During our time at San Diego Comic-Con, we got the chance to sit down with the directors of the Lego Brickumentary and a Lego brick artist. Come inside to check out the interviews!
When I was contacted by their PR rep I immediately jumped at the chance to interview Oscar-Winning, Daniel Junge and Oscar-Nominated Director, Kief Davidson. As an added bonus I also got to speak with Lego brick artist, Nathan Sawaya.
In the past Daniel Junge has worked on documentary such as Iron Ladies of Liberia, They Killed Sister Dorothy, Saving Face and Fight Church to name a few. Co-director, Keif Davidson is best known for his work on The Devil’s Miner, Kassim the Dream and Open Heart. Check out my interview with them below.
As aforementioned, I also spoke to former former lawyer turned award-winning brick artist, Nathan Sawaya. Not only does he work on his own...
When I was contacted by their PR rep I immediately jumped at the chance to interview Oscar-Winning, Daniel Junge and Oscar-Nominated Director, Kief Davidson. As an added bonus I also got to speak with Lego brick artist, Nathan Sawaya.
In the past Daniel Junge has worked on documentary such as Iron Ladies of Liberia, They Killed Sister Dorothy, Saving Face and Fight Church to name a few. Co-director, Keif Davidson is best known for his work on The Devil’s Miner, Kassim the Dream and Open Heart. Check out my interview with them below.
As aforementioned, I also spoke to former former lawyer turned award-winning brick artist, Nathan Sawaya. Not only does he work on his own...
- 7/15/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Mike Petty)
- Cinelinx
Daredevil documentary played at Sundance and SXSW.
K5 International has mounted Being Evel, the Sundance and SXSW documentary about 1970s daredevil Robert ‘Evel’ Knievel.
The firm will be selling the doc feature at the Cannes Marche from this week.
The film, directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Junge (Saving Face, They Killed Sister Dorothy), tells the story of the extreme sports pioneer as well as the untold, darker tale of the man behind the cape - a one-time outlaw whose wildly dangerous career spanned 75 ramp-to-ramp motorbike jumps and saw him break every bone in his body.
The doc includes interviews with Johnny Knoxville, Tony Hawk and George Hamilton.
Being Evel is produced by History Films along with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine and Mat Hoffman from Dickhouse Productions, and Brendan Kiernan and Justin Moore-Lewy at HeLo.
Executive producers are Molly Thompson, Susan Werbe, Dirk Hoogstra, Robert Lewis and George Hamilton.
K5 International has mounted Being Evel, the Sundance and SXSW documentary about 1970s daredevil Robert ‘Evel’ Knievel.
The firm will be selling the doc feature at the Cannes Marche from this week.
The film, directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Junge (Saving Face, They Killed Sister Dorothy), tells the story of the extreme sports pioneer as well as the untold, darker tale of the man behind the cape - a one-time outlaw whose wildly dangerous career spanned 75 ramp-to-ramp motorbike jumps and saw him break every bone in his body.
The doc includes interviews with Johnny Knoxville, Tony Hawk and George Hamilton.
Being Evel is produced by History Films along with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine and Mat Hoffman from Dickhouse Productions, and Brendan Kiernan and Justin Moore-Lewy at HeLo.
Executive producers are Molly Thompson, Susan Werbe, Dirk Hoogstra, Robert Lewis and George Hamilton.
- 5/12/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Junge (Iron Ladies of Liberia) was in Austin last month for the SXSW screenings of Being Evel, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2015. The documentary highlights the dynamic and stark reality behind icon Evel Knievel, who launched his stunt cycle in the 60s and 70s, inspiring generations and impacting the daredevil culture.
Junge's short film Saving Face, which follows the heart-wrenching experiences of acid attack survivors in Pakistan, won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short as well as an Emmy for Best Documentary. His film They Killed Sister Dorothy, which documented the murder of 73-year-old activist Catholic nun Sister Dorothy Stang, won the SXSW Grand Jury and Audience awards in 2008. His most recent documentary Beyond the Brick: A Lego Brickumentary premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and is set to be released by Radius/Weinstein.
Junge hosted a Q&A session after all three of...
