A brief summary of the films I saw, even though that was now a few weeks ago.
Dokkoi - a very rare showing, apparently that was the UK premiere. Introduction by the films producer and part of a season of films on Ogawa Productions. Very early screening at 9.15, too early for some as half-most on the people who came left during the film, very disrespectful to any film. I loved it even though i was very tired (had been up since 6am). The film is set around a poor farming town where jobs are limited due to the poor economy at the time (late 70s), it opens with a funeral and death features prominently throughout the film. People apparently came up to the film crew and asked them to take pictures of them so that would have something in case of their own funeral. It wasn't uncommon for the crew to be interviewing someone who only a few days later they would find out who just died. Powerful indeed, there's no DVD release on this or any on major distribution on any Ogawa's work. I may never see this again.
SWTH - a local short film that seems to be bordering on acted drama. Quite good, i enjoyed it.
Japan - Nicely (but no intentionally) follows n the subject of Japanese economy, this shows modern day poverty in a successful Japan. A BBC/NHK co-production that will be on TV in the new year and an extended version will be shown in Japan. McAllister was there to answer questions afterwards as was the star Naoki who got a huge round of applause. I loved this documentary and there were alot of heart warming and funny moments. I recommend this to all when it shows next year.
No Manifesto - Rough cut, still has a bit to go. Bit difficult to work out what this film is about watching it. It's stuck between a retrospective of the bands career, darting back to various events and themes at several moments and a look at the band current working process as they are seen working on the album Send Away the Tigers (probably too much footage is shown on them working on Imperial Bodybags) Another great film, but then I enjoyed the whole day. Lots of fantastic interviews and footage. Can't wait till its finished.
Showing posts with label festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label festival. Show all posts
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Sheffield Doc/Fest
Two weeks till Sheffield Doc/Fest and I will be attending, I will be seeing:
Dokkoi! Songs of the Bottom (1974) (intro & Q&A)
The ‘bottom’ of the title is that of society itself. Ogawa’s subject had shifted from Sanrizuka to Kotobukicho, an area of great social deprivation. Filming was tough and the budget was far too small. Once again the team lived in the place where they shot, in this case renting doss houses. Everywhere they looked, people were clinging to life with their fingernails. The film became a series of poetic portraits – songs – of those people, some of whom died during the production. Alert camerawork, inventive intertitles and, most of all, a complete immersion in the world of the story, contribute to Dokkoi’s unforgettable power.
Smoking With the Hawk (2008) + Japan: A Story of Love and Hate (2008)(with Q&A)
Smoking With the Hawk - Clyde is hard. Fucking hard. He's also a pool impresario whos got £8,000 riding on his boy against a young whippersnapper from Chesterfield. Meanwhile Clyde has to deal with a mild machete attack and train his hawk to be a killing machine.
Japan: A Story of Love and Hate - Naoki had it all in the boom days of the Japanese economy. Now he shares a one-room windowless flat with a girl who’s half his age. At fifty-six, he is one of thousands of Japanese who have fallen through the cracks to become a class of working poor. He grits his teeth to perform the obligatory morning calisthenics at the post office before earning his pittance. The twinkle of rebellion is still alight in his eye but this love story is bound by work, pride and necessity. The destructive push-pull cycle between Naoki and his lover is only broken when Naoki must finally meet her father, which wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t the same age. British documentary's sinner and saint, Sean McAllister, again offers extraordinary access and returns with an absorbing a portrait of inescapable contradictions, of life and the narrow lines love and hate share.
No Manifesto (2009) (Work In Progress with 30 min Q&A)
Manic Street Preachers fans unite! This is the doc you’ve been waiting for and its almost ready. The most colourful and contentious band South Wales ever produced face off with their equally colourful and contentious fans in a verité-multimedia-documentary-experiment-work-in-progress. Out-takes, raw and untamed touring footage and of course, the magic of the music will be screened for the first time in its embryonic stage. You can safely expect absolutely anything. With the director in attendance, the audience has the rarest of opportunities to have their input into the shape and feel of this long overdue rockin’ Manic’s doc.
Website: http://www.sheffdocfest.com/
Dokkoi! Songs of the Bottom (1974) (intro & Q&A)
The ‘bottom’ of the title is that of society itself. Ogawa’s subject had shifted from Sanrizuka to Kotobukicho, an area of great social deprivation. Filming was tough and the budget was far too small. Once again the team lived in the place where they shot, in this case renting doss houses. Everywhere they looked, people were clinging to life with their fingernails. The film became a series of poetic portraits – songs – of those people, some of whom died during the production. Alert camerawork, inventive intertitles and, most of all, a complete immersion in the world of the story, contribute to Dokkoi’s unforgettable power.
Smoking With the Hawk (2008) + Japan: A Story of Love and Hate (2008)(with Q&A)
Smoking With the Hawk - Clyde is hard. Fucking hard. He's also a pool impresario whos got £8,000 riding on his boy against a young whippersnapper from Chesterfield. Meanwhile Clyde has to deal with a mild machete attack and train his hawk to be a killing machine.
Japan: A Story of Love and Hate - Naoki had it all in the boom days of the Japanese economy. Now he shares a one-room windowless flat with a girl who’s half his age. At fifty-six, he is one of thousands of Japanese who have fallen through the cracks to become a class of working poor. He grits his teeth to perform the obligatory morning calisthenics at the post office before earning his pittance. The twinkle of rebellion is still alight in his eye but this love story is bound by work, pride and necessity. The destructive push-pull cycle between Naoki and his lover is only broken when Naoki must finally meet her father, which wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t the same age. British documentary's sinner and saint, Sean McAllister, again offers extraordinary access and returns with an absorbing a portrait of inescapable contradictions, of life and the narrow lines love and hate share.
No Manifesto (2009) (Work In Progress with 30 min Q&A)
Manic Street Preachers fans unite! This is the doc you’ve been waiting for and its almost ready. The most colourful and contentious band South Wales ever produced face off with their equally colourful and contentious fans in a verité-multimedia-documentary-experiment-work-in-progress. Out-takes, raw and untamed touring footage and of course, the magic of the music will be screened for the first time in its embryonic stage. You can safely expect absolutely anything. With the director in attendance, the audience has the rarest of opportunities to have their input into the shape and feel of this long overdue rockin’ Manic’s doc.
Website: http://www.sheffdocfest.com/
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