Presented  by
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True / False
MOVE’s TRUE / FALSE TO FILM FEST Guide Hey, MOVErs! It’s time again for the True/False Film Fest: when CoMo turns into the best place in the country for art junkies, documentary fans and super chill hipsters. True/False is one of the coolest events Columbia has to offer, and as students, it’s only a short walk to a documentary that could potentially be nominated for an Academy Award. At the Oscars last Sunday night, two of the films in the Best Documentary category, “The Look of Silence” and “What Happened, Miss Simone?” were both from True/False. “Boyhood,” which was nominated for six Academy Awards, played at True/False in 2014. In 2013, “Twenty Feet from Stardom” played here, and it went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary. If you don’t know which movies to see, check out our film flowchart on page 23. If your True/False schedule is already set, take a look at our story on places to eat between venues on page three. Take a deeper look at the directors of documentaries “Tickled,” “Presenting Princess Shaw” and “Sherpa” on page 5. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@movemaneater) to keep up with all the True/False action. Check us out online at move.themaneater.com to see our True/ False content throughout the festival. Busk a MOVE and spend some time with the super cool buskers downtown, or head over to Courthouse Square to party with the March March parade on Friday. See a film about the fetish world of endurance tickling or shorts about hopeless searches for love. True/False is a time to experience new things.
We’ll see you at the festival, MOVErs. Peace, love and kickass documentaries,
.DWLH DQG (ODQD
What’s Inside? 3 || Venue map & T/F eats 4 || Q&A with film directors 6 || MOVE T/F from the archives 7 || What movie should you see? Keep up to date on True/False coverage by following MOVE on Twitter @MOVEManeater
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True / False
Restaurants step up to the plate for your T/F eats Who says you need popcorn? BIANCA RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer The True/False Film Festival is about more than just awesome movies. True/ False offers live music, art installations and, most importantly, food. True/False partnered with more than 20 restaurants in the area. By collaborating with other businesses, festival goers can quickly taste the best that CoMo has to offer. Hungry for Harold’s and Sparky’s in between two films? Pick up a Harold’s hot doughnut sundae topped with Sparky’s ice cream and you’re good to go. There are a lot of options but luckily MOVE has narrowed down some of CoMo’s best eating spots close to popular True/False movie venues.
The Vimeo Theater @ The Blue Note: Sycamore: As this is its 11th year participating in the festival, Sycamore’s mission is to continue to provide customers with as much local and seasonal food as possible. Its chefs use local products when possible and its menu features produce, cheese and meat products from CoMo and other parts of the area. “We’ll be offering several ‘grab and go’ boxed items that festival participants can pick up quickly as they head to films,” co-owner Amy Barrett says. “At
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dinner, we are tailoring our menu to include more small plates that can be prepared and served quickly.” Sycamore will also be open Sunday for lunch in addition to their regular hours and will extend their bar hours later as business dictates. Teller’s: A CoMo favorite, Teller’s, welcomes all for food and drinks and a quick service for those of large or small parties of hungry and thirsty people. Deb Rust, one of the owners of Teller’s, writes in an email that it’ll be offering daily specials in addition to its full menu and wants customers to know that their servers can easily guide them toward quick choices if they need to get to a movie soon, or they can sit back and enjoy at a more leisurely pace to discuss a film over cocktails.
Forrest Theater: Kaldi’s Coffee: In its 20 years as a company, Kaldi’s has always been a big part of Columbia. Kaldi’s retail market leader, Brandon Summit, explained in an email what kinds of treats customers can expect from Kaldi’s during the movie-watching weekend. “Every year, our baker has a lot of fun designing and decorating baked goods with a True/False theme, as well as making our famous homemade gooey butter cake for the Reality Bites event,” Summit says.
JENNIFER LEVIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The year 2016 marks the 11th year that Sycamore, a downtown Columbia restaurant featuring seasonal American cuisine, has participated in the True/False Film Fest.
