In conversation with Alma Har'el

Moments after the UK premier of her first feature length film, Bombay Beach, I managed to pull aside Israeli music video director Alma Har’el for a few precious minutes in order to discuss, over a good old brew, her journey into the realm of documentary film.

Alma Har’el has without doubt accumulated waves of new fans and admirers following her recent run of the UK’s two most important film festivals, Sheffield Doc/Fest and Edinburgh Film Festival with her documentary film debut Bombay Beach. The film highlights the lives of 3 sundry characters inhabiting Bombay Beach, a humble and isolated area of Southern California situated on the Salton Sea with small population of around 300 residents. It is not the first time that the location has been a point of interest for documentary film (Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea by C. Metzler and J. Springer) or for photographers thanks to its unique and aesthetically appealing geography. In fact, it was during the making of the Concubine music video for her friends in the band Beirut that the director chanced upon meeting Benny Parish on the shores of Bombay Beach, an encounter which flourished into a two year documentary film project and one that formed a strong, symbiotic relationship with the Parish family and subsequently the documentary’s two other primary subjects, CeeJay Thompson and Red.

Yet, beyond the enchanted beauty of the Salton Sea landscape, one that Har’el tactfully and charmingly captures on film, its geography recalls a rather gloomy history. Originally destined to be the American French Rivera during the 1960’s and a holiday haven to rival that of Palm Springs, Salton Sea soon became an abandoned American dream as a result of harsh environmental factors and soaring construction costs. Ultimately, property developers became interminably distanced from the location and investors decidedly alienated themselves from the venture to construct the idyllic, go-to vacation resort. Nowadays, the region is sparsely populated with pockets of marginalised communities, such as Bombay Beach and occupied by derelict, deteriorating buildings which represent glimmers of bygone hopes and dreams.

Returning the focus back on the director, as previously mentioned Har’el is more habitually distinguished as an accomplished music video director, featuring in several Top Music Video polls and having received a VMA nomination for her music video of Beirut’s single Elephant Gun. Upon meeting the director I was keen to understand more about her career background in making music videos beyond the pages of Wikipedia. Originally working as a television presenter for a music show in Tel Aviv, Har’el’s passion for music is self-evidently marked from the outset of her working life. Moving on, the director reveals that she would deem her ‘first gig’ in directing to be a show she did for National Geographic, after this Har’el  kicked off her filming career by mixing live video content with performers and artists whilst also pursuing an interest in still photography. Having not attended any film school institution and only having taken a year-long foundation course in editing on VHS tapes whilst residing in London, the Israeli director is without doubt a self-taught filmmaker who has a natural flair for poetic cinematography.

 

With regards to her work with music videos and the status of the music video today, Har’el expresses that there was indeed a time during the 90’s when the music video ‘was more of an art form’ and that this decade stands as a ‘golden era of music videos with the likes of Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek and Michel Goundry.’ In this digital modern age with filmmaking becoming affordable on low budgets the director believes that music videos, although many being ‘beautiful’, are being produced on a mass scale and that the current issue regarding these videos is that no television channels exist for them anymore. The classic music channels such as MTV and VH1 are slowly dying as they now only show reality shows and have to compete with the continued rise of on-line broadcasting platforms such as Youtube and Vimeo. As a consequence, less and less attention and importance is being placed upon the production of music video and this is surely a trend that spurred on the director to pursue a new film path. 

Before being whisked away to her next interview, I quickly asked Har’el whether her reception she has experienced so far in the film festival domain has drastically changed after making the directorial transition from music videos into documentary film. To this the she replies that whilst she attended film festivals as a music video director that ‘nobody ever talks to you when you go there.’ With that said, now with thralls of journalists eagerly waiting to meet and talk to Alma Har’el ‘the documentary filmmaker’ the transformation in reception must have surely been a mini shock to her system.

Nonetheless, the director seems to be adjusting well to the new limelight and judging from the gleaming, positive reviews of Bombay Beach and even a Tweeted thumbs up from American actor Alec Baldwin, Alma Har’el has unquestionably made a wise move into the world of documentary film.

Gina F Willis. 

Bombay Beach Website

Alma Har'el on Twitter

The director's blog.

Bombay Beach/Alma Har'el Interview

http://www.vimeo.com/25341232


An insightful interview with director Alma Har'el about her debut documentary 'Bombay Beach', a beautifully lyrical tale of ordinary people facing the struggles of existence, set in the melancholic rural-Californian wastelands. Filmed at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2011.


by Alex Keegan

Exclusive Youth Jury interview with Daniel Lucchesi and Alex Ramseyer-Bache...