Junge's short film Saving Face, which follows the heart-wrenching experiences of acid attack survivors in Pakistan, won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short as well as an Emmy for Best Documentary. His film They Killed Sister Dorothy, which documented the murder of 73-year-old activist Catholic nun Sister Dorothy Stang, won the SXSW Grand Jury and Audience awards in 2008. His most recent documentary Beyond the Brick: A Lego Brickumentary premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and is set to be released by Radius/Weinstein.
Junge hosted a Q&A session after all three of...
- 4/6/2015
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Evel Knievel is synonymous with daredevil, but unless you saw him at his heights in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it's difficult to imagine how he built that reputation into something millions of people actually cared about. Beginning with Knievel's disastrous attempt to jump the fountains at Caesar's Palace in 1967—which made him a star once it aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports—millions tuned into his stunts to see if he could defy death one more time. In Being Evel, the documentary that debuts on Jan. 25 at the Sundance Film Festival, director Daniel Junge (They Killed Sister Dorothy...
- 1/21/2015
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
When it comes to documentaries, I feel that if it does not stick with you the way a fictional movie would then it did not do it's job successfully. There are countless documentaries that haunt me to this day: Marjoe, Paradise Lost, Gray Matter, They Killed Sister Dorothy, Tarnation, and Dear Zachary, just to name a few. The Imposter looks bound to join that list. Synopsis: A gripping thriller straight out of real life, The Imposter is an original film experience that walks...
- 7/18/2012
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
"Saving Face," this year's Academy Award-winning short documentary, will have its broadcast premiere on HBO March 8 at 8:30pm, coinciding with International Women's Day. The film's had an unusually straightforward path to its cable TV bow, skipping the festival circuit for the awards one after its qualifying run, and recently playing in theaters as part of the Oscar shorts program. "Saving Face" explores the harrowing stories of Pakistani women who've been maimed by acid attacks, often at the hands of their spouses or family members, focusing on 39-year-old Zakia, whose husband threw acid on her after she asked for a divorce, and 25-year-old Rukhsana, whose husband and in-laws threw acid and gasoline on her and then set her on fire. Over 150 such attacks occur in Pakistan each year, and more are believed to go unreported. Director Daniel Junge ("They Killed Sister Dorothy") first learned about acid violence...
- 3/7/2012
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
"Bay of All Saints" director Annie Eastman was an associate producer on "They Killed Sister Dorothy" (SXSW 2008) and production coordinator and assistant editor on the Oscar-nominated "The Last Campaign of Governer Booth Gardner" (2010). While studying Biology in college, she discovered Capoeira, which led her to making "Bay of All Saints." What it's about: As the last of the notorious water slums is demolished in Bahia, Brazil, will three single mothers face homelessness or rally for a better life? Annie explains the journey that led to "Bay of All Saints": I became enamored of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art from the slave culture of Brazil. I began shaping my life to practicing Capoiera and went to live for 18 months in a slum in Bahia, Brazil, working as a volunteer for a community-run arts organization. It was there where I first came upon the water slums, they were just meters away from where I lived.
- 3/2/2012
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Sundance Selects has acquired worldwide rights to Aj Schnack’s “Convention.” The documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the city of Denver’s efforts as it prepared to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Schnack's third nonfiction feature is a collaboration with celebrated filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert (“A Lion in the House,” “The Last Truck: Closing of a Gm Plant”), Laura Poitras (“My Country, My Country,” “The Oath”), Paul Taylor (“We Are Together”) and Daniel Junge (“They Killed Sister Dorothy,” “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”).
Schnack's third nonfiction feature is a collaboration with celebrated filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert (“A Lion in the House,” “The Last Truck: Closing of a Gm Plant”), Laura Poitras (“My Country, My Country,” “The Oath”), Paul Taylor (“We Are Together”) and Daniel Junge (“They Killed Sister Dorothy,” “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”).
- 4/6/2010
- Moving Pictures Magazine
The only big film festival in my own backyard is back and it runs from November 12th through the 22nd. While it caters more to heavy run fest material and arthouse film, they do have some of the more interesting films playing this year:
Ryan Ward's excellent Son of the Sunshine which is one of my favorite films of the year. (review)
The weird, lengthy comedy The Revenant (review)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
and much more. Program after the break!
