Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film - 2003 High Falls Film Festival

Film Festival Reviews

Growing Pains at the 2003 High Falls Film Festival

by Michael R. Colford & Scot Capehart

MICHAEL - During the Awards Presentation, John Richardson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the High Falls Film Festival (HFFF) said, “It just keeps getting better.” To which the reply must in all honesty be, “Unfortunately, it doesn’t.” November 5 – 8, 2003, saw the third annual HFFF in Rochester, NY, an event that members of the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film have yet to miss. While HFFF certainly started strong in 2001, it’s first year, with only some expected, organizational difficulties, it’s interesting to note that these difficulties have not gotten any better two years down the line. From a local point-of-view, the festival is undeniably successful. 2003 saw a 17% jump in box office receipts over 2002 (which had doubled over 2001). However, if the festival is going to expand into an event that attracts national attention, there are many issues it needs to address, and therein lies the crux of the problem. Does the HFFF want to be a successful, regional event, or a nationally recognized festival?

HFFF bills itself as “an annual international film festival that showcases exceptional work by women in film and video - all positions before and behind the camera, including cinematographer, screenwriter, editor, composer, director, producer, stuntwoman!” Read that quote carefully, and try to think of a single film that doesn’t fall under those parameters. HFFF needs to decide if it wants to be a women’s festival (to capitalize on the fact that Rochester is the birthplace of Susan B. Anthony) or an international film festival, which it really does much better. Some of the films’ connections to women are tenuous, and artistic director, Catherine Wyler, has trouble even remembering who is being honored when introducing a film.

In addition to its identity crisis, HFFF has trouble deciding to whom it should be promoting. The opening night party is the perfect example. The attendees who paid big- ish bucks to attend the Opening Night Party were treated to a crowded room in a nice restaurant, with long lines for food and drink, and an entertaining (and loud) rockabilly band. A large group of urban hipsters would have probably found this loads of fun, but the audience at High Falls would have better been served with more class, and less hip. Conversation was impossible, and networking is de rigueur for the industry and press people who were present. HFFF needs to decide whom it wants for an audience.

Another difficulty for avid film festival viewers is the limited number of screenings. HFFF does a great job screening interesting films, but there are certainly scheduling decisions that make festivalgoers scratch their heads in puzzlement. Each film is shown only once (except for the audience-award winners), and there are no daytime screenings during the first three days of the festival. Eight films screened this year were sold out, which from the festival’s point-of-view looks great in a press release. However, it’s not so great for the people who get turned away after standing in line in the bitter cold. What would be better for viewers and festival alike would be to take the more popular films and run them a second time during the day. Undoubtedly there would be fewer sell-outs, but more people would actually see the films.

In talking to several of the people who run the HFFF, it becomes quickly clear that many of these difficulties are concerns they share, and could be easily fixed, if it were not for the strong wishes of one or two key individuals in positions of power. For HFFF to reach a place where it can be considered truly successful, both regionally and nationally, certain egos need to be held in check so that the majority of creative and talented individuals working on the festival can really make things happen.

As always, we five Chlotrudis-members who attended the festival from Boston had an absolutely wonderful time. We saw fascinating films, enjoyed intense, hilarious conversations, delighted in seeing our generous Rochester compatriots, Marilyn O’Conner and Jane Ford, and had lots of fun. Generous thanks to our Rochester members for helping us with accommodations and daytime activities, and generally showing us such a great time.

SCOT - The High Falls Film Festival in Rochester, NY is certainly no Toronto nor Cannes nor Berlin, but for the east coast film buff, it’s a terrific weekend getaway where you can catch films soon to be released in Boston and New York (or in some cases, films that have just closed there) and a few delights missed at the bigger festivals.

Ostensibly a women’s film festival, each film at the festival highlights the work of an off-screen contributor, though you get the feeling that some films are selected because they have a Rochester connection, or simply because artistic director Katherine Wyler enjoyed watching the film at an international fest. Unfortunately, probably since the vast majority of audience members are local and employed, weekday screenings don’t start until after dinner, so if you have only a couple days to spare, be sure to include Saturday and Sunday in your schedule. This year, Saturday was particularly difficult to plan since many films I wanted to see played opposite each other on one of the four screens dedicated to the fest. For example, one slot offered multiple documentaries and a panel discussion about documentary filmmaking at the same time. However, if you listen to the buzz when you arrive, it’s not difficult to figure out which films are worth getting excited about.

