True False Issue 2020 by Vox Magazine

NO CONSPIRATORS, NEW CONSPIRATORS

BEHIND THE SCREEN WITH T/F NEWBIES

20 FILMS THAT MATCH YOUR MOOD

WHERE TO FEAST BEFORE YOUR FILM

PAGE 18

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THE VOICE OF COLUMBIA â&#x20AC;¢ TRUE/FALSE 2020

TRUE/ all eyes on

FALSE

The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine February 29, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

Cab Calloway Orchestra April 7, 7pm • Missouri Theatre

Show-Me Opera: The Pirates of Penzance

Missoula Children’s Theatre: Emperor’s New Clothes April 18, 3pm & 6pm • Missouri Theatre

Rhythm of the Dance March 16, 7pm • Jesse Auditorium

Close to You: The Carpenters May 6, 7pm • Missouri Theatre

March 14, 7pm • Missouri Theatre March 15, 3pm • Missouri Theatre

Visit www.concertseries.org or call 573-882-3781 for more information on our amazing lineup! ConcertSeries

E DI T OR I N CHI E F SARAH EVERETT DE PUT Y E DI T OR MEG DONOHUE M AN AGI N G E DI T OR ELENA K. CRUZ DI GI TAL M AN AGI N G E DI T OR CAMERON R. FLATT

HINDSIGHT, FORESIGHT

ON L I N E E DI T OR GABY MORERA DI NÚBILA CR E AT I V E DI R E CT OR HOPE JOHNSON ART DI R E CT OR S SAM BALMER, MADISON WISSE

saw my first True/False documentary in 2012. I was in ninth grade, and my mom took me to a Jesse Auditorium screening of Undefeated. It was a Friday Night Lights-in-real-life film that followed an underprivileged football team on a promising season after years of playoff misses. In 2013, I watched 20 Feet from Stardom, which made heroes out of the backup singers on iconic pop songs. Both films won Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature. Also in 2013, there was Crash Reel, which made me thankful for my brain and my family, about an Olympic prospect’s life-changing snowboarding accident. There was Life, Animated in 2016, Sonita that same year and Knock Down the House in 2019. There are True/False films (too many for me to list here) that stick with me from year to year because they are inspiring. They show glimpses of joy in otherwise unjoyful situations and perseverance in times of hardship. But there are also films that stick with me because they are stranger than fiction. There was Finders Keepers, a 2015 selection, which I waited in a freezing cold Q for, about a man who finds a prosthetic leg in a grill

and the man who was missing that leg’s quest to get it back. There was The Road Movie in 2017, unlike any movie I’ve ever seen, compiled entirely from dashcam footage. And last year, there was Mads Brügger’s Cold Case Hammarskjöld, an investigationturned-conspiracy about the assassination of diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld. True/False films are opportunities to see subjects from places you’ve never been and circumstances you’ll never experience. They are, as you will read on page 10, ways to travel the world from your seat. The festival allows, as you will read on page eight, a chance to hear filmmakers and subjects speak on their experiences from both sides of the camera. True/False presents an opportunity to see Oscarwinning films, documentaries that will pop up on television months later and shorts you’ll likely never get the chance to see again. It seems fitting that this year’s festival theme is Foresight. I’m excited to find out which films and conversations stick with me beyond the weekend and into the 2020s, and we’re thrilled to have made this special “All Eyes on True/False” issue of Vox.

PHOT O E DI T OR DEREK RIEKE M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR SAM MOSHER AS S I S TAN T E DI T O RS CULT UR E CHRISTIÁNE-TRÉSOR CRAWFORD, SARAH HALLAM, NICOLE SCHROEDER, KATHERINE STATER, EMMA VEIDT E AT + DR I N K LAUREN BROCATO, BROOKE KNAPPENBERGER, LAURA SIGMUND, VICTORIA TRAMPLER CI T Y L I F E SIOBHAN CONNERS, MADISON CZOPEK, EMILY LENTZ, HANNAH MCFADDEN, ABBIE WILSON M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR S MEGAN OOSTHUIZEN, GRACE VANCE DE S I GN E R S MITCHELL BARTLE, TAORU HUANG, CHLOE KHAW, MEREDITH LEHMAN, IVY HETTINGER-ROBERTS CON T R I B UT I N G W R I T E R S CHLOE DEMAURO, JASMINE-KAY JOHNSON, ASHLEY JONES, KELLY KENOYER, CARY LITTLEJOHN, MADDY MONTOYA, FIONA MURPHY, MATT SCHMITTDIEL, ALEXANDRA SHARP, VICKY TSUKANOVA, SAGE WALLACE-WILLIAMS DI GI TAL E DI T OR S JESSE BAALMAN, BRY BARBER, DELANEY EYERMANN, MOLLY JACKSON, CLAUDIA KHAW, CHRISTINA LONG, MADELYN ODEN M ULT I M E DI A E DI T OR S MEGAN OOSTHUIZEN, GRACE VANCE

E DI T OR I AL DI R E CT OR HEATHER LAMB DI GI TAL DI R E CT OR SARA SHIPLEY HILES E XE CUT I V E E DI T OR JENNIFER ROWE OF F I CE M AN AGE R KIM TOWNLAIN

Vox Magazine

@VoxMag

@VoxMagazine

SARAH EVERETT Editor in Chief

Behind the Issue During True/False, all eyes are on Columbia, and that’s what designer Sam Balmer wants to convey with this issue’s ocular-centric design. The fest is largely a visual experience through films and art, but the community rallying around the event is what builds its exciting atmosphere. The border design of puzzle pieces and eye-catching colors represent how people from different walks of life come together to witness the work of documentarians from around the world. The people and stories of True/False vary, but they make the fest the complete picture it is. —Laura Sigmund CORRECTION: The Devil’s Icebox is made of limestone. An article in the Jan/Feb issue misidentified the type of rock.

