So. I was told this was a movie I needed to see. Please read the review below for accurate description on the film,because I cannot provide you one. Once hearing the plot of this movie, I instantly had the reaction that I should stay away because I knew I would be reduced to tears. My exact words you ask? "If I see one little old man in a veterans baseball cap, I'm gonna lose it." And that I did. The first three seconds of the movie. Thank goodness for the woman next to me who gave me tissues at this time, considering the fact that I cried, no sobbed, my way continually through this film. (But I was not the only one.) I have a soft spot for senior citizens. I have a soft spot for our troops fighting a war they should not even be fighting. Put these two together? You have me crying my eyes out. A very dear friend of mine was in Iraq for two years and my brother in law lost his best friend over there. Seeing these troops being greeted by volunteers, who are over the age of 70, who wake at 4am to welcome them home while dealing with their own issues just incredibly moved me. (They have greeted over half a million troops and counting.) Please, please see this documentary if you can. I promise you. You will not be disappointed.
If you need any reason to remember helping others can be accomplished by team work, take out some time on Saturday morning and attend this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival and catch a viewing of the movie How We Get By. This film, done on location in Bangor, Maine tells the true story of several common citizens that have taken it upon themselves to greet every plane that departs and arrives to and from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan.
This is all done by the courageous volunteers that feel that it is their duty to make sure the soldiers have the proper sendoff and welcome home. The greeters, many of them World War II vets have taken it upon themselves to be there in support for soldiers flying in and out of Bangor.
Any plane leaving from the USA to the Middle East depart from Bangor Maine. Because the military does not work on a normal 9-5 schedule, these greeters have created a round robin style system of calling, notifying one another of an arrival or departure of soldiers. Therefore, regardless of time, be that either day or night, a group of supporters are at the airport ready to greet and assist the soldiers in anyway. With flags displayed, this group awaits each soldier, many with phones to make that special call to a parent, wife or special someone notifying them of their location.
So, take some time out on Saturday morning and spend it with some special citizens in Bangor Maine. It will make you proud to be an American.
Quiet Chaos
This Italian film shows beautiful scenes in the Italian countryside and shorelines. It is a tender and lighthearted story of a father and daughter, who, after the Mother dies from a fall, must carry on with their lives.
Little girl, Claudia goes back to school, plays with her friends and keeps herself occupied with school work. Her Father is not equipped to handle the grieving that must be done. And this in turn, is reflected onto the daughter.
He takes his daughter to school each day and waits for her in the park. Throughout his day he continues to conduct business from the park bench, local cafe as well as his car. As he waits he makes eye contact with various individuals slowly building aquantanceships with each individual in different ways.
When it is nearing winter, his daughter, finally tells him it's okay to go back to his office. He cannot sit in the park forever. So in the end it is his daughter who takes the reins and shows him how to overcome the grieving process.
This film has a cameo appearance by Roman Polanski; some of the twists in the film seem awkward yet, overall, a long (2 hours) film, interesting with Italian subtitles’.
On Tuesday night I went and saw I'm Gonna Explode by Gerardo Naranjo. Luckily for me, he was present for the film and I was able to see a VERY nice presentation by Bill Guentzler honoring the director. This is Naranjo's third film and I will definitely try to watch the other two at some point. He was cute, quiet man who seemed genuinely pleased with the various awards and proclamations that Bill presented him with.
I'm Gonna Explode is teen angst at its finest. Not the cheesy variety, but instead the kind that makes you remember a time when you were sixteen laying in a field with someone you were madly in "love" with.
The story follows Roman, the son of a wealthy politician and Maru, a local working class girl whose father is missing and is raised by her weepy mother. The film is set in Guanajuato, Mexico and shoots smoothly between the city and the countryside. The music was AMAZING. It was fun, catchy, and dark all at the appropriate times. The teens are disturbed, Roman far more than Maru, yet you can't help but root for them even when Roman is pretending to hang himself during a school assembly. Performance art at its finest. The two hatch a plan to run away and do just that. Except they run away to the top of Roman's father's mansion to live in a tent and steal groceries when the adults are out "looking" for them. I use quotations, because Roman's father seems to know that his son is toying with him the whole time. They are not in danger, simply hiding and that they are. They swig red wine and beer from bottles, listen to music, kiss, and fight. These two spend QUITE a lot of the film fighting.
I loved Maru; I thought she was charming and sharp. She didn't let Roman give her any shit. Roman, I had a hard enjoying because of his attitude. Basically, I spent half the film wanting to smack him.
