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Top 10 docs of 2008

Rebecca Frankel — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:55:25 +0000

Tis the season to be making jolly little lists, that show what you like. All the bloggers do it now, to show what they consumed, and thoroughly enjoyed.

I’ve split my list into two though. The first part is for films that I skipped out of and spluttered with superlatives because they resonated on me with such an immediate level of captivation. The second list is for clever documentaries that I found utterly brilliant, especially as I thought about them afterwards. The two lists are obviously not binary; some films could have made it onto both, and other documentaries are nowhere to be seen, but I still carry them round in my thoughts. Anyways, here it is, docs I’ve loved from 2008’s offerings, with links to what I’ve written about them.

PART 1
1. Mechanical Love
2. Severing the Soul
3. Japan: A Story of Love and Hate
4. Man on a Wire
5. American Teen

PART 2
6. Solitary Life of Cranes
7. The Doctor who hears voices
8. The English Surgeon
9. My Winnipeg
10. The Shock Doctrine

What have you guys enjoyed, hated or been inspired by? Think theatrical, television and festivals, as well as your fave FourDocs ever.

Watch inspired music docs – totally AMAZING!

Rebecca Frankel — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:29:26 +0000

One of my highlights at Britdoc was watching the music short docs that were commissioned for a special 3 Minute Wonder strand. Music tracks were offered up and filmmakers had to pitch the documentary the music was inspiring them to make.

The winners were some of my favourite auteur documentary filmmakers, such as James Lees (who won best short at Sundance this year for The Apology Line), Pinny Grylls (Peter and Ben) and Christopher Allen (of the Light Surgeons). He’s done some really exciting site specific film projects at art galleries music festivals.

For me all 4 are perfect examples of tightly bound films that exhibit flow and mood (like music) rather than text and information plowing across the screen.

You can watch all 4 films:

Hearing a Song, Seeing a Smile – Pinny Grylls (music by Jonny Greenwood)

Pockets – James Lees (music by Saint Etienne)

Home – Christopher Thomas Allen and Robert Rainbow (music by Michael Nyman)

King of Laughter – Nick Hillel (music by Nitin Sawhney)

Man on Wire out today – the best doc in years

Rebecca Frankel — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:30:33 +0000

Man on Wire is a faultless fantastical film. Philippe Petit is so charismatic, and it’s such a killer story engulfing adventure, artistry and accolade, that the stage is set for exclaiming the magnificence of real life. Yet it is the subtleties of the film that makes it soar above most other factual theatrical releases. It’s a polished journey, which stirred in me a fierce jealousy that I have no desire burning nearly as deep as Phillipe’s dream to cross the tallest towers in all the lands. The romance, the spirit, the freedom!

I got the train back from Britdoc with the Producer, after his winning Best British feature, to add to his double win at Sundance (Documentary Grand Jury and Audience Award), and learnt the extent of the energy spent to make the film so perfect. For example, the amazingly fortuitous archive footage of the training wire was shot by a prolific cinematographer, but never developed. After discovering it in Phillipe’s dusty cellar, obtaining the rights to use it involved lawyers and religion and multiply witnesses. This is a film born out of the dedication of everyone involved, and must be seen.

Solitary Life of Cranes wins best Short at BritDoc

Rebecca Frankel — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:54:14 +0000

BritDoc was it’s usual charming parade of projects and people enthusiastically exchanging on the lacquered lawns. There were some differences from last year – notably the new short and good pitches, and way the international docs programming had been handed over to directors of other major festivals, and the increase in attendees. For me the difference each year is the changing guise by which I actually attend BritDoc. Year 1 I was a red t-shirted volunteer, in 2007 a delegate, and this one I sat on a jury, for the short film competition.

The other judges in this category were Tanya Seghatchian, who heads the UK Film Council’s development fund, Sarfaz Manzoor, a journalist and ex-documentary commissioner, and Alex James from a band called Blur, as he informed us, who also brought along his heavily pregnant wife Claire to share his vote. We discussed the 5 films on the Friday, and without a doubt Eva Weber’s Solitary Life of Cranes had all our hands. Initially a set a 3 Minute Wonders about crane drives and solitude, Eva fell in love with her subject and this hidden world looming over all heads. She continued filming, and after 2 years the fanatic perfectionist almost has a cut she’s pleased with.

The beauty of this utterly crafted film is how it so wholly transports you to a different physical and psychological space, which is normally inhabited by men directly above your own head. The sound is spectacular. The way vibrations travel through the metal arches is immediately evident, and detail in matching sounds spied from above is only a minor aspect of how the sound scape works so well.

A very complimentary article about the film appeared in The Observer if you want to read more, and I’m going to get my hands on one of the original short crane films to put up on site soon. Big congrats Eva Weber, and enjoy your prize. (Passat sponsor docs at Channel 4, and were especially keen to help a new talent in a practical way. So, after a little chat they decided to present the winner of the short film comp with a camera, and having asked about I found people were wanting the new new HD Panasonic camera, so that is what was got. If you want to win some equipment, we’re soon to be launching another competition with Passat, where there is £5k of equipment on offer.)