Despite the Gods (Director: Penny Vozniak): Australian filmmaker Penny Vozniak had originally signed on to Hisss, a Bollywood production, to shoot content for the movie’s DVD extras. Early on in the process, she discovered a creatively richer opportunity in documenting the tribulations of director Jennifer Lynch (daughter of filmmaker David Lynch). Lynch’s career story in and of itself is pretty interesting: after the critical evisceration that greeted Boxing Helena, her 1993 debut film, the then 25-year-old retreated from Hollywood until returning 15 years later with the little-seen Surveillance. With work scarce, Lynch agreed to move to India for three months with her 12-year-old daughter in tow to direct the decidedly undignified story of an Indian snake goddess, starring Bollywood superstar Mallika Sherawat. Hisss bloatedly incorporates aspects of seemingly every film genre, save for the one that Despite The Gods director Vozniak employs to capture Lynch’s experience directing it.

The potent combination of Lynch’s highly charismatic personality, her comfort with Vozniak’s omnipresent camera, an admirable dedication to her craft (even when it’s based on bottom-of-the-barrel material), and the numerous instances of adversity encountered by the director throughout the shoot should make for more compelling viewing than Despite The Gods actually delivers. About halfway through, the documentary seems to lose a bit of steam, unable to draw more from circumstances like Lynch balancing her motherly responsibilities while dealing with unpredictable weather, a meddling assistant director, inexperienced crews, cultural barriers, and a wearying eight month shoot, which was five months over schedule. These scenarios prove to be more challenging than outright disastrous, resulting in an observational doc that doesn’t quite have the engrossing qualities of, say, Lost In La Mancha, which chronicled director Terry Gilliam’s doomed film about Don Quixote. Lynch’s entertainingly brassy temperament and refreshing candour always keep things watchable, though, and she quickly becomes a protagonist with whom the viewer empathizes. The documentary’s “struggling single working mother” theme should also expand its appeal to more than just buffs of the process of filmmaking.

Lynch ultimately disassociated herself from Hisss after creative differences with producers during the film’s post-production. At the Q&A following Despite The Gods’ world premiere screening at Hot Docs, she said she still hasn’t seen the movie, which came out in October of last year. Considering the small portion of the finished product that we see in the documentary, distancing herself from Hisss (I feel ridiculous typing that extra “s”) is undoubtedly a smart move — the acting is terrible and the CGI is downright laughable. Things look to be on the upswing in Lynch’s career, as her next project (starring Vincent D’Onofrio) has been completed and another (starring Tim Roth) is in pre-production.

Despite The Gods might labour at times wringing substantial drama from Lynch’s film adventure, but it’s still a worthwhile viewing experience that presents an interesting fish out of water story, as the director’s second-act career arc unfolds.

Official site of the film

Post from: Toronto Screen Shots

Despite the Gods

After posting a gallery of my favourite film festival posters from 2011, I decided to continue the trend. Though I will continue to add to this as the year progresses, in honour of tomorrow’s opening of the 65th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, here is a sampling of some of my favourite festival posters from 2012 so far:

Post from: Toronto Screen Shots

Gallery: 2012 Film Festival Posters

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet (Director: Jesse Vile): Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a terminal disease with no known cure. Most people afflicted with it only live 3–5 years after symptoms are first detected, with only 5% of ALS patients surviving for 20 years after being diagnosed — Jason Becker is among that 5%. 22 years after the guitar prodigy’s seemingly charmed life imploded with his diagnosis, Becker continues to not just survive and defy the odds, but to have an amazingly upbeat attitude toward life. His extraordinary story provides the subject for Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet, the first feature-length documentary from Vile, who raised funds for the film from online donations.

