What the hell has happened to you? You are among the most critical thinkers I know. Your movie festival writing is so happy, I think you need to cut back on your prozac. What is going on down there?

So, right off the bat, I know that even my friends don’t read my policies page.

More to the point, I think making art is hard as hell. I don’t want to spend my time tearing work apart, when I can be bringing my readers stuff I think is great. That doesn’t mean I can’t be critical of works that I love, but I haven’t been digging in for analysis for SILVERDOCS, since I’ve been mostly posting quick bits. I’ll have some more analytical writing following the festival, as the panels and fellow festival-goers typically give me lots to think about.

And to the particular writer of that question, I note that you know what I do if I want to rant, rave, criticize and attack–I write about politics.

Did I mention he is alive and well and living in Paris, where he runs a radical bookstore? Capitalism may be trying to eat Che, but I doubt they will be able to swallow Lucio anytime soon. Viva Lucio!  Viva La Revolución!

It definitely got people’s attention. People were asking if she was a real sex worker or a porn star, but I asked the first question that came to my mind–how do you walk in those crazy shoes? Apparently it helps if you take small steps.

Filmmaker Sascha Paladino has created a delight of a film as he joins his brother Fleck on a trip to Africa to explore the roots of the banjo.³ Their multi-country trip brings Fleck together with many talented musicians and remarkable collaborations result. The energy of the musicians is infectious, the music joyous to behold, and Paladino gives you the experience of being right in the mix.

Following the screening, the audience got an opportunity to hear Fleck play, joined by Cheick Hamala Diabaté, a terrific n’goni player and star in his own right (see photo below). For the second night in a row, SILVERDOCS hits it out of the park.⁴

1. I’m not exaggerating. I had the guy sign my mandolin today. How pathetically fanboy is that?
2. That it is Béla Fleck? Awesome! See footnote one re: my pathetic-ness.
3. I had a chance to hear the two speak at length earlier in the day about the process of making the film, and hopefully I will get a chance to write up those comments soon.
4. Look! A sports analogy! How did that happen? Answer: it’s a baseball analogy. Even I know from baseball.

UPDATE: I had to leave after about 45 minutes due to a scheduling conflict, but was really impressed by what I saw and I look forward to seeing the final version. Not only was the rough cut remarkably coherent (remember, collaborative collective!), but it was quite moving. In addition, the energy and passion of the filmmakers themselves is enough to get me to go see everything they do. I am filled with regret that I wasn’t there for the discussion following the screening.

The festival kicked off last night with a brilliant film by Adrian Wills chronicling the development of an equally brilliant show by Cirque Du Soleil. All Together Now follows Cirque’s development of a show, LOVE, based on and inspired by the music of The Beatles. LOVE’s director, Dominic Champagne, is not only charged with getting this show to the stage, but must also satisfy Paul, Ringo, and the widows of John and George¹.

The drama of All Together Now is rooted in the difficult development and staging of LOVE, but also the interpersonal and creative tension arising from any collaboration that involves the Beatles’ music. Fortunately, Dominic has musical intermediary support by George Martin and his son Giles, who have been jointly charged by Cirque and The Beatles with developing and producing the music for the show while protecting The Beatles’ musical integrity.

While Paul and Ringo seem quite open to letting Cirque have its lead, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison have the tougher task of protecting and interpreting the work of their husbands. The independent and plain-spoken Yoko perhaps has the most obvious criticism of the process in the film, but when Cirque starts to deliver on their own vision, the results are visually and emotionally stunning, to everyone’s apparent satisfaction.

What came through strongly in this film is the playful, joyous and intense creativity of the Cirque company and its directors, and how closely that process resembles the early process of The Beatles. Coupling the backstage peek at Cirque with the appearances of Paul, Ringo, the Martins, Olivia and Yoko, the film pulls on the viewer at many levels and delivers on all its promises.

Following the screening, an all-star panel of the film’s director, Adrian Wills, LOVE’s director Dominic Champagne, Apple Corps’ Jonathan Clyde and MTV’s Bill Flanagan spent a few minutes discussing the process of making the film, the show and the impact of seeing Paul McCartney declare his own amazement at having been a Beatle. Dominic reassured the audience that while it seemed like Yoko and Olivia made it difficult for him, he actually felt very supported in the process and that he didn’t feel as if he had any constraints. This was echoed by Jonathan Clyde, speaking for Apple Corps, who have historically been ferocious and inflexible in protecting The Beatles’ musical legacy and have rarely shown willingness to cede any creative control, but were quite open in this particular case. All parties seemed to feel quite moved by George Harrison’s desire to see this collaboration succeed. In addition, Clyde spoke quite eloquently about Neil Aspinall, close friend of The Beatles and Apple Corps guru, who died only a few months ago.

Warning: once you see this film, you may feel compelled to fly to Vegas and see LOVE in person. brentgarland.com is not responsible for your plane fares, nor your losses at the gaming tables.

