T/F reports
Throughout the week we'll be posting reviews and reports from this past weekend's True/False Film Festival. Here is the first batch:
“Sounds Like Teen Spirit”
There is more to winning and losing than just walking away with a prize. In his documentary “Sounds Like Teen Spirit,” Jamie Jay Johnson shows just how fulfilling the actual process of pursuing the prize can be. His film sophisticatedly weaves the experiences of its subjects together while showcasing slices of European culture. Johnson imbeds the audience in the lives of three young singers, and one teen band, as they all work towards the same goal— succeeding in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. As one of Europe’s most popular events, the glory of winning is paralleled only by few other victories. The film shows the hard work, excitement, and nerves of its subjects, all the while delving into and subtly developing the personal struggles of their lives.
What makes this documentary most compelling is the way Johnson captures the unique, youthful innocence of his subjects as they reflect on their past and current journeys. By the end of the film, you cannot help but feel joy in the success or sadness in the disappointments of those you have been connected to for the past hour and forty minutes. With a mix of grief, happiness, light humor, and depth, this documentary is definitely worth the watch.
- Krista Schmidt
“Reporter” To say the Missouri Theater was crowded during its True/False showing of “Reporter” would be an absolute understatement. Jam-packed would better describe the Saturday venue as locals, professors and students all arrived to watch Eric Metzgar’s documentary on The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof and his coverage of the Congolese genocide.
With an echoing scream, the film begins by listing truths about the human psyche and its ability to feel compassion. It displays two pictures— one of a victimized girl and one of a boy. Alone, the film reveals, each photo would receive a moderate number of donations. But, if the children are shown together, donation numbers drop significantly. And so, the audience is introduced to Kristof’s longtime problem— how to make readers care about the billions of people suffering in places like the Congo when the human mind can fully grasp only one story at a time.
For Kristof, reporting individual stories is the only true means to rousing the public interest. With the help of his film crew as well as his 2007 essay winners— Will Okun and Leana Wen— Kristof speaks with individuals from aid workers to the violent rebel leader Laurent Nkunda. Ultimately, it’s a suffering 41-year-old, 60-pound woman named Yohanita that centers both Kristof’s story and “Reporter.”
- Katherine Davis
“No Impact Man”
Colin Beavan realized it would be nearly impossible to leave no environmental footprint. But he was going to try.
In 2007, Beavan and his family— wife, Michelle, and daughter, Isabella— embarked on a yearlong mission to attempt such eco-effectiveness in the midst of New York City. Beavan, a writer, would blog daily during the experiment, eventually writing a book on what he and his family learned. And so, “No Impact Man” came into being.
Directors Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein followed the Beavan family through their “no impact” journey, coming up with a film that offers its audience a response to today’s throwaway culture. Even the filming of the documentary was shot in an ecologically savvy manner. Director Schein actually shot a scene of the Beavans bicycling through the city while riding his own bike alongside the family.
Colin and Michelle Beavan, as well as directors Gabbert and Schein, showed up at the Missouri Theater on Saturday to discuss “No Impact Man” with the True/False audience. Talk ranged from lost weight to fair-trade coffee as audience members offered questions and advice. And while the four had differing opinions on the film’s production, they each agreed on its message— human impact is real and deserves some real attention.
- Katherine Davis
