April 11, 2005

So it's off on the festival circuit I go later this week. But before I leave, I've gotten the chance to preview some films from the upcoming Tribeca film festival… mostly docs… and mostly excellent.

My three favorites so far are;

LOOKING FOR THE LOST VOICE - Filmmaker Tzipi Trope went down the road of making an Israeli/Palestinian documentary, a genre that has been so active lately that it's been feeling a bit played out. But Trope was having none of that and found another way into the issue that we haven't seen before. Unfortunately, it is one of those cases where the surface - in this case, the story of an Israeli punk rocker who was killed in a "suicide bombing" - may get in the way of people making a real effort to see the film. Yes, the film centers on this young man's life and death… but it's really the story of a man who believes in peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and his strength of character in the face of his son's murder.

In certain ways, Looking For The Lost Voice reminded me of Gunner Palace, one of the best documentaries made about this war in Iraq in no small part because it chooses to show its truth instead of trying to sell the audience on the filmmaker's beliefs. There is no question that the filmmaker and the families she engages in this documentary are anti-war/anti-terror. But they have to face a number of challenges to those beliefs.

Most importantly, the movie takes the audience places they've never gone before. There is a youth culture in Jerusalem that rarely gets any attention and here, those from this band are in full voice, both in the poetry of their lyrics and in their expression of the generational confusion that is going on as Israel approaches its 57th anniversary.

It also examines the ideas of people who believe in both the existence of Israel and the rights of Palestinians. There is one incredibly powerful scene in which Israelis confront Israelis over settlements. And Trope stays out of the fight, letting us decide for ourselves.

This is old school documentary filmmaking with a digital twist. It is not one of the great entertaining documentaries we've gotten used to lately. But if you can see any complexity in the issues of Middle East peace, this film is a must see.

INFIDELS - Two documentaries showed up from Bahman Kiarostami. (Yes, a relation, son of Abbas.) One is in competition at Tribeca. Of course, I watched the other one… and adored it. It's only 40 minutes long and virtually without any structure. But it beautifully shot by Kiarostami and Morteza Poursamadi and it has an often overwhelming patience with its subjects.

The film is about nomadic gypsies who came to Iran from India, were converted against their preference into being Shiite Muslims (from Animism, a belief that believes natural objects and phenomena possess souls) and are still considered infidels. But it's not so much about the suffering of this group as it is about the inner beauty that comes across from them in scene after scene.

Two films came to mind while watching. One was a short on self-flagellators by Werner Herzog that I have never seen or heard about again after it screened at Telluride about five years ago. The other is Swedish filmmaker Alexa Wolfe's Prayer, a brilliant 18 minute documentary short that simply shows people at prayer.

This is not a traditional documentary, but it is memorizing… even on a TV screen. It is wonderful to see another culture in such a simple, intimate way.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ROY LONDON - I didn't really expect to fall for this very personal documentary from Christopher Monger, Karen Montgomery and Julie Warner. You may kind of recognize the name "Roy London" from The Larry Sanders Show or other places where he worked or was thanked. He was an actor who became one of Hollywood's top film acting gurus. His great successes include bringing new depth to the careers of Sharon Stone, Geena Davis and Patrick Swayze.

The film is a post-mortem love letter from dozens and dozens of his students and loved ones. And as an endless parade of talking heads, the early parts of the film make one worried that it's just going to be a self-indulgent prick pull. But as it goes on, the amazing passion for this man and what he gave to these actors becomes more and more intoxicating.

By the time we get to his passing and the kind of moments with Lois Chiles which make you ready to see her career come back strong, the relationship of the actor and the script and the work is the story and Roy London is serving it valiantly, even from beyond the grave. The range of stories from actors of all kinds of levels of fame is remarkable… from Patricia Arquette figuring out how to react to Clarence killing her pimp in True Romance to Garry Shandling acknowledging his reliance on London during the Larry Sanders period to Elizabeth Berkley showing just how much London loved actors, demanding that she reach for something deeper than her make-up.

It's not for everyone. And it will be a tough commercial sell. But if you care about the art of acting and/or film acting, it's a wonderful way to spend 89 minutes.

More tomorrow…

E-ME: Tribeca, here I stay....