic and, frankly, geeky about their response to the release of each album was extremely fun and endearing to watch.

My favourite aspect to the film, however, was hearing the group describe the various ways they developed their love for music and how they put their albums together. Seeing Q-Tip taking an obscure record and finding the perfect sample and Phife being embarrassed about many of his lyrics and Ali Shaheed Muhammad explaining how he learned to DJ showed a side of their process which gives added significance to their music listening to it since watching the film.

I left the theater sad that the film was over, as every second of watching it was a joy. I would have gladly stayed and watched it from beginning to end again. It hits every mark that a fan would be looking for in a film of this kind, and I have no doubt this will be seen as a wonderful addition to the story of A Tribe Called Quest. At the same time, it is an extremely well-crafted music documentary that will appeal to people yet to discover the music, and will be a wonderful starting point.

The official website for Beats, Rhymes & Life is here

Made entirely of 16mm footage filmed by Swedish journalists between 1967-1975, Black Power Mixtape is their journey through the culture and figureheads of the Black Power Movement. Left in a basement until now, the footage is absolutely stunning and this is combined with a gorgeous soundtrack provided by Questlove of The Roots.

There are numerous documentaries about this period and the culture, but what makes Black Power Mixtape stand out is just how classy it is. In audio commentary throughout the film, we hear from artists and activists involved in or influenced by the movement. The lack of talking heads keeps you focused on the footage and provides subtle context without attempting to aggressively educate you. It’s an interesting way to feature contributors as it seems that they are commenting while watching the film, a perfect way to include a vast array of voices and views without being obtrusive to the pacing of the story.

Broken into yearly chapters, the story is obviously chronological and this keeps the pace fast. Luckily, it avoids being a fumbling European view of US culture, but the journalists’ intrigue and naivete makes the footage far more accessible, and also unique, as they explore different aspects and speakers more likely to be overlooked by the US media at the time. Featuring figures such as Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, and Stokely Carmichael, you get a sense of the enigmatic nature of the Movement’s leaders through their speeches, but also as people through footage filmed during their downtime. There is a particularly wonderful interview with Stokely Carmichael’s mother as Stokely takes over the role of interviewer as the Swedish journalists struggle.  The range of footage with Angela Davis was by far the highlight of the film for me, and from her court case footage to the only interview in her cell, you get an all-encompassing view of an important figure in the movement who is often left out of similar films.

The subtlety of the film is its real strength and the enormous amount of footage from a multitude of approaches and view points makes Black Power Mixtape a joy to watch, while also being a very important cultural document. Add Questlove’s beautiful soundtrack into the mix and this a film that will have an extremely long life with an audience who will find a wonderful cinematic experience and, also, a great way to learn from a film that shows a different view into an important cultural period.

The full Sundance lineup has now been announced and below are the documentaries showing out of competition. The new Documentary Premieres category sees 8 films from some of the biggest names in documentary filmmakers – all of which look incredible. The other films at the festival fall into the Premieres, Native Showcase and New Frontier categories. Kevin McDonald’s Life in a Day project is under the Premieres category; twenty minutes of the film was shown at Sheffield Doc/Fest last month and it was stunning. In New Frontier is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses and !Women Art Revolution by Lynn Hershman, who we interviewed when the film premiered at TIFF (interview here).

The entire list is below the jump and more coverage will follow so check back over the next few weeks for our run up to the festival.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES

With the expanding impact and popularity of documentaries in our world today, Documentary Premieres is a new section for 2011 that furthers the Institute’s commitment to this important form of storytelling by showcasing films on big subjects and new works by master filmmakers. Each is a world premiere.

Becoming Chaz / U.S.A. (Directors: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato) – Born biologically female, Chastity Bono invites the viewer into a deeply personal journey as he transitions from female to male, embracing his true self, which is Chaz.

Bobby Fischer Against the World / U.S.A. (Director: Liz Garbus) – The drama of late chess-master Bobby Fischer’s career was undeniable,as he careened from troubled childhood, to World Champion and Cold War icon, to a fugitive on the run.

Granito / U.S.A. (Director: Pamela Yates) – A documentary film intertwines with Guatemala’s turbulent history and emerges as an active player in a nation’s struggle to heal itself and serve up justice.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold / U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Spurlock) – A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement.