In Competition
Children of Invention
Two first-generation Chinese kids in suburban Boston find themselves on their own after their desperate mother is unwittingly involved in a pyramid scheme and arrested. Older brother Raymond takes a page from her marketing seminars to start creating a life for himself and his sister - casting a strange, pint-sized reflection on the American Dream.
Footprints...
Ryan Ward's excellent Son of the Sunshine which is one of my favorite films of the year. (review)
The weird, lengthy comedy The Revenant (review)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
and much more. Program after the break!
In Competition
Children of Invention
Two first-generation Chinese kids in suburban Boston find themselves on their own after their desperate mother is unwittingly involved in a pyramid scheme and arrested. Older brother Raymond takes a page from her marketing seminars to start creating a life for himself and his sister - casting a strange, pint-sized reflection on the American Dream.
Footprints...
- 10/26/2009
- QuietEarth.us
The world premiere of Aj Schnack's "Convention" will serve as the Centerpiece Screening at the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival, which runs June 8- 22 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in the Washington, D.C., area.
For "Convention," Schnack assembled a crew of documentary filmmakers to tell the story of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. They include Laura Poitras ("My Country, My Country"), Paul Taylor ("We Are Together"), Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar ("A Lion in the House"), and Daniel Junge ("They Killed Sister Dorothy").
Most of the filmmakers will be in attendance and will present a special "Doc Talk" on ensemble filmmaking as part of the Silverdocs International Documentary Conference.
"While all filmmaking is a collaboration, it has never been so eloquently realized than in 'Convention,' where some of today's most exciting and talented filmmakers share in the collective spirit of documentary filmmaking to...
For "Convention," Schnack assembled a crew of documentary filmmakers to tell the story of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. They include Laura Poitras ("My Country, My Country"), Paul Taylor ("We Are Together"), Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar ("A Lion in the House"), and Daniel Junge ("They Killed Sister Dorothy").
Most of the filmmakers will be in attendance and will present a special "Doc Talk" on ensemble filmmaking as part of the Silverdocs International Documentary Conference.
"While all filmmaking is a collaboration, it has never been so eloquently realized than in 'Convention,' where some of today's most exciting and talented filmmakers share in the collective spirit of documentary filmmaking to...
- 6/10/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Daniel Junge’s documentary “They Killed Sister Dorothy”—which received the Grand Jury and Audience awards for Best Documentary Feature at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival—examines the circumstances surrounding the murder of Dorothy Stange, a 73-year-old nun from Ohio living in Brazil, who was shot six times at point-blank range and left to die on a road in the Amazon jungle. When her brother travels to Brazil in search of answers, his investigation …...
- 3/25/2009
- indieWIRE - People
Daniel Junge’s documentary “They Killed Sister Dorothy”—which received the Grand Jury and Audience awards for Best Documentary Feature at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival—examines the circumstances surrounding the murder of Dorothy Stange, a 73-year-old nun from Ohio living in Brazil, who was shot six times at point-blank range and left to die on a road in the Amazon jungle. When her brother travels to Brazil in search of answers, his investigation …...
- 3/25/2009
- indieWIRE - People
One of SXSW's prize winning documentaries is finally coming to the masses. This Wednesday (March 25), HBO2 will be premiering Daniel Junge's documentary They Killed Sister Dorothy at 8:00/9:30 p.m Et/Pt. It will get a handful of replays, so check HBO's schedule and your local listings if you miss it on the first try.
Junge's documentary examines the life and brutal murder of Sister Dorothy Stang, a 73-year-old nun from Ohio who was shot to death in an Amazon jungle. Three men were eventually convicted of killing her, and the Brazilian government stepped up to continue her work in preserving the Amazon rainforest.
Kim Voynar reviewed the documentary at SXSW last year, and was full of praise for its tight style and clear narrative: "They Killed Sister Dorothy isn't just a film about a nun thwarting the attempts of honest ranchers to simply make a living; at its heart,...
Junge's documentary examines the life and brutal murder of Sister Dorothy Stang, a 73-year-old nun from Ohio who was shot to death in an Amazon jungle. Three men were eventually convicted of killing her, and the Brazilian government stepped up to continue her work in preserving the Amazon rainforest.
