Podcast: "Independent Lens" curator Lois Vossen and I discuss the new season of "IL."
Also be sure to visit the "IL" web site.
SEASON PREMIERE - Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 9 PM CHICAGO 10 by Brett Morgen (Documentary; 120 minutes) Remember Chicago, 1968? Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters stormed the Democratic convention, setting off a chain of explosive and violent confrontations with the police. Well, now history has a new look. Bold and original animation recreate the wild antics of the infa- mous Chicago Conspiracy Trial, and archival footage and a powerful soundtrack will take you back to the streets of Chicago during that unforgettable summer.
ADJUST YOUR COLOR: The Truth of Petey Greene by Loren Mendell (Documentary; 60 minutes) He was a drug addict, convicted felon, hustler and shock jock. Petey Greene gave voice to those often unheard –– speaking truth to power on his raw and often uncensored programs. His explosive language and brash style shocked the world as he battled both the system and his own demons on a journey to becoming a leading activist during some of the most tumultuous years in history.
ARUSI PERSIAN WEDDING byMarjan Tehrani (Documentary; 60 minutes) Alex and Heather wanted a traditional wedding in a warm, far-off location. But they didn’t choose the Caribbean. Set against the backdrop of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iranian American filmmaker Marjan Tehrani captures the couple’s struggle and excitement of planning a Persian Islamic wedding in Iran. But its when Alex’s Iranian-born parents and Heather’s conservative American father meet for the first time when cultures truly clash and test the couple to their limits.
ASK NOT by Johnny Symons (Documentary; 60 minutes) Everyone knows the U.S. Army recruitment poster of Uncle Sam saying “We Want You!” Well maybe he should also say, “unless you’re openly gay!” ASK NOTlooks at the tangled political battles that led to the infa- mous “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy and reveals the personal stories of gay Americans who serve in combat under a veil of secrecy.
AT HOME IN UTOPIA byMichal Goldman and Ellen Brodsky (Documentary; 60 minutes) Ahome of one’s own: that’s the American dream. But what happens when the dreamers are immigrants, factory workers and Communists? Director Michal Goldman traces the history of ‘The Coops,’ a cooperative apartment complex built in the Bronx in the 1920s by visionary Jewish garment work- ers. An epic tale of the struggle for equity and justice, the film tracks the rise and fall of a community from the 1920s into the 1950s, paying close atten- tion to the passions that bound them together and tore them apart.
THE ATOM SMASHERS by Clayton Brown, Monica Ross and Andrew Suprenant (Documentary; 60 minutes) One of the best-kept secrets in the universe is about to be discovered behind the doors of a premier U.S. government research laboratory. But with costly military conflicts, natural disasters and a growing national deficit, the lab struggles to stay alive. Will the discovery happen before the funds run out? Or will America slip behind and watch the greatest minds in physics drift across the Atlantic, closing a great chapter in American scientific progress?
DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT: ANation’s Journey by Sabiha Sumar (Documentary; 60 minutes) America’sfriend or foe? Dictator or liberator? Acclaimed journalist Sabiha Sumar sits down with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to find out. In an intimate and hard-hitting interview, the president discusses his vision for the future of Pakistan, its people and reveals childhood stories that have shaped him into the leader he is today.
DOC by Immy Humes (Documentary; 60 minutes) In post-war America, everyone said Doc Humes was going to be the next great American something: writer, director, scientist, madman, traitor. Whether founding the Paris Review or getting arrested at protests, Doc was at the center of the Beat movement, a genius convinced that he could create a better world. What happened to Doc is the story of what tore an entire generation apart, seen through the lens of memory, missing clues and the files of the FBI.
GREYGARDENS: From East Hampton to Broadway by Kelly and Lou Gonda with Albert Maysles (Documenatary; 60 minutes) How did two women living in complete squalor and isolation become legendary icons? Captured in the 1975 Albert Maysles cult film, Grey Gardens, Edith Beale and her daughter Edie –– aunt and cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis –– were revealed to be a rare and engaging mother-daughter act. This unique documentary looks at how their lives set the stage for a Broadway musical and transformed the art, entertainment and fashion community.