A festival pass was available for $150 this year and this permits entry to any film or party, but if you choose this option, you should still arrive at the theater at least a half hour before a popular screening, if possible, as the number of seats held for pass holders is limited. If you’re not into the parties, though, just buy individual tickets. Advance tickets were available at Wegman’s grocery (an adventure in itself) until two hours before each screening and at the theaters starting one hour before each screening. We did have trouble getting tickets at the Uptown Theater early Saturday morning, however, so if you want to absolutely avoid disappointment go the Wegman’s route. You don’t want to be stuck in the rush line, if you can avoid it – remember, the fest takes place in late fall and upstate New York can get pretty chilly.

Now on to the reviews…

Anything but Love (USA; Feature; Robert Cary, director)

SCOT - Writer/producer/actress Isabel Rose commits indie heresy with her romantic comedy/musical film Anything but Love. While Chicago shows the seedy underbelly of justice in America and Dancer in the Dark subjects its main character to increasingly heartbreaking obstacles, Love is a sweet film about Billie Golden (Rose), a struggling chanteuse torn between an impending marriage to her shallow, yuppie boyfriend (Cameron Bancroft) and a grueling life in show business with her shoddy but adorable piano teacher (Andrew McCarthy). It’s rare to find an indie that handles light material well, if it handles it at all, and in this regard, Love is a gem.

It’s obvious from the style and costuming, that the film is an homage to forties and fifties Hollywood, particularly musicals. Rose remarkably transforms her look from Audrey Hepburn to Betty Grable effortlessly and an incredible nightmare sequence brilliantly pays homage to fifties’ industrial musical shorts like GM’s “Design for Dreaming.” The most remarkable tribute to these films, however, is Love’s screenplay. While the film is unequivocally set in 21st century New York, the characters coo, cajole, and bicker with such wit and intelligence, that the dialogue is sweetly scented with essences of Joan Blondell, Cary Grant, Doris Day, and Fred Astaire. In the hands of a hack, this trick could fail miserably, but Rose evidently is more than a talented singer and actress, she’s a writer to watch.

Cynics will have a field day trashing this film, not that it doesn’t have worthy targets. Alix Korey valiantly plays her thankless role as honestly as possible as Billie’s alcoholic mother, Eartha Kitt’s cameo is shamelessly superfluous, and Billie manages to waffle between lovers about two times too often. But as Rose said when she introduced the film at High Falls, “You probably should just leave the theater right now. This movie is not for you.” However, if you have ever considered sipping coffee outside Tiffany’s or learning the Continental, you won’t be disappointed. 4 cats

MICHAEL – Writer/Producer/Actress Isabel Rose creates a dreamy homage to the romantic musicals of the 40’s and 50’s in this sweetly delightful film. Billie (Rose) is on the verge of giving up her cabaret career (singing at airport lounges) to marry an unrequited crush from high school that is now a successful lawyer. Enter a bohemian piano player (a strong turn from former brat-packer Andrew McCarthy) who hears the same music as Billie, and the stage is set for romance and decisions of the heart. Featuring a dreamily fabulous dance number, Rose warns cynics to stay away from her film. After getting tired of all the dark, somber independent films, Rose wanted to make a film that was sweet, colorful and joyous. Rose also appeared at the Opening Night Party, singing a few numbers with the band. 4 cats

Blind Shaft (China/Germany; Feature; Li Yang, director)

MICHAEL - After winning several awards at recent film festivals, including Berlin and Tribeca, this powerful film explores the dark and the light of humanity as embodied by mine workers in China. Song and Tang work the mines, but they also have an angle… one that involves murder and extortion. When they involve their latest dupe, a young man named Luan, a crisis of conscience turns their plan awry, with disastrous results. Like Beijing Bicycle, a tale of innocence lost, with a twist. 3 ½ cats

SCOT – One of my new favorite subgenres of foreign film is the Chinese dark loss-of-innocence film, so I was pretty excited to catch Blind Shaft. In the debut work of writer-director Li Yang, two misanthropic con men have developed a scheme to extort money from the owners of illegal Chinese coal mines by passing a desperate man off as a relative who needs work, killing him in a staged accident, and then demanding compensation for his death.