The cinematography was unreal. It was beautiful. That's the only word I have for it.
And throughout it all, Gerardo Naranjo lets the darkness of the two teens shine through. Maru's diary entries act as a voiceover essentially, thoughts pouring out as she furiously scribbles. Roman's descent into madness continues along with excessive drinking and his paranoia screams through the screen. Especially when the two are caught and then separated. Maru returns to the rooftop fortress to find Roman rigging up a gun with fishing wire. He questions her behavior and as she is answering the cops descend. Maru ends up tripping the wire, and getting shot in the stomach by her dear "Romantico".
I can say that this caught me by complete surprise. I was expecting him to be the one to be shot. The next scene is Maru in the hospital in a daze, ignoring friends and her mother, and then slowly crawling out of her hospital window, blood staining her hospital dressing gown as she continues on. She heads along to the tree that her and Roman share as their special place, to reflect their special, albeit fucked up bond. You then see Roman's father paying a mental ward orderly a bribe when he explains that Roman sneaks out. Roman gets into a car and drives to the tree, looking smug and quite content. That all changes when he finds Maru half dead in the tree waiting. Waiting for him. He was too late. Their bond was broken. And Maru dies in the back of the car Roman was driving, while he runs frantically away. All of this is narrated by Maru's journal entries, pen on graph paper explaining her kinship with Roman, their pact, their bond. You the viewer know she died in vain, yet the tortured innocence that Maru's gentle voice reflects as you see her dying is quite a powerful and disturbing thing. I can't explain it. Try to get a copy of I'm Gonna Explode, hopefully then you'll know what I am trying to say.
Polycultures: Food Where We Live, was the one film through the entire Cleveland International Film Festival that I was most looking forward to. And perhaps because I walked in with so much excitement was the reason I walked out wanting more. It's certainly a good movie, but compared to the level I had dreamed about, I found it to be an average production.
Local Foods is one of my favorite subjects, so it's quite convenient (some might say coincidental) that Cleveland is one of the national leaders in this movement. Between our fantastic networks like E4S and Local Food Cleveland, or our dozens of farmers markets, innovative approaches like City Fresh, Fresh Fork Market, and Local Crop, we have plenty going for us. Not to mention being the only major city in the country with farming zoning, the fact that we're turning lots left and right to farms, and we have a great restaurant community led by innovators such as Great Lakes Brewing Company and the new Greenhouse Tavern.
What does this all mean? Healthier communities physically. Healthier communities communitally (not a word, but funny). Healthier communities environmentally. Healthier communities economically. It means we can become a region that feeds ourselves almost completely by ourselves - our money stays here to enrich our communities through healthier and more sustainable food. It means we take the roughly 15,000 abandoned lots in Cleveland and begin supplying our own food and putting our people to work. It means a smarter, more connected population. These are the dreams and the vision that many of us share in Cleveland.
But where was the narrative in the film? Set to a series of seven 'plots,' this seemed to just scratch the surface rather than offer the transformational approach to the subject I had thought about. The themes covered often seemed to overlap, weren't defined, and lacked the context to really bring the message home. It was something I was hoping that could push us over the top as a region and through the 'desert' as referred to in the film between small scale & large scale. It wasn't. An incredible topic for an incredible city, but the film was just fine.
Forgotten Transports to Estonia was one of the first films I marked to see as I flipped through this year’s CIFF film guide. I enjoy learning personal stories from and about those involved in WW II or any historic moment, really.
One of greatest thing about seeing this film on Tuesday, March 24th was staying after, listening to the director explain more about the film in detail. The director of this film, Lukas Pribyl, through a grant, researched, created and directed this documentary. Forgotten Transports to Estonia is actually one of four 90 minutes films he has developed focusing on single WW II/Holocaust topics. Pribyl only uses raw footage and personal interviews to tell this story which made the documentary all the more interesting.
Post screening, Pribyl explained some of the finer details of making this film including the months and in some cases year’s to track down specific photos that would make or break a story and the traveling involved with this documentary. He traveled to over 30 countries researching and interviewing for Forgotten Transports to Estonia. And I don’t even want to mention the hours spent on the phone.
