Archive for February, 2008I’m still recovering from the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and promise I’ll be reviewing the films here soon. In the meantime, in the spirit of documentaries and creativity, I wanted to share a video I found recently. Regular readers know that I am interested in street art and graffiti. I’m also interested in the imperminance of art. And, ultimately, I’m interested in making art for art’s sake. But, we live in a capitalist society, right? And Shakespeare’s got to get paid, son, so I try to make affordable art.
The video is a documentary created by Ana Alvarez-Errecalde and FILMCHICK PRODUCTIONS about Jorge Rodriguez Gerada, a street artist that creates huge murals of familiar figures in the neighborhood. Then, after creating them, they slowly vanish over time. Beautiful.
Originally uploaded by love not fear The festival has come to a close. I watched over 21 films this year. In the coming days, I’ll be reviewing them here, so drop by and see how they were. In the meantime, you can check out my ratings of the films. Thanks to the organizers of the festival, once again, for a great week. Tags: 59801, art in missoula, arts, arts and culture in missoula, bigskydocumentaryfilmfestival, creativity, documentary, festival, film, inspiration, missoula, montana, northwest, public art exhibitions59801, art in missoula, arts, arts and culture in missoula, bigskydocumentaryfilmfestival, creativity, documentary, festival, film, inspiration, missoula, montana, northwest, public art exhibitions |
JIMMY ROSENBERG: THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE TALENT, Directed by Jeroen Berkvens
CONVICTION: THE TRUE STORY OF CLARENCE ELKINS, Directed by Mike West & Bill Ward
CLASS C, Directed by Justin Lubke & Shasta Grenier
WHEN CLOUDS CLEAR, Directed by Anne Slick & Danielle Bernstein
YA SHADAD, Directed by Keren Shayo
Finding Normal
Listening to the Q+A session after the film, it was good to hear that some of those depicted in the film have seen the film and liked it. They were present at screenings of the film in Portland and were able to interact with audience members, validating their process and strengthen them at the same time. Lindstrom said that he made the film because he believes in the program’s strength, and that it deserves to be replicated in other communities. He admitted that there were ethical concerns of following individuals on such a fragile journey, and, to his credit, said that their recovery was the most important thing. He said that if he thought at any time that their recovery was in jeopardy, he would have backed off. This responsible approach validates the folks in the program, giving them strength, and, by the director’s own accord, telling them that they are important and valuable human beings.
The director Brian Lindstrom took great care in patiently setting up the story of each character involved. The film follows three of the people involved in the running the mentoring program, David, Jill, and to a lesser extent, Randy. Their stories are told through their interactions with the people entering treatment. The film focuses upon three key individuals, a 36 year old white kid (who I thought would surely drop out of the program by the end of the film — he didn’t), Peni, a recovering drug addict (Peni eventually drops out), and a black ex-con who was to me the most ready to change from the very beginning of his introduction into the program.
David, the main councilor, is amazing as he non-judgmentally walks new inductees through what they can expect as they enter into the program, telling them in a no bullshit way what they’re up against. At the same time, David validates their addiction and fear of overcoming it through personal stories. David, like Jill and Randy, believe that people can change, and believe that the change is so profound and so worth it that they are willing to do everything in their power to help those who want help.
Jerky camera work and editing throughout the movie seemingly paralleled the confusion of someone entering and participating in a recovery program. Cutting back and forth between letting those in recovery tell their story, and letting those running the mentoring program tell their story, the film does a good job of depicting the difficulty of overcoming addiction. Around about the half-hour mark in the 77 minute film, I began to get fidgety. Lindstrom’s choice to attempt to tell two distinct stories is the film’s largest fault. Attempting to blend both the stories of the people in recovery as well as the stories of the people running the program proved to be too big a task and weakened what could have been a stronger film. Had he chosen to focus on one or the other of the stories, the secondary story would have told itself, and with more grace. The stronger of the two stories in the film as it stands is that of David, Jill and Randy.
The three mentors have been through so much in their lives, and have beaten their addictions in order to create new lives for themselves. The power of this accomplishment leads them to want to reach out and provide that opportunity for others, and that, to me, was the story the film was telling most eloquently. During the question and answer session after the screening, Lindstrom’s comment about “..what David, Jill and Randy had to deal with…” as they provided help to those in the program spoke to this idea that the film really should have been more focused upon the program itself, and those who created and run it.
Butte, America
Growing up in a union household in a workingman’s town, I felt a strong bond with Butte, MT the first time I visited it. My father was the union president for the Fraternal Order of Police in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and he did his time working a union job in the rubber shops of Akron at Goodyear and then at Firestone, just as his father had. I remember listening to him tell stories of the difficult conditions when he was building tires, conditions that the union always fought to improve. And I remember him telling me, as union power in America began to decline, that it is because of unions that American workers have many things that we take for granted, like eight hour days and five day work weeks.