The Interrupters / U.S.A. (Director: Steve James) – From the Academy Award-winning director of Hoop Dreams comes a story of ex-gang members who are now protecting their communities from the violence they themselves once employed.

Reagan / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Eugene Jarecki) – Reagan examines the enigmatic career of one of the revered architects of the modern world – icon, screen star, and two-term president Ronald Reagan.

Rebirth / U.S.A. (Director: Jim Whitaker) – Weaving together five stories of individuals whose lives were profoundly altered by the 9/11 attack with unprecedented time-lapse footage of Ground Zero composed over ten years, what emerges is a chronicle of grief’s evolution and a nation healing.

These Amazing Shadows / U.S.A. (Directors: Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton) – The history and importance of the National Film Registry unfolds in a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.

PREMIERES

To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented by Entertainment Weekly, the Festival’s first and longest-standing corporate sponsor. Each is a world premiere.

Life in a Day / United Kingdom (Director: Kevin Macdonald) – Life in a Day is a historic global experiment to create the world’s largest user-generated feature film. On July 24, 2010, professional and amateur filmmakers captured a glimpse of their lives on camera and uploaded the footage to YouTube, serving as a time capsule for future generations.

NATIVE SHOWCASE

Following President and Founder Robert Redford’s original vision, Sundance Institute has remained committed to supporting indigenous filmmaking. This showcase highlights new work that contributes to a worldwide understanding of and appreciation for these artists.

GRAB / U.S.A. (Director: Billy Luther) – Three families in the Laguna Pueblo tribe prepare for Grab Day, when they throw groceries from a rooftop to the community waiting below – an annual community-wide prayer of abundance, thanks and renewal. Documentary, narrated by Parker Posey. World Premiere.

NEW FRONTIER

Works that push the limits of traditional cinema aesthetics and the narrative structures of filmmaking.

The Nine Muses / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: John Akomfrah) – An allegorical fable divided into overlapping musical chapters, this film retells the history of mass migration to post-war Britain through the suggestive lens of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. North American Premiere

!Women Art Revolution / U.S.A. (Director: Lynn Hershman Leeson) – One part of a transmedia project that includes the interactive video installation RAW WAR presented at New Frontier, this seminal documentary depicts the history of women artists who have used art as an activist practice to fight oppression and protest gender and racial exclusion – creating what many historians feel is the most significant art movement of the late-20th century. U.S. Premiere

Today the list of films in competition at the 2011 Sundance was announced. Of those were the 28 documentaries that make up the US and World Cinema documentary competitions.

We’ll go into more depth with each of the films on the site as we get closer to the festival, but an initial look shows a fantastic mixture of first-time filmmakers alongside big names such as James Marsh, Marshall Curry and David Sington. Last year saw a large number of heavyweight directors at the festival and so it will be great to see such a variety of filmmakers and subject matter. However, this year is as interesting when you look at the producers of some of the docs – Simon Chinn, Julie Goldman, Havana Marking and Eddie Schmidt are just a few of the Sundance veterans and previous winners representing films in competition.

The trailer for Michael Rapaport’s A Tribe Called Quest documentary was released today and that, along with the full list of documentaries announced, is after the jump.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

This year’s 16 films were selected from 841 submissions. Each is a world premiere.

Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (Director: Michael Rapaport) – The story of the rise and influence of one of the most innovative and influential hip hop bands of all time, the collective known as A Tribe Called Quest.

BEING ELMO: A Puppeteer’s Journey (Director: Constance Marks) – The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash.

Buck (Director: Cindy Meehl) – In a story about the power of non-violence, master horse trainer Buck Brannaman uses principles of respect and trust to tame horses and inspire their human counterparts.

Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology (Director: Tiffany Shlain; Screenwriters: Tiffany Shlain, Ken Goldberg, Carlton Evans and Sawyer Steele) -Connected is an exhilarating stream-of-consciousness ride through the interconnectedness of humankind, nature, progress and morality at the dawn of the 21st century. For centuries we’ve been declaring independence. With insight, curiosity, and humor, the film explores whether it’s time to declare our interdependence.