Forgotten Transports to Estonia is a documentary focusing on pack survival. Pribyl focuses specifically on a group of young women around the ages of 19-25 all placed into one labor together. They quickly form a bond with one another through the course of the war, continually looking after one another. Oddly, this group was never divided nor separated through multiple moves to various camps. Through each other's support, it was as if the holocaust was occurring around them more than directly affecting them. In many of the photos shown, most of the woman looked healthy and at times happily smiling, even through the most chaotic terrible circumstances. This was one characteristic that was focused on throughout the film.
Overall I enjoyed the documentary. It really touched on so many labor and death camps throughout the Balkins that up until now, I had no idea existed. I thought the film was directed well and the story was captivating. Unfortunately, the music score was constant and overwhelming; sometimes playing louder than the individual talking. It was one distraction I could have done without.
‘I am having fun’ has become somewhat of an understatement over the past few days. I am really having tons and tons of fun. The atmosphere, the buzz and the commotion around Tower City Cinema’s during this year’s CIFF is difficult to not get swept away in. There is energy in this festival, brewing with excitement and I have come to the conclusion that, like other awesome, once a year events like Bizarre Bazaar; I wish everyday was film fest day in Cleveland (while being able to walk around with a headset on working for the CFS). But, of course ‘if everyday was like Christmas, the effect of the holiday would be lost.’
Last night was an exciting night for both messy magazine as well as the producers/creators of AN ALTERNATIVE TO SLITTING YOUR WRIST. This film has become the new, for lack of a better term, ‘buzz’ movie of this year’s CIFF. AN ALTERNATIVE TO SLITTING YOUR WRIST was originally scheduled to be shown twice at the festival. Well, now that’s all changed. This Saturday, March 28th at 9:25AM the FOURTH showing of this film is scheduled (if you don’t have your tickets, better get a move on, this one is sure to go on stand-by any second).
Personally, this was one film I could directly relate to, not so much the suicide aspect, but the ‘quarter-life crisis’ side. Heck, THIS magazine was started on a foundation comprised of crises!
I realize the ‘quarter-life crisis’ has become another catch-phrase, used rather jokingly, and now, rather often (it has turned into a money making industry, mostly in self-help books) And it can be humorous. But then again, it can be rather paralyzing. It is something I can directly relate to both ways. I am a lost person. I have laughed about it; I’ve cried about it; I’ve gotten angry about it; I have sat in complete neutral thought staring at it; I have written a really really long, still unfinished essay about it.
I feel lost. And there is no escaping that. I have way too many things I want to do and I really don't know where to step my first foot in what direction. So for now, I'm at a standstill until I tell myself the heck with it! Lately, instead of being hesitant and not sure of what direction to go in, I've decided to go in all directions and do everything instead of nothing. Time is a wasting!
AN ALTERNATIVE TO SLITTING YOUR WRIST carries some of the same ideas. Why not do everything you’ve always wanted to do- and do it now. Owen Lowry, the creator and main character of the documentary writes a list of 52 things to do within a single year after he is released from the psychiatric unit in a Chicago hospital. With a list of 52 goals, this means obviously checking one goal off his list per week. This list spans from recording a song with his father, to squirrel fishing, doing something nice for a complete stranger, building a bicycle, so on and so forth. Throughout the course of the film Lowry is not only completing his goals, but also coping and coming face to face with some very serious topics and issues he is trying to overcome.
This film is relatable and oh so very human. Everyone can relate to something in this documentary. I think that's why the CIFF goers are scrambling to get a seat. I loved how Lowry, who is a Cleveland native, represents the city well and fairly. I loved the back and forth between playful completion of these goals and also facing down demons in other goals. I enjoyed the music as well, one aspect I sometimes find can really destroy documentary.
Overall, this was a wonderful film that I found very inspiring. I am, with messy magazine more than floored to be the media sponsor of this particular movie made by an outstanding group of people, as well as the Cleveland International Film Festival/Cleveland Film Society.
There will be one last showing of AN ALTERNATIVE TO SLITTING YOUR WRIST this Saturday, March 28th at 9:25AM. messy magazine will be there again to greet you with our coffee in hand. Please come out and say good morning!
A THIRD screening for AN ALTERNATIVE TO SLITTING YOUR WRIST, the film that messy magazine is sponsoring at this year’s CIFF has been added to THIS Saturday, March 28th at 9:25AM. The film will also be shown TONIGHT Wednesday, March 25th at 9:50PM. SEE YOU ALL THERE!!