*SHEFFIELD DOC/FEST 2011 YOUTH JURY AWARD WINNERS*


A fantastic interview with Daniel Lucchesi and Alex Ramseyer-Bache, directors of 'We Are Poets'. The film is the pair's first feature-length documentary and focuses on a community group based in Leeds called Leeds Young Authors. After premiering at this year's Sheffield Doc/Fest, the film was chosen as the winner of the Youth Jury award.


Go to http://vimeo.com/25201610 to watch the interview and all the others from this year's Doc/Fest.


Enjoy!


Jack Ranson

Exclusive Youth Jury interview with Robb Leech...

A very interesting and in-depth interview with tree surgeon-cum-filmmaker Robb Leech, whose first feature-length documentary, 'My Brother the Islamist', aired on BBC Three in April and was met with fantastic reception at a screening at this year's Doc/Fest.

Go to http://vimeo.com/25194635 to watch the interview - enjoy!

Another exclusive interview, with the directors of We Are Poets, coming soon!

Love,

Jack Ranson

Exclusive Youth Jury interview with Morgan Spurlock...

A hilarious insight into the world of Morgan Spurlock, director, producer and all-round entertainer; he made a name for himself globally with 'Supersize Me'. His latest film, 'POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold', was the opening night film at this year's Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Go to http://vimeo.com/25177058 to watch the full interview.

And there's plenty more where that came from so watch out!

With love,

Jack Ranson

Memorable moments from this year’s festival.

So what do members of a Youth Jury get up to when equipped with a delegate pass and let loose to experience the U.K's most important documentary and digital media festival? 
Besides watching as many documentaries as possible, below you'll discover more about what we wild young things accomplished over the course of 5 action-packed  days and nights....


Wednesday 8th June: The Grand Opening Night.

© Jacqui Bellamy 2011

Following the Youth Jury’s participation in DFG’S DocDay 101, one of several engaging Doc/Fest workshops aimed at up-and-coming documentary filmmakers, we all highly anticipated the festival's opening night film - the U.K première of Spurlock's lastest documentary blockbuster: POM Wonderful Presents: The Greated Movie Ever Sold. Alas, one member of the jury of youth (not naming names) had not been lucky enough to get their name featured on 'The List' in order to obtain a rather snazzy pink ticket to the sell-out event.  

And so our work began, the first Youth Jury mission : succeed in getting all of us into the screening.

Here's a breakdown of the series of events that occurred within the 30 minutes leading up to the opening of screens that recall the tale of one youth juror's quest to gain access into the doc film première.

• 18:30: Four out of the five members of the Youth Jury are in possession of a golden ticket to the evening's event. The buzz surrounding Spurlock's film soars and crowds waiting to enter Screens 3 and 4  begin to assemble. The other two potential documentaries of the opening night decidedly loose their appeal as the minutes go by. 
• 18:46: A moment of intense deliberation for the aforementioned, unfortunate jury member - should they honourably join the already lengthy stand-by queue or should they take a chance and make a run for either screen 3 or 4 as soon as the doors are announced open? 

• 18:55: Hesitation and uncertainty on the rise. Moments before ticket holders are allowed to be seated, a mini Youth Jury reunion and last minute discussion takes place - a plan of action urgently needed!

• 18:58: Desperately seeking advice, a ray of hope comes in the form of the following suggestion given by a certain member of the Doc/Fest team : 'act important, act like you are meant to be there, that way you will get in.' (Thanks Joe!) 

• 18.59: Several queues of doc lovers and delegates assemble to watch Spurlock's film, the Youth Jury approach the stairs leading down to screens 3 and 4. Volunteer ticket checkers appear to flustered about what they are meant to do/where they are supposed to stand.  

• 18.59 and 30 seconds: THE GOLDEN, OPPORTUNE MOMENT. The jury of youth each grab a complimentary bottle of POM juice (FYI now available in you nearest Tesco store) and make their descent towards Screen 3 (ultimately the superior screen of the night due to the fact Spurlock had his Q&A there.) 

• 19:00: After a brief separation and a split-second moment of panic, all members of the Youth Jury are successfully and comfortably seated in Screen 3. Mission accomplished.

Thursday 9th June.
Tweet meet with Alma Har'el, director of Bombay Beach. 