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

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MAGAZINE Cover Design: Sam Balmer Photography by Derek Rieke and illustrations by Sam Balmer

COMMUNITY

FILMS

A relationship ends

In October, True/False cut ties with longtime sponsor The Crossing church.

Getting schooled on documentaries

High school students learn the ins and outs of nonfiction filmmaking.

On a quest through the fest

Meet the man who wants to fulfill as many of the fest’s volunteer roles as he can.

Watch a doc, make some change This year’s True Life Fund will support a Chechen activist who fights against LGBTQ persecution.

Not-so common ground

We followed up with a director who protested The Commons last year.

A fest without its founders

Test your knowledge with a true/false quiz.

P.S. I love True/ False

Without Columbia, there’d be no Ragtag, and without Ragtag, there’d be no True/False.

Get into the T/F spirit with some 2019 films.

These True/False musicians take the stage again.

Worth a rewatch

Encore, please

Flicks for free

Take a break and take a bite at one of Columbia’s new eateries.

Four letters: F-r-e-e. Here’s how to enjoy the festival without breaking the bank.

Doc matrix

True/False lead programmer Chris Boeckmann tells us which films will break or warm your heart.

From screen to snack

Art of another era

Find out how the fest’s art installations came to be.

New film programmers keep True/False going. Find out how they do it.

Paul’s curtain call

Catch up with True/False co-founder Paul Sturtz.

SCENE

What’s true? What’s false?

Two directors, two personal takes These newcomers give the scoop on their films.

Photography courtesy of True/False Film Fest

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

ALL EYES ON

COMMUNITY

A relationship ends After a sermon at The Crossing generated controversy this past October, Ragtag and True/False cut ties to the longtime sponsor. BY KELLY KENOYER

n October 2019, True/False Film Fest made the decision to end its affiliation with longtime sponsor The Crossing, a local Evangelical Presbyterian church. The change came after Pastor Keith Simon gave a sermon that, in part, questioned the validity of transgender identities. Simon said that “God is not pleased when we blur genders” in a sermon called “Male and Female. Ancient Text. Modern Debate.” The fallout was immediate; 1,158 people signed a Change.org petition calling for a boycott of local businesses affiliated with the church. Later that week, Ragtag Cinema and True/False announced they would be severing their relationship with the church. Tracy Davis, a board member for LGBTQ community hub The Center Project, says the sermon was saddening and disappointing. “It was insidious

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

that they would use that platform to highlight some of the same discredited and biased propaganda that has been used to deny transgender people their rights for far too long,” she says. “It was condescending to be told that transgender people are confused. We’re not confused. We know our gender just as much as a cis person knows what their gender is.” (The term cisgender, or cis, refers to people whose gender identity corresponds with the sex they were assigned at birth.) The Crossing produced an FAQ document following the outrage. It noted that the sermon had been misconstrued and was not intended to offend the transgender community. “A lot of misrepresentation and misinterpretation of this sermon has done harm to others,” the FAQ reads. The Crossing did not respond to requests for comment.

The Crossing pastor Dave Cover and co-conspirator David Wilson speak at a True Life Fund film screening in 2018. The church previously sponsored the True Life Fund film, which this year is Welcome to Chechnya (right).

Davis says she doesn’t trust the polite wording of the FAQ. “They gave an apology that I read as a PR thing, but I found the apology lacking,” she says. The FAQ restates some of the topics from the sermon. “I don’t think they learned anything from the feedback they got from the community,” Davis says. The controversy put True/False in a difficult position, says True/False Director Camellia Cosgray. The Crossing had been a substantial and steady donor to True/False for 10 years. The organization donated $40,000 to the festival in 2019 alone. Cosgray says the church’s donations totaled about 1.5% of the organization’s overall budget. The organization hadn’t made any plans for addressing a sponsor with such a position, Cosgray says. “We don’t have an ideological or political stance,” she says. Not considering the impact of that was possibly one of True/False’s biggest missteps, she says. But donors seemed to appreciate True/False taking a stand, Cosgray says. “We certainly had a few people reach out and donate where they hadn’t before,” Cosgray says. “I’m not aware of anybody who dropped a sponsorship or dropped a donation.” True/False has now filled the financial gap left by The Crossing, says Holly Smith-Berry, True/False director of sponsorship. Say Insurance has come