Kim Voynar reviewed the documentary at SXSW last year, and was full of praise for its tight style and clear narrative: "They Killed Sister Dorothy isn't just a film about a nun thwarting the attempts of honest ranchers to simply make a living; at its heart,...
- 3/24/2009
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- Cinematical
South By Southwest (SXSW), the yearly music, film and interactive festival in Austin, Texas, is gradually becoming a more relevant festival for filmmakers to debut their films. Several big-name and indie films will premiere there this year.
Last year at SXSW, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Humboldt County," a high school politics documentary "Frontrunners" and two documentaries, "They Killed Sister Dorothy" and "One Minute to Nine," were shown. All films were picked up by distributors; HBO picked up the docs, Magnolia took "Humbolt County," and Oscilloscope took "Frontrunners."
As for big-name films, last year Columbia premiered the blackjack drama "21" at SXSW. New Line Cinemas debuted "Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay."
"In the last few years, South By [aka SXSW] is breaking out of the impression people have had of it as a regional event and is become a tastemaking festival," Producer Thomas Woodrow told the Hollywood Reporter. Woodrow chose to debut his movie,...
Last year at SXSW, according to the Hollywood Reporter, "Humboldt County," a high school politics documentary "Frontrunners" and two documentaries, "They Killed Sister Dorothy" and "One Minute to Nine," were shown. All films were picked up by distributors; HBO picked up the docs, Magnolia took "Humbolt County," and Oscilloscope took "Frontrunners."
As for big-name films, last year Columbia premiered the blackjack drama "21" at SXSW. New Line Cinemas debuted "Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay."
"In the last few years, South By [aka SXSW] is breaking out of the impression people have had of it as a regional event and is become a tastemaking festival," Producer Thomas Woodrow told the Hollywood Reporter. Woodrow chose to debut his movie,...
- 3/17/2009
- icelebz.com
When producer Thomas Woodrow began debating the ideal launchpad for his movie "True Adolescents," he ran through the usual festival suspects: Sundance, Cannes, Toronto and Telluride.
But Woodrow decided to premiere his $1 million comedy featuring Oscar nominee Melissa Leo at South by Southwest, a fest that until recently was known as an afterthought to the powerhouse music event that runs alongside it.
Sure, "Adolescents" is music-oriented, aimed at the same young, hip audience that flocks to Austin each March, and its star, Mark Duplass, is well-known locally.
But more importantly, "the fact a golden handful of distributors who are potential partners are certainly going to be there made it the obvious choice," Woodrow says.
His decision to go with South by Southwest (SXSW or "South By," as it is known) reflects the increasing relevance of the fest heading into its 16th go-round, which begins today and runs through March 21.
Although hardly a busy acquisitions market,...
But Woodrow decided to premiere his $1 million comedy featuring Oscar nominee Melissa Leo at South by Southwest, a fest that until recently was known as an afterthought to the powerhouse music event that runs alongside it.
Sure, "Adolescents" is music-oriented, aimed at the same young, hip audience that flocks to Austin each March, and its star, Mark Duplass, is well-known locally.
But more importantly, "the fact a golden handful of distributors who are potential partners are certainly going to be there made it the obvious choice," Woodrow says.
His decision to go with South by Southwest (SXSW or "South By," as it is known) reflects the increasing relevance of the fest heading into its 16th go-round, which begins today and runs through March 21.
Although hardly a busy acquisitions market,...
- 3/12/2009
- by By Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Sunday at True/False, filmmaker/blogger Aj Schnack screened the first thirty minutes of Convention, his verite-style film documenting the 2008 Democratic National Convention with an eye on the Denver locals (politicians, city administrators, journalists, protesters) who were in the mix. Shot by Schnack in collaboration with nearly a dozen documentarians (including the Oscar-nominated directors Laura Poitras and Julia Reichert, and Daniel Junge, who directed the Oscar-shortlisted They Killed Sister Dorothy), the film's making-of process was almost as much of a serendipity-dependent feat of execution as the event captured on screen. As his, uh, primary inspiration, Schnack cites Robert Drew's Primary, a Direct Cinema landmark documenting the Wisconsin primary race between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. The first Ame ...