Becker’s story is probably unknown to most. I was familiar with him through my regular readership of guitar magazines in the 80s, which frequently featured stories on the teenage guitarist and his virtuoso skills. His neo-classical “shred” guitar style wasn’t really my thing, but you couldn’t help but be in awe of the young man’s talent. Becker released a couple of albums as part of Cacophony (a duo with future Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman), along with a solo album before getting his biggest break in 1990 at the age of 20 as the lead guitarist in David Lee Roth’s band. At the time, that was the most coveted rock guitar gig, considering that it meant following in the footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, Roth’s previous guitarists and two of the most skilled and respected guitar players on the planet. Just a week after landing the job in Roth’s band, Becker began to notice muscular pain in his legs, which doctors soon told him was ALS. Undeterred and battling against the physical difficulties presented by the rapid onset of the disease, he continued to work, laying down tracks on Roth’s A Little Ain’t Enough album. As his condition worsened, Becker and Roth mutually agreed that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the album’s supporting tour. Just a few years later, Becker was on a life support system and apart from being able to move his eyes, completely paralyzed.

Vile, a guitar player himself and a fan of Cacophony, first contacted Becker about making a documentary more than a decade ago while he was still in film school, but the film never happened due to his inexperience. A couple of years ago, he approached Becker and his family again and they signed on, albeit warily (other filmmakers had started docs on the musician in the past decade that were never fully seen through). Vile makes liberal use of the Becker family’s ample supply of home video footage of the musician, displaying moments from his childhood, during his mid-teen “cusp of stardom” phase, after his diagnosis (footage from that period is understandably limited), and the years following as Becker comes to cope with the challenges of living with ALS. One of the most heartbreaking clips shows Jason as a young boy being pushed in a wheelbarrow by his father, an eerie foreshadowing of the caregiver/patient dynamic their relationship would take on.

Vile conducts interviews with Becker’s guitarist peers, including Friedman, Vai, Richie Kotzen, and Joe Satriani; unfortunately, Roth, the one musical voice most would want to hear from, is absent. After the screening, Vile said that he’d only gotten as far as contacting Roth’s manager and he didn’t know if the interview request had even gotten to the singer. Vile’s discussions with Becker’s family and friends reveal a remarkable support base, especially his father, who designed a system that allows his son to communicate via eye movement that picks out letters on a board. His dad also aids Becker in the creation of music by using a computer setup that allows the musician to place notes on a screen, again directed through eye movement. That Becker still has the determination to compose new music (and still at the same prolific level as when he was able-bodied) seems fairly amazing, although perhaps not altogether surprising when you consider that this is someone who loved the guitar so much he’d bring one to the dinner table with him, and even bought a mini guitar so he could take it in the car and get a few seconds of playing time in at red lights. Interestingly, Becker’s disease also hasn’t held him back from having relationships with some attractive ladies, as interviews with a couple of his former partners and his current girlfriend demonstrate.

The documentary’s only misstep is a very confusing scene at the end that shows Becker and some family members attending an Indian religious ceremony, without providing any context or much of an explanation. While doing some research for this review, I learned about Becker’s embrace of Eastern religions, which he explains in-depth on his website. Considering that his deep religious beliefs must have played a key role in strengthening his resilience throughout his arduous journey, I think the topic deserved more than the mere gloss over treatment it receives. Despite that momentary wobble, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet still packs an emotional wallop and serves as an uplifting testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Official site of the film

Post from: Toronto Screen Shots

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

Meanwhile in Mamelodi (Director: Benjamin Kahlmeyer): In 2010, South Africa hosted the first soccer World Cup ever held on the African continent, and excitement and expectations were high. The plucky South African team (known affectionately as “Bafana Bafana” from the Zulu word for boys), despite being among the lower-ranked teams, was expected to perform well as the host nation. In this, his graduation film, young German filmmaker Benjamin Kahlmeyer captures a bit of the optimistic spirit of South Africa during a time when the eyes of the whole world were upon them.

Fortunately, he sets up his observation post in Mamelodi, a shantytown outside of Pretoria, far from the coverage of the World Cup “human-interest” stories. Here, miles away from the stadiums, life continues to be a daily struggle. We meet tuck-shop owner Steven, determined to support his family and help his children achieve a better future. Despite the fact that his wife is suffering from a mysterious mental illness, he manages to run his business and take care of his young son and teenage daughter. 17-year-old Lerato (or “Mosquito” as she calls herself) is a talented soccer player in her own right, and brimming with self-confidence. We see their experience of the World Cup, where most of the people in the township crowd around a small television in the local bar to watch each match. One of the greatest scenes in the film is watching (through Kahlmeyer’s curiously fixed camera) as patrons pour out of the bar into the street after South Africa’s first goal. It’s captured a pure moment of joy for the community, which, alas will not last.