Customers can also watch out for the special True/False coffee blend that will be available as brewed coffee and whole bean coffee at our Kaldi’s Coffee location at 29 S. Ninth St. Craft Beer Cellar: Craft Beer Cellar isn’t used to serving food as a beer bar, but this is its second year partnered up with the festival. Its pulling out all the stops and collaborating with stores like Harold’s Doughnuts and Boss Taco. Friday through Sunday, it’ll be hosting Boss Taco as they offer a lunch and dinner service along with Grab-nGo Taco Packs with Logboat Beer for
only $12. Patrons can dine in or grab a quick bite to take with them as they hit the Q line. Craft Beer Cellar is hosting its second True/False Beer Brunch featuring the return of Taconaut, a savory breakfast taco wrapped in a doughnut shell from Harold’s Doughnuts in partnership with Boss Taco. Special treats from Logboat include Coffee Snapper IPA on draught, Bennie Mocha Stout and their debut of Fretboard’s Cold Brew Coffee. To top it off, grab Shiphead BEERmosas or Dogmaster Bloody Marys at the bar to jump-start your film fest weekend. Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@ themaneater.com
Q &
A
MOVE sits down with True/False film fesT directors to get a first look at this year’s most anticipated films.
Director David Farrier explores the world of competitive endurance tickling Farrier on “Tickled”: “It was like peeling back an onion; there were all these different layers that we never expected.” MADISON SKAHILL Reporter In what would’ve been just a typical search for a story pitch, David Farrier, a New Zealand journalist, came across a bizarre Internet sport called “competitive endurance tickling.” Interested in doing a short story on it, he started digging around and found himself threatened by the agents of the competitive internet sport and facing immediate backlash. Farrier and his co-director Dylan Reeves decided to continue prodding at the peculiar Internet-underworld of competitive tickling, and found themselves tangled in a web of corruption and vicious blackmail. Farrier and Reeves created the documentary “Tickled” in attempts to find some answers and solve the perplexing mystery of this Internet tickling bully. Q: So this story, you stumble upon it in the beginning, but it pretty much turns into a fullfledged investigative piece. Instead of diving in and exposing this as a written piece, what made you decide that creating a documentary film would be the best way to convey this story? A: Just a couple of things. I think the fact that it was about this tickling competition, which was a really visual thing, made me realize you know, you could never get everything across everything that had been happening if you had just been writing about it. You kind of had to see it to believe it, in a way. So it was partly the tickling, and it was also partly the fact that once this company wanted to set up meetings with us and that sort of thing, we thought it would be best to document what they were saying and begin the persuading with that visual sort of a thing, instead of just writing about the experience. So it was those two things. And it sounds like this investigative work was a little different than what you were doing before the time, is that correct? Yeah, totally. Back in New Zealand, I’d find all these two-minute entertainment stories, so interviews of bands and interviews of authors, and stories about plays that were traveling through town, so it was quite sort of like New Zealand, just doing weird things. The longer format was pretty unique, and also just being able to discover new things as opposed to just talking to someone who was touring the town. Was there a noticeable transition, would you say, between that form of journalism and what you had to do for this film? It was quite different, and I was lucky enough in that the newsroom I worked in, in New Zealand, I worked alongside investigative reporters. But I guess it was the just the idea of, not taking everything on text, being able to sort of look beyond what people were saying and again just the opportunity to take time when you’re working in a newsroom each day, and just expected to file stories, by 6:00 each night. Whereas with this, we could kind of take our time a little bit, and take time to actually figure out obviously some things that weren’t known before we came along. If I would’ve done this as a two-minute news story, it would’ve been a very different thing. I understand, so more of the digging process; I guess that would make sense why this also transitioned nicely into a documentary piece. Yeah, it’s like the more we found out, the more it was obvious that this would be a longer story. Because it was like peeling back an onion, there were all these different layers that we never expected. So on the surface, this thing looks like this slightly quirky, two-minute story about a tickling contest, but the more you look into it, the more layers you kind of have to justify giving it a lot more time. Right off the bat, we pick up that the subjects of the film, these people that you were investigating, wanted to stop you from making this documentary. How did you weigh the risks and benefits of continuing with the investigation? What convinced you to keep going?