Archive photography courtesy of The Crossing and photography courtesy of True/False Film Fest

in as a major support of the art program and is a sponsor at the highest donor level. National Geographic Documentary Films and Bulleit Bourbon are also joining as sponsors at the highest level. Although The Crossing still has its name etched on theater seats at Ragtag, its name and logo no longer make it to the screen, and Cosgray says True/False is developing a set of guidelines it will pursue with future partners. When addressing the controversy in October, the Ragtag Film Society released a statement about its values. “Ragtag Film Society values inclusivity and celebrates diversity,” the statement reads. “We embrace the voices and views of LGBTQ+ citizens, artists, and leaders in our organization and our programming. We will not give a sponsor’s place of prominence to any organization that discriminates or explicitly devalues LGBTQ+ citizens.” The statement continues that

members of The Crossing and of all faiths are always welcome in its spaces and community. Davis says she was pleased with the Watch the stance True/False took. “They were sermon. moved to act rather quickly,” she says. Pastor Keith Simon’s “True/False and Ragtag have been a sermon is available in video archives at partner to the queer community in nuthecrossingchurch. merous ways.” She points to events the com. cinema has put on for World AIDS Day Read the FAQ. and other film showings about converFind “Transgender: sion therapy. Questions and At this year’s festival, the True Life Answers from Last Sunday’s Sermon” on Fund film, which has historically been the church’s website. sponsored by The Crossing, is Welcome to Chechnya. It focuses on the ongoing Read the statement. genocide and persecution of LGBTQ The Ragtag Film citizens in the region. Society statement Davis is happy with the community’s announcing the division with The overall response to the controversy. “It Crossing can be was truly heartwarming to see that people found on its blog at in Columbia wouldn’t tolerate that sort ragtagcinema.org. of bigotry and intolerance that was being delivered in this sermon,” she says.

FIND OUT MORE

”True/False and Ragtag have been a partner to the queer community in numerous ways.” Tracy Davis, — The Center Project

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VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

all eyes on community

Getting schooled on documentaries Experience is the best teacher for students interested in the film fest. BY MADDY MONTOYA

rue/False is a place for all documentary viewers, including experts, novices and even students. As part of its mission, the fest engages over 1,000 high schoolers in programs and events. Here are five ways high school students can delve into documentaries during True/False weekend and beyond. Camp True/False turns kids into film connoisseurs and artists. This program offers the most involved fest experience. Students with any level of documentary interest are invited to apply to the camp each November, and 8

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

30 to 65 students are selected. Starting in December, campers meet at MU’s Kinder Institute to explore the art of making documentaries by attending short film screenings, chats with filmmakers and group discussions. In four to five pre-festival meetings, the group learns about making creative decisions, documentary form, ethics and the “slash between true and false,” says Kelly Famuliner, the director of community partnerships and education for Ragtag Film Society. During the festival weekend, campers meet filmmakers, create art in hands-on workshops and attend six

Students attending True/False film screenings get the authentic festival treatment, complete with buskers singing as viewers take their seats. These screenings are part of the fest’s efforts to educate students.

to eight films. When the fest ends, they meet to debrief and present their own creative projects. Famuliner says Camp True/False strives to educate students and help them become critical consumers of media by giving them chances to hear from people in different professions and backgrounds. “We’re very intentional about providing access to students with artists, musicians and filmmakers, but that also goes to who we’re putting in front of them,” Famuliner says. “We want to make sure we have a really wide representation, a diversity of voices.” In the past, campers have had the opportunity to eat dinner with prominent figures such as filmmaking duo Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, who directed American Factory, which recently won best documentary feature at the 2020 Academy Awards. The documentary showcases an Ohio community’s experience as a Chinese company purchases and reopens a once-shuttered assembly plant. This year, campers will hear from award-winning journalist Jimmie Briggs. Briggs is a human rights advocate who has reported about survivors of sexual violence, written a book about the lives of child soldiers and co-founded the Man Up Campaign to stop violence against women. Educators also see the value in the camp’s curriculum. Brett Kirkpatrick, a teacher at Hickman High School who has volunteered at the festival in years past, says Camp True/False is the product of hard work and amazing ideas that pay off each year. Friday’s Q&A and workshops put filmmakers front and center. On the Friday morning of the festival, Columbia Public School sophomores — about 1,400 students — view a True/ False film at Jesse Auditorium and get the authentic festival treatment. As students arrive, they’re greeted by True/ False Queens, and as they take their seats to view the film, they’re serenaded by buskers. The screening is followed by a Q&A with filmmakers. Photography courtesy of True/False Film Fest

In the afternoon, students who signed up for DIY Day head to the North Village Arts District for lunch and an afternoon of workshops. Signups for DIY Day begin each year in mid-January and are available to all high school students, not just sophomores. There are seven workshops that teach about True/False components such as mural creation, participatory filmmaking and songwriting. Students get the behind-the-scenes scoop on documentary filmmaking. On the Wednesday and Thursday preceding the festival, True Life Fund film assemblies take place at Battle, Rock Bridge, Hickman and Douglass high schools. In the past, True Life Fund representatives, usually directors and subjects of the films, have visited to discuss how the project came to be. “It’s really a live-action display of

media literacy,” Famuliner says. “Rarely do you have the opportunity to see both filmmaker and subject discuss what it was like to create a film, to be filmed.” Amateur Missouri filmmakers try to fool seasoned professionals. Gimme Truth, an energetic competition, is the perfect way for amateur filmmakers of all ages to participate in True/False. Gimme Truth participants must be Missouri residents. They enter documentary-style films that are either completely true or completely false. On the night of the competition, the local filmmakers compete for prizes and test a panel of professional documentarians to see if they can identify what is factual. High school students have participated in Gimme Truth in the past, and a high school student and his dad once

directed a film that placed second in the competition, says Gimme Truth Coordinator Steve Gieseke.