As the tournament continues, and Bafana Bafana’s performances leave them on the sidelines, the air goes out of the balloon a little bit for Mamelodi and perhaps for the entire country. The very real challenges its citizens face are clear in every frame of this film, although it’s far from a piece of misery porn. Instead, the film captures many moments of everyday beauty in the lives of Steven’s family, from the humour and affection shared while bathing his young son, to Mosquito’s talks about boys with her best friend.This affectionate portrait captures both Steven’s melancholy and Mosquito’s endless confidence. While Steven remembers growing up with apartheid, he’s at least hopeful that his children will have a better future. Mosquito? Well, as she explains at the end of the film, she’s not really interested in hearing those apartheid stories anymore. Her generation are looking ahead, not backwards.

The often-static camera is used to great effect and subjects are often framed as if they are in still photographs. In fact, the last scene in the film uses this quite strikingly. After the cameraman has been trying to get the family to hold a pose for a long time, Steven’s young son finally loses patience and wanders away. Into the future, no doubt.

Official site of the film

Post from: Toronto Screen Shots

Meanwhile in Mamelodi

The 2012 edition of Hot Docs proved once again that the festival keeps getting better and better, year after year. The enthusiastic audiences and interesting line-up of world documentaries culminated in a well-organized 10-day event. They expanded this year, but I believe they will need to expand even more next year. Such is the enthusiasm for documentaries in Toronto. Of the 54 feature films I saw this year, here are my personal favourites, in order of preference:

1. JAI BHIM COMRADE (India, Anand Patwardhan)

Due to its 3-hour running time, I expected an epic documentary about the low-caste untouchables (Dalits) in India. However, this superb labour of respect chronicles the plight and suffering of the untouchables in a way that elevates it to a work of poetic art. The director uses protest songs and poems, composed and performed by Dalits, not for the camera, but captured at events and gatherings. The poetry and songs serve as a Greek Chorus, strategically placed at various intervals as the director uses interviews, media-coverage and heart-breaking testimonies to make this film an unforgettable experience. The genesis of the film itself is interesting and almost accidental. The suicide of a low-caste poet who was a friend of the director, prompted him to assemble footage of the poet’s songs on film, and from that, blossomed the documentary. The film took 14 years to be completed, not because the director was intentionally making an epic, but for the simple fact that he was awaiting a verdict on a court case about atrocities committed by police against a group of untouchables, which incidentally was the reason the poet friend committed suicide.

2. WHERE HEAVEN MEETS HELL (USA, Sasha Friedlander)

The daily toil and struggles of Indonesian sulphur miners are captured with such respect by this first-time director, that it leaves you speechless. From their toil to their tender moments, all is chronicled so intimately that we feel privileged to have spent this time with the miners and their families.

3. ¡VIVAN LAS ANTIPODAS! (Germany, Victor Kossakovsky)

One of the most enjoyable experiences of the festival was this gorgeously photographed film about settlements on precisely opposite points of the globe (there are only a few due to the vastness of the oceans). The conceptual design of this film is to be marvelled at. No, this is not one of those Disney or Imax nature documentaries. Akin to the great films of Nikolaus Geyrhalter, this film gave me much to think about our planet, our existence and how insignificant we are in this sphere of nature. This film is not about how we treat our planet, it is simply illustrating to us how we are all linked to each other, regardless of the vast diversity. Distances and differences melt away watching this film; and that, in itself, is a great achievement because the film is about places that are furthest away from each other.

4. BALLROOM DANCER (Denmark, Christian Bonke, Andreas Koefoed)

A revelation. I was expecting perhaps a fun film about a dancing competition and the come-back of an aging ballroom dancer (34 is considered old in that world), but this film is a sad, love story that disintegrates before your eyes. In complete cinéma vérité style, no interviews, no narration, the camera seems almost voyeuristic as we watch this dancing couple battle their personal and professional issues.