I guess I sort of have the advantage almost of having not too much to lose, I mean working as an entertainment journalist in New Zealand, it’s not like I had a lot of money to lose. You know I just sort of thought the story justifies going through with it. We found out as well, we weren’t the only ones who were sort of having difficulties with this competition, there were other people involved that were also going through similar struggles, and we were better off than them because we had a bit of money from our Kickstarter to start making the film. We saw the film as being a way to potentially stop ourselves and these other people from being harassed. If we get this thing done, then we’ve got a chance to hopefully stop this happening to other people. As far as I can tell, too, these people that you’re investigating, don’t know that you finished this documentary and are just now putting it out. Is that correct? We kept it pretty secret, so after Sundance’s world premiere, yes, they knew about it, and one of the people from the film actually came, you know one of the so– called agitators from this film came along to watch it. So that created quite a weird balance of people that were sitting around them in the theater. So I guess they know it’s out now, so up until a month or so they had no idea. We finished filming in America and we came back to New Zealand and we kept totally quiet on it, because we knew we didn’t want to agitate them anymore. We wanted to make the film with the least number of legal tricks possible, and we did that, and I think they probably got a bit of a shock when it came out. Do you anticipate them to do anything about it? Do you think you’ll get an actual reaction out of them? We’re waiting to see what happens. We have heard from a few of the people in the film and they’re not happy. But we haven’t had anything too crazy happen yet. You guys obviously put together a great film. It’s an incredible story, and was really intriguing. I found myself being drawn in, for as strange of a story it sounds like at first, it definitely pulls you in as a viewer. But is there anything specifically that you’re hoping for viewers to get out of watching your documentary? I guess the most specific thing is if anyone’s thinking about taking part in a competitive endurance tickling competition, they’ll maybe think twice. And then on a slightly wider view, I guess there’s just a whole precautionary tale about the Internet. I feel like we’ve had the Internet for a long time, as younger people we think we’re pretty savvy with it, but I guess it’s all warning that you can still get sucked into certain things on the Internet and you’ve got to be super vigilant to think twice about who you’re communicating with and who you’re talking to. And I guess on a third level as well, we’ve sort of put out there what’s going on, and it’s some pretty shady stuff, so I’m just hoping that someone takes it further, and whatever authority maybe steps in and goes “Hey, this isn’t right, we should do something about this,” and putting it out there in the world hopefully some other people step in as well to try and stop it happening to other people. And now that this project is done, are you thinking about pursuing more investigative work similar to this? Can we expect to see more of this work from you? Yeah, there’s definitely a few other avenues of documentaries I’m pursuing. I’d like to make some other docs obviously. Right now when you rang, I’ve just been sort of working on some of those, so trying to fetch out some of those ideas and where that goes. So I guess in my time doing my job, there’s been a lot of things I’ve sort of come across that I haven’t gotten to do further, so I’m kind of going back to some of those stories as well and just sort of digging a little bit deeper into some of those and some other ideas I’ve got. I’m definitely keen to do more similar work. I had a great team that I was doing this with — (the director of photography) and the producer, Dylan, who I worked with as well, they’re all pretty creative people and would like to work together again so definitely trying to make it happen.
True/False: A volunteer experience like no other MOVE talks with Landon Jones about CoMo’s own Sundance. SIERRA MORRIS Reporter
COURTESY OF IMDB
Go behind the scenes with director Ido Haar Haar explains how he found Ophir Kuti “Kutiman” and his unique perspective on the growing powers of online communications. ABBIE LANDOLL Reporter “Presenting Princess Shaw,” a documentary at the True/False Film Fest in March, focuses on the collision between two different people: Samantha “Princess Shaw” Montgomery, a 38-year-old aspiring singer living in New Orleans, and Ophir Kuti “Kutiman,” a YouTube music producer. The film is filmmaker Ido Haar’s fourth documentary. MOVE spoke with Haar about the filmmaking process of “Presenting Princess Shaw” and his experience as a director. Q: Can you tell me about your experiences as a director? A: I graduated from Jerusalem Film School. I’ve directed four documentaries; “Presenting Princess Shaw” was the fourth one. I also do a little bit of editing.
A significant part of the True/False Film Fest’s success is due to volunteer team of more than 1,000 people separated into 25 teams. Volunteers can range from someone who works only 15 hours to a “juggernaut” who works 40 hours throughout the weekend. MOVE spoke with sophomore Landon Jones about his experience volunteering for the festival. Last spring was Jones’ first time for volunteering for True/False. His friend’s older brother was the one who convinced him to help out with the fest. He then explained to Jones that the best way to experience the festival if you don’t have the money for tickets is volunteering. “The town comes alive during True/False,” Jones says. “If you live in Columbia you have to experience it.” Now if this were any other festival, it might be odd to suggest someone should volunteer to enjoy it. But this is True/False, the film festival where 15 hours or more of your time gets you access to the movies through the Q system. You can see whatever film you want, whenever you want, as long as you are not scheduled to work during that time. For Jones’ first year of volunteering, he chose to be a part of the theater operations team. He liked this team because it meant he could watch films while working at his assigned venue. His job consisted of taking people’s tickets at the door and ushering them to their seats. Once the film began, his work was done. The only thing left for him to do was sit back and watch the film. Aside from being able to watch films on and off the clock, Jones enjoyed meeting other volunteers. “I really liked meeting volunteers that were not necessarily Mizzou students,” he says. “Working the festival is a great way to meet local people that live in Columbia.” True/False is also known for their amazing parties. There is one party in particular that is just for volunteers. It’s the festival’s way of saying thank you to the volunteers. This party is held at a secret location every year. Last year, it was an old warehouse. “It was amazing seeing how the warehouse was transformed for the party,” Jones says. Jones will be volunteering again this year, and it’s no surprise that he is looking forward to meeting new people to watch films with.