”Rarely do you have the opportunity to see both filmmaker and subject discuss what it was like to create a film, to be filmed.” — Kelly Famuliner, director of community partnerships and education

The perks of being a volunteer: free fest films, a party and more. Famuliner calls volunteering “one of the best ways to access the fest.” Volunteering slots are open to high school students, in which they help with festival operations by checking passes, answering moviegoers’ questions, collecting recyclables and more. Additionally, if you volunteer, you can watch True/False documentaries at Ragtag Cinema year-round, see any film for free via the Q over the festival weekend and attend an all-ages volunteer party. Volunteers play a key role in helping True/False run smoothly, Famuliner says. Volunteering applications remain open from Nov. 1 through the festival weekend.

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

all eyes on community

On a quest through the fest Antoine Matondo is on a mission to be the volunteer MVP of True/False. BY VICKY TSUKANOVA

t takes 900 volunteers in roles such as audio tech and Queen to power True/False. Meet Antoine Matondo. He’s on the Canary Screening Committee this year, and has worked with volunteer registration and the hospitality team in the past. Matondo was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He speaks French, Bulgarian and English, and he has been a French translator for the festival for the past five years. But he’s not stopping there: He says his goal is to learn as much as possible about how True/False is run, and what better way is there to learn than diving into a multitude of roles? What does the Canar y Screening Committee do, and how does your background help you in this role? As Canaries, we are assigned a number of documentaries to watch and give our opinions clearly and concisely. We help to go through the 1,200 movies that the festival gets. Some volunteers have experience — the veterans — some don’t. I do, but only because I’ve done it for a few years. Speaking to my background, I always enjoyed movies. When I was younger, my dream was to be an actor. Life didn’t go that way, and then I started teaching French literature.

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

What motivates you to watch that many movies? To me, the documentary is a way to see the world if you can’t travel. It opens horizons. It is not time consuming; let me find the time! Nevertheless, 95% of movies don’t match the True/False type of documentaries, don’t push the envelope and don’t change the viewer’s way of seeing. Some are too journalistic, and there’s no art or intrigue. What are the other True/False volunteer roles that you have held? My first experience volunteering was helping volunteers register. My second experience was as part of the hospitality team. My job consisted, among other things, of getting guests’ packets ready and knowing where they were staying. Then, during the fest, I welcomed guests. In that capacity, I was able to interact with our distinguished guests and help them navigate the fest. Being the first faces our guests see, we knew to provide a great first experience. In addition to those two experiences, I was able to do some interpreting for some of our guests who were not comfortable with English. How do you think your experience as a translator lends to your role on the screening committee? It opens my world as far as I don’t have to watch movies that are only in English. I can watch movies that are in French, in Bulgarian or in English. I am not afraid of reading subtitles, as many people are. What is one documentary you’ve seen at True/False that you’d recommend to others? La Tropical. It’s about a bar in Haiti. I saw it my first year of the festival. The Devil Came on Horseback is another one. Honestly, this question is like asking what my favorite book is. I can’t tell you. It’s either what I’m reading in the moment, or they all are because it’s not just about the book itself; it’s what I’m learning out of it.

Photography by Samantha Waigand

Paul’s curtain call Paul Sturtz, True/False co-founder, passes on the festival’s torch and looks to new horizons. BY MATT SCHMITTDIEL

he Ragtag Film Society and the True/ False Film Fest co-founder left last August to pursue new passions. Paul Sturtz says he passed off the fest to folks who are making their own marks in the world. “I just felt like I needed to close the door on that in order to open the door for others to really come to the floor,” he says. Even though he isn’t working with the film society anymore, he says, he is still inspired to do creative and important work, including working on Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign and consulting for Seattle-based environmental magazine, Grist. Time for a new challenge After more than 20 years with the society, Sturtz has no desire to rest. He says his new job allows him to use his expertise in a different realm that couldn’t be more important today. Sturtz is helping Grist, a nonprofit online publication, develop and build projects from the ground up, just like he did with the film fest. “I think we’re at a place where it’s all hands on deck in terms of the planet, and it has an immediacy to be working on a project that is intersecting a lot of really innovative, forward-thinking people,” he says. Leaving a legacy Sturtz is happy to see the festival and Ragtag Film Society thrive beyond his involvement. “I am really proud of those ways that that organization has been such a valuable cultural resource for Columbia,” Sturtz says. He says he is proud to have created a platform to support creative nonfiction work. “To be supportive of other folks’ creativity and to make them feel encouraged and excited about being part of a larger community all around the world, that was just such an honor to be part of that,” Sturtz says.

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all eyes on community

P.S. I love True/False

When it comes to Columbia’s independent cinema and documentary festival, it’s true/love. BY CARY LITTLEJOHN

and remakes — lack “revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger,” he says. In short: “Nothing is at risk.”

hat can Martin Scorsese’s gripe with the Marvel Cinematic Universe reveal about True/False Film Fest and Ragtag Film Society? Honestly, it’s more than you might expect. Last June, The New York Times asked two dozen Hollywood actors, directors, producers and executives questions about the next decade of movies, including if the future has room for more than just blockbusters. None were optimistic about the state of moviegoing. They cited the immense pressure to perform well financially. According to the Motion Picture Association of America’s 2018 THEME Report, in the U.S. and Canada, a moviegoer buys five movie tickets per year, which is paltry considering more than 750 films were released in 2018. People don’t go to the movies like they once did; streaming services that allow for at-home viewing