Crime After Crime (Director: Yoav Potash) – Debbie Peagler is a survivor of brutal domestic violence incarcerated for her connection to the murder of her abuser. Two decades later a pair of rookie land-use attorneys cut their teeth on her case, attracting global attention to the troubled intersection of domestic violence and criminal justice.

Hot Coffee (Director: Susan Saladoff) – Following subjects whose lives have been devastated by an inability to access the courts, this film shows that many long-held beliefs about our civil justice system have been paid for by corporate America.

How to Die in Oregon (Director: Peter D. Richardson) – In 1994 Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. How to Die in Oregon gently enters the lives of terminally ill Oregonians to illuminate the power of death with dignity.

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (Director: Marshall Curry) – The Earth Liberation Front is a radical environmental group that the FBI calls America’s ‘number one domestic terrorist threat.’ Daniel McGowan, an ELF member, faces life in prison for two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies. But who is really to blame?

The Last Mountain (Director: Bill Haney; Screenwriters: Bill Haney and Peter Rhodes) – A coal mining corporation and a tiny community vie for the last great mountain in Appalachia in a battle for the future of energy that affects us all.

Miss Representation (Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom; Screenwriters: Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Jessica Congdon) – Miss Representation uncovers how American mainstream media’s limited and disparaging portrayals of women contribute to the under-representation of women in power positions – creating another generation of women defined by youth, beauty and sexuality, and not by their capacity as leaders.

Page One: A year inside the New York Times (Director: Andrew Rossi; Screenwriters: Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi) – Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.

The Redemption of General Butt Naked (Directors: Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion) – A brutal warlord who murdered thousands during Liberia’s horrific 14-year civil war renounces his violent past and reinvents himself as an Evangelist, facing those he once terrorized.

Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles (Director: Jon Foy) – An urban mystery unfurls as one man pieces together the surreal meaning of hundreds of cryptic tiled messages that have been appearing in city streets across the U.S. and South America.

Sing Your Song (A film by Susanne Rostock) – Most people know the lasting legacy of Harry Belafonte, the entertainer; this film unearths his significant contribution to and his leadership in the civil rights movement in America and to social justice globally.

Troubadours (Director: Morgan Neville) – A musical journey tracing the lives and careers of James Taylor and Carole King, pillars of the California singer/songwriter scene, which converged in and around LA’s Troubadour Club in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

We Were Here (Director: David Weissman) – A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

This year’s 12 films were selected from 796 international documentary submissions.

An African Election / Switzerland, U.S.A. (Director: Jarreth Merz) – The 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa, serve as a backdrop for this feature documentary that looks behind the scenes at the complex, political machinery of a third-world democracy struggling to avoid civil war and establish stability for good. North American Premiere

The Bengali Detective / India, U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Phil Cox) – Chubby, dance-obsessed private-detective Rajesh Ji and his motley band of helpers tackle poisonings, adultery and the occasional murder on the frenzied streets of Kolkata. World Premiere

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 / Sweden, U.S.A. (Director: Göran Olsson) – From 1967 to 1975, Swedish journalists chronicled the Black Power movement in America. Combining that 16mm footage, undiscovered until now, with contemporary audio interviews, this film illuminates the people and culture that fueled change and brings the movement to life anew. World Premiere

Family Portrait in Black and White / Canada (Director: Julia Ivanova) – In a small Ukrainian town, Olga Nenya, raises 16 black orphans amidst a population of Slavic blue-eyed blondes. Their stories expose the harsh realities of growing up as a bi-racial child in Eastern Europe. World Premiere

The Flaw / United Kingdom (Director: David Sington) – Within a few months in 2008, several American financial institutions failed, and before you knew it the U.S.A. was in the red. An imaginative blend of archive, animation and personal stories delivers a devastating indictment of the unfettered capitalism which has led to crippling, catastrophic income inequality in the land of the free. North American Premiere

The Green Wave (Irans grüner Sommer) / Germany (Director: Ali Samadi Ahadi) – Animated blogs and tweets tell the story of democracy under fire and hopes dashed as protesters are arrested, tortured and raped during Iran’s tumultuous elections of June 2009.North American Premiere

