Hey folks, Harry here with the loveliest one legged bathing beauty to ever grace a lap of a theater... That's right Annette Kellerman is here with a rundown on the Documentary selection that she's experienced thus far. Strangely enough I have not seen any of these, but I have seen a fantastic... utterly sublime documentary entitled HOME MOVIE.... wow. Do not allow this to skip you by. Here ya go....
Hey everyone! Annette here, once again to bring you the latest and greatest from SXSW. My weekend consisted of a barrage of excellent documentary filmmaking with a few damn good narrative features thrown in for good measure. I'll start with a quick look at the docs- all of which I really hope everyone gets a chance to see. You never know when one of these gems may end up at your video store, local campus, or even theater- so keep an eye out for these must-sees.
TWO TOWNS OF JASPER
Really impressive stuff. The film documents the trials of the three men accused and ultimately found guilty for the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd in Jasper, Texas. According to the intro of the film, a black film crew captured the stories, emotions, and revelations of the Byrd family, as well as various other black members of the community. Likewise, a white camera crew filmed the families of the three men responsible for the crime along with views from several white members of the community. Through segregated filming, directors Whitney Dow and Marco Williams are able to clearly document the frank and sometimes disturbing ideas still upheld in the small town. On the other hand, the majority of townspeople display a new sense of awareness and sensitivity provoked by the incident. The filmmakers are also able to take a very candid look at the Byrd family as well as families of the accused as they all try to cope with the tragic loss ! of their loved ones. TWO TOWNS OF JASPER is an extremely powerful and thought-provoking documentary.
LAST PARTY 2000
Also on my list this weekend was LAST PARTY 2000- a wonderfully thorough look at many of the questions and events NOT covered by the mass media during the 2000 presidential election and various other political events of the year. Like its predecessor, 1993's THE LAST PARTY (hosted by Robert Downey Jr.) THE LAST PARTY 2000 features actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman and directors Donovan Leitch and Rebecca Chaiklin as they make their way through both Democratic and Republican National Conventions plus many other "alternative"events. Featuring insightful interviews with everyone from Jesse Jackson to Tim Robbins and Eddie Vedder to Pat Robertson, the film justly captures the chaos of today's political climate. Beyond the elections itself, the film also covers the personal accounts of many up and coming leaders of issues such as homelessness, the environment, and even peaceful protest. A great job for such vast subject matter.
RISING LOW
Next, I must review one of the highlights of the fest for me so far- RISING LOW directed by a hero of mine, Mike Gordon. The 2nd-time filmmaker this time chronicles the untimely death of bassist Allen Woody of Gov't Mule fame. Upon his departure, the remaining members of the power trio decided that rather than replace their collaborator and friend, they would invite talented bass players from all genres of music to contribute to a tribute album. As an accomplished bass player himself, Gordon provides poignant commentary throughout the film on the instrument, the impact that various bass players have had on modern music, as well as the effect the instrument has physically to those who play and listen. As if all that weren't enough, excerpts from all of the musicians performances featured on the tribute album,
The Deep End, are an added bonus. Great music and great direction-very entertaining. After the film, lead singer War! ren Haynes and Gordon played a short acoustic set at Stubb's's Bar-B-Q, completely satiating the longtime phan in me.
THE BACKYARD
The final documentary of my weekend was THE BACKYARD. Now, for many fans of pro wrestling, this is an absolute must-see. As you may have already guessed, THE BACKYARD documents the ever-growing, super violent unofficial "sport" of backyard wrestling. Director Paul Hough travels the U.S. (and even the U.K.) and discovers that unofficial backyard wrestling groups can be found in almost any town. Made up of mainly teenagers- with a few twenty somethings- these groups meet regularly like real-life fight clubs. Armed with everything from thumb tacks, to barbwire wrapped crutches, to razor blades, these kids duke it out to the pre-determined end. And just like their WWF counterparts, all participants reassure us along the way that despite the bloodshed and cries of pain, nobody REALLY gets hurt. Truly fascinating-though not for the squeamish. Throughout the shocking footage of endless matches in towns across the country, Hough als! o manages to show many of the motivating emotions behind the madness. I seriously recommend this documentary.
Well, that finishes up my look at round one of documentaries at SXSW. I'll be back with more on those narratives.
Until then,
Annette.