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

contribute to this new reality. That’s not to say that staggering amounts of money aren’t being made in theaters. Last year’s Avengers: Endgame made $2.79 billion worldwide. Beyond that, for the past three years, the 10 highest grossing films of each year have been part of a franchise, save for 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Perhaps this trend explains why studios are opting for reliable film properties instead of innovative and daring new films, much to Scorsese’s chagrin. Scorsese does not mince words in his response to the Times. Marvel and its universe’s films are not “cinema,” but rather they are “worldwide audiovisual entertainment,” he says. Scorsese says his concerns are not reserved solely for Marvel. He reframes the issue as the overall franchise-ification of the film industry. Why? Because those formulaic franchise offerings — prequels, sequels

Ron Rottinghaus, Tim Spence and Holly Roberson envisioned creating a movie house and eatery, and thus Ragtag Cinema was born in 1998, according to the Ragtag website.

Risk fuels the True/False Film Fest Scorsese’s blistering takedown of franchise filmmaking is actually a celebration of its opposite. I present for your consideration: True/False Film Fest and Ragtag Cinema. Both institutions highlight and showcase films that could rarely, if ever, be labeled as franchise films. Instead, these films exude risk. At True/False, they are documentary films; the filmmakers often don’t know where the story will lead them. And what was True/False if not a risky proposition? Perhaps the most interesting question around that risk: How does the fest not just survive but thrive in Columbia, Missouri? Nonprofit film societies and festivals are staples of American culture. Ragtag and True/False share the same genetic makeup as the New Orleans Film Festival, the Chicago Film Festival, Indie Memphis, New York Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Denver Film Fest and Milwaukee Film Festival, where the festivals are sponsored by the film societies. But look at the names on that list. Columbia, with scarcely more than 123,000 residents, is a fraction of the size of the other cities. Yet here we are, hosting one of the most important documentary film festivals in the country. Such a reputation is undoubtedly due to the founders, organizers and programmers who work diligently to make the festival a serious endeavor, one that punches above its weight class. We can’t forget the hundreds of volunteers who give their time to staff this four-day love affair with documentary film. As with

Photography courtesy of True/False Film Fest and illustrations by Sam Balmer

all comparable festivals, True/False is a community event. The big difference is Columbia is a community that’s small enough to make you feel like you’re a member no matter where you’re from. As such, it’s no surprise that True/ False was universally recommended to me before I got to Columbia in January 2018. Shortly after I arrived, the festival kicked off. Not knowing what to expect, I volunteered, which gave me backstage access to the different venues and the people who make the festival run smoothly. It ended up feeling a little bit like how a lifeguard must feel basking in the sun while watching over a pool full of kids. This totally enjoyable act has somehow had the fun sucked out of it by virtue of responsibilities. Don’t get me wrong. I was proud to be part of the team. I wore my volunteer shirt and waved my laminated pass like a veteran homicide cop gliding under a crime scene’s tape. But I was not experiencing the joy of the festival; I was joy-adjacent, though I could feel it in the air — crisp and electric, buzzing throughout downtown Columbia. I knew immediately I was in the midst of something special, but I’m not sure I truly understood why.

ues animate the society, I’d be very close to guessing its core values of integrity, inclusivity, playfulness and sustainability. True/False epitomizes integrity with its True Life Fund, a monetary gift given to the subjects of one of the documentaries screened at the festival, which goes well beyond its already-stellar reputation for being, as MovieMaker Magazine put it, “unlike 99% of film festivals” because “they actually pay filmmakers to attend.” Inclusivity is seen not only in True/False’s deeply human lineup of films and filmmakers but also in Ragtag’s weekly screenings. But more than that, it’s the locals who comfortably call Ragtag home. Nestled next to a record store, it pulls in an eclectic crowd — from those in business suits and ties to hipster college students and everything in between. Ragtag strives for uniqueness. The films that screen at Ragtag can often only be seen there. They even updated the theater in 2015 with a 35 mm

”I knew immediately I was in the midst of something special, but I’m not sure I truly understood why.” — Cary Littlejohn

Cary Littlejohn graduated from MU in December 2019 and is a card-holding member of the Couch Club.

change-over system to play films that haven’t been digitized yet. Ragtag Cinema shows off its playfulness by the quirky interior, with its relatively small theaters and cozy couches, hand-drawn showtimes and earnest chats from staff before each screening. True/ False keeps in the playful spirit with its Queens keeping you company in line, styled in fabulous colors. Sustainability efforts won True/False the 2018 Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement Award from the city for diverting about 88% of all event waste from the landfill, composting 2,581 pounds of food waste and collecting 1,178 pounds of recyclables. True/False is commonly described with two terms: community and utopia. Two festivals later, I can certainly understand those descriptors, but it’s the time in between festivals that led me to realize this utopian sense of community is present in Columbia year-round, thanks to Ragtag.

