Films:Columbia :: Football:SEC
In the fall, I was pretty disappointed by how tame football season was. The first football Saturday, I stay hunkered in my apartment fearing the traffic; however, I soon learned that not only could I easily make my way around town during home games, I could even get to campus and find a parking spot. Sometimes I couldn't even tell who had one. No cheering of "It's great to be a Missouri Tiger" rang through the air.
But then I learned that Columbia gets excited about another F-word: FILMS.
This was my first True/False experience, and I didn't even realize how big of a deal it was until last Thursday when it really kicked off. I know, I know. How is this possible? People have been going on for weeks about the upcoming festival. Well, I was a bit skeptical because outside of Mad Hot Ballroom and Harlan County USA, my exposure to documentaries has been pretty limited.
However, I am glad I got tickets to two shows: "Searching for Sugar Man" and "Queen of Versailles," and was able to double my number of documentaries and my appreciation for them in just one Saturday.
"Searching for Sugar Man" was the first of the two documentaries I saw at the festival. In case you missed it, the documentary is about the short-lived career of a Dylan-esque singer from Detroit named Rodriguez who unknowingly because famous in South Africa for his racy and forward-thinking lyrics. The added intrigue to the story is that everyone thinks he is dead after the singer allegedly lights himself on fire - possibly because of being dropped by his label two weeks before Christmas.
Film maker Malik Bendjelloul documentary showcases the ability to find a story from what might seem like nothing to the every day person, which is much like the job of a journalist, since musicians come and go these days as quickly as the tide thanks to iTunes and other single-purchase music sites that allow so many more one-hot wonders. However, Bendjelloul wasn't the only one interested in the mystery behind Rodriguez, which I think was the key behind the success of this Sundance Film Festival double-award winner because it allowed the viewers to see that this wasn't just a musician that Bendjelloul was interested in documenting but that he had a real following outside of the film world.
Not only was the story was excellent, but I really enjoyed hearing Bendjelloul speak about the process of making the documentary afterward. Throughout the film there were several points where it would transition from real life with interviewing people and showing scenes to having illustrations. I was fascinated to learn that those illustrations were done by Bendjelloul because he didn't have the budget to hire an illustrator or graphic designer. I would have never known because they look great and flowed seamlessly in the film.
He also made the whole thing on his Mac laptop, and all I could think was about how important and large a role technology plays in all of our lives. However, I wouldn't dare say anyone could do what Bendjelloul did in "Searching for Sugar Man." Not only is he great at finding an interesting story, he tells it so well.
I had read a little bit about "Queen of Versailles" before coming to the show, and I was really looking forward to it. However, I was surprised, because it seemed more like my type of documentary, that I didn't like it as much as "Sugar Man." In a nutshell, "Queen of Versailles" follows billionaire Westgate mogul David Seigal and his family as they begin their quest to build the largest home in America. However, when the economy goes sour in 2009, so does the family's dreams and income as the house goes into foreclosure and Westgate is forced to close one of its time-share locations in Las Vegas. Don't feel too bad for the family. As Mrs. Seigal says, she could be happy in a small 300,000 square foot home, ha! I really enjoyed all the contradictions. While the Seigal mom seems very down-to-earth, her sense of what is normal is so far off because of living in her own world. Literally. The house they currently live in is on its own island.
This was more like watching a reality TV show than a documentary, but it was just fascinating. I am glad to know what $5 million dollars worth of marble/tile looks like. I will say that I was disappointed that they didn't finish the house. I hope if the family is able to continue with the project that film maker Lauren Greenfield will go back to finish. However, I suspect that is doubtful since Seigal is sueing Sundance but not for the reasons you would think. Read more about it HERE.
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