Never mind recycling but with Twitter, the possibilities are certainly endless. For the benefit of the Youth Jury blog, I decided to embrace the almighty power of this particular social network in order to organise an interview with the wonderful director Alma Har'el who was promoting her first documentary feature film. This was definitely my first tweet meet, and I'm pretty certain it was her's too.  

My interview with Alma Har'el shall be posted in the not too distant future so keep your eyes peeled on the blog! In the meantime, all I can say is long live the Tweet Meet and the Twitterlution!  

What happens when you give a bunch of documentary fiends some skates, an oyster bar and vodka? 

A very surreal, merry and eventful evening is bound to be expected when you take read the mélange of this soirée! Proudly representing the Youth Jury on the festival's second night, I plucked up the courage to swap my shoes for some skates and dared to brave the dancefloor and bust some moves to the best collection of 80's disco classics! (This only occured of course after having acquired a bit of dutch courage.)

The most memorable shenanigans of the evening involve the following incidents: trying my first oyster with acclaimed documentary critic, Jennifer Merin who helped me opt for the hotsauce rather than the lemon, skating against the Swedish director Michel Wenzer of At Night I Fly and of course revelling in the sights of drunken skaters fall - priceless comedy!  

So muchos gracias TFI,  Madame Ivana, the Zorokovich Vodka Company and of course Skate Central Sheffield for hosting this extraordinary and unique Doc/Fest party.

Saturday 11th June.

Outdoor screening of Grey Gardens.

In spite of the typical British weather that Sheffield braced on the fourth day of the festival, the 'Documentaries on Devonshire Green' event, a brand new addition to this year's programme, proved itself to be a great success (indeed, this was before the outdoor screen decided to conveniently brake during the latter course of the afternoon.)

The film highlight of the day was without doubt the well attended screening of Grey Gardens which was shown after the Edie-attired parade in celebration of Albert Maysles drew to an end. This truly historical moment for Doc/Fest was heightened by the presence of the legendary director himself who introduced his film in front of an audience comprised of both festival delegates and the general public.  This special screening was made even more enjoyable thanks to the generosity of the Fancie Cupcake crew who provided everyone with yummy cupcake goodness!

Albert Maysles Masterclass, Lyceum Theatre. 

© Jacqui Bellamy 2011

It's fair to describe Saturday as a day-long celebration of Albert Maysles. The experience of being sat metres away from one of the most important and respected documentary directors in the world was enough to give me goosebumps. As soon as Maysles graced the Lyceum Theatre stage, you  instantly perceived the entire audience become awestruck by the director's  presence. This unanimous feeling that united the audience was maintained throughout the duration of his entertaining and informative masterclass as every documentary critic, director and the like held on to each word and sentence that Maysles so elegantly expressed. 

It was certainly remarkable to witness how at his great age, Maysles continues to convey to the world the same amount of zeal and enthusiasm for the documentary film genre as he has done throughout his career as a director. Suffice to say, this masterclass reinforced the fact that Albert Maysles is an outstanding role model and inspiration for budding documentary filmmakers. Furthermore, after being privileged enough to watch an exclusive preview, I'm certain that everyone is now eager to know the release date of his new documentary in which, after more than 40 years, we see the return of Maysles filming and working with Paul McCartney. 

Other notable highlights of the festival include.....

• Perfecting the art of flattery and schmoozing.   
• Attending the alternative Friday night party – Sheffield Fringe.
• Watching French artist Calvet create his painting in the Showroom Café 

© Jacqui Bellamy 2011

• Tweeting on a computer in the Workstation whilst sat next to Rudolph Herzog. 
• Having Tom, our appointed co-ordinator and P.A kindly fetch you coffee/water in times of severe tiredness and thirst - big up to Tom!!
• Writing our award speech at 12.30am in the Mercure hotel lobby surrounded by a throng of highflying people from the doc industry, including a merry looking Spurlock. 
• The moment when Nick Broomfield introduced himself to the Youth Jury before his masterclass.

Gina Willis. 

Exclusive Youth Jury interview with Dan Gordon...

An insightful and interesting interview with Dan Gordon, from VeryMuchSo Productions, director and producer of 'Match 64: The Final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup' at this year's festival. 

Go to http://vimeo.com/25127846 to see the interview and learn more about Dan's work.

Look out for more exclusive interviews in the coming days!

