doc it out » Featured http://agnesvarnum.com watching, ranting and connecting with documentary film Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 The Garden http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/07/13/the-garden/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/07/13/the-garden/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:07:56 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=814 Looks like it’s going to be and garden week here at doc it out. I just got back from watching The Garden by Scott Hamilton Kennedy and later this week, I’m going to watch Food, Inc. Both come on the heels of my picking up and subsequently putting down Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma… One of the big pros of moving to for me was/is the incredible movement toward healthy, local . There are many farmer’s markets throughout the week, a coop that encourages urban gardening, supermarkets that buy and label locally produced and more vegetarian and organic restaurant options than I’ve seen in most other cities I’ve been to– is a progressive community, there is no doubt, and it’s important to me.

Over the years, I’ve seen a number of documentaries that, taken together, paint a grim picture of our nation’s system and point directly to the negative health impacts to us and to our . To name just a few: King Corn by Aaron Woolf, Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney; The Future of Food by Deborah Koons Garcia; Food Fight by Chris Taylor; and The Real Dirt on Farmer John by Taggart Siegel. Besides the we directly take in, you have the petroleum industry that fuels all of the processing and shipping to make and deliver something that will only harm you in the long run via heart disease, diabetes or obesity.

I can’t list all of the films that make a case for the idea that war is for oil and our over-use of it, but think of it–not just for our cars, but for our whole system! The only way to have those debilitating systems fail and not be impacted in harmful ways is not only to develop alternative energy but to grow gardens. The way to supply ourselves with nourishing and yummy foods is for individuals and communities to grow it ourselves. What happens when we no longer need those incoming trucks of processed, packaged junk? Healthier bodies, and maybe event a healthier . Hello? Heard of global warming? What is the only thing that can really help us with that–plants! Grow lots of plants, reduce greenhouse gases. Dare we to imagine reversing the effects of global warming? If no one takes any action, then we are doomed by our own ignorance. Maybe another generation after us will figure out the answer.

(Do recall that I called this blog doc it out for a reason) The Garden is about the city of Los Angeles and a real estate developer who managed to bring down an entire community effort to support themselves via a piece of land in downtown LA. I won’t go into the details of the story as it is well-covered in the documentary. Kennedy’s camera remains with the farmers throughout the ordeal. And if you think it can’t happen in your town, you best pay attention. Communities have to take the first step, and second and third. At some point, local government will hopefully have to follow where the community leads.

I’ve been having my own experiences with local government over the past few weeks and I can’t say anything for sure, so I’m hoping to find out more about the intersection of community and . I’d really like to see how my own city government holds up to the tests of Los Angeles, whose mayor and councilpeople failed miserably to protect the community in favor of personal political power. The Garden is sobering lest you be too optimistic about how very difficult it is to effect change. There is no time for complacency or room to remain uninvolved. Politicians must be accountable for the quality of a community.

I know for my industry friends, this film has long since come and gone, but it is right now in a theatrical run, so time to revisit your posts about it and get the word out for people who haven’t seen it yet. It’s tough for docs to make change without many voices amplifying the message. We’ve made the case for the problems, and we need to make a case for solutions. Whatever you take away from this doc, I feel confident will be helpful to your community.

It’s late. More on Food, Inc. and The Omnivore’s Dilemma after Thursday.

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/07/13/the-garden/feed/ 0 HotDocs 09: Waterlife http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/05/06/hotdocs-09-waterlife/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/05/06/hotdocs-09-waterlife/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 13:10:22 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=773 Please, please, please see this movie! Gisèle Gordon writes about Waterlife by Kevin McMahon for the Hot Docs program, “This stunning ode to the last great supply of fresh on earth, the Great Lakes, immerses us in their extraordinary beauty, ecological complexity, and extreme state of distress. Under assault on all fronts by a deadly combination of industrial toxins, sewage, invasive species, climate change, and profound apathy, they are on the verge of irreversible collapse.”

I’m slightly leery of using the term ode to describe this film, or “poetic essay,” which Gordon uses later on in the description. While they are apt terms for this film, the idea of a meandering, experiential documentary is something that wide audiences in the US don’t gravitate toward, and I have high hopes for Waterlife, one of the most stunning films about the environmental crisis I’ve ever seen.

McMahon chooses the Great Lakes as his main character – these 5 fresh bodies between the US and Canada hold 20% of the world’s fresh . Those who are in the know about environmental issues understand that we are hemorrhaging and at some point in the not-too-distant future, we may stop fighting for oil and start fighting for . What happens to this 20% of fresh could very well be an issue of national security. So it is profoundly disturbing to see within one film the wide array of issues that face the Lakes with such clarity.