- 3/4/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the 49 songs that will be competing for the five Original Song nominations at the 2009 Oscars. Of the bunch I have placed in bold lettering the five songs nominated by the Hfpa for the Golden Globes. I have no personal favorite and am not even a big fan of Springsteen's "The Wrestler". I will say I saw Gran Torino last night and Eastwood's song is awfully rough both literally and figuratively. However, since he's The Boss, I am going to have to say I am assuming Springsteen will be taking home some golden hardware this year. On Tuesday, January 6, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the Music Branch in Los Angeles. Following the screenings, members will vote to determine which three, four or five songs become nominees in the category. Just so you know,...
- 12/17/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
For a lot of movie geeks, it's unnerving when the Oscar nominations are announced and there are films on the list that we haven't seen. (Except for the short-film categories, because no one's seen those.) This happens most regularly with documentaries, which often play only for a week or two at the local art house, if they play there at all.
On Jan. 8-10, Tribeca Cinemas in Manhattan will do its part to help this problem by screening six of the 15 docs that are on the shortlist for the Oscar nomination. The filmmakers, all of whom are alumni of the Tribeca Film Festival, will be on hand to present their work and participate in Q-and-a's. The event is sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute and Gucci (because when you think of high-quality documentary filmmaking, you think of Gucci).
The films on the schedule are: At the Death House Door (about...
On Jan. 8-10, Tribeca Cinemas in Manhattan will do its part to help this problem by screening six of the 15 docs that are on the shortlist for the Oscar nomination. The filmmakers, all of whom are alumni of the Tribeca Film Festival, will be on hand to present their work and participate in Q-and-a's. The event is sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute and Gucci (because when you think of high-quality documentary filmmaking, you think of Gucci).
The films on the schedule are: At the Death House Door (about...
- 12/16/2008
- by Eric D. Snider
- Cinematical
Forty-nine songs have been deemed eligible to compete in the best original song category at the 81st Annual Academy Awards.
"High School Musical 3: Senior Year" led the potential hit list by qualifying 11 tunes. Its nearest competitor is "Repo! The Genetic Opera," which is represented by three songs. A maximum of two songs can be nominated from any one film.
On Jan. 6, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the music branch in Los Angeles. Members then will vote to determine which three to five should become nominees in the category. A DVD copy of the song clips will be made available to those branch members who are unable to attend the screening.
The eligible songs are listed on the next page.
"Another Way to Die" from "Quantum of Solace"
"Barking at the Moon" from "Bolt...
"High School Musical 3: Senior Year" led the potential hit list by qualifying 11 tunes. Its nearest competitor is "Repo! The Genetic Opera," which is represented by three songs. A maximum of two songs can be nominated from any one film.
On Jan. 6, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the music branch in Los Angeles. Members then will vote to determine which three to five should become nominees in the category. A DVD copy of the song clips will be made available to those branch members who are unable to attend the screening.
The eligible songs are listed on the next page.
"Another Way to Die" from "Quantum of Solace"
"Barking at the Moon" from "Bolt...
- 12/16/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The list of the 15 possible Oscar-nominated documentaries has been released by AMPAS, and unlike previous years, I've only seen a couple of these. I've heard of a few more, but for whatever reason, they have either not made it to me of I've not made it to them.
That puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to handicapping the race. About all I can say is that I really enjoyed I.O.U.S.A. and was educated by it, and I think Man on Wire is one of the five best movies of any kind I've seen all year. Incidentally, it also has the highest rating ever on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's the whole list:
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
Encounters at the End of the World
Fuel
The Garden
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
I.O.
That puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to handicapping the race. About all I can say is that I really enjoyed I.O.U.S.A. and was educated by it, and I think Man on Wire is one of the five best movies of any kind I've seen all year. Incidentally, it also has the highest rating ever on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's the whole list:
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
Encounters at the End of the World
Fuel
The Garden
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
I.O.