Jack Ranson

Doc/Wonderful (for Now, Then magazine/ July 2011)

Doc/Wonderful

Little did anyone know that the most sought-after commodity at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest – now one of the world’s leading documentary film festivals – was not an aged cinema master nor a hype-fuelled debut but in fact a curvaceous bottle of concentrated pomegranate juice. No, the documentary world has not given up the distribution of films to instead pursue interests related to high anti-oxidant drink sales; the drink in question was POM Wonderful, the ‘official sponsor’ of Morgan Spurlock’s latest film POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Recognised as the man behind Super Size Me, Spurlock is every bit the showman and his film enthusiastically bounds through the world of Hollywood marketing, attempting to create a film about product placement which itself is entirely funded by product placement. The drink is questionable, tasting a bit like sour undiluted Ribena; the film - entertaining, at times missing the mark as a scathing critique of consumerism, but the director’s unashamed eagerness for knowingly selling-out is hilarious.

            After the madness that was the opening night, delegates and the public were subject to some of the most exciting documentaries around. Alma Ha’rel’s Bombay Beach was amongst the most poetic films in competition; the melancholic lives of rural-California’s inhabitants are interwoven with choreographed dance sequences to create a beautifully lyrical tale of ordinary people facing the struggles of a banal existence. The Special Jury prize went to The Interrupters, which follows a number of Chicago’s ex-cons as they attempt to intervene in gang conflicts in order to stop violence and was receiving unanimous praise for its assured and intimate style. One of Britain’s leading experimental documentary filmmakers, John Akomfrah was at the festival screening his latest gem The Nine Muses, an idiosyncratic look at the experiences of immigrants first coming to the UK in the 70s. The film blends archive footage, serene shots of the Alaskan landscape, poetry, philosophy and innovative sound design to try to come to terms with the alienation and insignificance many immigrants feel when arriving on our shores. A staggering ‘drama of becoming’ Akomfrah continues to singularly attempt to engage with notions of black British identity and memory.  

            The Doc/Fest Lifetime Achievement award went to much-loved veteran cinematographer Albert Maysles, one of the founders of ‘Direct Cinema’ – a movement in the early 60s dedicated to documenting life in its purest form, filming events as they unfolded in long uninterrupted takes. His documentary debut Salesman is a classic and held by many as the definitive portrait of the American spirit; and he has made films about The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Muhammad Ali and John F Kennedy whilst they were in their prime. Another masterful presence was that of Martin Scorsese whose A Letter to Elia is a loving paean to director Elia Kazan, who practically discovered Marlon Brando and James Dean as well as creating some of the most powerful actor-orientated films of the 50s. Scorsese’s intimate portrait of a man who so sharply divided his contemporaries’ opinion (he was a communist sympathiser) is clearly cathartic and sees a director whose films are so often associated with masculinity & the expression of violence much more emotionally candid.

            Talk of ‘revolutions in technology’ was once again on everyone’s lips as the ominous presence of Twitter made itself known (at any point in the festival the socially-empty phrase: ‘add me on Twitter’ was never far away). The ever-provocative Adam Curtis was milling about and made his thought on the subject clearly known, stating in a masterclass that the phenomenon is a ‘self-aggrandising, smug pressure group’. He was at the festival to promote his latest television triptych All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace, which joyfully denounces the majority’s faith in technology as a means to its moral salvation - another cynically polemical message.

            Another far more promising advancement is that of the humble DSLR camera which is set to revolutionise documentary filmmaking. Its unbelievable lightness, cheapness and fantastic image quality means filmmakers no longer have to compromise on quality if they want to make a film under extreme, challenging circumstances. No one could argue that this is what was demanded of Dangfung Dennis whose employment of a DSLR in Hell and Back Again meant he could join foot soldiers deep behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. A war photographer whose growing frustration at the morally indifferent reception his photos were receiving inspired him to start filming his experiences. The finished result is disorientating, brutally honest and a stark reminder to all those who feel apathetic towards the conflicts in the Middle East that people are still caught up in the horrors of warfare.

            With a wealth of quality films, the documentary world has never tasted so fine and with more delegates, masterclasses, sessions and films than ever before, Doc/Fest is quickly becoming an assured Sheffield institution. Now all that’s left to do is try and get the gustatory bitterness of POM Wonderful out of our mouths.

Alex Keegan

Top Ten Unmissable Docs

Hello doc fiends and other passers-by,

With a just little over a week before the kick-off of this year’s  Sheff Doc/Festival with Spurlock’s  new documentary feature ‘POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold’, we, the panel of youth are here to share with you our wealth, that is to say, our top ten hot picks from this year’s rock & roll, drug infused programme!

As a panel of 5, we have each chosen two of our personal favourite films from the line-up that we expect to blow your minds.

