Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints
A syndicated blog about filmmaking by one of Canada’s formost documentary media creators.
Archive of March, 2009
I am screening a ton of rushes, not much time for writing. But I thought I’d pass on a couple of interesting links.
An image from the documentary ‘The Age of Stupid’
First, about the ‘crowd-funded’ documentary The Age of Stupid, by British documentarian Director Franny Armstrong and Producer Lizzie Gillett. Film completed, their aim over the coming months is to “turn 250 million viewers into activists, all focused on the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen, December 2009
where the successor to the Kyoto Treaty must be finalized.”
I am familiar with Armstrong’s previous work, because she was one of the co-directors of McLibel, about the young activists in the U.K. who sued McDonald’s. During the same period, I made two films about attempts to unionize McDonald’s in Quebec (see my web site) and of course Morgan Spurlock made Super Size Me.
Making-of film (50 minutes) [here]
Article [here]
(Thanks to Mark Hamilton and the Doc list serve.)
A frame from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
And now for some fiction, both acclaimed and controversial. Slumdog Millionaire is without any question the most successful film of the year, taking home numerous Oscars, including best film, Golden Globe award in the same category. It’s such a household word by now, I won’t describe it. Personally I liked it a lot, for its clever structure and great camerawork and editing. But I have close friends who are documentary filmmakers from Bombay, and they were not so thrilled. The sent me the following articles:
Mitu Sengupta: “Slumdog Millionaire: a Hollow Message of Social Justice” [here]
Jeremy Seabrook: “Betraying India’s poor” [here]
Aarundhati Roy: “Caught on Film: India ‘not shining’” [here]
(Thanks to Ali Kazimi and Anand Patwardhan.)
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Barack Obama, Michaëlle Jean, and Jean-Daniel Lafond
‘Cinéaste frustré, philosophe comblé.‘ (’Frustrated filmmaker, fulfilled philosopher.’)
Following up on my blog from last week, here’s part two of my interview with Jean-Daniel Lafond. How has he adapted to his newest role as “His Excellency” and a very active partner to Canada’s Governor General, Michaëlle Jean?
[Video interview clip further down.]
Of his current circumstances, Jean-Daniel says, “The challenge is to remain oneself and to defend the values one has always defended. There is a space for that.” His position is of a volunteer with an official status. He jokes that Canadians are getting “two for the price of one” and professes total solidarity with Michaëlle.
In his official capacity, Jean-Daniel has made culture his bailiwick, and suggests perhaps it is sorely in need of being defended in this country. It is critical to demonstrate the importance of culture, not just complain about lack of support, he says. He has created Point des arts/Art Matters, a forum and network for reflection and debate about artistic matters from all disciplines, bringing together practitioners, theorists and arts administrators of all political stripes. He has initiated the internet site Citizen Voices/Écoute des citoyens in an attempt to make the office of the Governor General more relevant and accessible, particularly to Canadian youth.
About making films, Jean-Daniel says he finds himself constantly in unexpected and extraordinary circumstances, for example in private conversation with heads of state, and in a most privileged position to observe the world, governance, diplomacy, the very highest echelons of power. He finds it simultaneously stimulating and frustrating. Given the opportunity, he would be making films all the time, but contents himself with gathering as much information - and some video material - as possible, building blocks or sources of inspiration for future projects.
Thanks to Jocelyne Clarke and Jorge Bustos-Estefan for help with this blog.
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