The real strength of this film is in the screenplay. Besides the uncompromising look at the state of labor in China, the film really takes its time developing all the relationships between the con men and their naive stooge. The suspense builds almost imperceptibly with occasional injections of humor and pathos along the way. By the end, I was totally involved in the drama and had no idea how the plot would resolve. But resolve, it does, and in a very satisfying manner. 4 cats

This Is Not a Love Song (UK; Feature; )

SCOT - If you can do it, imagine a screenplay that’s equal parts Deliverance, Of Mice and Men, and Trainspotting. Now, get out your DV camera and shoot the sucker with every low-budget digital effect you can think of. This is This Is Not a Love Song.

Petty criminal Heaton picks up his hyper, dim-witted mate Spike from prison after a short sentence intending to get back to their usual hijinks. Thinks take a turn for the worse, however, when their vehicle runs out of petrol and a visit to a nearby farm ends in disaster. As the log line says, “now Spike and Heaton are running for their own…”

The film is billed as a thriller, and the cinematographer certainly thinks it is. Blair Witch-y digital video certainly gives the film a jittery, manic edge. But the effects go way overboard, undercutting the actors’ work as in one nausea-inducing scene where an agitated shotgun-wielder is filmed by strapping a camera to the end of the swinging gun’s barrel.

The performances are outstanding, however, and they turn this experiment into a touching and heartbreaking drama about trust, love, and commitment. And the film is pretty damn funny too, but that’s not too much of a surprise since it is penned by Full Monty scribe Simon Beaufoy. So, add a little Laurel and Hardy into the above recipe and you’ve got a great little film, provided you’re not prone to motion sickness. 3.5 cats

Catching Out (USA; documentary; Sarah George, director)

MICHAEL – After recently meeting someone who hopped freight trains, I was curious to see this film about the same subject. However, George goes far beyond a film about riding the rails, and instead explores what it means to be free, in today’s society of consumerism. The three main storylines follow eco-activist Lee, a young wanderer named Jessica, and a “tramp-couple” named Switch and Baby Girl. Their stories are fascinating, and the film was certainly compelling, but something about the tone of the film put me off. Still, this is a film worth seeing. 3 cats

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (France/China; Feature; Sijie Dai, director)

SCOT - The novel of Balzac has been making the rounds of book clubs lately, so to be honest, I was kind of prepared for this to be a let down. Often, when a book or a film is loved by all sorts of different people, I’m on the lookout for mediocrity and cheap, sentimental shorthand. And for the most part, that’s what Balzac delivers.

Yet another twist on the Pygmalion myth, Balzac tells the tale of two young suspected Chinese dissidents in 70’s China who are sent to a village to be “re-educated” through community service. Here, the men both fall in love with a peasant seamstress who they educate themselves using western (and illegal) literature.

The mountain setting for the film is certainly stunning, so the film is beautiful to look at. Beyond this, though, the film seems fairly trite, reinterpreting the moral of the Pygmalion entirely. Where Shaw realizes that the error of “playing dolls” with a real person is Higgins’ flaw, Balzac assumes that western education is in itself essential and the fault lies with women because, once educated, they will not be content to remain with their masters. I would be tempted to lay the blame for this misogyny on the author of the novel (which I never read), but the message is driven home in a cheesy reunion epilogue that I understand is not in the book.

That said, I quite enjoyed the performance of the quieter man in the pair (Liu Ye) and the seamstress (Xun Zhou). Also, I was surprised to see Wang Shuangbao, one of the leads from the previous night’s Blind Shaft, in an amusing role as the village chief. 2.5 cats

MICHAEL - Director Sijie Dai, who also wrote the best-selling novel upon which this film was based, was clearly telling a story close to his heart. Perhaps a little too close. At the height of the Cultural Revolution of China, two teenagers, best friends whose parents are intellectual radicals, are sent for re-education in the deep countryside. There they meet a beautiful young woman who is the tailor’s daughter. Above all, this is a romance, so while they teach the seamstress about the world by reading her great novels by Balzac and the like, they are also falling in love with each other. Cue the violins. What could have been devastating and powerful in the hands of Zhang Yimou should play well to Oprah’s book group crowd. 2 ½ cats

Last Dance (USA; documentary; Mirra Bank. director)

SCOT - I’m glad I caught this documentary by Mirra Bank, which aired concurrently on the Sundance Channel – a cable channel I unfortunately don’t receive. It follows the collaboration of master children’s book artist Maurice Sendak, author Arthur Yorinks, and the incredibly innovative, athletic, awe-inspiring dance troupe Pilobolus. After a very rough period of mistrust and ego clashes, they manage to create a dance piece that gives spectacular life to Sendak’s specters of the Holocaust.

