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Thread: San Francisco International Film Festival 2006 (20/4 - 4/5)

  1. #16
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    SKYY Prize
    Taking Father Home (China)
    Half Nelson (US)

    FIPRESCI jury
    Half Nelson

    Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
    Look Both Ways (Australia)

    Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
    Encounter Point (USA)

    Golden Gate Awards
    Shooting Under Fire

    Golden Gate Awards - Best Documentary Feature
    Workingman’s Death

    Best Bay Area Documentary Feature
    The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

    Best Documentary Short
    lot 63, grave c

    Best Bay Area Documentary Short
    Phoenix Dance

    New Visions
    site specific_Las Vegas 05

    Best Narrative Short
    Love at 4 PM

    Best Bay Area Non-Documentary Short
    Lost & Found

    Best Animated Short
    At the Quinte Hotel

    Golden Gate Award - Youth Works category
    Slip of the Tongue

    Best Work for Kids and Families
    Sirah was named

    ;)

  2. #17
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    Taking Father Home got the Skyy Prize (not Helf Nelson, a nominee). Play, News from Afar, Brothers of the Head, and Illumination were other worthier nominees.

    Half Nelson got the Fibresci Prize.

    These two were not the awards I'd have given out. I was pretty shocked. Shooting Under Fire is worthy, if not great. I have not seen any of the others, but there seemed to be a lot of interest in Workingman's Death. I avoided Look Both Ways. It sounded like corny melodrama to me. But audiences like that kind of thing sometimes. These awards were not the festival's finest hour.

  3. #18
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    I have watched both
    - Workingman's Death (and written a review on it)
    - Look Both Ways (will soon write)

    rgds

  4. #19
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    Where are your reviews?

    Workingman's Death is showing in San Francisco now (Roxie, 16th St.), wonder if I should go.

  5. #20
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    please delete

  6. #21
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    Well, I usually prefer to go with NO expectations
    (so I wont be disappointed ... hee hee)
    Otherwise, this review may let you set your expectations too high ...

    I think it is good for a documentary and for its effort/message ...

    Director: Michael Glawogger

    The official website
    see
    http://www.workingmansdeath.com/

    The documentary depicts the work of various manual labor around the world, and is told in 6 segments
    Chapter 1: HEROES
    Chapter 2: GHOSTS
    Chapter 3: LIONS
    Chapter 4: BROTHERS
    Chapter 5: THE FUTURE
    Chapter 6: EPILOGUE

    Each segment will bring you to a different country and labor
    1 - Ukraine, coal mines
    2 - Indonesia, sulphur mining
    3 - Nigeria, slaughter yard
    4 - Pakistan, shipbreaking
    5 - China, steel complex
    6 - Germany, leisure park

    For more info
    http://www.workingmansdeath.com/chapter_en.html

    As I did not read much about the film prior to watching, I thought the film was technically "unexpected", but good ... merely looking at the title, I thought it is going to be rather "dramatic" and "eventful" ... bombarding us with scenes of horrible images ... say, for example, mines exploding, people very sick and dying, etc ...

    Without these manipulative tactics, the film actually achieves a higher level of technicality ... making the audience feel ... by ... depicting a very realistic portrayal of how life has to go on despite the harsh conditions ... as there is always hope amidst resignation ... and there is always danger amidst calm ... and there is always bond (be it love or friendship) amidst poverty ... and there is always "entertainment" amidst work ...

    As such, the film succeeds in making the audience feel the gravity of the situation, the grimness and the suffering, and yet will occasionally smile at the interviews/dialogues, etc ...

    The film also has interesting lines and food for thought ...

    In terms of cinematography, I personally like the scenes at Ukraine (wow ... the winter), Indonesia, China (wow ... the calligraphy) and Germany (the lighting) ...

    I do not have much qualms over the film except that
    ... NOT all audience can stomach the scenes at Nigeria ... with all the slaughtering and blood ... and for quite an extensive segment
    ... also, the China and Germany segments are kind of too terse ...

    unfortunately, the "leisure park" scenes are for the epilogue ... so it is kind of brief ...

    it basically features the "beauty" of its night lightings, with many young couples visiting it ... kissing, etc ... * smile *

    while others may have a different interpretation for this ending scene, i would like to say my take away of the scene is probably ...
    -- that there is still "life" after its supposed "end" (the steel industry) ... paralleling the fact that life goes on ... or there is always a new lease of life ...
    -- and that there is "beauty" in everything we do (or work) ... these and many other workers help bring "beauty" to the world ...