Alex Keegan

The Camera that Changed the World

The humble camera - always changing yet constantly fuelling our imaginations by capturing visual delights from around the world. The flourishing of cinema in the 20s and 30s and its subsequent drought of success in the 50s relied upon heavy, clunky, cameras, which despite their uncanny ability at documenting moving objects, weren’t cut out to accommodate the demands of the documentary filmmaker. Mobility, lightness and ease of use were required for these artists who were attempting to capture fleeting moments of real life that could never be replicated with a second take. Mandy Chang brings us this film, which tells of the development of such cameras and the effect they have had on the documentary world. From a group of French filmmakers led by Jean Rouch, discovering the joyous freedom of Cinéma Vérité to an American photographer along with an engineering student friend teaming up to develop a camera that would allow them to record J.F.K’s presidential primary campaign – this is necessary viewing for all those even vaguely interested in the development of camera technology and its subsequent impact on the documentary world. 

Hell and Back Again

Following on from a similar theme, the DSLR camera today is quickly asserting itself as the revolutionary tool for contemporary filmmakers. Its unbelievable lightness, cheapness and fantastic image quality means filmmakers no longer have to compromise on quality if they want to make a film under extreme, challenging circumstances. No one could argue that this is what was demanded of Dangfung Dennis whose employment of a DSLR meant he could join foot soldiers in Afghanistan and amongst the crossfire record some of the most intense images you’ll find at this year’s festival. With two overlapping narratives – one in combat and the other following a Marine’s recovery at home – the sense of realism achieved looks set to be unprecedented and the immersion undertaken by the filmmaker is a stark reminder to all those who feel indifferent about the conflicts in the Middle East that people are still engaged with the horrors of warfare. Filmmaking at it’s most raw and powerful - this is necessary viewing and an insight into what we can expect from the technologically liberated filmmakers of today.

Stefan Panic

Minka

If you're looking for a calm and relaxing watch, Minka is certainly looking out to be just that. 

It's a powerful story about the memory of home. As we all know, it is said; "Home is where the heart is" which is the exact message we will all be feeling while watching this beautiful documentary. Minka is about an old farmhouse which was rescued from the Japanese Alps and transported to the suburbs of Tokyo by a man named John Roderick and a young university student Yoshihiro Takishita in 1967. Takishita later becomes Roderick's adopted son, and together they spend their peaceful lives in this renovated farmhouse known as 'Minka'.

44 years on, following Roderick's death at 93, we hear the story of Takishita's life and how the Minka has affected it. It's about a man who is literally pouring out his heart onto the screen showing us how important the home actually is, and hey, perhaps we can even learn a thing or two. I'm prepared to give my heart and ears to experience a story about what architectural bliss really means, and I hope you are too, because this is certainly something we should all enjoy watching.

Life In Movement

I'm sure we all know of talented individuals who have unfortunately passed away far too early in their life during their journey to success. It's always incredibly saddening to hear, especially if you've deeply admired their work. Meet Tanja Liedtke, a very young and talented female dance artist who sadly died at the age of 29 in a traffic accident, shortly after she was appointed the position of Artistic Director at the Sydney Dance Company in Australia. If you're a fan of contemporary dance then there is no reason that you shouldn't be watching this, if you're not a fan, then watch it purely for a new experience of a world you're not familiar with.  This documentary is an ode to Tanja's life and work, directed by her very own fiancée Bryan Mason, so be ready to witness something special as we discover a story about creativity, loss and our very own mortality.

Jack Ranson

This year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest will be an absolute corker! There’s everything from Reagan to Roller Disco, Spurlock to stirring tales of Roma Gypsies discovering the power of music. Who knows, there might even be a spot of summer sunshine? But in between all the roller blading and the frolicking in the Sun, these are the films that I think are worth a spot in your schedule. 

A Letter to Elia

Any fan of Martin Scorsese, or indeed film in general, must be highly anticipating this documentary; a ‘deeply personal film’ which looks at the inspiration Scorsese found from the legendary director Elia Kazan. Undoubtedly, both Kazan and Scorsese have touched almost every modern-day director in some way, with their unique visual styles and their profound ability to bring the best out of their actors (Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront and Robert De Niro in Raging Bull spring to mind). This documentary is not only homage to Kazan, but an in-depth look at what it was exactly that stuck with a 12 year old Scorsese, after watching On the Waterfront, throughout his illustrious career. Co-written and directed by Scorsese himself, along with Kent Jones, A Letter to Elia is sure to be a big draw for the simple reason that this is a documentary about two iconic directors and inspirational work; I for one am excited.

