I'm not sure if many people know this about me or not, but I love film festivals! Well, I love independent films and documentaries, so as a result film festivals are my thing. It is my experience, although limited, that film festivals draw widely creative, diverse, and, for lack of a better word, hip crowds. This was the case at this year's Abu Dhabi Film Festival. A friend of mine who's lived here for 4 years says the ADFF is her favorite time of the year. It is now mine as well...so far. I will admit that, as my dad puts it, my eyes over-filled my stomach when I attempted to see over 10 films, at least one for every day of the festival. But, of the 10 that I did have the honor to view, I was both inspired and intrigued. Here are my personal reviews, in order of most enjoyment to least enjoyment (although I enjoyed every film):
The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975
From 1967-1975, several Swedish journalists travelled to and throughout the US to report on the Black Power Movement of that time. In this film, Goran Hugo Olsson mixes the footage and commentary from Harry Belafonte, Angela Davis (also featured in the documentary), Sonia Sanchez, Erykah Badu, and others. The interviews and images from the time the footage was taken and the feedback from today, present questions about where we as Black people are in the US and the world. It also forced me to question my contribution to and role in the advancement of Black Americans. It's definitely a must see...lucky for you, it's currently showing throughout the US. Search your local theaters to see if it's showing near you!
Position Among the Stars
This is the final documentary in the trilogy about an Indonesian family trying to survive and adapt to their increasingly westernized world. From something as simple as trying to turn on their new gas hotplate to how they will pay for the grand-daughter's college tuition to where the nephew should pray (a church or a mosque), the family struggles and triumphs through their everyday life as we watch on. My favorite line from the film was, "possessions take possession of us." For some reason I feel like I've heard some rapper, maybe Kanye, say the same thing. Who knew a 70 year old Indonesian woman would have the same thoughts as Kanye?
In My Mother's Arms
This film documented the struggles of an Iraqi orphanage as a small group of men attempt to meet not just the physical, but financial and psychological needs of 15 orphaned Iraqi boys. Before seeing this documentary, I had not considered the number of children without parents because of the war in Iraq, not to mention the horrific things that happen in the state-run orphanages in countries whose infrastructure and accountability has been virtually destroyed. What concerned me most though was not how the boys' psychological needs were being met, but more-so how the orphanage director was dealing with his overwhelming yet self-induced stress and responsibility.
Stockholm East
A man kills a little girl in a car accident, falls in love with her married mother, and they eventually begin an affair. Definitely not your typical love story, but (spoiler) they end up together. How you ask? Well, that's what was so good about his movie. It makes you wonder what rules are thrown out the window, what gray areas rise and expand when a tragedy happens. Is it ok to love your daughter's killer? Is it ok to bomb another country after they have bombed yours? Two polar opposite questions, but similar theme. What makes wrong ok?
Lucky
After 12 year-old Lucky's mom dies, he travels to a near-by South African city looking for his uncle. After he realizes that the uncle has stolen his tuition money, he tries to stay with the Indian neighbor. Only problem is that she does not like Black South Africans; calls them dogs and forbids them to even touch her. After allowing Lucky to sleep on her back porch and enrolling him in school (refusing to give him a good-bye hug), they eventually forge a relationship of trust and love, all while speaking two different languages. Simply, a sweet story.
Diaries
I arrived about 15 minutes late, watched about 45 minutes, left to go to the bathroom, and by the time I came back the movie was over. Fail. Of the 45 minutes I did see of this documentary, I was inspired by the three main subjects as they discussed their lives as Palestinian women during the Gaza double-siege. I must admit that I know little of the siege, but I knew that these women take great risks challenging control and restraint in a city trying to define for them what it means to be woman.
Midaq Alley
Not the best acting or screenplay I've ever experienced, but it did feature one of Selma Heyek's first big-screen performances, so not too bad. An adaptation of Mahfouz's 1947 novel, this version takes place in Mexico City. What I enjoyed most is that the same story is told from various viewpoints. Perspective is something I've been interested in for some time now; how one instance/object appears from different places and people, as (I believe) exploring perspective leads to humility and understanding.
The Wholly Family
I saw this as a modern-day, Italian Where the Wild Things Are. Jake's parents send him to bed without any dinner and he has a strange nightmare. Not too much else happens in this short film, but it was fun making some text-to-text connections (my fellow Reading teachers will like that reference ;-)
Habemus Papam
This "comedy" is about a Pope who doesn't want to be a Pope. Even though I had a very hard time finding much to laugh at or to keep my eyes open, I liked the theme. Simply put, peer pressure. Should you do something just because everyone else is expecting you to? Should a Pope be a Pope just because he's elected and everyone expects it? Well, obviously (spoiler) not.