Sensuous cinematography (by John Minh Tran, who also shot Examined Life) and a top-notch soundtrack pull us in to  the natural beauty of this place. McMahon establishes also the relationship of humans to this , as open space and clean to recreate in is one of our fundamental needs. I literally leapt out of my seat when when we abruptly stop for a visit a paper factory. It is the first intrusion of industry chronicled in the film and its entrance to the rather pastoral images is jarring. After seeing all of the wood and being used to make those crisp white sheets that we take so for granted, I was prepared for a seriously depressing trip through the Lakes.

The information contained in Waterlife is powerful and disturbing, but all of the problems are interwoven with a visual and aural tapestry that allow us to also feel why we cannot be beyond hope that it is possible to use our ingenuity to deal with the problems. There is also humor, such as the redneck fishing contest of netting jumping Asian carp. The fish are an invasive species that are inedible, so folks head out in boats and catch them as they leap from the river. I doubt the sport will remove the species entirely, but it looked like a rather fun day on the .

An Inconvenient Truth was an important film not only because it is a doc that did well at the box office, but because it was the nudge that tipped public awareness to environmental issues. It brought together the evidence of environmental degradation into one, credible spot. Waterlife, to me, represents the next step in our education. How do all of these various problems intersect with one another? Looking at a single issue is hard enough but understanding ecosystems and the multiple impacts and their effects seems to large of a task for a single film, but Waterlife is successful in this.

Going from a factory to city sewage, understanding the flow of a river and how the pollutants move through it and then seeing the effects on the people and animals that live with those effects, is the kind of systemic investigation we need. If you don’t live around the Great Lakes, it actually doesn’t matter, because the same industrial processes, sewage, damming, invasive species, etc. are taking place on each river and fresh source we have. This story isn’t localized, though using this important example illustrates the interconnectedness in rich detail.

If you in Toronto, please see Waterlife on Sunday, May 10 at 4:15. It deserves to be seen on the big screen, and I rarely say that, so take note. Not only does it contain important information presented in a way that we haven’t seen before but it is a beautiful cinematic experience. A spoon full of sugar helping the medicine go down.

The official Waterlife website

[youtube]MP8e9fTP7Ig[/youtube]

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/05/06/hotdocs-09-waterlife/feed/ 4 My 2-Year Meme: Once http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/04/04/my-2-year-meme-once/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/04/04/my-2-year-meme-once/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:11:07 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=741 I haven’t had many great loves in my life but I have had a few minor loves. And while usually I don’t talk much about my personal life here, as seems to happen for those of us who watch movies for a living, my life has crossed into the world of fiction through a story called Once by John Carney.

You might know it from the Academy Award-winning song, Falling Slowly, from the tiny Irish movie in 2008. It was recommended to me through my 2-year meme project (which has dragged on into year 3 because I’m blog-lazy, as AJ pointed out) by fellow film blogger Chuck Tryon. But the idea that prompted that post was transcendent media—a movie or song or book that transcends its genre to be something of universal truth, or something that moves one outside of a comfort zone to connect with others. Whatever. It doesn’t matter what it transcends so long as it makes a difference to you. I wanted to see if any of the things that move my blog readers would move me, and that was happily the case with Once.

Which is what brings me back to the minor loves of my life. They have converged on me this very month! The third anniversary of my blog, also incidentally seems to be the Bermuda triangle of exes. Without bothering to go into the details, I’ve managed to keep the door just open enough with too many half-wits who decided now was a good time to get in touch with me. They were wrong. I’m tired of that crap. I need a new ex, at least.

And then I watch Once. A guitar player on the sidewalk plays his songs and a woman who really enjoys his music pushes him to open up about the source behind it. It turns out that lost love fuels his music, and the young woman who is so interested in the music also has an interesting love history. She is separated from her husband and living with her mother and toddler in a new city.

When our scrubby Irish musician delves a bit into her life, he finds out that she plays piano and sings in perfect harmony with him. The music is wonderful and romantic; the filmmaking is assured and seamless. They fall in love over their failed loves and through their connection in music. My emotions were so easily led through the story. They shared a wonderful moment in time, but their lives are complicated and the moment can’t last.

