Monday, April 7, 2014

Full Frame


The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival was this weekend in Durham NC and Wesley's documentary film class received a grant for the students to attend as fellows. She had great access to the festival and spent the past four days watching documentaries. I went along on Sunday and saw two incredible films with her.


 Film kids are crazy and smart and interesting, and did I mention talented!

 This is Wesley's observation of her cup of coffee, see what I mean :)
I didn't see that in my cup....



We had such a great time together. Between films we had a coffee break and then a dinner break. We got the most amazing brick oven pizza a couple of blocks away. They had a row of aquariums along the entrance way and suspended above the aquariums there were trays of basil and grow lights. Aquaponics right there in the restaurant. It was very cool. Best pizza I have ever had!



We saw two films that were intense and heartbreaking and a cold zap of reality check. One was a documentary of one man's memories of Cambodia during the Pol Pot era, The Missing Picture. He used clay figures to animate his memories. Clay people out there, you would love these carvings, they were just enchanting. It really helped cushion the horror and painful story of the brutality to man during that regime.

The second film was a documentary of the rebels fighting for freedom in Syria. Well done, harrowing, and eye opening. Bassat Saroot is the main figure in the film, the leader of the rebels and once one of the best soccer goalies in the world, he was on his way to the Olympics but instead chose to fight for his country. He is still fighting..... Wesley also saw a doc about Prop 8, a film about vietnam vets that do reinactments (why?), and a few other interesting things. What a great opportunity.

The last film of the festival was the Syrian film we saw, Back to Homs. We rushed from the restaurant to get there in time and I had not bought a ticket. It was sort of complicated being with Wes and the free pass. The students had to wait in the last minute line, let the ticket buyers go in first and then see if there were available seats for them. I sort of disagree with this plan, but that's another topic. We bought two tickets for The Missing Picture just to make sure we both got in. Tickets for each film were $15, which is a chunk of change if you are going to see a few films. There are passes, but also expensive....
Wesley was stressing that I was going to have to spend another $15 and then maybe she wouldn't get in. I kept the faith and for some reason walking there from the restaurant, I knew that there would be a ticket for me somehow, I just had this feeling..... When we got to the theater, we were the first to arrive. The girl at the door announced that since I was the first there and without a ticket, she had a free ticket for me. Some man had left a ticket with her for someone that might need one...... Karma.

Here is the trailer for The Missing Picture. If you have a chance to see it, I think you will enjoy it.



6 comments:

oldgreymareprimitives said...

wow! I'm intrigued by that trailer!

Michèle Hastings said...

I had heard about the film festival on NPR and thought of Wesley right away. So great that you guys were able to go together!

Tracey Broome said...

Yeah,mSuzan,movers powerful film, that was a tragic period of time
Hey Michele, yep she did three days with her class and saved the last day for her mom, what a girl!

cookingwithgas said...

What a treat to spend that time with your girl. You live an interesting life.

Laura Farrow said...

Pizza Toro? o, thank god, they're open again!! best pie.xo

Tracey Broome said...

Well, what happened with my crazy comment up there lol?!
Meredith, we are trying, if it's not fun, what's the use.
Laura, no, it was something else, but I can't remember the name, really great though! In an old fire station? Beside a Mexican restaurant.....