Remembering this, I very much looked forward to seeing Pam Roberts’ rough cut of her work-in-progress, “Butte America”. Roberts, a Montanan, but not a Buttian, sought to tell a Montana story that had national significance, and she found her story in the dusty hills of Butte. She knew the challenge ahead of her and recruited Edwin Dobb, a Buttian who wrote the 1996 Harpers article Pennies From Hell: In Montana, the bill for America’s copper comes due. Dobb, who returned to Butte after a 25 year hiatus, was dragged “kicking and screaming” into the project, wary of “entering into such an extreme collaborative process”, being used to working alone as a writer. The time away gave Dobb perspective with which to help craft a compelling film.
The duo formed a good team, creating a movie that spans 120 years of history — the rise and fall of the labor unions in Butte, and, by extension, in America. They capture the “feel” of Butte well, illustrating the ambivalence of a town’s dependency on “The Company” via footage with former miners, old timers who worked underground before they were “turned into truck drivers”, or just quit mining altogether when the pit mines opened, because their spirit was broken, their livelihood and stolen from them. They were proud men who did hard work in the mines underground, and they helped to build America.
But the story is more than just a story of workers and a boomtown gone bust. The story is a human one about the bonds that hard work can forge within a community, how hard work can actually become the defining element of a community. Those bonds and that sense of identity can be destroyed when work dries up. In the case of Butte, the work dried up as a result of corporate greed, when finally, mining left the town forever.
Roberts acknowledged, in the Q+A session after the showing, that one difficulty she faced in making the movie was the lack of first-hand accounts available. Many of the people who were alive during Butte’s heyday are dead. Killed in the mines, or by miner’s consumption. half of the characters in the film, Roberts told us, have died since the film was made. Roberts gracefully used the live resources available to her to create a beautiful film that blends archive film footage and photographs, donated home movies, and recreations, telling an important story in American history. Though the film is technically unfinished, (the movie still had many editor’s marks like running times and other video notations), the screening was a gripping one.
Roberts intends to put the finishing touches on the film, including more voice-over narration and more original scoring, in time for a spring 2008 release. I’m looking forward to seeing the final version.
Tags: 59801, arts and culture in missoula, bigskydocumentaryfilmfestival, Butte, community, documentary, drinking, festival, film, mining, missoula, montana, northwest, portland, process, recovery, story, travel guide to montana, workingclass, workingman59801, arts and culture in missoula, bigskydocumentaryfilmfestival, Butte, community, documentary, drinking, festival, film, mining, missoula, montana, northwest, portland, process, recovery, story, travel guide to montana, workingclass, workingman 
Originally uploaded by love not fear
Today is one of my favorite days of the year. The opening of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. I’ll be running projection on a handful of films, as well as helping out in any other way that I can. Check back here for quick movie reviews, musings and other thoughts. Now through February 20th.
Check out my want-to-see calender, sign up for your own calender, see some films.
Gots to go.
Originally uploaded by Leo Reynolds
I was tagged by The Front Range.
…Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Funeral Director’s Assistant
2. Park Ranger in Yellowstone National Park
3. Landscaper
4. Software Tester
…Movies I?ve Watched Over and Over Again:
1. Jaws
2. Cinema Paridisio
3. Avalon
4. Tommy Boy
…places I have been:
1. Nags Head, NC
2. NYC
3. Truckee, CA
4. The Grand Canyon, AZ
…places I have lived:
1. Akron,OH
2. Gardiner, MT
3. Bozeman, MT
4. Cuyahoga Falls,OH
…TV Shows I Watch (usually via DVD, as I don’t own a TV):
1. The Sopranos
2. Family Guy
3. The Simpsons
4. Futurama
…Radio Shows I Listen To:
1. Little Steven’s Underground Garage (locally at 6PM on 103.3 FM, The Trail, Sunday nights)
2. This American Life (usually via podcast)
3. Car Talk
4. A Prairie Home Companion
…Things I Look Forward To:
1. 01.20.09
2. The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
3. Selling my car
4. Buying a house
…of my favorite foods:
1. Italian/ Lasagne
2. Sushi
3. Mahi Burritos
4. Steak and Roasted Veggies
…places I would rather be right now:
1. Hawaii
2. New York City
3. Soaking in a hot spring
4. Italy — specifically outside in an olive grove somewhere warm
…people I Email Regularly:
1. My ‘ole man
2. The OG
3. Amy
4. Clients
…People I tag next
1. I am
2. so bad
3. at memes
4. No one gets tagged
The bad news comes via the Grizzly Growler blog.
