| News |
Below are synopses of these films, courtesy of the IFF Web site. The Greening of Southie Longtime Boston residents will likely recall spotting advertisements for the revolutionary Macallen Building, Boston's first "green" residential structure boasting luxury condominiums of sustainable design. They may also remember raising an eyebrow at the thought of such a modern, young enterprise taking shape in South Boston, a neighborhood known for deep working-class roots and family-friendly traditions. Director/producer team Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis will raise eyebrows further by taking audiences into the very heart of this epic project: experience the full construction of a path breaking green building, from the guts out. The film covers everything from the pouring of the first concrete to the arrival of the first tenant, acquainting us with each specially chosen material and conscientiously designed energy system. Accompanying the journey are a lively soundtrack by Force Theory, the jovial banter of the construction crew, and a frequently updated tally of points—toward the coveted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold rating. Cheney’s is a photographic sensibility; he pinpoints and captures the latent beauty in a pile of scrap metal, a smear of glue, a dusty steel girder. The result is a kinetic and detailed exploration of this exciting experiment: the values Macallen is intended to promote, the sometimes dubious attitudes of workers and neighbors, even the unexpected and occasionally embarrassing setbacks. -Sandra L. Frey Natural Causes How do relationships die? The title of this bold drama by Alex Cannon, Michael Lerman and Paul Cannon is perhaps a good enough answer to that question, as the picture tosses aside familiar contrived obstacles and pat resolutions. Shot as an inevitable procession of terse and elliptical blackout sketches, the filmmakers zoom in with microscopic focus on the dissolution of a two-year fling between Brooklyn twenty-somethings David (Jerzy Gwiazdowski) and Cara (Leah Goldstein) and the seemingly thousands of insidious ups and downs in everyday life that gradually grind couples apart over time. Gwiazdowski and Goldstein (surprisingly, a couple in real life) have opened themselves up with astonishing bravery, as the claustrophobic attention leaves no safe space to hide behind actorly flourishes. Whether playing videogames naked or more dangerous, passive-aggressive games of one-upsmanship, David and Cara are always mercilessly exposed, sometimes even followed in dazzlingly long single-camera takes that last for entire scenes. The film unflinchingly documents the perceived slights, lingering glances, inappropriate questions, and jealous eruptions: they all add up in the long run. -Vincent Archer Crawford Crawford, Texas, is a piece of small-town America, no matter how you slice it: a population of ~700 guarantees it. But this is one small town that has undergone epic transformations. As one may imagine, the community changed dramatically when George W. Bush moved to town in 1999. However, his arrival was far from the last of the twists in the road. When Bush (eventually) won the 2000 presidential election, Crawford changed again. When the attacks of 9/11 jarred the nation, Crawford changed again. When Cindy Sheehan and her caravan of supporters rolled into town, Crawford changed again-this time becoming all but unrecognizable. There's nothing unusual about a community keeping track of and touting its local celebrities. Still, when Colin Powell, Tony Blair, and Saudi royalty are making house calls nearby and wandering into Main Street coffee shops for refreshment, these Texans can legitimately claim a rather singular way of life. Director/producer David Modigliani invites you to come meet the folks of Crawford, Texas—to see how they live, where they work, and what they value most. Moreover, he invites you to hear firsthand about a typical day at "The Western White House." Crawford certainly represents a very red part of a "red state," one that was abruptly swamped with some true-blue guests when Sheehan's Camp Casey took root. Modigliani doesn't use his camera to glamorize, criticize, or pick fights with either side. He simply paints a portrait of the reality of life in one rather famous little pocket of America: a reality that is equal parts frustrating and charming, contentious and energizing, political and apolitical. Not everyone sees eye to eye in CRAWFORD, but everyone recognizes that they are all in this curious little boat together. -Sandra L. Frey
|
||||
Milton graduates Kate MacCluggage '00, Michael Lerman '00, Ian Cheney '98 and David Modigliani '98 were among the artists whose films were showcased during the 2008 Independent Film Festival (IFF) of Boston, which recently took place in theaters in and around the city. The IFF is a weeklong celebration of independent filmmaking and includes premieres of narrative features, documentaries and short films as well as panel discussions from professionals in the industry. All three works—Ian's film, The Greening of Southie, Kate and Michael's film, Natural Causes, and David's film, Crawford—made their New England debuts at the festival. 