I guess that is a spoiler to the emotion of the film if not the plot. But it really doesn’t matter because if you are ready to be lead on a journey of love, this is a movie well worth the cost to rent or buy for when you need some genuine romance. It reminded me that minor loves are minor for just this reason. Their moment in our lives can’t compare to major love. Of that, I’ve only experienced it once, and maybe if the title of the movie is true, it won’t ever come again. But I’m not that cynical and I’m also no longer brainwashed enough to believe that an amazing moment between two people constitutes love.

It’s a really valuable lesson for me. Once by John Carney was a beautiful reminder of all that I have learned about love thus far with music I, dare I say it?, loved. That is pretty freaking awesome.

I wonder, Chuck, did you ever figure out what Once means to you? That’s not a challenge to write about it, I’m just curious if anything helped you close the loop to your thoughts since you posted about it.

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/04/04/my-2-year-meme-once/feed/ 2 A Geek’s Guide to SXSW Film http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/02/27/a-geeks-guide-to-sxsw-film/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/02/27/a-geeks-guide-to-sxsw-film/#comments Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:10:12 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=681 There are many websites and blog posts out pre- to help you figure out the behemoth event, but since I have a panel on the subject, I want to add my own to the mix. Check out all of the geeky Film goodness – check back as updates are coming in all the time.

My panel is Getting the Most Out of SXSW Film at the Interactive conference. Some of you may know that I started this blog because I was hanging out with the fellas of Rain City Studios some years back and was really impressed by the work they were (and still are) doing. I could see how beneficial it was to be among folks who were not in the film world but were creating communities online, finding clients among the attendees of and in general, crossing the boundaries that tend to divide the Interactive, Film and Music programs of . I pitched new fest producer Janet Pierson (@JanetPierson – she’s still figuring Twitter out, so cut her some slack!) on finding more ways to create spaces within the fest where crossover between attendees could happen (as opposed to randomly meeting cool people while sharing a table). Long story short, Janet and her team have put together a steller line up of just such events, including the panel that I will be moderating.

Panelists include Kevin Kelly (@gadgetguy, Spout.com, Joystiq and former Austinite), Amy Dotson (@Adotson780, New York and producer of Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo), PJ Raval (cinematographer of The 2 Bobs and local), and Michael Lerman (The Film Sales Company and producer of ‘08 fave Natural Causes). The panel is on Friday, March 13 at 2 PM. Each of the panelists have been to many a time and will share their tips and tricks on how to navigate the Film fest to maximum advantage. Bottom line is that there are lots of ways Interactive and Film folks can and should connect and collaborate – we’ll have some ideas for you. Here are some links to get you going in your schedule planning.

Where to go & How to get there

  • Slackerwood’s SXSW 2009 Guide to Film Festival Venues
    local and movie blogger Jette Kernion has a guide to the movie theaters that are part of the fest, including when to arrive, whether they have beer or not and general tips like where to park. Also, new this year, shuttle buses to help you get to the far flung theaters.
  • SXSW Film FAQs
    The folks at have put together FAQs about the Film Fest.
  • Film Parties & Lounges
    I know, it’s tough to network at a party where you don’t know anyone, so I understand the difficulty in crossing into Film via parties and lounges, but some are totally geek-ready, like “Get in the Game” with Voodoo Cowboy (the last Voodoo Cowboy party I went to had a tattoo artist giving tats), PBS’ Interactive Social Media & Online Video Studio and new this year, the Block Party for Film and Interactive.
  • Happy Hour
    In year’s past, we’ve gotten a drink card for a tent outside the Convention Center where between 4 and 6 PM or so each day, we could go grab a free beer or . It’s laid back and can be a nice transition from a days worth of panels and screenings into an evening of BBQ, more screenings, parties and music. The card gets punched each day, so put it in your badge pouch and head on over to the watering hole.
  • A new party added: Interactive / Film Fusion Party Hosted by Whrrl and JavaFX – 8 pm – 10 pm, Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River) Whrrl and JavaFX invite you to join us for an evening of , drinks and world-class entertainment at the official Film & Interactive “Fusion” party! Hosted bar and appetizers, the launch of Whrrl v2.0, and world premiere of Sparhusen, featuring actress Illeana Douglas.

While you are putting your sked together, here is an outline of some events that should be on there:

Interactive at the Movies

Don’t have a Gold badge? Want a taste of the Film Festival? Each year Interactive badgeholders can attend a few select Film screenings for FREE! Below is a generous list of geek-related films that will be open to all Interactive badgeholders. Please note that only the screenings listed below are free to Interactive badgeholders. In addition to upgrading your Interactive badge to Gold, individual tickets may be purchased for many films at the Film Festival (pending availability and theater capacity). Full festival schedule here.