It’s nearing mid afternoon on Monday and I think I’ve finally woken up from my Sunday CIFF marathon coma. I saw three movies back-to-back yesterday spanning the hours of 5PM-12AM. Clearly I am not a seasoned veteran like some I witnessed; still going strong at a time I’m usually in bed. Maybe I go to bed really early. By the time I finally moseyed to my car blurry eyed, tired and with some back pain, Tower City was practically free from any human presence. But, it was definitely worth it. Last film I saw was pretty much THE one movie I was super stoked to check out, The Miracle of Berlin.
I was all about this movie until Saturday night. Why? Saturday night I became somewhat hesitant after I spoke with someone who had seen it and didn’t like it. “It was way too made for TV movie. Not what I was expecting…but I hope this doesn’t change your mind in checking it out.” Great. Then, my mind raced, making up excuses as to why not to see this movie, it’s too late, it will be the third movie of the day, you have work tomorrow, you’re already tired.
Thankfully against whatever judgment and excuses I was throwing around yesterday, I decided that I was already at the theater, if the movie really wasn’t that great, there was no reason I couldn’t just get up and leave whenever. And a part of me was hoping that maybe it wasn’t going to be great so I could go home and catch up on some much needed sleep. Well obviously, it was great, and I didn’t get home until past midnight.
I could be a bit biased about this movie. I think I love all things Berlin. I think it’s a great city with a great culture and if I could, I’d probably move there, but I don’t speak or understand a lick of German.
The Miracle of Berlin was interesting in that it took a very real and heated conflict and narrowed the story down to one family, focusing in on an inner dilemma of one young man, Marco. Marco has a socialist father, a mother and girlfriend who join a citizen’s movement for democratic change during the film and a grandfather who was a Nazi soldier. After getting into some trouble, Marco joins the army and is now fighting against everything he believed in, including his morals, girlfriend, mother and friends.
This movie is based on a true story. I thought it was great because it really made me think how much this conflict not only separated families by distance and barriers but also morals and values and job responsibilities. What would you do if you had to fire into a crowd knowing full well your family and friends are there? It’s not something that I at least ever really needed to consider.
It was a bit made for TV movie-ish but I also believe some of that comes from German cinematography. Overall it was a great story, I enjoyed it and I was glad I stuck around for the whole thing!
The two other movies I saw yesterday included Princess of the Sun, an animated French film about Egyptian history and the documentary The Reckoning.
Princess of the Sun: I liked it, but at times I found it difficult to follow. Maybe I don’t know enough about Egyptian history. But Lauren said it was historically spot on.
The animation was amazing, brightly colored and well done. Each character was designed unique to their role. The movie score was also excellent. Another bonus about this movie, it was kid friendly. Thankfully, the CIFF does offer family friendly movies so everyone can go!
I also saw the documentary, The Reckoning yesterday. This film was complicated yet very interesting. I decided to see this movie really at the last moment, and I was glad I did. I know there is no real way I will be able to explain this movie and have it make sense so check out the program description:
“Silence has never helped or protected victims. Silence only helps the criminals.” Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, insists that the world must take a stand for justice. Based in The Hague, the ICC is the first permanent international criminal court to try individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity. THE RECKONING is the extraordinarily powerful story of the Court’s tumultuous first six years. Filmmaker Pamela Yates and her team not only travel to conflict zones in Sudan, Uganda, Colombia, and the Congo, but also show great debates taking place at the United Nations Security Council and in Court offices. In one major success the Court has managed to seek an arrest warrant for the President of Sudan, Omar Al-Bashir, for perpetrating genocide in Darfur. Peter Kinroy’s outstanding editing gives the film an immediacy that emphasizes the vital nature of the Court’s work. THE RECKONING is the flagship film for a campaign intended to get people everywhere involved in international justice. To that end, Skylight Pictures has set up IJCentral.org, a global social network that acts as a powerful tool, allowing activists and victims to bring perpetrators of horrendous crimes to account. (In English, Acholi, French, Spanish, and Swahili with English subtitles) —B.B.
The statistics in this film were staggering. I should have written some stats down to share, but alas, I did not. The film took the viewer to several areas of the world and focused several specific conflicts. There isn’t much I can say about this movie; all the stories were heartbreaking but it was great knowing there are people fighting for social justice. It also showed that there is so much work to be done on a global level.
Amongst the cries of a generation reaching adulthood that is not civically engaged, is overly entitled (not completely their fault), and more, there is a shining hope – progressive beliefs for social justice and the ability to accept and love each other for their persons, not their color, creed, or lifestyles. That hope was driven home in Prom Night in Mississippi.
