Issue 8 / Thursday 23 September
Cambridge Film Festival Daily I nterview
A stereotopic history of cinema “It’s the history of presentation in cinema, it basically looks at everything from 19th century precinema... to modern 3D and the latest experimentation.” So says Bill Lawrence of his ambitiously expansive talk which starts off looking at a time “when magic lanternists were going around the UK putting on shows” and ends up with a look at the spectacle offered by 3D of today. But perhaps little has changed since the earliest days. Using clips to demonstrate the artistry and drama of these pre-cinema shows, Lawrence hopes to convey how incredible these primitive early efforts actually were: “they were incredibly sophisticated – it would take cinema a long while to capture the same level of sophistication.” In covering this history, Lawrence looks at the early efforts of people like
Hot Ticket Thursday 23 September THE TRIP “Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are sheer acerbic perfection in Michael Winterbottom’s largely improvised comedy The Trip” Screen International
Comedian Tony Hawks works the crowd at the World Premiere of ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE © TC
Producer Andrew Eaton will be in attendance from 8.00pm to discuss a television comedy series so good that they’ve made it into a film!
Edison, before the real birth of cinema as we know it, as attributed to the Lumière brothers. “People had been able to film images since about 1888, but to project them was the tricky thing that the Lumière brothers cracked. The ability to film things and project them for large audiences.” It is from this point that cinema starts to develop very rapidly, and within a few short years Georges Méliès was already experimenting: with special effects (he was the George Lucas of the late nineteenth century), but also with the possibilities of narrative cinema. “Even though there had been some fiction up to that point, what was fairly prominent prior to Méliès was documentary.” From there on, things speed up as the Hollywood system rapidly establishes itself, and another great innovator emerges, as Lawrence details the work of D. W. Griffith. Griffith was “raising the bar all the time” with his pioneering use of new techniques, such as tracking shots, which firmly began to establish the grammar of film as it is to this day. From this point many other innovations and technical changes are covered, especially as the film industry began to feel the effects of increased television ownership in the 1950s. Gimmicks sprang up to try and differentiate the cinema going experience from anything on offer in the home, such as the first widescreen processes. These included the fantastic spectacle of Cinerama, a process which involved the use of three synchronised projectors focussed onto continued on page 2
GISBERTA
from page 1
a curved screen. And it didn’t stop there: “Most films in these days had some kind of nonsense going on. Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm, and we go up to the development of IMAX cinemas.” The talk isn’t just focussed on the experience of the films themselves, however. For many patrons (especially in the early years) cinema was as much about entering one of the lavish venues. As Lawrence put it, “cinemas were called picture palaces for a reason” as they offered things people often didn’t have in their homes, such as central heating in the winter, or air conditioning in the summer. The buildings themselves were an escape from the outside world and day-to-day life for many people. And Lawrence isn’t underestimating the role customer service has also historically played. “I’ve got a nice training film... that shows how you handle customers and don’t handle customers” which he suggests is more relevant in today’s multiplexes than at any point before. “I think it’s the fastest way you’re going to find out about the last 100 years of projecting images” he enthuses about his talk. Most of all, he promises it will shine a light on how little our entertainment has really changed in the past onehundred and fifty years. “It’s just the way we do it now is a lot easier... and a lot more expensive!” Robert Beames The History of Cinema events take place on Thursday 23 September at 5.30pm and 7.30pm
F E AT U R E
Why Short Films Aren’t a Flash in the Pan Short films are often overlooked - by critics, filmmakers, and audiences alike. Perhaps it’s because there are so many “must see” feature films that there’s just no time for shorts. Perhaps it’s because potentially anyone with a digital camera and a laptop can make one, and anyone with access to YouTube can watch one, that we tend to think of them as at best a training ground, and at worst poor quality self-indulgence. Yet in reality short film making involves as much, if not more, skill and flair as making a feature film. There is an intensity and economy required by short film that sets it apart as a form. As this year’s shorts programmer Eftihia Stefanidi points out, “with short films you do not have the luxury of time to introduce your theme; you have to be sharp, and condense thoughts and symbols.” Arguably people have more time for animated shorts. Perhaps this is because we acknowledge the massive amount of time required from an animator for even a minute of film, and value their product accordingly. PJ Wood, director of stop frame animation THE MODELMAKER, suggests that animated shorts are closer to being pieces of art than ordinary films; “since animation is mainly a visual medium the audience does not expect a story in the conventional sense and so are willing to experience your film as opposed to just watching it”, he says. Undoubtedly most short films are made because of financial constraints by directors who are hoping to find a backer for a feature. Yet as Gabriel Pac, director of WHITE BUFFALO (who made the short in the hope of gathering support for a feature-length version) argues, it’s important that short films aren’t just used as a tool to get into features: “a lot
