Nisimazine IDFA #1

NISIMAZINE Thursday, November 20, 2008

A Magazine Published By Nisi Masa, European Network Of Young CinemA

from Episode 3: Enjoy Poverty, Renzo Martens 2008 Š Inti Films

#1

Enjoying Poverty Mercedes Stalenhoef Below Sea Level

amsterdam

NISIMAZINE AMSTERDAM

Thursday 20 November 2008/# 1

Editorial

A magazine published by the NISI MASA and MeccaPANZA associations in cooperation with IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and with the support of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme of the EU and SNS Reaal Fonds

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ows of ceramic figurines stand in line like little guardians on frilly lace circles, both inviting you to take a look at them and the world beyond, and at the same time defending their home turf from peering eyes. Usually I find this sight of my neighbours windowsill comical (especially if she’s sneaking a peek herself from behind them), but after seeing films like Below Sea Level, Slingshot Hip Hop and the other films featured in this issue, it seems totally bizarre: how can people place so much emphasis on something so banal, and others be happy with a mere slab of scrap metal?

There are many windows into the souls of storytellers and their subjects. Some are dramatically exaggerated, others delicate and subtle like a view through a mesh curtain. But they’re windows nonetheless.

How then does one describe the many facets that a glimpse into such inner complexities can reveal? Is it really possible to put this on paper?

A troupe of young journalists from all over Europe have descended upon the IDFA festival ready to tear open it’s windows, peer through them, describe it’s views and find an answer to this question in this very publication.

What better place to do this than in the land of open curtains, where everybody allows passers-by small glimpses into their inner sanctum?

EDITORIAL STAFF Director of Publication Matthieu Darras Editor-in-Chief Jude Lister Itxaso Elosua Ramírez Editorial Secretary Maartje Alders Layout Maartje Alders, Nina Henke Contributors to this issue Alberto Angelini Anamaria Chioveanu, Arne Kohlweyer Arturo Mestanza, Atso Pärnänen Itxaso Elosua Ramírez, Selma Sevkli Coordinators Nina Henke, Ilona Mulder Alex Tirajoh, Tania Ramon Casas MeccaPANZA

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Itxaso Elosua Ramírez

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PHOTO BY Anamaria Chioveanu

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Nisimazine Amsterdam ~ 20. 11. 2008 # 1

Film of the day Below Sea Level © 21 One Productions 2008

Gianfranco Rosi (Italy/USA 2008)

In the middle of the Californian nowhere, in a desert far away from civilisation, a bunch of stranded individuals form an obscure community. There are no houses, electricity or water, no gov-

ernment, and no cops, but you can find a beauty salon and a pet-graveyard. Some of the people who live there are looking for freedom and security outside the towns, but most of them just want to forget.

Some kind of personal disaster brought each of them here on their own. Yet although everyone is seeking the healing power of solitude, their paths cross and they become neighbours, friends and lovers – not without keeping a certain distance, being unable to overcome protective mechanism of distrust learned over the years. Some of our protagonists’ stories get told, some remain unsaid. It’s especially fascinating to discover how ‘Bus Kenny’,

Review All Together Now Adrian Wills (UK/Canada 2008)

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n 1966, after deciding to quit their frenetic worldwide touring, The Beatles - guided by almighty arranger and producer George Martin - started to spend all their time in the Apple studios.

Here they experimented with all kinds of cutting-edge recording tricks, developing their expressiveness and touch. Most of the band’s masterpieces actually come from these sessions.

A new, colourful world populated by weird characters and surreal images slowly emerged. Fuelled by LSD, meditation trips to India and peace movements, the golden guys’ discography went on to become a kind of audio manifesto of the decade. It seems then somehow appropriate that 40 years later the worldfamous Cirque du Soleil was creating a huge Fellini-esque stage show (entitled ‘LOVE’), in honour of their legacy.

All Together Now is essentially a ‘making of ’ film following the long, hard preparation for the show. Yet it can also be more valuable for real fanatics, as it demonstrates to what extent every dramaturgic choice by LOVE’s creators was dependent on the

Although we gain extremely intimate insights into these people’s lives, the camera is far from voyeuristic or sensation-seeking. It just feels truthful, real. A refreshing experience in times of pseudo-fiction, mockumentaries, documentary-soaps and other dilutions.