    Conclusion:
    Highly Recommended.
    But do go with the expectation of a documentary, not a drama ...
    Also, the scenes at Nigeria with all the slaughtering may be too much for some audience ...

  7. #22
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    Okay, now how about "Look Both Ways"?

  8. #23
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    Look Both Ways deserves its own thread. If no one posts about it, I may just write a short review to get the ball rolling. When I have time, that is.

  9. #24
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    I just wanted to hold hengcs to his promise on this thread
    I have watched both
    - Workingman's Death (and written a review on it)
    - Look Both Ways (will soon write)
    This would be a logical place to discuss it due to its getting the audience prize at the SFIFF. I don't know how much you can get a ball rolling since it seems unlikely anybody but you and hengcs has seen it. May be coming to the Bay Area late due to that prize (I've seen a tralier in Berkeley); vanished from other US venues after its April 2006 limited US opening, it seems.

  10. #25
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    Originally posted by Chris Knipp
    Okay, now how about "Look Both Ways"?
    Director: Sarah Watt
    Cast: Justine Clarke, William McInnes, Anthony Hayes, Daniela Farinacci


    The official site
    see
    http://www.lookbothways.com.au/


    Synopsis
    The story is set in Adelaide (Australia) over a weekend, with several people's life crossing one another ...
    e.g., the relationship between Meryl and Nick (the former has returned from her father's death, the latter is pre-empting death)
    e.g., the career/relationship of Nick and Andy (partners in news reporting)
    etc


    My thoughts ...

    - Given that the director is an animator, I have to agree that her use of art/animation amidst the film is rather well done and interesting ... however, some people may feel that the animation is kind of morbid and dark (with the female protagonist visualizing all the horrible accidents that could probably happen and death) ... to them, these animations may kind of "spoil" the reality of a film depicting life/drama ...

    - Also remarkable is her dealing with the subject matter. Despite its morbid theme revolving around death, it is actually about living ... Quite a difficult topic to deal with, yet the film is peppered with both humor and tears, laughter and sadness, surprises and "predictability" ... you guess the ending, dont you?! hee hee ...

    - To me and probably some people, it may be a very well written script (with a number of food for thoughts). However, to other people, it may be slightly contrived/manipulative in the sense that there are too many coincidences (with the people somehow related and crossing one another's path within such a short time frame) ... Whatever the case is, I think one should be more forgiving ... after all, given a 2 hour film, with so many characters, and so many events happening, some things simply have to compromise ...

    - Finally, I like the soundtrack too.


    Conclusion
    Recommended.
    ;)

  11. #26
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    Did anyone review THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS here at FilmLeaf?

  12. #27
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    It would seem not. I did see it, in a NYC (Village) theater.

  13. #28
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    Since I follow your (Oscar and Chris) lead like a pupil to Guru, I went to IMDB for a review and discovered something strange. Half the review came up as gibberish. Is this censorship? I recently changed over to Explorer 7. Have they deliberately censored certain words? I find this incredible! Perhaps IMDB is censoring reviews. Whatever the case, I am interested in your thoughts on this film, as usual. Keep us posted.
    Colige suspectos semper habitos

  14. #29
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    I did find the review at amazon. From what I could gather, this is a coming-of-age film in how it relates to a young gay man, his thieving family, and a police officer? Some reviewers complained of the hand held camera. It does state the film was shot digitally and premiered last year at the Sundance Film Festival. I'd still like to read your review, Chris, if you can post a link.
    Colige suspectos semper habitos

  15. #30
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    Apparently you are referring to the IMDb User Comment by "lvp_2087 from Philippines"? That is half in gibberish, but not any of the others.

    It's a nice little film. It seemed to me more valuable for the way it shows an openly gay young man well integrated into his family rather than for the qualities of the filmmaking, which were a bit rough. I can't link you to my review because I didn't write one.
    Last edited by Chris Knipp; 10-04-2007 at 12:53 PM.

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