Cigarettes and Songs

Now I must admit, I’m no expert when it comes Roma gypsy music but I would certainly expect it to be interesting if nothing else. Perhaps that’s why directors Jana Kovalcikova and Marek Sulik chose a group of Roma gypsies and Slovakians as the focus of their documentary Cigarettes and Songs. It’s certainly an original venture and that in itself will be a big draw for many I’m sure, particularly at a time when gypsy culture is being rediscovered and even embraced by many (look at the major success of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings). It tells the heart-warming story of these Roma Gypsies and Slovakians coming together in an evangelical church in Eastern Slovakia to prepare music for a new CD of ancient Roma songs, transformed into new compositions. I for one love music documentaries and there are certainly a fair few being shown at the festival this year, but Cigarettes and Songs is, in my eyes, the stand-out selection in this category. It is about more than just the music; it is about the unity and peace it brings to this eclectic group of people and the power music has. And who knows, you might even go away wanting to download the album! 

Lucy Pereira

With just over a week to go until docu-movie madness hits Sheffield, here are my two must-sees for the Doc/Fest. I’ve picked two laid-back, observational documentaries from different sides of the globe, both offering interesting perspectives about the communities they are filmed within. 

Bombay Beach

A small lake in California and the colourful characters that live nearby it are portrayed in this beautiful film by music video maker Alma Har’el. Bombay Beach, a somewhat desolate, rural pocket with a 300-something strong population centred around Salton Sea – and the film’s namesake - is the setting for the film. Har’el makes her directorial debut with this documentary, which follows three males at different stages of their lives and the people around them. A fusion of observational film and choreography sequences (the latter produced by Bombay Beach residents) and with a fantastic soundtrack to set, Bombay Beach will prove a stunning audio-visual delight. Exotic by name and nature, this film appears to be the perfect tonic for sugary sweet, ‘American Dream’ portrayals of the USA. And with coveted awards from the World Documentary Competition and Tribeca Film Festival– you can be sure that Bombay Beach will be a gem. 

Peace

War has long been a staple of the documentary world. However, in contrast, it could be argued that peace has been its long-suffering sibling; its subject matter perhaps considered too bland and fluffy in comparison. But as Kazuhiro Soda’s multi award-winning film shows, it doesn’t have to be that way. Peace is a charming, quirky story focussing on Toshio Kashiwagi, an elderly taxi service manager for the disabled, and his caring for the stray cats that roam around the Okayama City streets. Also featuring his charity worker wife, Hiroko and a man in her care, the movie sheds light on the treatment of the disabled and aging populations of Japan and considers the topic of co-existence - not just between peoples - but also between these cute cats – who somewhat surprisingly have their own tale of peace and co-existence unravel before the cameras.

Gina Willis

We’re all partial to a bit of juicy scandal and debauchery in our lives so, here are my chosen two auspicious looking doc films that are bound to tantalise and entertain this year’s audiences.

Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times

Ever wanted to gain access all areas into the epicentre of the New York journalism world? Look no further as this documentary provides you just that, and then some! Filmed during a year working at the New York Times, Director Rossi reveals the realities of an increasingly hard-hitting, ruthless journalism industry which constantly pivots on successful, money making headlines so as to self-sustain against the rise of gratis online news. Based at the media desk of the NYT newsroom wherein columnist and reformed cocaine addict David Carr calls the shots, the documentary oozes with drama and provides an interesting stance on the recent issues that have threatened print reportage, such as release of the iPad and the infamous WikiLeaks affair. In receipt of rave reviews having already premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Page One is a documentary that you should all pencil in your agendas.

Calvet

Oh la la, I must to confess that I have a chronic weakness for all French related film and there are certainly a good number of Gallic docs on this year’s line-up that give the festival programme a soupçon of je ne sais quoi. OK, enough of the lingo, here we have one of the 7 nominated documentary films for the Special Jury Prize, Calvet, The film recalls the gritty, vivacious and highly captivating life of artist, Jean Marc Calvet who, throughout the documentary, is on a quest for salvation. Vividly retold by the man himself, the audience are acquainted with Calvet’s drug tainted years in France, his success as an artist based in Granada, Nicaragua and a sequence of shocking events that followed a proposal to abandon his current life and to relocate to America.  This film is unquestionably a strong contender in its documentary prize category and I will be personally making sure that I queue up early enough to grab a seat!