True/False stays true to its values Ragtag Film Society, the nonprofit organization that runs Ragtag Cinema and puts on True/False, is the engine. Tracing its history back to 1998, the society “exists to captivate and engage communities in immersive arts experiences that explore assumptions and elicit shared joy, wonder, and introspection,” according to its website. After dozens of screenings and innumerable hours spent in tiny, dark theaters, I can attest to its effectiveness. When I left Columbia, I was a card-carrying supporter of Ragtag twice over with both a student membership and Couch Club membership to my name. Why? Because Ragtag exudes authenticity. If I’d been ambushed in downtown Columbia, in the style of Billy on the Street, and asked what val-

Photography courtesy of Cary Littlejohn

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

ALL EYES ON

FILMS

Watch a doc, make a change Welcome to Chechnya tells of ongoing LGBTQ oppression in the Russian region and the activists who are helping victims escape. BY ALEXANDRA SHARP

hree years. That’s how long LGBTQ individuals have faced the Chechen government’s crackdown on queer rights. There have been hundreds of reports of authorities rounding up gay and bisexual men for forced electric shock therapy, illegal detainings and extrajudicial killings. The conservative government has ignored pleas to end the violence despite the urging of other nations and human rights organizations. Thousands of miles away, the True/ False Film Fest is using documentary to

make a difference. Since 2007, True/False has chosen one film to support each year with the True Life Fund, which raises money and awareness for subjects and causes highlighted in the film. This year’s True Life Fund film is Welcome to Chechnya, a documentary about a group of everyday Chechen citizens who become LGBTQ activists in the face of systematic oppression. The director, David France, follows activists as they remove LGBTQ individuals from the government’s grasp. France shows

Welcome to Chechnya is this year’s True Life Fund film. It demonstrated trust between subject and filmmaker and the danger associated with creating the film.

viewers the many ways these organizers assist at-risk citizens such as providing them with money, negotiating for humanitarian parole visas and helping them escape the region through a network of safe houses. All donations will be given to Welcome to Chechnya’s primary subject, Maxim

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Lapunov. He fled Chechnya after being identified as gay by Chechen security forces who abducted him with hundreds of others and tortured him for 12 days. Because Lapunov is still in hiding from his government and cannot get a job, all donations will help him and his family start a life in their new country and help fund his court case through the European Court of Human Rights. Welcome to Chechnya was chosen as this year’s True Life Fund film because of the trust France developed with his sources, says Chris Boeckmann, director of film programming for True/False. “All subject-filmmaker relationships are rooted in trust, but with the True Life Fund, we particularly tend to draw attention to ones where the subject was especially giving of themselves,” Boeckmann says. “And in this instance, given that the subject was putting his life on the line by participating in the movie, it was a pretty natural selection for us.” France says he hopes audience mem-

bers take away the power of love and selflessness humans can exhibit. “I think it shows what human beings are capable of, and that is reaching much deeper into our reservoirs of courage than we might think possible,” France says. True/False is France’s favorite film festival, so he is especially thrilled to receive the True Life Fund honor. France says he is excited about the opportunity to celebrate the activists in his film. “It is such a unique experience to be in the audience at True/ False where you’re surrounded by some of the most generous and serious audience members that you could ever imagine,” France says. “The kind of response the film gets and the filmmaker gets from the Columbia, Missouri, audience is just really remarkable. I don’t even know how to describe it. It just lifts you up in a way that no other festival does.” Prior to this film, France received critical acclaim for his documentaries How to Survive a Plague, which screened at True/

BY THE NUMBERS Welcome to Chechnya’s runtime in minutes 107 Years it took to make the film 2.5 Including Welcome to Chechnya, total documentaries selected by the True Life Fund since it began in 2007, including films Midnight Traveler, Primas and Quest 14 Average amount of money a True Life Fund film raises each year $32,000

False in 2012, and The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, which was first made available on Netflix in 2017. Both films cover issues faced by LGBTQ community. Outside of filmmaking, France is also an award-winning author and investigative journalist. He has published three books including How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS. This history, based on his documentary of the same title, was one of The New York Times’ “Notable Books of 2016.” His articles have been published in outlets such as New York Magazine and inspired movies such as Showtime’s Soldier’s Girl. France and Lapunov will be available at film showings for audience Q&As. Welcome to Chechnya will play on Friday at Jesse Auditorium at 2:30 p.m., Saturday at the Missouri Theatre at 12:15 p.m. and Sunday at Jesse Auditorium at 12:45 p.m. To donate, you can text any amount to 573-818-2151, submit a donation through True/False’s website or donate at the film’s screening.

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

all eyes on film

Not-so common ground In 2019, The Commons sparked debate about accountability in filmmaking. A year later, filmmaker Courtney Staton discusses ethical documentary making. BY CHLOE DEMAURO

t’s awkward to be caught in the background of a photo without knowing you’re in it. Now imagine being featured in a documentary without your consent. That’s what happened to the subjects of The Commons, a 71-minute documentary taking place in the middle of heated protests on the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill campus. Last year’s True/False screening of the film in Jesse Auditorium sparked its own protest and raised a question about observational filmmaking: Should filmmakers seek consent or consultation from their subjects prior to the film’s release?