of people are starting to view shorts as a calling card” he suggests, “but shorts are their own animal, you have to allow them to stand alone on their own terms.” Both animator Wood and director of live short, FAMILY JEWELS, Martin Stitt say that shorts allow directors to be much more of an auteur, due to a smaller team, and less responsibility to financial backers (often because there aren’t any). That doesn’t mean that shorts are indulgent. “Shorts teach you an incredible amount of discipline” says Stitt. “They need to be poignant and narratively strong; it’s an economy of style and you have to be brutal.” Shorts also provide space for experimentation, whether with style or theme. “A short’s theme can be riskier and push boundaries” says Stitt. Both FAMILY JEWELS and WHITE BUFFALO tackle the difficult situations facing today’s soldiers. “It’s a short so it’s more palatable” says Stitt, while Pac recalls an American audience member congratulating him on his bravery in making the film; “she said that a few years ago no one in America would’ve touched this subject matter” he says. Yet more than this, by their very nature, short films can achieve an intensity and clarity that would be diluted in a feature. The brutal and brilliant GISBERTA (screened in “The Art of the Mid-Length”) is a piercing glance at the sexual and physical frustration within a group of teenage boys, the claustrophobic weight of impending violence enhanced by the film’s own compression. Filmmakers like Roy Andersson and Jan Svankmajer are masters of the form, while short films are where Michel Gondry and David Fincher first displayed their talents. Shorts allow directors to push boundaries while learning the discipline of filmmaking, they allow films to make statements and raise questions even when funding denies them feature-length exposure, and they allow audiences contact with directors and experiences they would not otherwise encounter. Fiona Scoble DIGITAL SHORTS are screened on Thursday 23 September at 4.00pm
NOKOTAHEART
review
review
THE hilLside Crowd Dir / Berni GoldblaT 72 mins / Switzerland,France, Burkina Faso 2009
ROCK AND ROLL FUCK‘N’LOVELY Dir / Josh Bagnall 80 mins / UK 2010
With much of the western emphasis on African mining problems being based around conflict diamonds, it is understandable to completely overlook African gold. However, THE HILLSIDE CROWD sets out to remind the viewer that, despite being less well publicised, gold is still highly sought after and therefore is the cause of equal conflict. The film is an informative and revealing documentary, shifting between poorly lit, claustrophobic shots inside the mine shafts, interviews conveying the sense of false hope and desperation that surrounds the mining village, and scenes following the logistics of finding and selling gold. As an educational piece of film, THE HILLSIDE CROWD manages to remain unbiased and provide an impartial view of the exploitation and manipulation that occurs in these camps. Unfortunately, perhaps due to low quality cameras, the film occasionally becomes distorted and erratic in its movement, leaving a slightly nauseating feeling to some of the action. But while this may detract from the quality of the viewing, the film manages to express enough emotion to be forgiven technical issues. One interview where a prostitute explains the motivation for her lifestyle is particularly effective in conveying the desperate need for money experienced by all who live in the camp. In a documentary essentially depicting the exploitation that occurs by those in charge, and the feeling of hope amongst the miners that one good gold nugget could lead to a better life, the finale manages to show the hopeless realism for the majority involved.
If ROCK AND ROLL FUCK‘N’LOVELY were a spy, he or she would have a long trench-coat and a newspaper with a goggle shaped hole cut into it. Subtle is not the word I would use. Following the (fictional) band The Fuckin Lovelies on tour from the viewpoint of some of their crew, the first two-thirds of the film is an extended montage of substance abuse and Guy Ritchie wisecracks, before eventually the protagonists run up against a drug they can’t quite handle at a sinister music festival, and things take a murderous turn. The weighting of the plot is all wrong – by the time things start to get interesting, too much time has been given over to ultimately mindless, if initially amusing, scenes of debauchery. The chance to get an insight into some of the less glamourised figures in the music business is not taken up, nor is there any real commentary on the world of drugs. And trust me, however much fun you may have taking drugs, watching other people snort cocaine for an hour is about as interesting as a paint thinning seminar. This is a shame, because the last twenty minutes are deliciously delirious and shake the film out of the inebriated complacency that had been allowed to fester. Visually experimental and with the deliberate intention to provoke confusion, the direction is effective and the shift in the soundtrack adds to the mood of the climax. A pity then that it is so long in the making. Oliver Ford
Daniel Harling
THE HILLSIDE CROWD is screened on Thursday 23 September at 5.30pm
ROCK AND ROLL FUCK‘N’LOVELY is screened on Thursday 23 September at 10.30pm
review
Horses for courses on the Dakota plains Nokotaheart Dir / Sean Garland 60 mins / USA 2010