HELVETICA by Gary Hustwit (Documentaary; 60 minutes) You can’t escape if you try –– it’s on the subway, U.S. mailboxes, IRS tax forms, and spells out countless corporate logos from Target to Crate & Barrel to Fendi. No doubt, Helvetica is the king of fonts. But why? To find the answer, first-time Director Gary Hustwit meets with historians and designers whose passions run high for fonts and dis- covers a typeface either loved for its clean simplicity or loathed for its corporate conformity.
I.O.U.S.A. by Patrick Creadon and Christine O’Malley (Documentary; 90 minutes) Wake up, America! We’re on the brink of a financial meltdown. Veteran filmmaker Patrick Creadon (WORDPLAY) boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences. As the Baby Boomer generation prepares to retire, will there even be any Social Security benefits left to collect? Burdened with an ever-expand- ing government and military, overextended entitlement programs and debts to for- eign countries, America must mend its ways or face an economic disaster of epic proportions.
KNEE DEEP by Michael Chandler (Documentary; 90 minutes) Josh Osborne has a sixth grade education, a conniving girlfriend and a group of friends all too willing to help him with his simple plan –– to kill mom and keep the farm. Proving that truth is often stranger than fiction, Josh con- cocts a dim-witted murder plot that doesn’t go exactly as planned. But will he get away with it and get the farm?
LAKSHMI AND ME by Nishtha Jain (Documentary; 60 minutes) Have you ever dreamed of being waited on hand and foot? For the past six years, Lakshmi has been doing just that for her employers –– virtually unnoticed. That is, until one of Lakshmi’s employers begins to film her daily life on the job and on the streets of Mumbai, India. In a deeply personal portrait, the film takes a hard look at the caste system and how Lakshmi manages to flourish despite such social boundaries.
LIONESS by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers (Documentary; 90 minutes) Imagine being in war-torn Iraq but not allowed to fight back. The soldiers of “Team Lioness” face this struggle on a daily basis for one reason alone –– because they are women. Directors Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers give an intimate look at war through the eyes of women and the U.S. military policy that bans them from combat. Through personal stories, these women share what it is like as mothers, daughters and soldiers caught in the middle of a combat mission that they’re not even supposed to be on.
MADE IN AMERICA by Stacy Peralta (Documentary; 90 minutes) It’s a civil war that’s lasted 40 years. Passed down from son to son. Fought eye for an eye. Over 15,000 dead and counting, while the world stands by. Welcome to South Central Los Angeles. But what’sat root of this long-standing battle? Filmmaker Stacy Peralta hits the streets of Los Angles to find out and speaks with former and current members of the Bloods and the Crips, two of the most violent street gangs in America.
MARCH POINT by Tracy Rector & Annie Silverstein, with Longhouse Media (Documentary; 60 minutes) Cody, Nick and Travis, three teens from the Swinomish Tribe, wanted to make a gangster movie or rap video. But instead become intrigued by two large oil refineries on their tribal communi- ty land. What they discover is shocking –– a toxic facility pumping dangerous pollutants into their backyard. In a quest for answers, the boys travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with health officials and politicians and reveal the power of determination.
MILKING THE RHINO ByDavid E. Simpson with Kartemquin Films (Documentary; 90 minutes) Everyone has seen a nature documentary with a ferocious kill on the Serengeti Plain or about the endangered species of Africa. Well, here’s a different story about the villagers navigating the dangers and costs of living with wildlife. After a century of “white man conserva- tion,” the Maasai of Kenya and Namibia’s Himba are vying to share a piece of the wildlife tourism pie. But can they fulfill the expectations of Westerners without sacrificing deep cultural change?