In fact we don’t pay too much attention to understanding how Rosi placed the camera in especially delicate situations or how he made his protagonists forget the camera. We just want to listen to these people who seem so strong. So much so that we have to be careful not to be dragged in by a certain romanticism of their situation – that of life Below Sea Level.

Arne Kohlweyer

© Cirque Du Soleil and Apple Corps Ltd. 2008

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lthough I’d never been to the Southwest of the United States, I was kind of sure I knew what it was like. The Coen Brothers, Wim Wenders and others created such a diverse image of it, that I was sure the truth was somewhere in between all that. So when I saw Gianfranco Rosi’s Below Sea Level, it was surprising to get not only a new perspective on this region of the most filmed country in the world, but also on life in general.

Lili the doctor, ‘Bulletproof ’ and the others developed their own strategies to face life and how they created their own theories on existence and fate.

When ‘Insane Wayne’ - the community’s ‘late Nietzsche’ - talks about killing god, while his friend Mike comments “Life is good - the only thing that bothers me is mice” we understand that Below Sea Level is also a philosophical film - about the philosophy of the unfortunates, the failed ones.

approval of the surviving heroes and inheritors of the Beatles’ odyssey.

So, here comes the sun (circus), featuring a hoary George Martin and his trainee son, a moderately immodest Paul McCartney, a young-at-heart Ringo and two nit-picking widows.

Alberto Angelini

Nisimazine Amsterdam ~ 20. 11. 2008 # 1

Young Visions Slingshot Hip Hop

Jackie Reem Salloum (Palestine/USA 2008)

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© Fresh Booza Productions

You want me to go to the law? What for? You’re the Witness, the Lawyer, and the Judge!” says a member of the Arab-Israeli hip hop band DAM, referring to the injustice Palestinians are facing. Like the other bands in the region, DAM uses its melodies and lyrics as a non-violent weapon. To express anger, start a new form of resistance or simply keep the youth away from extremism, hip hop seems to be the right path in this Palestinian journey.

In Slingshot Hip Hop, Salloum tells the story of hip hop bands in different regions of Palestine and Arab cities of Israel. All bands portrayed in the film live close to each other, but most of them are not allowed to travel outside their home city. Through music, they transcend these borders, get permission to perform concerts in other cities and get the chance to meet other groups. Even though the occupation leaves little room for creative expressions of resistance, hip hop creates a new path by combining the history of the conflict, music and daily life, which is always affected by politics.

The documentary has a smooth yet multidimensional narrative: One minute it feels like a Palestine- Israel introduction class with illustrations of the country’s map with the locations of the refugee camps, the next it’s more like an MTV reality series showcasing different music groups. Succesfully entertaining and educating at the same time, the film makes you feel what it’s like to be there.

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Slingshot Hip Hop is an eye opener that shows what’s going on behind the scenes and between the lines in Palestine. While following the rappers, stereotypes about Palestinian youth, family life and of course music, collapse. It’s another reminder to the rest of the world that there’s always hope for justice.

Selma Şevkli

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Selma Sevkli

Nisimazine Amsterdam ~ 20. 11. 2008 # 1

Interview Mercedes Stalenhoef : Carmen Meets Borat from Carmen Meets Borat © Pieter van Huystee Film 2008

No reputations, public “harmed images or feelings were in the filming of this

production”. This disclaimer is shown at the beginning of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Whilst it’s obvious that this is one more joke in the film, Dutch filmmaker Mercedes Stalenhoef proves in her documentary Carmen Meets Borat, that it was not limited to the American people. One small village in Romania was hit by the fictional kazakhstani TV reporter.

How did you meet Carmen?

I was travelling, just passed by, went to her bar to have a drink and she served me. We got speaking to each other and she told me that she didn’t like it there, saying “it’s terrible, I want a better life, the people here drink too much, there’s a lot of poverty in the village”. She was dreaming of going to Spain.

I went back to her house to know her better after my holiday. Her family was very interesting. Her father is an idealistic man, who wants to improve her village. He made a television cable system already; he wanted to bring running water to the community.