NOKOTAHEART is a film that defies the contemporary trends of documentary form. In a world of alarmist and pedagogic movies. NOKOTAHEART is nothing more than a sad tale of some who are left behind in the relentless march towards the future. Set in North Dakota, the film tells the true story of Vietnam veteran turned rancher Leo Kuntz, and his personal battle to preserve the bloodline of the Nokota horse in the face of advancing modernisation. Leo is a figure who doesn’t fit the norm, a man out of time. The story is a sad one, an aimless survivor of a futile war, he finds affirmation and a new purpose in a personal crusade to fight another losing battle. Leo is a truly admirable figure, but one for whom the audience must feel truly sorry. Quietly spoken, and taciturn, Leo is a man of deep and passionate, yet unspoken emotion, clearly still deeply affected by his experiences in Vietnam, but fiercely focussed on his life’s work to save the Nokota Horses. The story and characters of NOKOTAHEART however, feel like little more than a framework for the director to deploy the magnificent and haunting images of its setting, the bleak landscape of North Dakota. Leo’s tale is an involving one, and gives the film a welcome sense of purpose, but the film is truly made by the masterful conjunction of image and sound. NOKOTAHEART is a haunting, deeply spiritual film, that despite its distinct lack of a lengthy story or dialogue, captivates nonetheless. Julian Harris NOKOTAHEART is screened on Thursday 23 September at 8.30pm
AUDIENCE REVIEWS CELL 211 There’s been a resurgence of decent prison films recently such as the excellent A PROPHET. But at heart the prison genre is a tricky one to pull off, prone as it is to a wealth of clichÊs in characters and plot devices, all set in a limited location. But Spain’s CELL 211 has gained great plaudits in its home country, so perhaps it escapes such a trap? The essential characters are in good supply - a mix of good and sadistic guards, idealistic senior officals out of their depth, ruthless inmate psychopaths, and the innocent handsome hero on the inside. So far, so Shawshank. Thankfully Daniel Monzón has adapted Francisco PÊrez Gandul’s novel to neatly sidestep the predictable. Juan Oliver (Alberto Ammann) is being shown round the prison before starting work as a guard the next day, when a riot breaks out, leaving him trapped. Quickly disposing of the forbidden
items that would mark him out as an outsider, he persuades the mob that he is a new inmate - one of them. How far does he have to go to prove himself? Will the murderer with nothing to lose - Malamadre (a riviting Luis Tosar) - lead them to destruction? Who is on whose side? Will Juan betray himself by being found with his precious wedding ring, or be betrayed from within, or his colleagues outside? And can he cope with the person he becomes and the price he pays to survive? Indeed, clichÊs abound. But it’s the handling that is so impressive - many opportunities are set up to do the obvious plot progression, and yet you never know whether they’ll take that turn or veer off on an unexpected tangent. It’s this confounding of your expectations that raise this above the obvious to become a gripping and believable drama. A midweek afternoon treat for a few - I hope a last minute slot can be found
Postgraduate Film Study in Cambridge
for a second showing, otherwise catch when you can. I mean, what have you got to lose? Ric Parkin
MA Film and Television Production
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ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE
This is certainly a film that lives up to its title. ROUND IRELAND WITH A FRIDGE follows the true story of Tony Ordinary people can change their Hawks and his venture around the worlds. Merely the desire to make their circumference of Ireland with a bulky voices heard led people to find out what kitchen appliance in order to win a was happening at the St Nicolas church drunken bet. It’s a bizarre scenario indeed and in Leipzig every Monday evening in 1989. This accumulation of interest hilariously entertaining to watch. Fans built into protest as the experience of of his book will be pleased to find very radical thought became transformed by few digressions and, when there are, it’s arrest and imprisonment. The march’s predominantly for comic effect. You’re chant of “We are not hooligans� turned- never left staring at the screen stonyinto “We are the people�: a fascinating faced feeling as if you ought to laugh. insight into the radical social changes It’s continuously finding new ways to which were evolving in East Germany in bring a smile to your face. It’s directed 1989. Sobered by the brave accounts by Ed Bye, a man who certainly knows given by paratroopers, militia, clergy his way around comedy having directed and former Stasi officers who have a multitude of Red Dwarf episodes and worked with the likes of Eddie Izzard. everything to lose now. Anna Green It is no surprise, therefore, that this film is so apt at drawing out at least a giggle. You’re left feeling as if you’ve taken the journey yourself. That’s not to 60mm flyer:Layout 1 29/07/2010 09:35 P say the film is tiring, rather the audience is left feeling optimistic and keen to get out and see the world themselves, or at This newsletter is produced least drink a bit more whiskey or stout. on re-cycled material & Frankly, it’s worth seeing just to watch printed with vegetable based a fridge surf. Hilariously funny and yet inks under the sponsorship touching and a little bit enlightening, of this is a real feel good film based on a feel good story. Claire Alexander THE MIRACLE OF LEIPZIG
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STUDENT CRITICS
TOP TEN: THE PEOPLE’S FAVOURITE FILM AWARD
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