The students and protestors featured in The Commons would say yes. Filmmakers Suki Hawley and Michael Galinsky captured the protests and the eventual removal of Confederate statue “Silent Sam” on the university’s upper quad. The statue gained notoriety in 2018 after student protestors tore it to the ground. Courtney Staton is a former UNC student organizer, 2018 NeXt Doc Fellow and one of the leaders of the protest at Jesse Auditorium. She wrote in a statement on the NeXt Doc website that three of her friends emerged as central characters in the documentary but didn’t know they

Saturday, April 11, 2020

What’s The Commons? A film shown at the 2019 True/False Film Fest that documents the protests that surrounded the “Silent Sam” monument. What’s “Silent Sam? ”A statue of a Confederate soldier given to UNC in 1909. It was removed in 2018.

were part of the film until Staton watched it at True/False. “Nothing about us, without us, is for us,” Staton wrote. At the time, Staton, who has since graduated, and fellow filmmakers at UNC were working on a documentary of their own called Silence Sam. Before filming began, Staton identified four major players from different areas of the “Silent Sam” protests, all of whom were black women, to serve as producers. They worked with a journalism professor to create a film that promoted the activists’ work. When making Silence Sam, Staton and the other creators regularly checked in with subjects in hopes of telling an accurate story. “I think my biggest advice would be to heavily consult the community and consider the community a partner instead of a subject,” she says. Staton says making Silence Sam wasn’t about bolstering resumes or get-

Help Cleanup Columbia on Saturday, April 11. Volunteers will be assigned all over town in the morning to pick up litter and make our city look great. Cleanup Columbia is a perfect volunteer event for individuals and groups of all sizes and people of all ages and abilities. The City of Columbia will provide you with a cleanup location, bags, and gloves and will pick up the filled trash bags. Volunteers are invited to lunch at noon at Albert-Oakland Park.

Lunch and supplies will be provided. Filled bags will be picked up by the city.

A special thank you to our sponsors as well as Solid Waste Utilities and Columbia Parks and Recreation.

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VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

A group of protesters attended the Q&A session after the 2019 screening of The Commons. Staton, top left, stood alongside moderator Eddie Martinez as they helped guide the conversation.

ting a good course grade. “It was always about the movement,” Staton says. “And if it didn’t benefit the movement, then there was no point in doing it.” In his 2019 response to the True/ False protests, Galinsky apologized for

calling Silence Sam a student film and for not reaching out to the subjects of The Commons. “As white individuals, we have a responsibility to challenge our own perspectives and positions of power when filming protests that in-

What’s Silence Sam? The film UNC protesters created about the “Silent Sam” protests.

volve historically marginalized groups,” Galinsky wrote in the response. “As Suki said from the stage at True/ False, we hope we can use this situation to discuss a path toward greater communication and understanding,” he, Hawley and David Beilinson wrote in a February email to Vox. After True/False, The Commons was pulled from the film circuit. The Silence Sam premiere took place shortly after True/False at the Indie Grits Festival in Columbia, South Carolina, and showed at the New Orleans Film Festival in October 2019. After speaking out at True/False last year, Staton traveled to panels and events, including the Double Exposure investigative film festival, to inform people about the importance of community-oriented storytelling. She has also written about the silencing of student activists for Medium. She’s still making films and hopes eventually to document housing issues and gentrification.

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all eyes on film

A fest without its founders

The programming team, of (from top right) Chris Boeckmann, Jeanelle Augustin and Amir George each bring something unique to the table when choosing the films to screen at the fest.

Meet the team of people moving True/False forward in its 17th year. BY BRYANNA BARBER

he True/False Film Fest office is easy to miss. In a second-floor suite near the corner of Ninth Street and Broadway, just above Tellers Gallery and Bar, you don’t see it unless you look up. It’s a fitting location for a festival that evolved from the headin-the-clouds idea of two young men in a Missouri college town. Now, in its 17th year, the fest continues to evolve without co-conspirators David Wilson and Paul Sturtz as its lead programmers — or film sifters and selectors — at the helm of the fest. 18

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

As a Columbia native, I have seen True/False become the weekend-long celebration that it is: an observance of interesting films, interesting people. I’ve been to March March and watched films at Jesse Hall and the Missouri Theatre. In my high school classes, I’ve discussed topics sparked by the documentaries. I’ve observed the community come together at the convergence of winter and spring for about half my life. In that time, the fest has grown into an entity separate from its creators. And

BY THE NUMBERS Three programmers selected 38 feature films and 25 short films from about 1,100 submissions.

though the founders have stepped back from the fest, many of the core staff who have been involved for years are sticking with it. After working in various roles for the fest for more than a decade, Camellia Cosgray is now fest director. As director, Cosgray is more involved in the programming process than in years past and is often part of programming conversations. Cosgray says she doesn’t think Wilson and Sturtz would be surprised to hear they left behind a legacy of high expectations for the staff to uphold. Everything from the films to the art to the music to the merchandise is selected with quality in mind. “Because I’ve worked with them for so long, I’ve really taken that to heart,” she says. “It’s true within my heart that I have high expectations for myself. And so I have those expectations for other people.” Wilson and Sturtz began the festival in 2004 as a grassroots project cultivated by a shared love of film, according to a June 2018 Missourian article. But, as the entrepreneurial thrill of success wore off and an organized entity emerged, Wilson and Sturtz said they felt a shift they were not prepared for. Wilson still lives in Columbia, but he told the Missourian he has taken a backseat role so he can dedicate more time to his family and his own filmmaking. Cosgray says he will still be involved in the fest’s art direction. Sturtz left the True/False scene this year to be part of Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign and to take on other projects. Sturtz says he knows the festival has reached a point that it can continue without him. Sturtz and Wilson have often said they never wanted the festival to be about them. They’ve always wanted the fest to exist independently. After 16 years of growth and support by the Columbia community, the True/ False Film Fest turned a new leaf, and the theoretical torch has been passed to fresh leadership who will work with emerging voices. Although the fest is changing as its founders step away, the shift is more like the start of a new chapter than a sudden disruption. “It’s Photography by Daffy Liu

