Vanessa: Sunday Film Extravaganza!!

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.

Jeffrey T.Verespej: Prom Night in Mississippi

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.

Day 4- Under Our Skin

Written by: Krista Petrolla, messy reader

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!

Lauren-Day Four

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.

Check out Today's Showings for Sunday!

Vanessa: Day 3!

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!

genna p- day 3

photo from: clevelandfilm.org


haha! that rhymes!


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