WILD ART : OLLY & SUZI
This film was very captivating and wildly interesting. To feel like you were there with the artists while they were painting some of the worlds fiercest predators is an experience I will never forget.
This film opened my eyes to painting in a very non-traditional way and I was really fascinated by the friendship + bond that Olly + Suzi have while working together on all of these different exotic locations. They’ve been friends since they went to art school in the 70’s. Olly is 6 feet tall, an ex-marine, very bulky man, and Suzi is a very petite and fashionable artsy lady.
Rupert Murray the Director of this film did a Q + A afterward and it was nice to learn more about these two individuals. One of the things I remember talking about is how we look at outside artists vs. contemporary markets when it comes to buying/selling art. Olly + Suzi do well with the people that have been following them from the beginning, however, they are not widely accepted in the market because of the non-traditional way that they work. Does that matter anyway? I don’t believe it does, in fact, I would rather sell art the way Olly + Suzi do. It’s more of a connection and bonding experience that you have with the people relating to your work and that is something I cherish more than gaining no connection with your collectors and making massive amounts of money.
Rumenatomija Brandas Addiction
This film was not at all what I was expecting, in fact, I could barely watch the entire thing. The film was an up close and personal journey of watching a Cow that has an addiction to eating plastic bags get stomach surgery. When I say up close, I mean up close! You were right there with the Vet while she made the incision, cut out the stomach, and then began to pull out very large amounts of gooey saturated clumps of plastic bags. ew!
But, it was so great to meet the director after the showcase and talk to him a little bit more about his cow. He shot this in one day on a Bolex and he wanted to show the connection between the Icelandic people with their animals. Farming is free-range and they have a very natural way of life and they are very connected to their animals. They put out money to get the cow some help, she lived a happy life, kicked her addiction to plastic bags, gave birth to a calf, and then they killed her and ate her. “The circle of Life” is the last thing he said.
After watching those two films I was feeling really good about the beginning of this experience. We then ventured over to the Cumberland theater where we got to screen the film “Hunting Down Memory”.
HUNTING DOWN MEMORY : CUMBERLAND THEATER : 4:45P
This film really blew me away. To go through the emotional struggles that a man experienced from losing the last 27 years of his memory and going on a journey with him to find out where in China did he lose his memory while searching for the horse nomads was very emotional.
When the film was over the director was there along with the subject of the film Oyvid Aamot (aka Wind). I was completely shocked to see him at the screening and thrilled at the same time. To watch an 80 minute film about one person, and to feel so much for them, and then to be able to meet them face to face, and tell them how wonderful and inspirational they are is probably one of the most exhilarating experiences I have had because of this trip. Wind talked about how after he lost his memory he had issues with remembering his sexuality, did he like men? did he like women? He eventually found out again that he was attracted to women. To steal or not to steal? Who his mother was when he was looking at her face to face? As an adult at 27, he could never imagine that he would lose all of his prior memory of family, friends, relationships, everything. He even mentioned how great it felt to brush his teeth again and how fresh it made him feel.
We take our memory for granted – I’m not preaching to you – I’m just making a statement about how the little things that we have access to are sometimes taken for granted. Love your memory, and the things you have shared with others because you never know when you could lose it forever.
After that wonderful film, we walked over to the Hot Doc Awards Ceremony. It was a huge event and it felt very “Hollywood”. Shining lights, award presenters, comedic host that told jokes all the time, and then afterward we went to the awards reception where they had a huge red carpet, open bar, and small bites.
Here are some of the winning films :
BEST MIDLENGTH
rabits a la berlin
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
alanis obomsawin
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
one man village
CANADIAN JURY PRIZE
water life
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE
invisible city
If you want to see any of these films online – you can go to http://www.hotdocs.ca/
Day 3 of the blog will be posted tomorrow! With details on how the Doc Challenge awards go!
Can’t wait. Cheerio-
Lindsie