Hell and Back Again / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Danfung Dennis) – Told through the eyes of one Marine from the start of his 2009 Aghanistan tour to his distressing return and rehabilitation in the U.S., we witness what modern “unconventional” warfare really means to the men who are fighting it. World Premiere

KNUCKLE / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Ian Palmer) – An epic 12-year journey into the brutal and secretive world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle fighting, this film follows a history of violent feuding between rival clans. World Premiere

Position Among the Stars (Stand Van De Sterren) / Netherlands (Director: Leonard Retel Helmrich) – The effects of globalization in Indonesia’s rapidly changing society ripple into the life of a poor Christian woman living in the slums of Jakarta with her Muslim sons and teenage granddaughter. International Premiere

Project Nim / United Kingdom (Director: James Marsh) – From the Oscar-winning team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who was taught to communicate with language as he was raised and nurtured like a human child. World Premiere

Senna / United Kingdom (Director: Asif Kapadia; Screenwriter: Manish Pandey) – The story of the legendary racing driver and Brazilian hero Ayrton Senna takes us on the ultimate journey of what it means to become the greatest when faced with the constant possibility of death. North American Premiere

Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure / Australia, U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Bate) – When two friends tape-recorded the fights of their violently noisy neighbors, they accidentally created one of the world’s first ‘viral’ pop-culture sensations. World Premiere

This final report comes to you a little bit late, thanks to a case of jet lag and post-trip laziness. Yes, I’m back from Copenhagen and while I certainly enjoyed my time in Denmark, it’s great to be home. My final day at CPH:DOX felt fairly relaxed yet I still managed to check out four final films. It wasn’t all movies though; somewhere during a lull in my schedule I hit up one of the main streets for some shopping, picking up a sweet pair of Hummel shoes. It was actually a second attempt; the previous day a display just outside a shoe store caught my eye and when I asked the clerk for a pair of a particular shoe in my size, he politely informed me that it was a women’s shoe. It didn’t take much searching to find the male counterpart down the street at a store unfortunately named ‘The Athletes Foot’. This was almost as good as a near by clothing store called ‘Acne’. I tried to limit my shopping as I was terrified I’d misjudge the exchange rate on the Danish goods and end up destroying my bank account, so I just had myself a street crepe (with Nutella) and called it quits. On to the films!

The first film of the day I went into fairly blindly, knowing only that it was directed by Sophie Fiennes, sister of actors Ralph and Joseph. ‘Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow’ highlights the work of German artist Anselm Kiefer, a painter and sculptor who creates giant pieces working with cement, molten lead and other such materials. After moving his studio from Paris to Barjac, he begins using his large piece of land to build streets, carve out massive tunnels and erecting unusual buildings as one giant art installation. Much of the film highlights these works with long, lingering — almost Kubrickian — shots set to a haunting music by composers Jörg Widmann and György Ligeti. The most interesting aspect of the film comes from watching an artist navigate his own process and decide what works and what doesn’t. As Kiefer attempts to put the final touches on some giant paintings, the tiny choices he makes that ultimately define a finished piece from an unfinished piece probably seem completely unnoticeable or inconsequential to the untrained eye. It’s almost humorous watching him make the smallest of adjustments using fairly crude techniques, arriving at perfection by accident or total improvisation. The film walks an interesting line (whether it’s intended or not) of portraying the artist as being in control and earnest while occasionally allowing him to lean into the ridiculous cliche of the pretentious visionary that looks at a pile of dirt and exclaims ‘it’s perfect!’.