The Dungeon Masters
Director: Keven McAlester
11:30 AM – Monday, March 16 @ Convention Ctr
Against the backdrop of crumbling middle-class America, two men and one woman devote their lives to Dungeons and Dragons, the storied role-playing game, and its various descendants. As their baroque fantasies clash with mundane real lives, the characters find it increasingly difficult to allay their fear, loneliness, and disappointment with the game’s imaginary triumphs. (U.S. Premiere)

RiP: A Remix Manifesto
Director: Brett Gaylor
9:30 PM – Sunday, March 15 @ Convention Ctr
A documentary feature exploring issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers. (U.S. Premiere)

We Live in Public
Director: Ondi Timoner
2:30 PM – Tuesday, March 17 @ Convention Ctr
The story of the Internet’s revolutionary impact on human interaction as told through the eyes of Internet pioneer and visionary, Josh Harris.

The 2 Bobs
Director/Writer: Tim McCanlies
6:45 PM – Friday, March 13 @ Convention Ctr & 6:30 PM, Monday March 16th @ Paramount
Just as they finish their groundbreaking violent video-game masterpiece, the two gaming legends known as “The Two Bobs” discover that their precious game-software has been stolen… and with it, their livelihoods, genius reputations, everything they own. Cast: Tyler Francavilla, Devin Ratray, Mika Boorem, Cody Kasch, Leonardo Nam (World Premiere)

Objectified
Director: Gary Hustwit
5:00 PM – Saturday, March 14th @ Paramount
A glimpse into our relationship to manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them. (World Premiere)

The Yes Men Fix the World
Director: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno and Kurt Engfehr
1:30 PM – Monday, March 16th @ Paramount
A pair of notorious troublemakers sneaks into corporate events disguised as captains of industry, then use their momentary authority to expose the biggest criminals on the planet. Cast: Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno

Four Boxes
Director/Writer: Wyatt McDill
4:00 PM – Tuesday March 17th @ Paramount
A snarky social thriller about three suburban nobodies watching a creep named Havoc on a website called fourboxes.tv — Rear Window on the internet. Cast: Justin Kirk, Terryn Westbrook, Sam Rosen (World Premiere)

Interactive/Film Panels
Each year, there are panels that both Interactive and Film badgeholders can attend (as well as Gold and Platinum badgeholders). Panels, more so than screenings, are a great spot to engage in conversation. Do you already know enough about the subject of the panel? Cool, but there are probably filmmakers there who could use your help. Clients, folks. Work the fest to generate new business. They might find you at the Trade Show, but why not be more proactive – go to a panel, make yourself known by making a comment or asking a question, or go up to folks who asked questions you can answer afterwards.

Here are a list of the panels (including mine!):

Film Folks on Twitter
Besides the Twitter accounts for the panelists and moi (@Aavarnum), there are also some other very cool film folks you might want to follow. If they are headed somewhere, it’s probably awesome. If you are a film geek that isn’t on this list but you should be, or an awesome geek who can show the film folks a thing or two, just leave your Twitter in comments.

Former producer Matt Dentler @MattSXSW
Rooftop Films programmer & blogger Mark Elijah Rosenberg @markelijah
Filmmaker Garret Savage @GarretSavage
Film Fest coordinator Claudette Godfrey @claudasaur
staffer Stephanie Noone @stefunnynoone
Film Press liaison Rebecca Feferman @rebfef
Conference Producer and taco expert Jarod Neece @jneece
Author of Film Festival Secrets Christopher Holland @stomptokyo
Filmmaker and blogger David Lowery @davidlowery
Film Festival programmer Kelly Williams @KellyWilliams
American-Statesman Social Columnist Michael Barnes @outandabout
Game developer and Austinite Rodney Gibbs @rgibbs
Slackerwood author and Austinite Jette Kernion @jettek
Shooting People and part of the totally fun British contingent Ingrid Kopp @fromthehip
The Rabbi Report’s Mark Rabinowitz @RabbiReport
Spout.com’s unstoppable Karina Longworth @KarinaLongworth
Official Twitter @sxsw

Do you have a suggestion for more geek fabulous-ness? Leave it in the comments. I’m going to display this page at our panel, so get your submissions in by Friday, March 13. See you in !

