Here are my second best films from this year’s festival. It’s always a bit arbitrary distinguishing between films. Seen outside the festival I probably would regard these as all five star films!
Ablaze ***
A documentary about the Aboriginal activist Bill Onus didn’t know much about. His story should certainly be told and here it is told well by his grandson the opera singer Tiriki Onus. Bill was a film-maker, theatrical impresario, activist and much more. Shocking examples of racism and mistreatment of Indigenous Australians are revealed, including a truly shocking example of cultural appropriation in the 1950’s – a cringe-worthy Corroboree by white performers in black body suits! So awful but so popular it was performed for the Queen in my birth year, 1954. Some familiar figures like Faith Bandler and Doug Nicholls get a mention. Nice cameos from Harry Belafonte and Paul Robeson. Unions come out of it well; Bill was a member of the WWF for a while. As Joe said while we watched them black ban a ship carrying activists, including a young Aboriginal, going to a Communist camp in central Europe. Those were the days said Joe as we watched. Menzies shown as the bastard he was; refusing a referendum on Aboriginal citizenship well past the time when Australians would have voted in favour. I didn’t realise it was held by Harold Holt almost immediately he became PM. A thread through the film is the discovery of an unattributed film found in the national archives that is almost certainly made by Bill Onus. Belatedly recognised as one of our first film-makers. Terrific documentary. The trailer is here.
Wojnarowicz***
I didn’t know anything about this artist and queer activist, David Wojnarowicz but I’m glad I now do. This was a terrific documentary about his life and work. He died of AIDS in 1992 aged 37 which is tragic. He was so brave! Challenging mainstream views about homosexuality at a time when very few were as outspoken. He refused to be silenced – either in his artwork which is incredibly explicit about same sex practices; or in his life. He demanded to be seen and acknowledged as his true self. He left behind a lot of material for the documentary makers to work with – videos, written diaries, voice recordings and artwork. It’s to their great credit they managed to distill it down to this intense and moving story. I loved a lot of his art which is now to be seen in America’s establishment museums – something the artist was ambivalent about. He was a true revolutionary. This is the trailer.
The White Cow ***
I didn’t give this film any stars to start off with. It’s stressful to watch and I spent the whole viewing time expecting disaster to strike one or both of the principles. You know it will end badly. A widow is told her husband has been exonerated. A murderer has admitted to the crime after the husband’s execution. The scene in which the disclosure is made is incredible. We see the widow seeking acknowledgement of the impact of the mistake – financial recompense is not sufficient for her. Although his family is keen to get their hands on it. There’s a brother-in-law keeping an eye on her – for her good or for his own one wonders. And nosy neighbours. We see move on to observe the impact of the mistake on one of the judges involved. This provides insights into the justice system in Iran as well as the human toll on those doing the judging. There are some striking images throughout – notably of the white cow of the title – although its meaning was lost on me. The performances from the two leads were amazing. But I felt extraneous issues detracted from the key moral dilemma being explored which was essentially about guilt & forgiveness. A very dark tale and ultimately, for me at least, unsatisfying especially the ending which is deliberately opaque. The trailer is here.
Come Back Anytime ***
Loved this although we should have been organised enough to order ramen in to eat while we watched it. A gentle slice of Japanese life, revolving around a ramen restaurant in Tokyo. Very engaging husband, the master chef Massamoto Ueda, and wife run the show, catering to a whole lot of regulars. Most of them are singles who sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen and converse together or with the owners. It’s a tiny place although there was an upstairs that we never got to see. Patrons are disarmingly frank in one on one interviews about how much the restaurant means to them. They’ve been coming for a long time; through various personal crises. They occasionally go on excursions together to pick fruit or help the chef in his garden. You learn a lot about the different sorts of ramen about which I knew nothing. It certainly made me want to eat some. Touching on the chef’s early life, which he says was troubled, and on his wife’s decision to leave the restaurant, you get the impression the film avoided digging deep. The trailer is here.
Wolf Children***
The sole animation seen at this year’s festival. I always try and see one. This was very beautiful; a lovely story about the relationship between humans and animals. Our heroine mates with a wolf man and therefore gives birth to wolf children. Father is killed early on and thereafter this little family has to make do on its own. Mum decides the country is the best place to bring up the kids who have a tendency to get wolf-like when angry. The children can choose – to grow up human or to become adult wolves. How would you choose if it was an option. There are surprises to be had in the choices they make. Quite lovely. The trailer is here.