- 11/19/2008
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
The Academy has just sent over the list of 15 documentary films up for nomination in the Documentary Feature category for the 81st Academy Awards. A record 94 pictures had originally qualified in the category and I am actually quite shocked Bill Maher's Religulous is not among the list of contenders. However, I am not a huge documentary watcher so my opinion here is not exactly the best. The 15 films in contention are listed below in alphabetical order: At the Death House Door The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh Encounters at the End of the World Fuel The Garden Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts I.O.U.S.A. In a Dream Made in America Man on Wire Pray the Devil Back to Hell Standard Operating Procedure They Killed Sister Dorothy Trouble the Water The Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed...
- 11/18/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Errol Morris, on Oscar winner in 2004 for his documentary "The Fog of War," has made the cut that could lead to another Academy Award nomination for his latest film, "Standard Operating Procedure," a study of torture in Abu Ghraib in Iraq.
Morris' film, from Participant and Sony Pictures Classics, is one of 15 films that have made it through a preliminary round of voting by the Academy's documentary branch steering committee and are now eligible to compete for one of the five nominations in the feature documentary category.
Bill Maher's "Religulous," the top-grossing doc of the year with $12.6 million domestically, failed to make the list, though plenty of other hot-button topics were represented.
Joshua Tickell's "Fuel" looks at the energy crisis; Patrick Creadon's "I.O.U.S.A.," from Roadside Attractions, takes on the credit crunch; Peter Gilbert and Steve James' "At the Death House Door" examines a case of capital punishment...
Morris' film, from Participant and Sony Pictures Classics, is one of 15 films that have made it through a preliminary round of voting by the Academy's documentary branch steering committee and are now eligible to compete for one of the five nominations in the feature documentary category.
Bill Maher's "Religulous," the top-grossing doc of the year with $12.6 million domestically, failed to make the list, though plenty of other hot-button topics were represented.
Joshua Tickell's "Fuel" looks at the energy crisis; Patrick Creadon's "I.O.U.S.A.," from Roadside Attractions, takes on the credit crunch; Peter Gilbert and Steve James' "At the Death House Door" examines a case of capital punishment...
- 11/17/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago -- "Hunger," a U.K./Ireland film, won the Gold Hugo at the 44th annual Chicago International Film Festival.
Directed by Steve McQueen, the film about a hunger strike in Northern Ireland's Hm Prison Maze in 1981 was singled out by the festival jury Saturday for its "uncompromisingly disturbing story of the courage to fight for one's belief."
The festival, which began Oct. 16, concludes Wednesday.
In the documentary category, a U.S. film, "Valentino: The Last Emperor," won the Gold Hugo. Directed by Matt Tymauer, it is a glimpse into the life of fashion designer Valentino Garavani.
"Tokyo Sonata" (Japan/Netherlands/Hong Kong), directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, won the Grand Jury Prize. The film used the story of a humble family as a metaphor for global anxieties.
Henrik Ruben Genz won a Silver Hugo for direction for "Terribly Happy" (Denmark), a genre mix centering on a Copenhagen policeman who is re-assigned to a provincial town.
Directed by Steve McQueen, the film about a hunger strike in Northern Ireland's Hm Prison Maze in 1981 was singled out by the festival jury Saturday for its "uncompromisingly disturbing story of the courage to fight for one's belief."
The festival, which began Oct. 16, concludes Wednesday.
In the documentary category, a U.S. film, "Valentino: The Last Emperor," won the Gold Hugo. Directed by Matt Tymauer, it is a glimpse into the life of fashion designer Valentino Garavani.
"Tokyo Sonata" (Japan/Netherlands/Hong Kong), directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, won the Grand Jury Prize. The film used the story of a humble family as a metaphor for global anxieties.
Henrik Ruben Genz won a Silver Hugo for direction for "Terribly Happy" (Denmark), a genre mix centering on a Copenhagen policeman who is re-assigned to a provincial town.
- 10/26/2008
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
South by Southwest
AUSTIN -- Winner of both the grand jury and audience favorite documentary feature awards at this year's South by Southwest film festival, They Killed Sister Dorothy begins modestly, with a TV-friendly presentation of a politically motivated murder.
But the familiar feel (which likely limits commercial prospects to the small screen) eventually gives way to a chunk of footage in the second half that is so captivating it's almost hard to believe.