If you’ve never seen Pilobolus live, that’s reason enough to catch this extraordinary work, and honestly, after viewing it I thought that was the main reason to recommend the film. However, after a couple weeks I still recall the film quite vividly and I believe that’s due to the excellent work of Banks. In the span of eighty-four minutes, the audience lives through the same frustration the collaborators experienced over weeks of all-day rehearsals. The deliberate repetition of key dance phrases that slowly coagulate from improvisation to essential fragments of a greater expression documents the creative process in a way I have never seen before. This is a subtle and amazing documentary not to be missed. 5 cats

The Same River Twice (USA; Documentary; Robb Moss, director)

MICHAEL – This documentary seems to appeal to a specific age group as it explores the life expectations and realities of a groups of men and women in their early 50’s who were once a team of river guides during the 1960’s. The film skillfully cuts between a 16mm film Moss made during their time as guides and the participants’ lives today. While many have accomplishments under the belts, as a group, they still seem slightly lost in that age of nudity and communal living. I saw this one with Marilyn, and while she did not like it one bit, her rant about the film afterwards actually made things clearer for me. It was great to see editor Karen Schmeer (My Father, the Genius, Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control) being honored at the screening. 2 ½ cats

Mr. & Mrs. Iyer (India; Feature; Aparna Sen, director)

MICHAEL – Despite my love of Bollywood films, it’s nice to see and Indian film that doesn’t throw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix, although I suppose some would argue that this political thriller/romance comes close. After Muslims burn a Hindu village, a group of Hindu extremists turn to vigilantism, hunting down Muslims. A group of diverse people is enjoying a bus ride through the Himalayas when the Hindu extremists stop their bus. In order to save the life of a man who helped her, Mrs. Iyer, a Hindu woman, must lie to the extremists and tell them that a Muslim man is, in fact, her husband. The ensuing days find the pair holed up in the countryside waiting for an opportunity to return home, all the while playing the parts of Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, and growing closer together. While the romance plays much stronger than the drama, I still give this film 4 cats.

SCOT - Right off the bat, I have to say that I’m not fully qualified to review this film. The screening I attended (projected video from a DVD) did not display subtitles until, after the first half hour, the projectionist decided to turn them on. Given that the film is in English and two native Indian languages, this was frustrating, to say the least. Still, I know that the film is about a Muslim man who is assumed incorrectly to be the husband of a married Hindu woman traveling alone on a bus. When anti-Islamic violence breaks out in the region through which they are traveling, they maintain the charade for his safety.

The film is not a Bollywood extravaganza, but it has some of the same elements, such as pop songs (not sung here by the characters), humorous stock characters, and intense melodrama. As a piece of social commentary, we’re not given any new insights or any honest hope for religious tolerance. The only understanding along those lines occurs between two people in an extraordinarily bizarre situation akin to Cheers’ Sam and Diane stuck in the walk-in freezer. As a romantic comedy, the film works enough to distract one for two hours, but unfortunately it aspires for more. Both leads are fairly appealing also, but I’m afraid I can’t recommend this one over all. 2 cats

My Life without Me (Spain/Canada; feature; Isabel Coixet, director)

SCOT - My favorite film of the High Falls Film Festival, My Life Without Me is a remarkable film that kept my spirits high for the rest of the day. Ironically, the story centers on a young woman living a borderline-poverty existence who discovers she will die soon. Without informing her loved ones, she immediately sets about trying to plan for her family’s well-being, enjoy some modest excesses she never allowed herself, and experience love with a man other than her husband.

I can’t say a bad thing about this film. Director Isabel Coixet, who has worked closely with Pedro Almodóvar, does not allow much room for melancholy in her characters or in the audience. She handles with care every single person, giving them worth not only to the dying Ann, but to us. And the actors in the supporting roles – Amanda Plummer, Scott Speedman, Deborah Harry, and Alfred Molina – are an absolute delight. Sarah Polley, as Ann, is nothing short of incredible. I don’t feel a need to expand on that. This role should have been a star-making part for her, but unfortunately, the film did not last long in Boston. Thank God I could catch it on the big screen in Rochester. Rent it when it’s available. 5 cats

MICHAEL - This latest film to star personal favorite Sarah Polley is a Pedro and Augustin Almodovar production that combines the whimsy and drama of Almodovar's films with a quiet stillness that often shines in Canadian indie films. Director Isobel Coixet sidesteps several approaches toward the sentimental to create a sweetly moving film.