The next film was one of my most anticipated of the festival. Director Dmitry Vasyukovh’s Happy People: A Year in the Taiga spends one year following a few hunters and gatherers as they live and work in the Siberian Taiga. This version of the film is actually a 90-minute cut of what was originally a four-and-a-half hour epic about which I haven’t been able to find much info online. The task was overseen by legendary documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog, who also wrote and narrated the film. It makes sense considering the subject matter and Herzog’s interest in nature docs as of late. Happy People doesn’t have much of a plot outside of the simple idea of men going out into the wilderness to set traps and catch animals for food and pelts but the characters and their environments are really quite captivating. There are sequences that highlight the craftsmanship passed down through generations, as we watch a canoe carved by hand out of the trunk of a tree and a pair of skis built using no power tools whatsoever. It’s mesmerizing watching these men manipulate simple tools to create things that are generally taken for granted thanks to the ease of mass manufacturing. While I’m not totally sure I understand all of the benefits of using wedges to split a tree down the middle versus a circular saw, it’s certainly interesting to listen to someone passionately make a case for traditional methods. I also loved the time spent on the relationships between the hunters and their dogs. There’s an amazing bond there that’s perfectly captured in a scene in which one of the hunters returns to his village for New Years Eve. It’s a long trek that’s made easier by one of their few modern conveniences, the snowmobile. However, the dog is not allowed to ride on the vehicle. Instead, it runs full speed along side its master for the entire length of the journey. A truly touching moment that’s definitely enhanced by Herzog’s narration. Speaking of which, Herzog’s voice is a great addition to the piece and never really overtakes the film. His personality can be quite a dominating force and could have come dangerously close to upstaging the content, but he remains observational and respectful of the material. This film was definitely the highlight of the festival for me.

While I wouldn’t call myself a Bill Hicks fan, it’s merely out of ignorance rather than a distaste for the man’s comedy. I’m familiar with some of his most famous routines and his overall persona but I hadn’t really known much about the man himself. ‘American: The Bill Hicks Story’ certainly gave me some insight into his career and enlightened me on some of the more tragic elements of his short life. The film contains some great video footage of early stand up material — although I’m not entirely sure how rare most of it would be to hardcore fans — and attempts to recreate his life story using old photographs. I actually had a bit of an issue with this technique. Ever since The Kid Stays in the Picture it seems as though the 3D cut-out animation of photographs has been an overused crutch for many documentary filmmakers. While I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with it, it’s just not an aesthetic I particularly enjoy. I also wasn’t a fan of the use of Bill Hicks’ own music as the score. Sure, it’s thematically coherent and connects the music with the story but I just felt that a lot of it sounded like generic, royalty free temp tracks. His comedy was certainly cutting edge. His music? Not so much. Still, these nitpicks weren’t enough to detract from the drama of Hick’s story, his hilarious stand up material, or my overall enjoyment of the film.

Finally, I ended my time at CPH:DOX with a screening of the hour long BBC documentary ‘Another Green World’, which looks at the career of one of my favourite musicians, Brian Eno. The film attempts to provide some insight into Eno’s methods and techniques in creating his music and gives a bit of a history lesson on his career path. The film is at its best when Eno is passionately describing his approach to music and dissecting some of his favourite artists and singles of the past, pointing out the subtle techniques in record production that might go unnoticed to the untrained ear. I’m not sure the film would have anything to offer to audiences who aren’t fans of music — or Eno, perhaps — but I certainly found it to be a great look into the man’s body of work, his process, and his ideas.

So that pretty much wraps up my time at CPH:DOX! There were many highlights during my time in Copenhagen (waffles being one of them) but I think it was just a great opportunity to see some films that I might not have had a chance to see otherwise. It also didn’t hurt spending my time in a great country that I’ll hopefully have a chance to visit again in the future. Next time I might take some time to explore the city a little more but, for me, the films are first and everything else is secondary. In this regard, CPH:DOX certainly didn’t disappoint!

Day three was a full one! Six films in total (two of which were shorts) and one delicious waffle made for an enjoyable Friday. The fact that the theatres are so close to the hotel is a good thing but it also means that I don’t get to see as much of the city walking from theatre to theatre. Still, the little I have explored has been quite beautiful. I’ve also sampled the Denmark versions of both McDonalds and Burger King and I can say with confidence that there is a subtle difference. The fries are slightly greasier and the Big Mac seemed to have mustard in its ‘special sauce’. Also, they offer ketchup and ‘fry sauce’. I will have to give that a go tomorrow.