Dear City of Missoula,
It is with great regret that after eight years, we at New Belgium Brewing have decided not to bring the Tour de Fat back to Missoula in 2008. We never thought that the day would come when our little bike celebration would grow into the behemoth that it has become. It is our hope that the Tour de Fat has benefited the community of Missoula and the bike shops and non-profits who have contributed so much over the years.
As our show grows, sadly the number of weekends in the summer does not, and with our current limitations, we cannot add other worthy cities without passing the torch from the groups we have worked with in existing cities. It is our hope that you will find ways to bolster your support even in the absence of our shenanigans and tomfoolery.
As we end this chapter of Tour de Fat, it is not our desire to leave our partnering non-profit’s missions unattended. Future events, sponsorships, and philanthropic grants are tools we have available for those who have helped us for so many years with so many shows, trials, and triumphs.
May your good work continue for many years to come.
Sincerely,
New Belgium Brewing
and Team TDF (the now sad Clowns)
Originally uploaded by love not fear
Tags: 59801, activism, arts and culture in missoula, missoula, montana59801, activism, arts and culture in missoula, missoula, montana
The Missoula Cultural Council newsletter showed up today in my inbox. Some of the interesting highlights are below.
The Montana Museum of Art & Culture, in collaboration with the Missoula Art Museum and the Art Associates of Missoula, present Very Visual: Art Appreciation and Visual Literacy, taught by local art historian Ted Hughes.
This noncredit course is open to the public and designed for adults. It is intended for both personal enrichment and to build on the talents and knowledge of current and potential docents at MMAC and MAM. No prior background in the arts is required and students do not need to be enrolled at UM to attend. Classes will meet in the University Center Room 326 at The University of Montana Tuesdays from 4 - 6pm on February 5, 12 and 19. The class will discuss the following topics:
- February 5: The Formal Elements
- February 12: The Means of Artmaking
- February 19: Developing Visual Literacy
Cost is $ 35. To register, call MMAC at 243-2019 or email museum@umontana.edu.
The University of Montana Gallery of Visual Arts presents two exhibits in February: Michael Barnes: Recent Encounters and Infestations and Tom Huck: The Bloody Bucket, both shows running until February 27.
Mr. Barnes will give a lecture on February 12 at 5:00 p.m., and Mr. Huck will give lecture on February 18 at 4:15. Both lectures are in Social Science Room #356. Call 243-2813 for more information.
Montana Rep presents Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the UM Montana Theatre, PARTV Center February 5-9. Call 243-4581.
Fact and Fiction presents Susanna Sonnenberg Reading and Book Signing
Susanna Sonnenberg reads from her novel Her Last Death, February 6 at 7:00 p.m. Call 721-2881 or visit www.factandfictionbooks.com
Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi & Suor Angelica
UM Opera Theatre, together with MCT Community Theatre, presents Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi & Suor Angelica, February 7-10 at the MCT Center for the Performing Arts. UM Opera Theater received Best Opera Production from the National Opera Association in 2006. For more information visit www.umopera.org or www.mctinc.org
Zootown Arts presents Dynamic Dinos
February 7 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Rattlesnake School Art Room with artist Hanna Hannan. Open to 1st-5th graders, this workshop revels in all that is monstrous, giant, and part of the past. Participants will use their knowledge and create a real or imaginary dinosaur out of papier mache.
Fee $10.00 Rattlesnake School Art Room. Please call to register: 549-7555 or email zootownarts@yahoo.com
Violin master class featuring Adam LaMotte
The String Orchestra of the Rockies presents a violin master class featuring Adam LaMotte on Friday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. Visit www.sor-montana.org
A Community Project: Missoula Reveals its Newest Riverfront Park and its Oldest Hand-Crafted Traditions
City Club Missoula’s February Forum is A Community Project: Missoula Reveals its Newest Riverfront Park and its Oldest Hand-Crafted Traditions, at the Doubletree Hotel. Ellen Buchanan, Director of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, presents Silver Park, Missoula’s newest riverfront park.
The 14.5 acre park will border the Clark Fork River and will complete the river front trail linking the Ogren Ballpark and the Kim Williams Trail to the California Street Bridge.
Jennifer Anthony of Fearless Engineers will present a power point about the log and timber frame shelters planned for the park. The Timber Framers Guild will host a workshop in Missoula to teach volunteers the traditional art of timber frame construction and joinery, using recycled materials from the old Champion Millsite building, sinker logs from the Bonner Dam and other local sources.
Reservations for the February City Club Forum can be made by email to ccm@cityclubmissoula.org or by calling 406-546-6643 before Wednesday, February 13. Please indicate if you want lunch: $11 for members, $16 for nonmembers, or the no-lunch option of forum only for $5. Cancellations must be made by the reservation deadline. For more information about City Club Missoula, visit www.cityclubmissoula.org