The story is surprising – a small town in Mississippi (home of Morgan Freeman) still has parent-organized white proms and black proms. Until 2008. After having been previously rebuked, Freeman once again offers to pay for the prom if it’s integrated, and the school board condones the students to do so this time. Throughout the movie you meet students, parents, and administrators who candidly talk about racism, friends, love, and of course, prom activities.
Freeman is wonderful in his candid conversations with the camera and students – his grace and speech in real life is as poignant and direct as his many terrific scripted performances. He brings an extra sense of weight to the entire scene. However, the real stars in the story and the movie are the students who open up to the camera (it helps that the director lived there for four months) about their lives and their town. They see their future with enthusiasm and are bothered by parents who won’t allow them to be with each other. A fair amount of drama naturally occurs as some parents still plan a white-only prom and force their children to go, a few skirmishes in the school break out, and everyone is nervous walking in. However, humor and anticipation carry the day throughout as the students make light of their situations, themselves, and their community. These seniors in high school become your friends throughout the movie as you see them dance, buy outfits, text (a lot), get emotional, and even worry about how to handle two dates to prom – you cannot help but love them and want them in your life to laugh and cry with them. Laughter helps break down the walls of racism, and a prom ushers them into a new day.
Being a fan of documentary films, and particularly intrigued by those involving medical practice, I took it upon myself to view Under Our Skin Sunday evening. This movie was a total eye opener that really makes one second guess the role physicians assume upon taking the hippocratic oath.
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness in which a bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi infects the host. The infected exhibit symptoms of rash, fever, fatigue, headache, and depression in the early stages of disease, but if left untreated, late manifestations involving the joints, nervous system, and heart can occur. Diagnosis of Lyme disease is primarily based on objective findings due to difficulty in culturing the pathogen. The prevalence of this illness is often overlooked, due to the fact that an abundant number of cases are misdiagnosed. Because symptoms of Lyme disease are so unspecific, Doctors commonly pass off the case as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, or other autoimmune diseases. Patients are left with inappropriate treatment, and the infection is not irradicated. Under Our Skin portrays dramatic tales of people battling Lyme disease, and it delves into how the disease impacts everyone involved in the medical community. It has been discovered that the authors of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines have neglected to publish effective treatment guidelines, misleading practitioners, and resulting in a growing epidemic. Several of the members of IDSA have stake in the manufacture of vaccines and pharmaceuticals that pose a conflict of interest in recognizing the severity of the the disease and consequences that result in neglecting to treat patients.
Controversy is at large, as long term antibiotic treatment is frowned upon due to issues of bacterial resistance. Several physicians have testified in court and laid their license on the line for the sake of treating patients to the fullest extent when suspecting Lyme disease. Some patients' lives have been saved, others incorrectly treated, altogether resulting in a financial burden due to an obvious lack of recognition by managed care. Other physicians fail to recognize the severity of the illness, leaving patients with no hope of leading a normal life, panic stricken as to what is ailing them.
This film really hits home when it comes to ethical issues in medical practice. As I am sure most of you have seen or heard about the documentary by Michael Moore, Sicko, this movie portrays the controversy involved in treating such a mysterious illness that many may not know much about. I, for one, will probably never leave my house again without spraying insect repellent on my skin first. Under Our Skin was intelligent and very interesting!