How did you find Kutiman? I knew Kutiman for many years and am very familiar with his work. I saw “Thru You,” and I was really blown away. I knew I wanted to do a film about him. About five years after, I saw the musicians; I felt this is the film and I need to do something about it. I saw the project before it was released. I found myself diving into YouTube channels trying to find out more about what they’re doing, who they are. I was very fascinated with Princess Shaw especially. A couple of weeks after I went to the U.S. and I decided I wanted to meet her, I messaged her through Facebook or something and luckily she was willing to meet me. She came with a friend because she was very suspicious, you know, of this random Israeli guy. We met in a hotel lobby in New Orleans, and I think we felt very comfortable with each other, and later that night, I went to open mic night with her. I went back to Israel and realized my heart wanted to go back to New Orleans again. You didn’t let Princess Shaw know the real reason she was being filmed when you initially contacted her. How did you let her know? She was so overwhelmed, and she didn’t even make the connection that (Kutiman and I) were both from Israel, and I had to tell her later that day and she was so happy. It was a crazy day — the most tense day for me because I was really afraid to miss this moment. I knew that Kutiman was going to post the video that day like an hour before he did. We were eating at the cafe. It took five to six hours for her to see Kutiman’s upload. At the end of the day, I told her Kuti was a friend. A lot of directors frame the advancement of online communications through a negative lens. Why did you decide to focus on the positive? It’s not that I decided. When I started to work on this film, I thought about all the directors that I went to film school with. Most of the brightest and most talented aren’t doing film today. There are so many people with amazing voices and unique talent and many are just not born with the right card in their hand, and we’ll never hear from many of them. People from all over the world can express themselves and fight this cruel commercial world of music and art. For me, there’s optimism in many things and the ability of people to share and create and to see each other. You just want someone to see and believe in your talent and I think the possibilities are amazing. Do you think you will do something similar to this in the future? I don’t know. It’s too early for me to say. I’m alert and my eyes are always open. This project was very different from something I ever did. It’s like karma from those two people affected the film and me, and I’d like to experience this again.
‘Starless Dreams’ director wins True/False True Vision award BIANCA RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer For 13 consecutive years, the True/False Film Festival has given out the True Vision Award, the only award given by the festival. It is given to an individual who is committed to the growth of nonfiction filmmaking. This year, True/False has announced Mehrdad Oskouei as their 2016 winner of the True Vision Award for his contributions in the field of nonfiction filmmaking. Oskouei is the thirteenth recipient of the True Vision Award. Past recipients include Adam Curtis (2015), Laura Poitras (2010), James Marsh (2011), Victor Kossakovsky (2012) and Amir Bar-Lev (2013). Oskouei will be appearing at the festival with his newest work, “Starless Dreams.” The film tells the story of seven girls, all under 18, at a detention center in Tehran, Iran. The girls are imprisoned for committing serious crimes such as drug trafficking and manslaughter, and Oskouei explores the big question: What will happen when they are free? “Starless Dreams” completes Oskouei’s documentary trilogy alongside the films, “It’s Always Late for Freedom” (2008) and “The Last Days of Winter” (2011). In a news release from True/False, Oskouei talks about where he gets his inspirations for his films, saying: “I am convinced that a documentary filmmaker should at times show images of humanity’s suffering with the hopes of putting an end to such suffering. All my films have been made with this firm belief.” With “Starless Dreams” as the final installment, the viewer can find that Oskouei sticks to his style of filmmaking as he captivates his audience with the struggles of the Iranian youth. You can catch “Starless Dreams” Friday at The Globe, Saturday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Missouri Theatre, and Sunday, March 6th at 8:30 p.m. at Ragtag Cinema.