Pina
Another one I just couldn't stay awake for. This 3-D tribute documentary to Pina Baucsh, the revered choreographer was beautifully artful. I loved the featured choreography, especially in 3D. But, I just couldn't follow the stories of the pieces. I will say that Pina's work is truly poetry in movement. Maybe I need to read more poetry.
The Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975
From 1967-1975, several Swedish journalists travelled to and throughout the US to report on the Black Power Movement of that time. In this film, Goran Hugo Olsson mixes the footage and commentary from Harry Belafonte, Angela Davis (also featured in the documentary), Sonia Sanchez, Erykah Badu, and others. The interviews and images from the time the footage was taken and the feedback from today, present questions about where we as Black people are in the US and the world. It also forced me to question my contribution to and role in the advancement of Black Americans. It's definitely a must see...lucky for you, it's currently showing throughout the US. Search your local theaters to see if it's showing near you!
Position Among the Stars
This is the final documentary in the trilogy about an Indonesian family trying to survive and adapt to their increasingly westernized world. From something as simple as trying to turn on their new gas hotplate to how they will pay for the grand-daughter's college tuition to where the nephew should pray (a church or a mosque), the family struggles and triumphs through their everyday life as we watch on. My favorite line from the film was, "possessions take possession of us." For some reason I feel like I've heard some rapper, maybe Kanye, say the same thing. Who knew a 70 year old Indonesian woman would have the same thoughts as Kanye?
In My Mother's Arms
This film documented the struggles of an Iraqi orphanage as a small group of men attempt to meet not just the physical, but financial and psychological needs of 15 orphaned Iraqi boys. Before seeing this documentary, I had not considered the number of children without parents because of the war in Iraq, not to mention the horrific things that happen in the state-run orphanages in countries whose infrastructure and accountability has been virtually destroyed. What concerned me most though was not how the boys' psychological needs were being met, but more-so how the orphanage director was dealing with his overwhelming yet self-induced stress and responsibility.
Stockholm East
A man kills a little girl in a car accident, falls in love with her married mother, and they eventually begin an affair. Definitely not your typical love story, but (spoiler) they end up together. How you ask? Well, that's what was so good about his movie. It makes you wonder what rules are thrown out the window, what gray areas rise and expand when a tragedy happens. Is it ok to love your daughter's killer? Is it ok to bomb another country after they have bombed yours? Two polar opposite questions, but similar theme. What makes wrong ok?
Lucky
After 12 year-old Lucky's mom dies, he travels to a near-by South African city looking for his uncle. After he realizes that the uncle has stolen his tuition money, he tries to stay with the Indian neighbor. Only problem is that she does not like Black South Africans; calls them dogs and forbids them to even touch her. After allowing Lucky to sleep on her back porch and enrolling him in school (refusing to give him a good-bye hug), they eventually forge a relationship of trust and love, all while speaking two different languages. Simply, a sweet story.
Diaries
I arrived about 15 minutes late, watched about 45 minutes, left to go to the bathroom, and by the time I came back the movie was over. Fail. Of the 45 minutes I did see of this documentary, I was inspired by the three main subjects as they discussed their lives as Palestinian women during the Gaza double-siege. I must admit that I know little of the siege, but I knew that these women take great risks challenging control and restraint in a city trying to define for them what it means to be woman.
Midaq Alley
Not the best acting or screenplay I've ever experienced, but it did feature one of Selma Heyek's first big-screen performances, so not too bad. An adaptation of Mahfouz's 1947 novel, this version takes place in Mexico City. What I enjoyed most is that the same story is told from various viewpoints. Perspective is something I've been interested in for some time now; how one instance/object appears from different places and people, as (I believe) exploring perspective leads to humility and understanding.
The Wholly Family
I saw this as a modern-day, Italian Where the Wild Things Are. Jake's parents send him to bed without any dinner and he has a strange nightmare. Not too much else happens in this short film, but it was fun making some text-to-text connections (my fellow Reading teachers will like that reference ;-)
Habemus Papam
This "comedy" is about a Pope who doesn't want to be a Pope. Even though I had a very hard time finding much to laugh at or to keep my eyes open, I liked the theme. Simply put, peer pressure. Should you do something just because everyone else is expecting you to? Should a Pope be a Pope just because he's elected and everyone expects it? Well, obviously (spoiler) not.
Pina
Another one I just couldn't stay awake for. This 3-D tribute documentary to Pina Baucsh, the revered choreographer was beautifully artful. I loved the featured choreography, especially in 3D. But, I just couldn't follow the stories of the pieces. I will say that Pina's work is truly poetry in movement. Maybe I need to read more poetry.
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