James & Isey**
Isey is about to turn 100 and we count down to her birthday from seven days out. She and her son James live in New Zealand’s North Island near the Bay of Islands. There are some beautiful landscapes and seascapes throughout. Spectacular scenery. James has had a number of health issues and has come home to live with his mother. He was previously an entertainer and actor and we see him in his glory days as a singing heart throb. Very handsome. He has now embraced his Maori heritage as has his mother. They both, but he in particular, wear some striking cloaks. She has been a big sea fisherperson and there’s a great scene of her out fishing. She is in very good nick. I would have liked to hear more from her rather than James; but maybe it was hard to get her to talk as freely. She is certainly feisty. Her hundredth birthday party is pretty spectacular and I was pleased to see, after the credits, that she made it to 101. The trailer is here.
Set! **
This was interesting because of the world it was exposing; one which very few of us have any idea about I would think. Welcome to the weird world of competitive table setting. A feature it turns out of American country fairs. More interesting than I’d imagined. People are not just judged on their table settings of crockery and cutlery – although these are part of it, including measuring distances between utensils etc. It is much more creative. A number of themes for each show are set and competitors have to come up with table settings that reflect one of those set themes. This includes the menu and the overall look of the table. They could be international travel, Africa, or a rural setting. All participants are very competitive – mostly rich, mostly white and mostly women – but not all. Most are sore losers – and unpleasant about their rivals. But some of the tables were quite spectacular. An interesting story well told. The trailer which was hard to find, is here.
Karen Dalton: In My Own Time **
I enjoyed this because I’m familiar with her music – love her voice and have her best record. Sad story of talent unrealised. Interesting on what more is required of successful artists. Maybe ruthless self belief. She had both too much confidence and not enough. Sang for herself not the audience, demanded perfection. Then the dreaded drugs got her. Interesting talking heads and lovely excerpts from her diaries. And quite a lot of film of her – both at home and on stage. Nick Cave’s a fan, as was Bob Dylan. I couldn’t find a trailer but a Q&A with the film-makers is here.
The Most Beautiful Boy In The World **
This one is a real documentary. About, as the title indicates, the most beautiful boy in the world! Björn Andrésen was certainly that when he starred in Death In Venice in 1970. I loved that early footage of his first meeting with Visconti and excerpts from the film. Beautiful doesn’t adequately describe it. The film seeks to posit he was damaged by the experience but doesn’t make a compelling case. Now a sixty something year old, gaunt with long grey hair he still has ‘good bones’. Photographs show the ageing process. Joe and I think he looks remarkably like a friend of ours called Tony. While he was objectified and was bewildered by that early stardom other elements of his life have clearly contributed to his cycles of what appear to be depressive episodes. He’s still appearing in films – most recently in the horror film Midsummer. I enjoyed it. The trailer is here.
What We See When We Look At The Sky **
A meandering – bit too much for me really – stroll through the Georgian city of Kutaisi; there’s a slight story of a romance that holds it together, just. That is told via a voice-over which can be distracting but suited this film. A mix of fantasy and realism. Very attractive lead performers keep you watching, as presumably do lots of the town’s population going about their daily lives. I thought those scenes – of people socialising, watching soccer, drinking and so on could all have been shortened dramatically without affecting the movie. That they were not reflects the real romance depicted which is between the director and the city itself. Joe thinks it’s about how we change from being children to adults. I’m not so sure. The trailer, which is very short but gives a flavour of the film and also includes the gorgeous Georgian script, is here. And an interview with the film-maker is here.
Chess of the Wind**
This is a long lost masterpiece of 1970s Iranian cinema. It was very interesting. A bit hard for us to see as we were watching on my iPad because we couldn’t get the subtitles on the tv. A gothic tale of a disabled woman trying to save her inheritance – the house in which she lives and which forms a stunning backdrop to the action – from a rapacious step-father and fiancée. My slight problem was I had difficulty distinguishing between these two characters. Not that it mattered much – until the end. There’s a duplicitous maid, a poisoning, a body interred in a glass jar – or is it? A great scene where the lady of the house, in her wheel chair, goes down to the basement and smashes each of the jars with a flail. I loved scenes where the maids of neighbouring houses meet at a fountain to wash clothes and gossip about the goings on. A neat narrative device that helped you follow the action. All very melodramatic. It was banned shortly after release; I wonder what happened to the film-makers. I couldn’t find a trailer.
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