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True / False
From MOVE’s archives New festival questions: fact and fiction This is MOVE’s very first article on True/False from 2004, written by Zac Gall. Our favorite part? “Wilson said he believes the festival will garner national attention, even in the first year.” Now that True/False is one of the top documentary film festivals in the country, this is just that much better. Perhaps the only form of documentary most college students are familiar with is the notorious Paris Hilton sex tape. Or if it's quality they desire, the Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson predecessor. Regardless, documentary filmmakers tape their subjects without rehearsal, and generally there is no prepared script. The actors in the films are real people in a natural environment, whether they're having copious sex or researching political issues such as gun control. The inherent purpose of a documentary is to present the truth of its subject. Various elements contribute to the appearance of this reality. Yet in a time when ethics seem obsolete, viewers have to maintain awareness even when viewing a factual film or one based on true story. Issues have surfaced in recent years about ethical standards in post-production of documentary films, especially in Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine." Skeptics have suggested the editors spliced in shots of Moore interviewing National Rifle Association President Charlton Heston when he may or may not have been present. The line between reality and fiction merge this weekend at the premier True/False Film Festival.
The festival presents 29 films on a variety of subjects. Other activities include workshops for young and potential filmmakers, the Show-Me Love contest featuring shorts from Columbia locals and other festivities. Creators David Wilson and Paul Sturtz, who started the Ragtag Film Series, birthed the idea from a love for the documentary genre. "There's a ton of film festivals out there that cover almost all conceivable areas," Wilson said. "And there aren't any that we feel really give attention to this new wave of documentaries, especially work that blends documentary and narrative cinema together." Columbia has seen some traveling film festivals in the past, but True/False marks one of the first festivals to grow from within the city. Wilson said he believes the festival will garner national attention, even in the first year. True/False has undoubtedly gained the attention of filmmakers from around the country. Of the 29 films shown this year, 31 directors, producers, editors and stars will be on hand in Columbia to present their films, answer questions and lead workshops. Many of the films currently are in competition or have won awards at film festivals worldwide, including the Academy Awards. Wilson, Sturtz and company provided transportation for many filmmakers to make the trip during the hectic season of film festivals. "We put a lot of effort into bringing them in," Wilson said. "We looked at how we wanted to
Lost Letters brings a new kind of theatre to True/False The new project combines immersive theatre with escape rooms. ANNA MAPLES Reporter One of the most anticipated events at True/False Film Fest this year is Lost Letters, a unique combination of immersive theatre and escape rooms. “Unlike the traditional theatre experience, the audience is in motion, as well as the actors,” True/False co-conspirator David Wilson says. “What makes it interactive is, in addition to watching the story play out in these different rooms, it’s actually on the audience to figure out how to get into the next room.” Lost Letters is a collaborative effort of Breakout CoMo, an escape room coming soon to Columbia; Greenhouse Theatre Project, a local immersive theatre company; and The Neon Treehouse Art Collective, a local group in charge of the set design. Similarly to a typical escape room, the audience members must solve puzzles to make it through the narrative within an hour, and not all groups will complete the story. With Lost Letters, however, all of the puzzles tie into the larger story being told. “This totally takes everything you know about traditional theatre and throws it out the window,” Greenhouse Theatre Project artistic director Elizabeth Braaten Palmieri says. Due to the interactive nature of Lost Letters, the plot is being kept a secret. “It’s a very character-driven piece,” Jon Westhoff of Breakout CoMo says. “It’s trying to touch on something that, I think, is very true of all people, and is very much the human experience of how we define our lives, how we achieve a sense of accomplishment, and define successes and failures in our lives.” Lost Letters was largely inspired by “Sleep No More,” an interactive theatre production in New York. Wilson and Palmieri both attended the show on separate occasions and returned to Columbia with the need to create something new for True/False. “The theme (of True/False) is the celebration of this idea of leaving the familiar, of getting out of your comfort zone,” Wilson says. “In the case of Lost Letters, that pushed into this idea of ‘what if, to get to the next chapter, you have to become an actor for a stint?’” Tickets to Lost Letters are on sale now for $38 on the True/False website. Reservations can be made for up to eight people in each hour-long slot, and the show runs March 4-6 several times a day. For those who can’t make it to Lost Letters, Breakout CoMo will be opening Columbia’s first escape room in early April.
identify our festival. And we thought what makes it really special is not just going to see a movie, but being able to see it with the director there." Director Jesse Moss will showcase his awardwinning film, "Speedo: A Demolition Derby Love Story." It follows the tumultuous life of a driver in and out of the racing pit. Moss has gained national attention with this film, which PBS picked up for broadcast next year, and a current project, which follows Arnold Schwarzenegger on his gubernatorial campaign. Filmmaker Magazine named him one of the 25 new faces of independent film. "True/False is great because there are not very many (documentary film festivals) in this country," Moss said. "It's an honor to have the film as a part of the festival. It's an honor to be in the company of so many great films." While Moss will not show the film personally, his "ambassador of goodwill," Ed "Speedo" Jager, will be present to field questions. The True/False Film Festival is an event that Wilson hopes will spark a desire to draw in films and filmmakers annually. "We wouldn't have even started the project if we didn't want to create something that would be here every year," he said. Check www.truefalse.org for the film schedule.