When hard-working, blue-collar Ann learns that she only has a couple months left to live due to an advanced cancer, she does not despair, she does not seek out support from her family, she does not sink into depression, she decides to start living. Blessed with two angelic daughters, a somewhat clueless, but loving and handsome husband, and a mother worn down by life due to unfulfilled dreams, Ann still decides to deny them the information of her fate. She rationalizes to herself that she does not want her family's last memories of her to be hospital waiting rooms and the despair of the inevitable. Whether this act is one of love, or selfishness could have been addressed in an equally interesting film, but is left for the viewer to ponder on their own in My Life Without Me.

While this type of plot is surely the fodder for melodramatic claptrap like Autumn in New York, the powerfully grounded performance of Canadian indie darling Sarah Polley as Ann, keeps things on track. With matter-of-fact determination, Ann makes a list of the things she needs to accomplish before she leaves this earth. But even as Coixet strives to make a life-affirming film that doesn't dwell on the tragic, Polley gives us brief, glimpses of Ann's internal struggle to keep going without sinking into despair. It's a strong performance, and one that adds maturity to Polley's earlier work.

Supporting performances range from the strong to the quirky (but still good.) Mark Ruffalo plays a sensitive, poetic surveyor with whom Ann begins an affair. (The only man she's ever been intimate with is her husband, who she met at age 17.) His gradual fall into love with this mysterious woman about whom he knows so little brings in the classic elements of falling in love without the overblown sweep of most romances. Deborah Harry is subdued and sad as Ann's disillusioned mother. Scott Speedman is all puppy dog caring as Ann's husband Don. He handles a touching moment when he reminds Ann how much he loves her with moving grace. Leonor Watling (Talk to Her) is terrific as the neighbor who Ann choses for Don's next wife. A heart-rending scene between her and Polley is fraught with the awkwardness of reality. Maria Medeiros and Amanda Plummer play eccentric characters mainly for laughs, and fit in with the eccentric whimsy that highlight the film.

Certainly some will find this film to be rather simplistic, or melodramatic, but Coixet's sense-of-humor, terrific use of music, and whimsical touch, and more powerfully, Polley's performance, lift My Life Without Me to greater heights." 4 1/2 cats (Film seen prior to Festival)

AWARDS PRESENTATION and Closing Night Ceremonies – It was delightful to see Celeste Holm (All About Eve, High Society) presented with the Susan B. Anthony, “Failure is Impossible” Award, especially with the beautiful and talented Kerry Washington (Lift, Our Song) making the presentation. Also powerful was a tribute to stuntwoman Jeannie Epper, the year’s Web of Life Award recipient. Thankfully, the HFFF has shucked its “curse” of having their award recipients cancel at the last minute.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM: The Company (USA/Germany; Feature; Robert Altman, director)

MICHAEL – What a huge disappointment from adept filmmaker Altman. This day-in-the-life of the Joffrey Ballet was produced by star Neve Campbell, and yes, it certainly shows that she can dance. In fact, the entire cast (made up predominantly by members of the Joffrey Ballet) can dance wonderfully. But as a film, The Company is lacking what many find to be vital: a story. After sitting through a lengthy round of praise and thanks to sponsors by HFFF bigwigs, and hearing the tributes, it was difficult to sit through this film without a break. My suggestion to High Falls? Start the Closing Night Festivities at 7:00 p.m. and have an intermission before the film, thereby allowing people to go to one and not the other if they desire. 1 cat

SCOT - Unlike Last Dance, which also goes behind the scenes of a legendary American dance company, The Company is a work of fiction about Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet. Too bad, I say, as the story is not very original, fairly trite, and thin as a pair of Danskin tights. Neve Campbell, who also produced (apparently wanting to prove to the world she can dance – and, thankfully, she can) is a junior member of the company who gets her break when the dancer she understudies is injured. She finds a boyfriend in chef Chlotrudis nominee James Franco and they both try to make the relationship work around the foibles of a dancer’s life. In the end, well, I won’t tell you the not-too-surprising climax, but I bet you can guess the essential turning point.