Narrated by Martin Sheen, Sister Dorothy investigates the murder of an American nun and environmentalist who had spent so long in the Brazilian rain forest that she became a citizen of the country. Working for three decades with poverty-level farmers, Dorothy Stang made it her life's work to push forward a governmental initiative aimed at helping Brazilians make a living from small, dedicated plots of forest while sustaining the woodland's overall growth. This happens in an area where even bureaucrats often have no way of knowing whose property claims are legitimate, and the approach to law enforcement is frequently compared to the Wild West. Stang's mission was bound to provoke powerful ranchers whose wealth depended on exploiting vast swaths of land.
Filmmaker Daniel Junge follows Stang's brother David (a missionary himself) as he comes to Brazil to investigate her murder: Men have been charged in what's being described as a spontaneous act of violence, but Dorothy's friends are certain the killers actually were hired by a shadowy network of businessmen who had been trying to intimidate her. Only with great effort is David Able to find prosecutors willing to pursue this claim, and even then the outlook is bleak: The ranchers are well connected with local judges and lawyers who erect seemingly impossible barriers to prosecution.
If this story line is blood-boiling, it also resembles many stories of outrage and denied justice -- until we begin to spend time with the lawyers on the other side of the case. Men of such extravagant sliminess that they seem like fictional characters, they have an open contempt for the idea that law should be about justice. It's hard to believe they were so overconfident that they allowed outsiders to film many of their private negotiations.
Getting into the lawyers' office was a coup, but being able to follow them into court -- where the trial is shot with what appears to be a remarkable freedom of access -- is what makes the film worthwhile. There, the defense team engages in tactics so over the top that you wouldn't believe them in a Hollywood drama: They go so far as to paint the victim as a murderous ganglord and try to associate her with Bush administration policies in Iraq and Guantanamo that she had in fact protested.
It's riveting stuff, painting a vivid picture of just what kind of corrupt system Dorothy Stang lost her life opposing.
THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY
Just Media
Credits:
Director: Daniel Junge
Producers: Henry Ansbacher, Nigel Noble
Directors of photography: Marcela Bourseau & Daniel Junge
Music: Pedro Bromfman
Editor: Davis Coombe
Running time -- 94 minutes
No MPAA rating...
AUSTIN -- Winner of both the grand jury and audience favorite documentary feature awards at this year's South by Southwest film festival, They Killed Sister Dorothy begins modestly, with a TV-friendly presentation of a politically motivated murder.
But the familiar feel (which likely limits commercial prospects to the small screen) eventually gives way to a chunk of footage in the second half that is so captivating it's almost hard to believe.
Narrated by Martin Sheen, Sister Dorothy investigates the murder of an American nun and environmentalist who had spent so long in the Brazilian rain forest that she became a citizen of the country. Working for three decades with poverty-level farmers, Dorothy Stang made it her life's work to push forward a governmental initiative aimed at helping Brazilians make a living from small, dedicated plots of forest while sustaining the woodland's overall growth. This happens in an area where even bureaucrats often have no way of knowing whose property claims are legitimate, and the approach to law enforcement is frequently compared to the Wild West. Stang's mission was bound to provoke powerful ranchers whose wealth depended on exploiting vast swaths of land.
Filmmaker Daniel Junge follows Stang's brother David (a missionary himself) as he comes to Brazil to investigate her murder: Men have been charged in what's being described as a spontaneous act of violence, but Dorothy's friends are certain the killers actually were hired by a shadowy network of businessmen who had been trying to intimidate her. Only with great effort is David Able to find prosecutors willing to pursue this claim, and even then the outlook is bleak: The ranchers are well connected with local judges and lawyers who erect seemingly impossible barriers to prosecution.
If this story line is blood-boiling, it also resembles many stories of outrage and denied justice -- until we begin to spend time with the lawyers on the other side of the case. Men of such extravagant sliminess that they seem like fictional characters, they have an open contempt for the idea that law should be about justice. It's hard to believe they were so overconfident that they allowed outsiders to film many of their private negotiations.
Getting into the lawyers' office was a coup, but being able to follow them into court -- where the trial is shot with what appears to be a remarkable freedom of access -- is what makes the film worthwhile. There, the defense team engages in tactics so over the top that you wouldn't believe them in a Hollywood drama: They go so far as to paint the victim as a murderous ganglord and try to associate her with Bush administration policies in Iraq and Guantanamo that she had in fact protested.