I hate to start this off on a down note but I really disliked the first film of the day. In the program synopsis, ‘Balangay’ is described as being “related to the modern, Asian arts film, where the atmosphere of the location brings a collective character to life.” This translated to lots of lingering shots on things that aren’t as interesting (visually or thematically) as the directors think they are. Extended sequences of homeless people walking around in an abandoned airport are intercut with extended sequences of a couple of guys trying to get their car started. Not to mention the fact that almost everything in the film looks to be staged. I can’t even say I liked the cinematography, which was drenched in some unfortunate use of editing software video filters. To be fair, this type of film just really isn’t up my alley. It’s one of those projects that’s probably better suited as part of a video installation in a gallery.

Next up was Homeless, directed by Ditte Haarlov Johnsen. The film follows three men who were born and raised in Greenland but ended up transplanted to Copenhagen. When we meet them, they’re living on the streets or staying in various shelters. The film is a very honest and gritty look at this existence as we learn of their struggles with addiction and watch as they attempt to connect with their families back home. I thought the film was well executed and the characters were interesting and the only criticism I’d have is one of style. It seems as though the director has decided to shoot the subjects in mainly close ups, rarely revealing their surroundings or the people they’re talking to. It was a very claustrophobic feeling that I wasn’t sure was exactly 100% successful for me. Still, that’s a small complaint.

Next was At the Edge of Russia, which follows the day to day activities of a group of soldiers stationed along the Russian border, deep within the snowy gulag. The film focuses on one 19-year-old rookie as he’s shown the ropes by his superiors. This film was an interesting one as it demonstrated the seemingly popular European approach to non-fiction filmmaking — specifically, the melding of fiction and documentary. Within the first ten minutes it’s clear this is not a traditional documentary. Although we may occasionally see the boom mic drop into frame, the Hollywood lighting and perfectly composed shots are a clear indication that the majority — if not all — of this film is staged. This seems to be the norm at CPH:DOX considering last year’s grand jury prize winner was Harmony Korine’s Trash Humpers, which isn’t a documentary at all. As for the film itself, it was mostly interesting and sometimes humorous. Basically, it’s the Russian training scene from Rocky IV meets the Klingon penal planet Rura Penthe from Star Trek VI.

After a short break, my next film was Lucy Walker’s Waste Land. While was aware of a buzz surrounding this one, I really didn’t have much of an idea of what it was about. I knew there was some sort of environmental connection but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that while the film does look at the importance of recycling, it’s done as a character study with a great story. The film follow artist Vic Muniz, a collage artist who creates elaborate ‘paintings’ using garbage and recyclable materials. After finding success in the United States, Muniz decides to return to his homeland of Sao Paulo to try and use his art to help the less fortunate. He targets one of the world largest landfills, Jardin Gramacho, and enlists a group of ‘pickers’ — people who pick through the garbage and pull recyclable materials to later sell for profit — to help him create giant portraits of themselves using the recyclable materials they collect. The result is a touching but controversial project that has the artist and his partners questioning the effects of interfering with the lives of these people. Will giving them a taste of life outside of the landfill provide them with unrealistic hopes? Will returning to picking devastate them? The film is shot quite nicely and Moby provides a wonderful score. Definitely worth checking out.

After Waste Land I had a bit of a walk to the next screening which consisted of two short films directed by Blaine Dunlop and Sol Korine, the father of Harmony Korine. The first was ‘Sometimes It’s Gonna Hurt’, a look at a kids rodeo training camp. I absolutely loved this film! It has a great sense of humour to it but also manages to capture the sincerity and the passion these kids share for rodeo riding. While it doesn’t pass judgement, the film is certainly aware of the safety concerns of putting kids on bulls. It would be a great companion piece to Spike Jonze’s short ‘Amarillo By Morning’. Second was a short called ‘Hamper McBee: Raw Mash’ which looks at a moonshiner named Hamper McBee who spends the majority of his time on screen singing, telling stories and constructing a moonshine distillery in the woods. The film was shot on video in 1978 and has a great aged aesthetic that perfectly suits the subject matter. Harmony Korine curated a block of films for CPH:DOX, and after seeing these two I wish I had a chance to catch the rest of them. Definitely one of the highlights of the festival.

Alright, well that wraps it up for me. I’m just about to head off for my last day of films. I’ve got four more on tap: American: The Bill Hicks Story, Over Your Cities, Brian Eno: Another Green World, and Werner Herzog’s presentation of Happy People: A Year in the Taiga. BYE FOR NOW.