This afternoon I went down to the CIFF to see The Last Days of Shishmaref. The film was excellent. Shishmaref is a tiny island off of northwest Alaska. As a woman in the movie stated, "We are Inupiaq first, and Americans second." This close-knit, Eskimo community lives and works together in harmony even as their world changes drastically around them. The world knows that global warming is happening, yet in Shishmaref, the effects are often noticeable right in people’s backyards. The film follows three families, each in different individual situations, yet bound together by their heritage. The Inupiaq Eskimos have lived on Shishmaref for over 4,000 years. That is QUITE a number. However, experts are estimating that the island will be washed away in less than ten years. The village is an interesting one. There is no running water, yet there is electricity and snowmobiles. I didn't really understand the whole no running water thing since there was electricity, but what do I know. It also appeared, judging by the amount of trash in one of the houses and strewn around outside, that there is no clear method of trash disposal in Shishmaref. I keep wanting to say "Western” culture clearly has permeated their lives, but that would be incorrect since the Inupiaq are American. One of the males in the film said something to the extent of, "We have one foot in our old, traditional ways and the modern world has another foot in." This is clearly evident in the film. Teenagers listen to hip hop and play videogames and a mother of five discusses how the children want iPods and spaghetti for dinner all the time. I was a little confused however as to HOW this community made money. Especially since the groceries and gas are so expensive. Shishmaref is also a dry island. There is no alcohol allowed. A few of the men discussed how the ballot wording was confusing and they all seemed to want to be able to enjoy a nice cold one after hunting. The Inupiaq have learned to adapt to the modern world creeping in. I hid my face as the film crew captured a caribou hunt and showed as three men decapitated the animal with a small hunting knife. Many thanks to the man next to me who told me when it was over. This same man also leaned over to me and whispered, "Isn't it amazing how this is the way they live. This is a necessity." And he was right. As bloody as it was, I was in awe of the fact of three men on the ice skinning the caribou by hand and not wasting a thing. The same for when they killed a seal. Yes it was bloody and it may seem inhumane, but it is a way of life for these people. And all of this is at risk to be washed away. Literally. The sea is eroding the land. Houses are capsizing, and the days are warmer, sooner and longer. I'm assuming it is only a matter of time before the wildlife patterns change if they have not already done so, which will greatly effect food supplies. Relocation costs are expected to be over $100 million dollars. The people also did not seem to speak very highly of government. One went as far as to say, "That man who only cares about wars overseas, is not going to help us." Perhaps that will change now due to the current administration. The end of The Last Days of Shishmaref showed a group in Tin Creek, a city on the mainland that the community has chosen to relocate to when that time comes. There are fears of moving from an island to the mainland, as the modern world will be even more accessible. I am interested in what will come of Shishmaref and its inhabitants. The film not only provided an up close look at how global warming affects individuals personally at home, but also how it may be the factor in ripping apart a community. I could see in the people's eyes how they sad they were discussing what they are faced with. Hopefully, this film will help get the word out.
These tickets. These tickets keep falling to the bottom of my bag every time I am handed one walking into the theater. Then, when it’s time to place my vote the ticket is no where to be found. Thankfully the nice people standing at the exits always have extra. In the meantime, I guess I’ll be collecting these papers out of the bottom of my bag every evening.
Last evening I, by miracle saw Children of Invention. I was running late to the cinema and did not allow myself enough time to park. But, I still made it. Children of Invention was great, both heartbreaking and inspiring.
The story follows a Chinese family (2 young children, Raymond and Tina) lead by a single mother, Elaine living in the outskirts of Boston. The family’s home is foreclosed and they are forced to live in an apartment building still under construction. Throughout the movie the Elaine is looking to make a quick buck, as her ex-husband is not sending money for the family. She falls into a pyramid scheme that lands her in a messy situation.
Meanwhile the kids who are left alone for several days must get by on little to no money. They are also looking to make some money to hopefully one day buy back their foreclosed house. It’s hard to not sympathize with this family and their very real struggles. The kids in the film are excellent, witty and charming and come up with some creative money making ideas.
And I’m pretty glad I snagged one of the last seats for this movie. It was great. Go check it out!
so yeah- yesterday i felt like a princess! i saw four films and about 400 of my closest friends at tower city cinemas. reports from staff indicated that during the 7:00 run there were over 2,000 people in theatres! holy smokes! if all of those people gave a measely $5, and theatres are filled like that for the rest of the festival, reaching the $33,000 goal will be easy as pie! we might be able to exceed it! are you familiar with the challenge match? read up and donate! film festivals as grand as this one in our own fair city don't just HAPPEN, people!
from the CIFF website:
Thank you in advance for participating in the 33rd CIFF Challenge Match. The challenge to you - our audience — is to raise $33,000, which will then go twice as far because it will be matched by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. The Challenge Match is our annual campaign and, therefore, it is the only time of year that we ask for your support (we do not send out solicitation letters around the holidays or any other time of year).
Your donation will be used for Film Festival operations, which include staffing, Program Guide printing, theater rental, film rental, and guest travel and accommodations. In essence, your seat in the theater really costs the Film Festival $27.72. You can help make up the difference between your ticket cost and our cost by making a donation to the Challenge Match.
