POV will be showing this film in most areas on Nov 11 - Veteran's day. We've been doing a lot of thinking about veterans' support at the peace center, and I look forward to seeing this film. At the opening, there was a woman who spoke who is a troop greeter at Pease Airport in NH.
I'm currently watching Chihuly: Gardens and Glass - and I am still completely and utterly wowed by Dale Chihuly. His attention to detail, the way he makes glass sing is amazing. Watching him work, in this film and others, reminds me of a delicate dance - and he is a master choreographer working with many talented glass artists. In order to improve the glass as it's being blown, he suggests they just "follow the glass" and "go with it" - the art incorporates the gravity of falling glass, the unavoidable needs of the mediums of heat and light and fire.
At one point in the Chicago gardens Chihuly says "my glass just looks as if it's supposed to be here." Exactly. He has harnessed and emphasised the natural properties of the glass, and made them reflect the nature around them in the plants of the Chicago gardens.
Chihuly's website has extensive information about his current work.
Portland Press publishes and produces books and DVDs about his work.
The Principal Story tells two stories, painting a dramatic portrait of the challenges facing America's public schools — and of the great difference a dedicated principal can make. Tresa Dunbar is a second-year principal at Chicago's Nash Elementary, where 98% of students come from low-income families; in Springfield, Illinois, Kerry Purcell has led Harvard Park Elementary, with similar demographics, for six years. Tod Lending (Omar & Pete, POV 2005) and David Mrazek followed both women over the course of a school year, discovering each one's unique styles yet similar passions. The Principal Story takes the viewer along for an emotional ride that reveals what effective educational leadership looks like in the 21st century. (from the PBS website)
Simply a fabulous film. A must see for anyone who is concerned about today's state of education. A glimpse into the difficulties that go way beyond NCLB.
Nestled under the spectacular peaks of the Northern Rockies in Montana — as iconic a representation of America's "purple mountain majesties" as one can find — lies one of the country's worst cases of community poisoning from industrial pollution. In the small town of Libby, many hundreds of people are sick or have already died from exposure to asbestos, a notorious industrial toxin that many Americans would consider long banned or under control. "Libby, Montana" takes a working day's journey into a blue-collar community and finds a different reality — one where the American Dream exacts a terrible price.
This was hard to watch, but necessary. Public health and cleaning up our messes and accountability.
I was unable to embed the trailer from this film, but this youtube clip of Julia Child and Pepin is great too. I had read both of the books this film was based on and highly recommend them. The film ws surprisingly good too - I htought it might be a little fluffy, but it was fun and they did a very good job with the historical Julia Child facts. You could make an entire film just about Julia Child, her life was so rich and interesting, and I highly suggest My Life In France as interesting reading as well!
update: some more info from Shelf Awareness:
The film Julie & Julia continues to fire up book sales nationally. The Tri-City Herald reported that Richland, Wash., bookstores Adventures Underground and Hastings Books Music Video & Coffee prepared for the reaction, but are still working hard to keep pace with demand."We realized that once the movie came out, we would have to stock up," said Amanda Divine of Adventures Underground. According to the Herald, "both Hastings and Adventures Underground placed book orders anticipating the movie to boost sales, but when Divine received her shipment Thursday, she only received two copies of Child's My Life in France and Powell's book.""Everything else is on back order," she said. [Editor's note: the in-house chief editorial critic says readers MUST go see this, if only to watch Meryl Streep play Julia Child. Best viewed preceding a tasty repast.]
by David GilmourSomething's happening on the edge of town. There's a desperate housewife in the parking lot, a musical chorus line mowing the lawn - and a loaded gun in the upstairs closet. Welcome to Radiant City, an entertaining and startling new film on 21st century suburbanites. Gary Burns, Canada's king of surreal comedy, joins journalist Jim Brown on an outing to the burbs. Venturing into territory both familiar and foreign, they turn the documentary genre inside out, crafting a vivid account of life in The Late Suburban Age. (from the Radiant City website)
Terrific real facts regarding suburbia and its pitfalls - and a hilarious storyline about a family living in the suburbs, ironic kids, a husband starring in a musical about suburbs ("it's kinda like screening Apocalypse Now" in Cambodia" he says), and a wife who despeartely wants to fit in and like her suburban lifestyle. Kind of a docu-comedy. Very entertaining and yet scary, with experts predicting the downfall of society as we continue to support unsustainable living.
The award winning documentary, Mardi Gras: Made in China, swiftly follows the "bead trail" from the naked streets of New Orleans during Carnival, where revelers party 24/7, to the disciplined factories in Fuzhou, China, where teenage laborers live and thread beads 24/7. Told with humor and curiosity, Mardi Gras: Made in China provides a global connection by introducing workers and revelers to each other through a disposable commodity: Mardi Gras beads.
First-time director David Redmon cleverly illuminates the clash of cultures by juxtaposing American excess and consumer ignorance against the harsh life of the Chinese factory worker.