That’s the story. The whole thing. I’m not kidding. The rest of the film consists of some beautiful, though tedious, performances and non-plot-related “dancer’s life” scenes by actual members of the company. So tell me: why is Malcolm McDowell playing the Svengali-esque artistic director? And in a quite hammy manner, I must say. It seems apparent that Altman wanted to make a documentary, but signed on to a project with a screenplay and an actress. Too bad for him. 2 cats (and that’s just for the dancers)

Curious Diane Goes to High Falls

by Diane Young

Tupperware! (USA; documentary; Laurie Kahn-Leavitt, documentary) I expected this to be a campy kind of thing, but it surprised by taking on a personal story with a compelling dramatic arc. Director interviewed 300 Tupperware sales people, and made great choices with the five or six she concentrated on. 5 cats.

Seaside (France; feature; Julie Lopes-Curval, director) Story of a dozen people in a little resort town. Too many characters to get to know in depth. Somewhat like "Secret Lives of Dentists" in that the characters can't/are unwilling to articulate what they want, or what they're thinking, to their partners. Let me use this quote I read after I saw this film, without bothering to get attribution: fiction is about mystery and manners. That is what we see here: the manners are the social behaviors, the mystery is the secrets that each person hides. Good thing Mary helped me to understand the characters a little better when we talked about it afterwards. 3 cats.

Catching Out (USA; documentary; Sarah George, director) Not how to hop a freight train (too bad!), but about the people who do. This was my favorite of the festival. Spoke to me personally about some people's need to be away from society, to live in a non-materialistic way. The "search for freedom" theme was very well played out. We saw one couple go from glowing and happy to anxious and ashen as they moved into "straight" life (house, Walmart, etc.)

The "mistrust of media" theme wasn't as well handled, esp. as director George allowed a main spokesperson to be a young man with little credibility--he should have been cut entirely from the film. Audience question about the psychology of train hopping: does it yield insight or delusion? I was very impressed with the director and her answers to
questions. A bit long at the 2/5 mark and some overused shots, but I am giving it 5 cats for social value.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (France/China; feature; Sijie Dai, director) Did you read the book? The film adds a significant epilogue. Scot and I were so frustrated that one of the two main men missed his obvious cue to declare his love for the other! Maybe he still doesn't know, nor does the director.... This movie could have been better. I felt that the seamstress was just an object for love, and didn't have enough going for herself. And there were scenes that in another Chinese film would have killed me--such as, a man
swimming through a lake filled with floating candles, looking for his loved one. The director missed the punch there and in many other places. This was a French/Chinese movie--the French influence must have watered down that typical Chinese emotional power. I learned from the credits that, in French, walkie-talkies are called talkie-walkies. 2 cats

Last Dance, (USA; documentary; Mirra Bank, director) Superb and professional. Covers the
creative process of picture book author Maurice Sendak's collaboration with the dance company Pilobolus. Sufficient conflict and insight--not just pretty pictures. Gave me some ideas for choreography of the Chlotrudis Awards musical number.... 5 cats.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (India, feature, Aparna Sen, director) How about an Indian Lost in Translation? Okay, not exactly, since this one critiques the tension between Muslim and Hindu also. Two strangers meet on a bus and have a brief, deep, unconsumated relationship. Points off for using newspapers and newcasts as exposition in the beginning of the film. Also, I felt that the tone was wrong--Sufi love songs did not match all the action. Some acting was bad. (Not to mention that the projectionist didn't know to turn on the subtitles until 1/3 of the way through the movie.) But when the romance started--ah, then it was a good movie! The two main characters are wonderful together. I think it should be redone as a romantic comedy. 2 cats.

The Company (USA/Germany; feature; Robert Altman) Altman's film about the Joffrey ballet. I didn't see this, since it was the closing film for $20, but I'd like to report the review of Marilyn's daughter Jill: "Excruciating." She walked out. Don't say she didn't warn you!

Panel on THE CINEMATOGRAPHER'S ART: Sarah Cawley (Oxygen), John Bailey (Anniversary Party), Mark R, NYU prof--sorry I don't have his last name. Cawley recommends bringing stills and photos of artwork to the first meeting with the director to establish motifs. Baily spoke about the importance of fine art (is that the term I should use?) for cinematographers: go to museums, stand in front of a piece, and "commit yourself to the experience." Cawley: the cinematographer wants to know: who are the characters? How do they interact? How does the director feel about them? and what kind of images can convey that? It's a mistake for the director to shoot the film. It's a disservice to the actors, said Cawley. "Short-circuiting at a crucial level of dialogue and criticism," concurred Bailey. "Who the hell do they talk to about imagery?" He also opposes the d.p. operating the camera.

I had a great time!