Retro Banksy in honor of Oscar week: Banksy's 2006 Downtown L.A. show

Welcome to Banksy's September 2006 downtown L.A. show

 

 

Yes, there was a painted elephant in the room. I was one of thousands who toured British street artist Banksy's warehouse show in September 2006. Follows are some samples from that exhibition in honor of the still anonymous artist who is painting the town this week in Los Angeles, in one of the most chronicled Oscar week publicity stunts of all time. The elusive auteur is nominated for directing the documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop." 

Poster for Banksy's documentary "Exit through the Gift Shop" from Fairfax Ave.

Whoever he is, he's definitely having some fun and has a wicked sense of humor. Banksy's website chronicles his official works. Good luck at the Academy Awards. Bravo!

Love the Banksy shop.

A must see documentary: "The Cove"

"The Cove's" Ric O'Barry

Without a doubt one of the best films of the year is "The Cove." (Variety's review is here.) I interviewed the film's protagonist and famed dolphin activist Ric O'Barry recently. Growing up in Miami, I spent many hours at the Seaquarium where O'Barry worked training dolphins. In fact, he helped train the first orca in captivity. He's since had a major change of heart after holding the original "Flipper" dolphin (named Kathy BTW) as she died in his arms. "The Cove" follows O'Barry as he targets a terrible dolphin capture and slaughter in the small seaside village of Taiji, Japan. Without giving too much away, the documentary is structured like a thriller and covers O'Barry and a team of activists as they work to expose the dolphins' plight.

Don’t miss “The Cove!”

Echo Park: Brite Spot gets a cameo in "Food, Inc."

"Food, Inc." is the documentary du jour: an elegantly crafted investigation of U.S. government food policies and a hard look at agri-business giants. Most disturbing is footage shot in cattle slaughter houses, chicken farms  and the terrible killing floor for pigs.  Echo Park's Brite Spot has an early cameo: writer Eric Schlosser is interviewed at the counter and served up a very appetizing looking cheeseburger and fries.  Eat before the movie; that cheeseburger will lose its appeal but you'll learn the hard truth about America's food chain.

In LA theaters: "Secrecy" from Rob Moss and Peter Galison

The first film selected for the Sundance 2008 Film Festival, per festival honcho Geoff Gilmore, "Secrecy" is the kind of film that gives thoughtful audience members nightmares.  The amount of money spent on keeping things secret (an estimated $8 billion annually) and the sheer numbers of documents and information deemed top secret are really disheartening, if not plain dumb.  Directors Peter Galison and Robb Moss dissect the thorny subject which is really an issue of control and power.  (Moss directed an excellent documentary "The Same River Twice"--idealist rafters in 1978 and where they are today; very watchable.) "Secrecy" is not a history of U.S. secrecy but rather a weaving together of examples that expose how bureaucratic secrecy is a real threat to democracy and a free and open society.  Bloggers and googlers take note. Where does all Google info go?  One of the many provocative ideas raised in the film now playing at Laemmle Music Hall.

Trouble the Water: A flood of emotions three years after Katrina

On August 29, 2005, hurricane Katrina passed close to New Orleans and the subsequent failure of the city's levies and failure of the city, state and federal government to aid those in need is a modern American tragedy. Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal chronicle one family's experience in "Trouble the Water" currently in theaters in LA, with a scheduled roll out nationally. The film screens as part the Impact Film Festival at the Democratic (on Wednesday 8/27) and Republican conventions as well. Let's hope some politicians and citizens are moved to action by the documentary. At a recent LA screening, the film's Kimberly Roberts (shown above with husband Scott) explained how she "caught history" and is proud to represent New Orleans' disenfranchised. She also touched on some of the many problems facing New Orleans particularly the city's dismal public school system that was recently dissected by Paul Tough as "A Teachable Moment" in the New York Times.
I sent James and Heather to a screening of the film in New Orleans. Read Heather's account of the emotional impact of the film and you'll know the power of this story.

Filtered reality from "American Teen's" Nanette Burstein

Earlier this year I interviewed director Nanette Burstein for Creative Screenwriting on the nature of documentary screenwriting--not necessarily a good idea to confuse reality with a written by credit, Burstein thought.  I'm returning to her film mainly because I was very intrigued by the story of a five Indiana high school seniors' lives.  I lived that year myself in 2007, not as a student, but as a parent of a senior.  What struck me most about the film, was that it captured the amount pressure students feel (to succeed in college applications, decide their future, etc). As Burstein found, "The hardest part of high school is finding out who you are and trying to maneuver through all that."  There's been some controversy around the film. Mark Olsen's story, in what's left of the LA Times, ably chronicles the drama and critical reaction surrounding the film. At the Sundance Film Festival screening Q&A I asked Burstein why there were no scenes of pot smoking, something as a parent of American teens, I would think would be rather rampant. Burstein agreed that there was, "definitely other stuff going on," but her concern was damaging her teen subjects' futures.  You can find them on the movie's Facebook page and each kid, Hannah, Colin, Mitch, Jake and Megan, has one too...just like real American teens.    

Man on Wire: Philippe Petit juggles

My favorite film at the Sundance Film Festival this year was Man On Wire, which is coming out this week in New York and next week in Los Angeles. It's the story of wire walker Philippe Petit's famed 1974 tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Breathtaking, suspenseful and a great post-modern documentary--it mixes recreations, interviews and historic footage-- I interviewed the spry Petit (who juggled for me) for the International Documentary Association's fab ezine. Petit turned out to be an amazing documentary subject--a true raconteur.  I'm old enough to remember the day he crossed between the towers--an unequalled feat. While I don't entirely share Petit's obsession with the towers, my first visit to New York included a walk by of  the construction site. 

He and director James Marsh (left) answered questions after the premiere at Sundance-- Petit held court--it was a thrilling Q&A and the film, not surprisingly, went on to win a major prize.  

I showed Petit my snapshot with the towers under construction from the Statute of Liberty...he knew exactly when the photo was taken and that construction was up to the 84th floor. Check out the film if you have the chance.