OPERATION FILMMAKER by Nina Davenport (Documentary; 90 minutes) In the wake of Operation Iraqi Freedom, American actor Liev Schreiber had an idealistic notion: to rescue an Iraqi film student and bring him to the set of a Hollywood movie (Everything Is Illuminated). It promised to be a heartwarming tale, a small victory out of the trou- bled mission of the U.S. war in Iraq. But as in the war itself, "good" intentions yielded unintended consequences, and even this opera- tion doesn't go according to plan.
THE ORDER OF MYTHS by Margaret Brown (Documentary; 90 minutes) The appalling doctrine, “separate but equal” ended in the 1950s, right? Think again. At America’s oldest Mardi Gras –– celebrated each year in Mobile, Alabama –– events remain segregated between white and black residents. Beneath the surface of pageantry, lies a complex story about race relations and the ever-present racial divide that exists in America today.
OUR DISAPPEARED/NUESTROS DESAPARECIDOS by Juan Mandelbaum (Documentary; 90 minutes) What if someone you loved just disappeared? Director Juan Mandelbaum returns to his native Argentina to discover what hap- pened to friends and loved ones who were among the "desapareci- dos" –– those kidnapped by his country’s own military. His journey reveals the depths of terror that they experienced and the continued fight for justice.
RECYCLE by Mahmoud Al Massad (Documentary; 90 minutes) Travel shotgun with ex-Mujahideen fighter Abu Amar and his son through the chaotic streets of Zarqa, Jordan –– a hotbed of political extremism and birthplace of the infamous al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Follow Amar’s daily life as he scours the streets collecting cardboard to recycle and struggles with his faith and social realities of life in the Middle East.
STEALAPENCILFOR ME by Michele Ohayon (Documentary; 60 minutes) They say, “Love conquers all.” Or at least that’s what Jack Polak thought while struggling for survival in a Nazi concentration camp. Academy Award-nominee Michele Ohayon tells this daring tale of love and romance in which Jack, his wife and the woman of his dreams end up living in the same barracks. Fed up with an unhappy marriage, Jack begins to secretly write love letters to his dream woman and quickly discovers how love empowers his will to live.
STRANDED: The Andes Plane Crash Survivors by Gonzalo Arijon (Documentary; 120 minutes) How far would you go to stay alive? The survivors of the well-known 1972 Andes plane crash recall what it took to survive in the mountains for over 60 days. What they reveal is a story about one of humanity’sgreatest taboos and one that asks the question, what would you do?
TAKING ROOT: The Vision of Wangari Maathai by Alan Dater and Lisa Merton (Documentary; 60 minutes) Planting trees is not something anyone would imagine as the first step toward winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet with that simple act, Wangari Maathai did just that. Proving nothing is impossible, she set out to stop the deforestation of her home country of Kenya, ensure equality between men and women, defend human rights and promote democracy –– all sprouting from the achiev- able act of planting trees.
TULIA, TEXAS by Cassandra Herman and Kelly Whalen (Dcoumentary; 60 minutes) It was one of the biggest drug stings in Texas history. By the end of the blazing summer of 1999, Thomas Coleman and his drug task force rounded up and arrested dozens of mostly African American residents of the small farming town of Tulia. But in the war on drugs, is this the outcome the residents of Tulia really hoped for?
WINGS OF DEFEAT byRisa Morimoto (Documentary; 60 minutes) What were the Japanese kamikazes thinking just before crashing into their targets? When Risa Morimoto discovered that her beloved uncle trained as a kamikaze pilot in his youth, she won- dered the same thing. Through rare interviews with surviving kamikaze pilots, Morimoto retraces their journeys from teenagers to doomed pilots and reveals a complex history of brutal training and ambivalent sacrifice.
WONDERS ARE MANY:The Making of Doctor Atomic by Jon Else (Doxumentary; 90 minutes) When most people think of opera, they imagine classical epics with portly characters belting out Italian. Well, here is an opera that changes all the rules. Director Jon Else (OPEN OUTCRY), follows Composer John Adams and Director Peter Sellars as they create “Doctor Atomic,” an ‘explosive’ tale about the two weeks leading up to the first- ever atomic bomb test. Scripted with actual letters written by the scientists, emotions run high and ethics are questioned.