You started your recording before Borat.

My film was about this girl and her family. When Borat was there, I didn’t think it was interesting for me because he only filmed for three days and Carmen was no part of it. I didn’t pay attention to it. The real problem started when the movie was released. A lot of camera teams came to this village, from all over the world. In the film, this village is used as Borat’s hometown. He portrays these villagers in not a very nice way: as rappers, people who steal, her grandfather is portrayed as an abortion expert... They don’t understand English, so when they did the recordings, they didn’t have any clue what was being said. When they found out that they had been ridiculed, they were not amused. So the lawyer came to this village and said that if they sued Borat, they could have 13 million dollars, which is incredible because they are really poor and they were really excited.

After the Borat movie, the people began to charge for the images. How did you handle that?

When you finish, you can give some money for the community, as I did for their church, to finish the construction. And I was there before Borat, so they already knew me; otherwise I couldn’t do his movie.

In the beginning, it was stipulated that I would not pay for the interviews. When this Borat thing started, and people begin to ask for payment, I said that they didn’t need to be in the movie, I could film something else. I don’t think it’s a good idea to pay for a documentary.

Borat made fun of them, putting them in a comic light.

In your movie, it seems that they are again in this same position.

I just filmed what happened. I don’t think I made them ridiculous, not that all. They felt bad about it but it is also in the film. I think it makes clear that they really are powerless. They have no internet, they have no information about these lawyers, for example. I can look for them on internet and see what they’re doing, but they can’t. But there’s a sort of beauty in this attitude, because they are naive, they just trusted them. It is also sad that they are not able to get more information.

We screened the film to the family and the main characters in July, and they really liked the film. They said that it was really how they have been living. They were really emotional and touched by the images, about the entire story. We invited them for the premiere at IDFA. They would like to go.

And Sacha Baron Cohen, do you think he watched the documentary?

I think he already saw it because this film was chosen by the Dutch Film Board as the Oscar nomination candidate. He is part of the jury for the Oscars. I think he saw it because we asked the commission for some scenes for this film, so probably his film company, 21st Century Fox, warned him. He probably saw it. And he was also invited.

Arturo Mestanza

Nisimazine Amsterdam ~ 20. 11. 2008 # 1

In focus Enjoying Poverty? photo of a Sudanese toddler starving to death whilst a vulture waits for her to die, taken fifteen years ago, has granted its author, Kevin Carter, a considerable amount of prizes, among them the Pulitzer. However an intriguing question popped up later on: what the hell did he do to help that child?

Poverty art is of course already part of the mainstream arena.

Meanwhile in documentary cinema, depicting poverty environments has become a genre in itself. In imagining a script to guide your povermentary, poor people in their raw way of living (illness, violence, ripped dirty clothes and victimized expressions are the common elements) are the basic material. If there’s a house to be shown, better make it a dirty one - it all turns out fantastically on a photograph.

The only problem is that seeing this as graceful might be a telltale sign that something is not working as it should.

This kind of image exploitation can be found in several documentaries that will be screened at IDFA; Rough Aunties is a good example. British director Kim Longinotto shows a group of South African women caring for young victims of sexual abuse. A lack of proper education, no food and unhealthy living conditions can turn a human into an irrational beast, and we become the visitors to this exotic zoo. Our consciences are challenged, our heartstrings are pulled, but above all we experience a sense of enjoyment.

In the same style, the African country of Malawi, with its frightening non-stop HIV/AIDS epidemic, is in the spotlight for the documentary I Am Because We Are. In a partnership between pop-star Madonna and director Nathan Rissman, the film tries to touch the viewer through similar problems.

Like Madonna said, “the only relief is not living that kind of life”. She then admits to finding a strange and somewhat pleasurable interest in watching movies on the subject.

Dutch filmmaker Renzo Martens decided to turn the tables

by shooting Episode 3: Enjoy Poverty. In it Martens teaches a group of Congolese photographers to take advantage of their own penury just as visiting foreign journalists and artists do, instead of only recording celebrations like weddings and birthdays. It might sound contradictory, but his idea is that the poverty of a land can be a source of income for its natives. However, despite Martens’ efforts to help these naïve artists create masterpieces out of their harsh surroundings, “some kind of happiness” from these locals trying to get out of their own precarious situation is not present in the movie.