The film confronts both cultural and economic globalism by humanizing the commodity chain from China to the United States. Redmon follows the stories of four teenage women workers in the largest Mardi Gras bead factory in the world, providing insights into their economic realities, self-sacrifice, and dreams of a better life, and the severe discipline imposed by living and working in a factory compound.
Interweaving factory life with Mardi Gras festivities, the film opens the blind eye of consumerism by visually introducing workers and festival-goers to each other. A dialogue results when bead-wearing partiers are shown images of the teenage Chinese workers and asked if they know the origin of their beads, while the factory girls view pictures of Americans exchanging beads, soliciting more beads, and decadently celebrating. The conversation reveals the glaring truth about the real benefactors of the Chinese workers' hard labor and exposes the extreme contrast between women's lives and liberty in both cultures.
This is a horrifying look at Chinese mass production and factory life for young workers. Mostly women because they are "easier to control" (says the factory manager). This was hard to watch, but is a must-see for any American consumer who wonders where their cheap plastic products and standard of living really comes from.
The Homeless World Cup is a life changing international football tournament. From Argentina to Australia, South Africa to Portugal, Cameroon to Brazil, Germany to England homeless people take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country and change their lives forever. 77% of players go on to find a home, come off drugs and alcohol, get into education, jobs, training, repair relationships with friends and family. True grit spirit and glory of grass roots and international football.
A great film about a great organization that I was unaware of. Check out their website here!
A terrific film about a fascinating person. Despite his age when this was filmed, Pei is a youthful figure who has a sincere interest in his craft and its reception. A good perspective into the construction and development of some well known buildings.
Douglas Keeve captures the glamour and mayhem of high fashion in this eye-popping documentary (which nabbed the Audience Award honors at the Sundance Film Festival) that follows designer Isaac Mizrahi as he puts together his 1994 runway collection to be presented during New York's fall shows. Features appearances by supermodels Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford.
Also features stunning appearances by Sandra Bernhard, Mark Morris, Eartha Kitt, and Robert Best (of later Project Runway fame - he was a Mizrahi assistant). This was really well done - no implied commentary forom the filmmakers, the story just plays out in all the fabulous drama. I have always liked Mizrahi - now more so. This is an old film, but still around on netflix, etc. Mizrahi imiitating Mark Morris' Bach dance (from the cello concerto collaboration with YoYo Ma) is also priceless. The fact that I recognized it right away was a little surprising. But my artistic viewing is strating to seem like one continuous film. Perhaps all New York artists are indeed in one club?
Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Pérez pulled himself out of drug dealing and street life 12 years ago and became a Muslim. Now he's moved to Pittsburgh's tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family and take his message of faith to other young people through hard-hitting hip-hop music. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world, and himself. New Muslim Cool takes viewers on Hamza's ride through streets, slums and jail cells — following his spiritual journey to some surprising places in an America that never stops changing.
A great film, about a misunderstood religion. I still do not know much about Muslims, but I do know a bit about living and learning and people, and you can find all of those in this film.
Film can be watched on PBS here.
In 2004, Jason Crigler's life was taking off. He was one of New York's hottest young guitarists, his new CD was due for release and his wife, Monica, was pregnant with their first child. Then, at a gig in Manhattan, Jason suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage. His doctors doubted he would ever emerge from his near-vegetative state. The astonishing journey that followed, documented by friend and filmmaker Eric Daniel Metzgar (The Chances of the World Changing, POV 2007), is a stirring family saga and a portrait of creative struggle in the face of overwhelming tragedy.
Astounding and inspirational. You can find it here, and watch it online until September 6.
In this documentary from Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt -- which uses footage shot over a three-year period -- the action unfolds almost effortlessly, revealing a stunning transformation. Small-town Texas teenager Shelby Knox becomes an advocate for sex education (and the local media's so-called "Sex Ed Girl") when she tries to improve the county's sky-high teen pregnancy rate by challenging her high school's policy of teaching abstinence.
A terrific film, which I would have watched much sooner had I known it had taken place in Lubbock, Texas. I have a friend from there - and the depiction of the conservative Christian town in the film is accurate. No matter what side of the debate you are on - an inspiring film about a girl learning to make her own decisions, and see many sides to every story.
IN A DREAM: Theatrical Trailer from Herzliya Films on Vimeo.
Over the past four decades, Isaiah Zagar has covered more than 50,000 square feet of Philadelphia with stunning mosaic murals. In A Dream is a documentary feature film that chronicles his work and his tumultuous relationship with his wife, Julia. It follows the Zagars as their marriage implodes and a harrowing new chapter in their life unfolds.
I ended up at the MFA today unexpectedly, and saw this film which a friend had mentioned. Fabulous - made me think a lot of the artistic drive, how we nurture it, how we see it, why do creative people do what they do? This film is only being shown for limited times in select cities - but I hope to see it again when it comes to video.
Click here for Zagar's website.