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As always, the disclaimer applies: This is a festival to which I have a substantial connection. I have volunteered for the past two years and sat on this year’s Selection Committee. I wrote for the festival catalog and will likely be introducing some of the filmmakers and subjects at the festival. Feel free to adjust for my bias. My blog reportage and opinions, however, do not represent the views of AFI or the SILVERDOCS festival, the Selection Committee, or of any of their staff. No one should construe anything expressed on this site as being endorsed or supported by AFI, SILVERDOCS or anybody other than me.

1. Harrison was the spark for the creation of this show, but did not live to see its beautiful fruition.

And judging from Chevolution, that will be one long line of people.

Alberto Korda‘s photos of Che (and perhaps even more widely known, the stencil/pop art images of Che by artist Jim Fitzpatrick ) are among the most memorable and ubiquitous images of the twentieth century. Chevolution gives us a look at who Che was, what he means to different people, and the complicated history of the use of Korda’s images by artists, activists, politics, and commerce. Even if you are familiar with the life of Che, the story of his image (and the questions the film asks about the meaning of its use) will give you plenty to think about.

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As always, the disclaimer applies: This is a festival to which I have a substantial connection. I have volunteered for the past two years and sat on this year’s Selection Committee. I wrote for the festival catalog and will likely be introducing some of the filmmakers and subjects at the festival. Feel free to adjust for my bias. My blog reportage and opinions, however, do not represent the views of AFI or the SILVERDOCS festival, the Selection Committee, or of any of their staff. No one should construe anything expressed on this site as being endorsed or supported by AFI, SILVERDOCS or anybody other than me.

Herzog’s questions lead to cinematic meditations on human extinction, on community and isolation, and on the wonders of the natural world–all with images that amaze, amuse, and inform. Simply stunning, this film is work from a master filmmaker and was a privilege to watch.

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As always, the disclaimer applies: This is a festival to which I have a substantial connection. I have volunteered for the past two years and sat on this year’s Selection Committee. I wrote for the festival catalog and will likely be introducing some of the filmmakers and subjects at the festival. Feel free to adjust for my bias. My blog reportage and opinions, however, do not represent the views of AFI or the SILVERDOCS festival, the Selection Committee, or of any of their staff. No one should construe anything expressed on this site as being endorsed or supported by AFI, SILVERDOCS or anybody other than me.

Anna Broinowski’s terrific film, Forbidden Lie$, looks at Khouri’s story, and attempts to untangle the many threads–fact, fiction, con, hoax, art–that surround Khouri, her book, and her detractors. Khouri is a strong presence in the film, and her interactions with the filmmaker raise new questions, spin new stories and result in a trip to Jordan where Khouri attempts to prove her veracity.

Khouri is mesmerizing, but is it the passion of an activist or the seduction of a con artist that draws us in? A running poll on the film’s website shows that opinions continue to differ. Wander into the tangled web and make up your own mind!

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As always, the disclaimer applies: This is a festival to which I have a substantial connection. I have volunteered for the past two years and sat on this year’s Selection Committee. I wrote for the festival catalog and will likely be introducing some of the filmmakers and subjects at the festival. Feel free to adjust for my bias. My blog reportage and opinions, however, do not represent the views of AFI or the SILVERDOCS festival, the Selection Committee, or of any of their staff. No one should construe anything expressed on this site as being endorsed or supported by AFI, SILVERDOCS or anybody other than me.

Filmmaker Geoffrey Smith follows British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh as he travels to Ukraine to work with his friend and colleague Igor Kurilets. The state of medicine in Ukraine is, like much of the country’s infrastructure, severely deficient. Marsh brings expertise and equipment to assist Kurilets in serving patients, many of whom have had inadequate or no treatment.

The soulful Dr. Marsh brings a gravity all his own to the film. His own demons never far from his elbow, Marsh works to exhaustion, often seeing patients whose lives could have been saved if only they were able to receive treatment earlier. While the stories of patients are gripping, it is the relationships Marsh forms with Kurilets, his patients, and the patients’ families that will stay with you. An excellent soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is just a sweet, sweet bonus.

Screening twice at SILVERDOCS, both the director and Dr. Marsh will be available for Q&A after the shows. Though I have seen the film twice, I look forward to hearing the two men talk about the film.

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As always, the disclaimer applies: This is a festival to which I have a substantial connection. I have volunteered for the past two years and sat on this year’s Selection Committee. I wrote for the festival catalog and will likely be introducing some of the filmmakers and subjects at the festival. Feel free to adjust for my bias. My blog reportage and opinions, however, do not represent the views of AFI or the SILVERDOCS festival, the Selection Committee, or of any of their staff. No one should construe anything expressed on this site as being endorsed or supported by AFI, SILVERDOCS or anybody other than me.