Be sure to stop by the Challenge Match area (located in the lobby of Tower City Cinemas) whenever you visit the Film Festival. Once you make your tax deductible donation, you’ll be able to enter our drawings for prizes and pick-up this year’s collectors’ set of lapel buttons. Because of your commitment to the Cleveland International Film Festival, we look forward to not just reaching, but even exceeding our goal this year. Thank you!
caught the midnight screening of tokyo and was half asleep driving home, but oh so satisfied! stay tuned for more about my adventures during day 3 of the cleveland international film festival, including, but not limited to: reviews and comments on the independent shorts 3, ciao bella, the world's best commercials and tokyo!
tell us about your film fest experiences! email messy at info@messymagazine.org
I have a bad habit of always writing down books I want to read and movies I want to see and then never following through. Trust me, I have notebooks full of scribbles that say "read" or "see", followed by titles. Well Gomorrah was one of those movies, that is until last night when I had the chance to see it at the CIFF. I had first read a remarkable review of the film in Newsweek, and am now happy I have the chance to write my own. I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to see Gomorrah, due to the fact that there was only one showing of the film. I made sure to arrive 20 minutes early and the line was STILL long. Great thing to see. *Side note-I am VERY defensive of Cleveland and to all of the people who say there is NOTHING to do here or that we are not cultured (Yes, you Charles Barkley), you have NO idea what you miss in your ignorance.* But I digress. The theater was packed and even representatives from the Italian Consulate were present. It IS the Cleveland INTERNATIONAL Film Festival after all. Gomorrah is based on the best selling novel by Roberto Saviano. I will be picking up a copy to read now that I have seen the film. It delves deep into the world of the Camorra, the major Italian crime family, that operates out of Naples. The five story lines that were all woven throughout, showed the massive impact the Camorra holds over the region. No one was left untouched. The wealthy, the poor, the old and the young. I was particularly stricken by the fatal outcome of the two unruly boys who didn't want to work for anyone other than themselves. Without getting into gory detail, that did not end happily. There is one scene where the pair acts out scenes from Scarface, you cannot help but chuckle, yet you know that the film is going to show you the harrowing, actual life of organized crime, not the glitzy Hollywood version. I was also disturbed by the fact that young, young boys are recruited, going from being best friends, delivering groceries, to being enemies who witness and even organize shootings. You see people living in squalor while at the same time you can hear the thousands of Euros being counted by young men wearing Nikes. The parallels were very nicely reflected. It was amazing to see that a lot of this crime happens in broad daylight, in front of a countless number of witnesses. In the film guide, it states that the author of Gomorrah has been living under police protection since 2006. After seeing this film, I am sure the Camorra were not exactly pleased with the portrayal and the publicity. All in all, the film was VERY nicely done, and enjoyable.
More to come from me tomorrow. Hope to see you at the festival! Lauren
If you have been following our CIFF blogging, you're probably aware Genna P and many many other Clevelanders took part in the filming of the CIFF movie trailer. This trailer plays before every movie shown at the film festival. Take a look and try to find Genna P!
The Cleveland International Film Festival began in a whirlwind of activity for me. I left work at 5pm on Thursday, raced home to quickly change and grab a bite to eat. Thursday was opening night with a one time showing of the movie Lightbulb and a party after. It was the first time I think I’ve ever intentionally wore a dress to a movie theater!
Lightbulb was a pretty cool flick based on Producer and Screenwriter Mike Cram’s own life. The movie dealt with the constant struggle and fight to succeed and stay motivated when the chips, no pun intended, are down.
Yet throughout the film, I couldn’t help but constantly think the main character looked strikingly similar to the late John Ritter of 3’s Company.
Unfortunately this was a one time screening of Lightbulb.
The after party was a lot of fun. There were SO many people at the party! The drinks were great, the food was great, and the company was excellent! Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures at the party, so you’ll just have to believe me, it was a great time. Oh, and we all received a Homer Simpson talking bottle opener too!
I saw two movies Friday evening. I actually was at the Tower City Cinema for nearly 6 hours last night! Bill Guensler who spoke prior to both movies commented on this first Friday’s opening has been the largest in film fest history!
The first movie I saw, It’s Not Me, I Swear! WAS GREAT!! I recommend seeing this movie if you can. I loved everything about it. The film description in the film guide says, ‘you’ll laugh and you’ll cry.’ And boy was that right, I laughed and I cried.
This is a French film with English subtitles. The movie follows Leon, a young boy growing up in Quebec during mostly, the summer of 1968. The film deals with selfishness and selflessness, family dynamics both good and bad, and the creative and imaginative lives of children. I don’t want to give a way too much of the details on this movie, but please check it out! You will not be disappointed.
This movie is showing again on Sunday March 22 at 9:15AM as well as Monday March 23 at 11:30AM. Use the code ITSN22 for Sunday’s showing and ITSN23 for Monday’s showing.
