I got a chance this morning to talk briefly with Samsara director Ron Fricke and his primary collaborator, producer/co-author Mark Magidson. With little time set aside for me, we agreed to stick to the technical, format aspects Samsara's production and presentation. Some background: Samsara is the first film since 1996 to be shot in the … Continue reading More on Samsara, 70mm, and 4K Digital Projection
Category: Documentaries
Kumaré
B+ Religious documentary Directed by Vikram Gandhi Can a religious hoax improve people's lives? That wasn't the question New Jersey-born Vikram Gandhi planned to answer in his autobiographical documentary, but it soon became the central thesis of his story. And, at least if we take Gandhi's version of events at face value, the answer is … Continue reading Kumaré
Samsara
A Documentary Directed by Ron Fricke How do you describe a feature-length, non-fiction motion picture without a story or words? How do you discuss something that works entirely on a sensory, emotional level, and yet still has a lot to say? Let me start with this: I sat, enraptured, throughout Samsara's entire 102 minutes, my … Continue reading Samsara
Side by Side: New Documentary Examines Cinema’s Digital Revolution
C+ Documentary Written and Directed by Christopher Kenneally How do today's leading filmmakers feel about the seemingly inevitable transition from a photochemical, film-based cinema to a digital one? Short answer: Many have enthusiastically embraced digital cinema, and the rest accept that physical film's days are numbered. But film still has some clear advantages. For most … Continue reading Side by Side: New Documentary Examines Cinema’s Digital Revolution
When You Least Expect It: The Return of 70mm
A funny thing happened on the way to a fully-digital cinema. At least two major filmmakers are returning to a beautiful, large film format of yesteryear. But you may not be able to see either of these films as they were meant to be seen. Pretty much everyone agrees that film is dying as a … Continue reading When You Least Expect It: The Return of 70mm
Hava Nagila & Opening Night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Opening night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival got off to a slow start, but when the movie finally started--nearly 45 minutes late--it was worth the wait. No, there weren't crowd or (as far as I know) technical problems. The show started on time. It was just that the first part of the show … Continue reading Hava Nagila & Opening Night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
This is not a Film & Always for Pleasure at the PFA
I attended two separate, and very different events at the Pacific Film Archive last night. This Is Not a Film You really want something this important, this courageous, and this amazing in its very existence to also be exceptionally great. Unfortunately, This is Not a Film doesn't live up artistically to the filmmakers' courage. Iranian … Continue reading This is not a Film & Always for Pleasure at the PFA
Pink Ribbons, Inc.
C+ Documentary Directed by Léa Pool Breast Cancer kills nearly 60,000 North Americans a year. Even if yours is discovered early, and you do everything you're supposed to do, it could still kill you. Yet organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure have turned it into an upbeat campaign, heavily themed on the color … Continue reading Pink Ribbons, Inc.
Life 2.0
When I saw this documentary at the 2010 San Francisco Film Festival, I was informed that it would likely receive a theatrical run. It never did--at least in the San Francisco Bay Area (I understand that it had brief runs in LA and NY). Since it's available on DVD and download through various outlets, I … Continue reading Life 2.0
Last Call at the Oasis
B+ Documentary Directed by Jessica Yu How do you judge a political documentary? Artistic and technical merit? How well it argues its case? Is it entertaining? How important is the subject? Do you agree with what it says? Jessica Yu's examination of the water crisis looming over the human race does reasonably well on all … Continue reading Last Call at the Oasis
Bayflicks 