It's riveting stuff, painting a vivid picture of just what kind of corrupt system Dorothy Stang lost her life opposing.
THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY
Just Media
Credits:
Director: Daniel Junge
Producers: Henry Ansbacher, Nigel Noble
Directors of photography: Marcela Bourseau & Daniel Junge
Music: Pedro Bromfman
Editor: Davis Coombe
Running time -- 94 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 3/27/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screenings for the 2008 Sxsw Film Festival (as well as our coverage here at Ifc.com) will carry on as the music contingent rolls into Austin, but last night, the winners of the jury and audience awards were announced.
Daniel Junge's "They Killed Sister Dorothy," about the murder of activist Dorothy Mae Stang, received both the jury and audience prizes for best documentary, while on the narrative side, Jake Mahaffy's "Wellness" and Mark Webber's "Explicit Ills" were given nods by the jury and by the audience. Here's a full list of the winners:
Narrative Feature
Grand Jury Award: "Wellness," dir. Jake Mahaffy
Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast: "Up With Me," dir. Greg Takoudes
Special Jury Award for Cinematography: "Explicit Ills," dir. Mark Webber
Documentary Feature
Grand Jury Award: "They Killed Sister Dorothy," dir. Daniel Junge
Special Jury Award: "Full Battle Rattle," dirs. Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss...
Daniel Junge's "They Killed Sister Dorothy," about the murder of activist Dorothy Mae Stang, received both the jury and audience prizes for best documentary, while on the narrative side, Jake Mahaffy's "Wellness" and Mark Webber's "Explicit Ills" were given nods by the jury and by the audience. Here's a full list of the winners:
Narrative Feature
Grand Jury Award: "Wellness," dir. Jake Mahaffy
Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast: "Up With Me," dir. Greg Takoudes
Special Jury Award for Cinematography: "Explicit Ills," dir. Mark Webber
Documentary Feature
Grand Jury Award: "They Killed Sister Dorothy," dir. Daniel Junge
Special Jury Award: "Full Battle Rattle," dirs. Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss...
- 3/12/2008
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
COMPLETE SXSW 2008 COVERAGE
UPDATED 4:54 p.m. PT March 13
AUSTIN -- Jake Mahaffy's existential, experimental "Wellness" won the best narrative feature jury award at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival on Tuesday night.
Awards for documentary grand jury feature and Audience Award for documentary feature went to Daniel Junge for his look at the politics behind a nun's murder with "They Killed Sister Dorothy".
The Audience Award for narrative film went to first-time helmer Mark Webber for "Explicit Ills", a film about poverty and hope in Philadelphia starring Paul Dano and Rosario Dawson. Festival vet Jeremiah Zagar's portrait of his mother and mosaic artist father, "In a Dream", brought home the Emerging Visions Audience Award.
Greg Takoude's "Up With Me", a film written as a collaboration with Harlem teens, took the special jury award for ensemble cast. The documentary special jury award went to "Full Battle Rattle", directed by Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss, about the U.S. Army's urban warfare simulation in the Mojave. "Explicit Ills" also earned a special jury award for Patrice Lucien Cochet's cinematography.
UPDATED 4:54 p.m. PT March 13
AUSTIN -- Jake Mahaffy's existential, experimental "Wellness" won the best narrative feature jury award at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival on Tuesday night.
Awards for documentary grand jury feature and Audience Award for documentary feature went to Daniel Junge for his look at the politics behind a nun's murder with "They Killed Sister Dorothy".
The Audience Award for narrative film went to first-time helmer Mark Webber for "Explicit Ills", a film about poverty and hope in Philadelphia starring Paul Dano and Rosario Dawson. Festival vet Jeremiah Zagar's portrait of his mother and mosaic artist father, "In a Dream", brought home the Emerging Visions Audience Award.
Greg Takoude's "Up With Me", a film written as a collaboration with Harlem teens, took the special jury award for ensemble cast. The documentary special jury award went to "Full Battle Rattle", directed by Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss, about the U.S. Army's urban warfare simulation in the Mojave. "Explicit Ills" also earned a special jury award for Patrice Lucien Cochet's cinematography.
- 3/12/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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