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/02/27/a-geeks-guide-to-sxsw-film/feed/ 9 Sundance 09: Dirt! The Movie http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/01/20/sundance-09-dirt-the-movie/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/01/20/sundance-09-dirt-the-movie/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:58:42 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=642 Those who read this blog know that I tend to shy away from talking about films if I don’t like them. The reason being simply that there are so many I do love to cover. There are things I liked and some things I didn’t like about Dirt! The Movie from the Documentary Competition, but I think that the good makes this a film worth watching.

It’s hard to imagine an entire film about dirt, and the filmmakers must have anticipated the need to provide interesting visuals to contrast with the many “talking heads” that appear. There are some really wonderful abstract, impressionistic animation, and then there is some that is a little hokey (little dirt particles that dance, show happiness and sadness depending on what the narrative is discussing). The film lays the foundation for understanding why dirt is important and the significance it has had in human history. But, if you paid attention in 5th grade , this part of the film could have easily been cut in half. Several experts say the same thing in different ways and they all sniff dirt. Ok, I get, you like the way it smells.

But, the latter half of the film is where I found the story. Programs like gardening in prisons and ex-cons continuing gardening after their release; kids tearing up their asphalt playgrounds to plant gardens; Sebastio Selgado and his wife completely rehabilitating one of the ruined landscapes of Selgado’s world-renowned images. Each of these programs are contributing to the re-greening of earth, and if you are at a moment in your life where you are feeling like change is needed, the people in this film will give you ideas about some things you can do to start.

Whether it is planting a tree, composting or buying your vegetables from a farm cooperative, there are things that we can do in our everyday lives to improve our planet. This message came through loud and clear for me while watching Dirt! The Movie, and I think that is a very valuable lesson. Did you know it’s possible to compost radioactive waste? When can we start?

The film is also beautifully shot. The colors were saturated and combined with the quirky but fun experts, it was easy to forgive the somewhat patronizing grade school lessons and animations.

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2009/01/20/sundance-09-dirt-the-movie/feed/ 1 I.O.U.S.A. http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/17/iousa/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/17/iousa/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:37:15 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=593 There is a scene in Patrick Creadon’s I.O.U.S.A. where a team of financial experts, who have gone on a bi-partisan speaking tour to alert Americans to the dire financial straits our country is in, are ignored by local media. Mind you, this occurred long before recent events brought the subject to the forefront via a political . These experts foresaw the current crisis and were trying to warn Americans. They were interviewed by an ABC news affiliate in New Hampshire. The reporter admits that the story might run in the middle of the broadcast, and indeed, the show leads with an important story about a man who swallowed a diamond ring. The financial experts who came just to speak with citizens about an important subject weren’t included in the broadcast at all.

This illustrates one point in sharp relief: our news media are failing us miserably and have been for years. I.O.U.S.A. is hopefully the first of many films that will help us get a handle on how serious our financial situation is, and while the subject matter is tough to watch, viewing it and understanding it is imperative. We literally can’t afford to continue to be ignorant and apathetic about the challenges we are facing, even if the nightly news refuses to bring these subjects to our attention in a meaningful way.

The other day, I was reading a Times article that said that Obama would be using his campaign fundraising machine again to help cover the cost of that shiny new economic crisis team. When I read that, I was annoyed. Why should we have to pay again for a team of consultants, made up largely of corporate giants who can afford to donate some of their time to public service? And, while I was interested in giving money to the campaign, I really didn’t expect that they would keep hitting me up once Obama had control of the federal budget.

What I.O.U.S.A. makes clear is that we all are going to have to tighten our belts. Obama made it plain that he would hit the wealthiest first, but what the film makes clear is that none will come out untapped. This is simply too bad for every American not to pitch in. We’ve been buying our way of life on credit as a society, and while numbers in the trillions are inconceivable and exactly when the credit line will dry up is unclear, it is obvious that we are putting our very freedom at risk. I say all of this not to frighten you but to ask that you please see this movie, and hopefully more like it, to get yourself informed. Creadon makes sure that you don’t need an MBA to understand the issues.

Someone recently asked me where I was after September 11. I was in New Jersey and the thing I remember most vividly is that after the shock and sadness, was an amazing outpouring of love and support between neighbors. We need to call upon that now because this situation is going to get much worse before it gets better. The medicine for what ails our country will be bitter, but we can figure it out if we work together and realize that we are all in this together. Start paying off your debts and saving your money (no one will convince me that continuing to spend money we don’t have, a/k/a economic stimulus, will make this go away). And while it’s tempting to blame it all on W., he merely exacerbated an already impossible situation.