True / False
OK, so you want to see a movie...
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What kind of movies do you like? Movies that make me think
I have the attention span of a chipmunk
SHORTS
Films about social issues
the pearl
I like foreign films
Films about politics
SECRET Screenings When are you free?
The longer the better
Homeland
Which do you like better?
Surprise me!
TICKLED Life, animated
How long are you willing to sit?
I’m good with whatever
Gimme the weird, offthe-wall stuff
I like films that are a little more light-hearted
Only mornings or early afternoon. I have to get drunk some time!
Weiner
Sonita
KAtE plays Christine Fear of 13
True/False shorts:
Every year, the festival compiles shorts with similar themes into screenings of their own. These are great for those of us who can’t keep our attention on one subject for, say, 334 minutes like those who see “Homeland” will have to do.
ELANA WILLIAMS
For showtimes and suggestions, visit us online at: bit.ly/MOVETF2016
MOVE Editor
“Tickled”:
Featured in a Q&A this issue, Tickled co-director David Farrier set out to write a story on competitive endurance tickling and fell into a world full of secrecy, exploitation and fetishism. It’s a light hearted movie about an interesting and shocking subject, a must-see. This is the film to see if you want to feel all the feels. For years, Owen Suskind, a boy with autism, was nonverbal. Then he began to watch Disney movies and created an entire language of his own. This movie is overflowing with love, joy and loss. Suskind’s family has to pretend they are animated characters in order to communicate with him. It’s worth a watch, we promise.
“The Fear of 13”: This is a striking, haunting “Weiner”: interview with a convicted killer serving on death row. Nick Yarris spent years reading everything he could get hands on. He talks about his experiences in and out of prison and declares his innocence. But what is truth and what is fiction?
This film delves into congressman Anthony Weiner’s tumultuous life publicly and privately as sexually explicit pictures he sent over Twitter became public. It has a strikingly intimate focus on Weiner, his wife and his campaign team, set during Weiner’s New York mayoral run in 2013.
“Kate Plays Christine”: This movie follows “Sonita”: One of the MOVE editors’ picks for mustan actress cast to play a news anchor who committed suicide by shooting herself on the air. Kate visits Christine’s hometown and interviews many different players in her life, attempting to understand the infamous woman and her mindset in a touchingly personal way.
nosotrAs / ellas
Here’s what you’re getting into:
“The Pearl”: This is an inside look at the lives of “Life, Animated”: four middle-aged transgender women. It’ll put you in your feels as you follow Nina, who hasn’t told her wife of 40 years about her true identity and you’ll be completely engrossed with the parallel stories of two sisters leading strikingly different adult lives. You’ll leave overwhelmed by the sheer amount of love in this movie.
Only at night. I work during the day like a real person
I have no life, so I’m free whenever
sees at True/False, “Sonita” follows an Afghan teen who dubs herself the “spirit child of Michael Jackson and Rihanna.” An aspiring rapper living in a refugee center in Iran, Sonita’s life is thrown into upheaval as her mother tries to sell her into marriage in order to feed their family.
“Homeland (Iraq Year Zero)”:
This movie is long. Very long. Like, five and a half hours worth of long. But for those of you who are looking to go hardcore at True/False, we guarantee it doesn’t get better than that. “Homeland” takes an in-depth look at the Iraqi war from the point of view of a Baghdad family. Abbas Fahdel, the director of “Homeland,” filmed his family for years to document the U.S. invasion of Iraq from the point of view of those it most drastically and immediately affected. While long, the film is shocking and poignant.
Secret Screenings: True/False has an interesting
feature of the festival set aside for films who are obligated to debut elsewhere but still want to be shown here in CoMo. When you go to a secret show, you aren’t told anything about the movie you’re about to see, other than a very brief synopsis provided online. Go to a secret show if you’re looking for a completely unique True/False experience and if you’re willing to go with the flow and see anything.
“Nosotras/Ellas”:
This movie follows a group of female family members who spend the summer in an old home in Argentina. It delves deep into their emotional and physical journeys throughout the summer and gives us a very intimate portrait of what it means to be a woman. Edited by George Roberson | groberson@themaneater.com
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