Interestingly though, Martens’ documentary is itself purely composed of the poverty aesthetic.

Behind the povermentary, there is also vanity. Poverty-based artistic products are only there because the artist creates them. No problem with that, but when you mix this with a philanthropic attitude, the river changes direction. Madonna and Renzo Martens did this: the pop singer by helping one child with his studies, saying that it’s a small step, but nevertheless a starting point (let’s not forget that she is one of the richest artists of the world).

If povermentaries are to be truly sincere in their concern for the less fortunate, then sequels should be produced. Many documentaries use texts at the end of their films to inform the viewer about what happened after the shoot, yet when it comes to poverty, the results don’t come fast. It takes more time to show the impact of the work.

As for the Sudanese toddler; Carter avoided the bird, but could not do too much for the child. One year later, he committed suicide. Close friends said that he was disturbed because of the poverty-ridden images in his head. Let’s hope that these 2008 features will help more according to their intentions: that it’s not the end, we want more.

Arturo Mestanza

from I Am Because We Are, Nathan Rissman (2008) © Semtex Films

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I was talking to a mass murderer but I was thinking about you.” Those were the words of Errol Morris to his wife to be. In a portrait one is expected to talk about such things as date of birth, first features, list of awards, and tell the story from struggle to success.

As in filmmaking, that would be one approach out of many. Multiple truths are there to be found.

Over the years one has started to trust words such as ‘documentary’ and ‘documentarist’ less and less.

Propaganda and pamphletists with agendas from this or that side are doing well. In a time when good/bad, black/white, and all sorts of opposites seem to be the most common ways to deal with subject matters, it is refreshing to watch a non-fiction filmmaker approaching his interests with a certain calmness. Errol Morris used to make his living as a private investigator.

Applying this experience to his films, like a badger he digs deeper and turns them into investigations – whether they be of crime scenes (The Thin Blue Line), the universe (A Brief History of Time), or people in power (The Fog of War). From the restless student who found his way into a film archive, convinced that he could do a better job with the programming, to the Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Morris’ journey has led him into the company of the most legendary filmmakers of the United States. Morris has achieved a level of respect and such a quality of work that it’s easy to see his name on a page next to those such as Wiseman and Pennebaker, however different their approaches and interests might be.

In 2003 with his film The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, Morris focused not on Rumsfeld’s rules but on the life lessons of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The quest to comprehend the many variables of life, power

Nubar Alexanian © 2007 Max Ave Productions. Courtesy Sony Pictures Classics

Errol Morris

Portrait

and leadership by revisiting history resulted in one of the most interesting and acute films of recent years.

Supported by Philip Glass’ soundtrack - the third time he and Morris had worked together, a fascinating and rarely seen event is witnessed as McNamara gives his views and tells the story of his life from serving in the Second World War to running the Ford Motor company. His time in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations was notably marked by the Cuban Missile Crisis and the war in Vietnam. While others may have pointed accusing fingers, Morris gives time and space, going after the complexities that surround McNamara and everything he has been involved in. As in The Thin Blue Line, the audience finds itself not just following but actively analysing the actions and events, the decisions made or not made, as the 1916 born McNamara presents to us his thinking process. How often do we witness something like this in the media today?

He also directs commercials: for some the fact that Morris has made campaigns for brands such as Adidas, Cisco, Nike, and The Quaker Oats Company could be ‘surprising’ I guess. Nevertheless, whether looking at this or the time he got Donald Trump talking about Citizen Kane in the opening short of the 75th Academy Awards, no one could say that he’s a ‘sell out’, or that a level of integrity is not be present in his non-fiction.

We are left with one question: what would be the life lessons of Errol Morris? He has researched a serial killer, a town amputating limbs for insurance money, the physics of Stephen Hawking, an execution technician, prisoner abuse…The list keeps growing and his films remain captivating. No wonder. After all he is the man who made Werner Herzog eat his shoe.

Atso Pärnänen