5. WITH MY HEART IN YAMBO (Ecuador, Maria Fernanda Restrepo)

The director searches for the truth about her two teenaged brothers’ disappearance and murder that occurred in the 80s. Interviews and confrontations with the corrupt officials in charge at that time, home movies, the last known footage of the brothers at a Scout camp, all come together to weave the making of a tragedy that happened over and over again to thousands of families, all across Latin America in the 70s and 80s. At 140 minutes, this film felt much shorter.

6. OUTING (Austria, Sebastian Meise, Thomas Reider)

The most difficult and uncomfortable film I had to sit through during the festival. A shy young man confesses to his family (and the camera) about his growing attraction to children. What ensues is at times unsettling, candid but never sensational. When you realise why this man would agree to document his story on camera, knowing the effects of his disclosure, the film comes together.

7. GREETINGS FROM THE COLONY (Belgium, Nathalie Borgers)

Almost every year, I discover an excellent documentary about dark, family secrets. This year, it was Greetings from the Colony. A young child is brought from Rwanda to Belgium in the 1920s. She is fathered by a white colonial official. Her mother is native Rwandan. In Belgium, she is never told that her mother is black, still alive with her two younger brothers in Rwanda. As a child, she is given no information as to why the colour of her skin is darker than other children. Thus begins this intimate journey back in time as we explore family secrets, alienation, shame and racism.

8. THE PROPHET (UK, Gary Tarn)

The poetic prose of Lebanese writer Kahlil Gibran is the soundtrack of this mesmerizing film, beautifully read by Thandie Newton. It is an exploration of life, love and the human condition. Although it was filmed in many countries, one may think this is a visual delight, but this is a film that begs you to listen first and then watch.

9. 5 BROKEN CAMERAS (Israel, Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi)

Profound and humanist in every way, five cameras (all broken due to clashes and gunfire) used by the main subject of the film to chronicle six years of life in his tiny West Bank village which is threatened by new settlements. I know we have seen many of these documentaries, but there is something immediate and deeply personal about this film which contains no talking heads, interviews or experts. It is all real footage, some shocking, of one man’s efforts to become a journalist and to document what is happening to his home, family and the livelihood of the farmers.

10. THE IMPOSTER (UK, Bart Layton)

The most cinematic documentary you will see this year, or perhaps ever. A young boy, missing for years, is returned to his Texan family after being found in Spain. What unfolds is such an incredible story. No more can be revealed here.

11. COLOMBIANOS (Sweden, Tora Martens)

Two young brothers of Colombian origin, born and raised in Sweden, make different choices in life. One has returned to Colombia for his medical studies and the other is in Sweden, dependent on drugs and alcohol. And he is only 23 years old. Yet another superb cinéma vérité work that allows us into the lives of two sons and a strong mother.

12. MCCULLIN (UK, Jacqui Morris)

Spanning decades of wars and humanitarian catastrophes, we hear, in his own words, all about the life and career of celebrated ‘war photographer’ Donald McCullin. He is conflicted about how he feels about the title of war photographer, and this is just one of the many things that make this dignified man such a compelling subject.

The rest of my Top 25:

13. PLANET OF SNAIL (South Korea, Seung-jun Yi)
14. MARLEY (UK, Kevin MacDonald)
15. THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES (USA, Lauren Greenfield)
16. MADE IN CHINA (China, Jian Du)
17. CHASING ICE (USA, Jeff Orlowski)
18. ESPOIR VOYAGE (Burkina Faso, Michel Zongo)
19. PRIVATE UNIVERSE (Czech Republic, Helena Trestikova)
20. THE LIST (USA, Beth Murphy)
21. THE REVISIONARIES (USA, Scott Thurman)
22. DOWNEAST (USA, David Redmon, Ashley Sabin)
23. THE WAITING ROOM (USA, Pete Nicks)
24. DROUGHT (Mexico, Everardo Gonzalez)
25. THE WORLD BEFORE HER (Canada, Nisha Pahuja)

Post from: Toronto Screen Shots

Moen Mohamed: The Best of Hot Docs 2012