When Obama takes office, I hope that he and his fancy-pants team will roll up their sleeves, put the country first and tell us honestly what we need to do without regard to elections or re-elections, and that we will do what needs to be done because we understand the severity of the situation.

[youtube]O_TjBNjc9Bo[/youtube]

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/17/iousa/feed/ 0 SDF 08: BLAST! http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/12/sdf-08-blast/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/12/sdf-08-blast/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 02:17:28 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=582 It was with great pleasure that I was finally able to catch up with Paul Devlin’s BLAST! at Sheffield. Paul brought the project to as a work-in-progress in 2006 and being a bit of a geek myself, I was looking forward to seeing the finished work. I enjoyed the film, which follows his brother, an astrophysicist, as he and a team put together a telescope that will be launched by a balloon into the Earth’s upper atmosphere where it will record data about galaxy formation. Cool stuff, especially if the filmmaker can make it entertaining. And it is. It’s a movie about a scientific project but it is also about learning through trail and error, about what we know and don’t know about the universe, and also a smattering of faith in . It is on this point that I feel compelled to write about the movie.

Paul told me that he has been having a tough time finding a US broadcaster, and one of the reasons seems to be that for -based outlets, they don’t want any discussion of religion. For non- outlets, there is too much . Ugh. We’re back to the lowest-common-denominator programming. Programs that challenge our intellect and/or our beliefs can’t be included among the format programming? Aren’t Religulous and Expelled the top grossing docs of this year? People want to discuss faith but only if it is within groups that believe the same thing.

The really sad part for the BLAST! folks is that there isn’t really even that much discussion of faith. It pops up a couple of times with one of the team leaders who happens to also be a Christian. He, like most of us, doesn’t take the Bible as literal. He allows his scientific exploration to live alongside his faith. You don’t have to believe that the Earth is 2000 years old to feel the presence of God in your life. Most of us understand that that religious texts were written by men. Some of the most learned and interesting teachers I have had are scientists who approach their discipline with an understanding that it is but one among arts and humanities. Each discipline contributes to our whole knowledge.

I don’t think BLAST! attempts to answer any questions in the realm of faith, only to mention them within the portrait of a project and the people who contribute to it. It is an unusual film and I’m rooting for an outlet to step up and take a chance that there is an audience for this kind of story.

[youtube]ebJglJaMBnA[/youtube]

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]]> http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/12/sdf-08-blast/feed/ 0 SDF 08: Thriller in Manilla http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/06/sdf-08-thriller-in-manilla/ http://agnesvarnum.com/2008/11/06/sdf-08-thriller-in-manilla/#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:12:58 +0000 Agnes Varnum http://agnesvarnum.com/?p=577 A sports fan, I am not. And to boot, I have a very low opinion of boxing. But, I was ready for Thriller in Manila because I know very little about Muhammad Ali and even less about his famous fights with Joe Frazier—the central focus of this excellent film by John Dower. As Sheffield Doc/Fest director Heather Croall promised at the outset, the film captivated the audience from the first frame.

Ali is beloved. He inspires people with his electrifying presence. He is a man of conviction and also a man who won when he stepped into the ring. But he also had affairs outside of his marriage, and to view his rivalry with Joe Frazier from Frazier’s perspective, he allowed his fear to turn him into a first rate bully. As evidenced by his apologies for his behavior over these incidents, Ali knew it was not his shining moment.

The story begins when Ali lost his license to box for his conscientious objection to fighting in the Vietnam War. For his refusal to fight, he was banished from his profession and stripped of his World Heavyweight Champion title. The then-open championship title was won by Joe Frazier. But Frazier didn’t want the title by default. He wanted to know that he earned it by beating the best, and the other best was Ali. So Frazier campaigned to get Ali back into fighting, which was accomplished after the tide of public opinion turned against the war. In their first fight, Frazier beat Muhammad Ali. It was the first time Ali had ever lost, and he was bitter.

The story that unfolds from there is unknown to many, and may bring Ali down to Earth in the minds of his fans, should they be brave enough to watch such a film. The beautiful cinematography, unbelievably rare archival footage (like Ali talking about speaking at a Klu Klux Klan rally!), and candid interviews with many of the principal players in the drama, including Frazier, their surviving ring crew members and many journalists who covered those auspicious fights, make this a must-see. It has been picked up by HBO in the US.

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