The next movie I saw was Gomorrah. I was super stoked to see this because it’s about the Italian organized crime in Naples. If you have been following any news recently, NPR recently posted a story about the Mafia’s growing control over Southern Italy due to the world-wide economic situation. Check it out at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101934010
This movie was pretty good, very long, but pretty good. I was expecting this movie to sell out and have a demand for a second showing! The theater was filled, but it didn’t seam like the movie was as in demand as It’s Not Me, I Swear.
This movie had several subplots all surrounding the entire Camorra crime cartel. I am a loser when it comes to violence in movies, so there were several time my hand was bracing to cover my eyes throughout the movie, but overall it was not gory.
This movie, in my opinion, really shows another different side of Italy that has been glorified. It really shows that not everyone is living in a nice area, on a villa. People struggle, live in the projects, and sometimes resort to violence and crime to make money.
The movie was shot well, but at times was hard to follow, especially when the subplots where placed against a similar color background. Overall, it was a great movie, I’m not sure I’d see it again, but the drama and the true human face and very real situations shown throughout the film was worth the 2+ hours.
Unfortunately, this was a one screening only movie. So you’ll have to seek it out online or somewhere else!
Next up for me: Today I'm excited to see Children of Invention at 7:30PM. This movie is about making it big fast, immigration and once again a closer look at family dynamics. Check it out at 7:30PM TONIGHT (SATURDAY MARCH 21, CODE: CHIL21) or Tomorrow morning, at 9:20AM (SUNDAY, MARCH 22, CODE: CHIL22).
Tomorrow I want to check out The Miracle of Berlin! I am very excited about this because I love Berlin and I love this history of Berlin. Check it out at 9:25PM tomorrow night (SUNDAY MARCH 22, CODE MIRA22).
Tales from the set of the 33rd Annual Cleveland International Film Festival Trailer from the extras who lived to tell about it
POSTED BY: genna petrolla
"We were a group of would-be actors, anxious in anticipation of what lay ahead as we queued up near the concession counter. In a relatively short time, we were led into the theater and placed one-by-one in our assigned seats. The notes on the seatbacks told us our direction for the shoot. Mine said "Stare at the screen", but my neighbors and I , who had similar direction, decided to add a few nuances to each take. We were certain that the director would appreciate the extra effort! By the time we had done several takes, the classy lady next to me had become a friend! Close to the end of the shoot, she was " upgraded" to a more prominent seat. I like to think that our unique performances helped get her that starring role. Soon after her move, it was over, and each of us went our separate ways. We all left the theater that day with a common bond, which will show as the trailer shows from March 19-29. Many thanks to the festival staff for allowing us our moment in the spotlight!"
-JD Frost
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"I heard about the trailer through Genna on facebook and thought I was going to miss it entirely when I couldn't drag my butt out of bed that morning. There was a long line of people and I started fidgeting. I got my knitting out to pass the time. Someone liked it, Matthew T, Ii think? He pulled me out of line and placed me in a seat in the thatre. So i sat there knitting for hours, occasionally following directions and making friends with the people sitting next to me. At a certain point, I thought I was going to run out of yarn entirely! And then they asked up to stay for a couple extra takes... It turned out that I ended up almost finishing the project sitting in that theater. I had a great time seeing my friends scattered throughout the audience and making a couple new ones along the way. I can’t wait to see the finished trailer. And I can’t wait to go to the Film Festival! This will be my first year going, mostly because I have some extra cash. Why not spend it on movies?!"
-Erin Peterson
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"Wow. It sure is hard work being an extra-slash movie star. I mean, I think we did something like 10 takes on this thing! All the time we followed our respective instructions and then… back to our ‘one’ to start again. (Your ‘one’ is your first position, for all of you amateurs out there. It was really cool sitting in the theatre and seeing so many familiar faces. Chloe Hopson from Passport Project, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones, Ward 6 Councilwoman Mamie Mitchell and a few band members from the Twilight were among some of the more famous faces in the crowd. The crew from Authentic Films was knowledgeable and professional, really fun to work with and really trusting of us to help create the vision they and Twist Creative had for the trailer. I had the opportunity to switch my seat and role about halfway through and I’m anxious to see what the final product looks like. It was such an awesome experience to be a part of something so huge. Speaking of huge, I really hope that ‘the camera adds 15 pounds thing’ isn’t true."
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