something we’ve known was going to come eventually,” Cosgray says. “I think it was just sort of inevitable that they would both feel the need to do different projects and find something new.” In the absence of Wilson and Sturtz, Chris Boeckmann became new the lead programmer. Alongside him, two newer power players have been introduced into the mix: Amir George and Jeanelle Augustin. For outsiders looking in, the programming team’s job might appear straightforward. But Boeckmann says the process for this festival is different than most and far from easy. Boeckmann says True/False programmers have some requirements that are unlike other festivals. Many other festivals tend to select films with content as the top priority, but True/False programmers often focus on filmmakers’ creative decisions. He and the other programmers spend a lot of time viewing films. But, there’s

more to the job than just that. True/False receives thousands of film submissions the team must go through. The programmers look for material that fits their vision for the festival. This includes representation and quality content. With a relatively new programming team, Boeckmann says it was also important to make sure everyone was on the same page and generally agreed on what excites

them about nonfiction film. “The ultimate job is to first come up with what we want to explore in films,” he says. “From there, we have to watch everything we can and actually get directors to come here for the fest.” He says they approach documentary film as art. “We’re looking for films that help us understand the real world but with imagination.” Augustin is the newest face on the programming team; this is her first year as a film programmer. Augustin primarily studied anthropology and art history in college, and that’s where her interest in film began to grow. She took a film course and also worked at a school in Haiti that taught film. She didn’t begin a film career until after she finished schooling, but she found she had a knack for it. In the True/ False offices on a gray Monday morning, Augustin exudes a sense of freedom and flexibility. An opportunity to move to Los Angeles and to try something new started by landing an internship with the Sundance

The fest’s programming team might be on the small side, but that doesn’t hinder the quality of the films it curates. In 2019, the fest screened the film American Factory, which just won an Academy Award.

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all eyes on film

Film Festival in the grants section of the documentary film program. Augustin worked at Sundance for about three years before her path crossed with that of fellow programmer George at the Smithsonian African American Film Fest in October 2018. At the time, George was in his first year with True/False. They stayed in contact, and George eventually invited her to be a Ringleader — one of the fest emcees who introduces films and leads Q&As with guests at screenings — last March. After True/False 2019, George went to New York for a film festival, and that’s when he told Augustin True/False was looking for a new programmer. George thought she would be a good fit for the role and was excited to see what her experience and personality would bring to the table. “Both Chris and Amir have a sort of quieter, more reserved energy, and Jeanelle has a more outgoing energy,” Cosgray says. “Both are great and useful, but it’s nice to have that combination. She really brought a good energy to that room.” Boeckmann says because of Augustin’s background with Sundance and art, she brings a perspective to the group that would not be present otherwise. “She has a much more sensitive eye to the potential in films in their roughcut stages,” he says. “It’s actually pretty meaningful and results in catching movies that we, otherwise, would not catch.” Although George brought Augustin into the fest mix, he is only in his second True/False programming season. He’s not new to the job entirely, though. When the opportunity to work on True/False arose, George had been programming for 10 years with various organizations and festivals, including one he co-founded called Black Radical Imagination, which is a touring short film program that highlights African diaspora stories. He also writes and directs his own films. Boeckmann says George has an “ability to draw connections between films and put together programs that flow together.” He says George’s strengths derive from his experience. “He has a very natural gift at 20

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

putting films together in series.” George says he believes it is important to be intentional about what is put in front of viewers. When curating films, he says it’s good to look for things people haven’t seen before and consider the effect a documentary might have. “Programming is an act of care for the art and the artists,” he says. Boeckmann praised George for his sensitivity to creating spaces for conversation and for talking to audience members after showings. “He doesn’t put himself above the audience member,” he says. Augustin says the programming team is fairly small. She estimates there were about 20 programmers at her old job, but not all of them worked full time. But with the small size, the team is able to really make the fest its own. “We have the freedom to show what we want and sort of put forward a vision that you can see across all the films,” she says. “And also, they are really good films.” Their strengths differ, but Boeckmann says Augustin and George both have a good understanding of the importance of the festival’s big-picture goal of creating a lasting discussion and encouraging critical analysis of film and other media. “I hope

”Programming is an act of care for the art and the artists.” Amir George, — film programmer

Chris Boeckmann says True/False is different from other fests because its programming team focuses more on filmmakers’ creative decisions, rather than simply on a film’s content.

that when people are encountering stories that they know how to think through how they were made and maybe question them a little bit more,” Boeckmann says. “I hope that there are people who are able to interact with and engage with perspectives that otherwise, they wouldn’t have.” Boeckmann also talked about True/ False’s impact on the broader scale of pushing the documentary industry toward inclusivity. He says he hopes that, moving forward, the fest can do a better job of creating a space where people can be more vulnerable and open with one another. True/False has become embedded in Columbia’s culture. Wilson and Sturtz can take an active role in the fest’s future or stay on the sidelines, but the festival is already ingrained into the collective mind of the town. And it’s here to stay. The founders might have laid the foundation, but George says the new team is moving the fest forward. “If you look at the present state of what two people created 17 years ago and how it’s still a moving machine, it’s a legacy to be built upon,” George says. “It’s a legacy in progress.”

Photography courtesy of True/False Film Fest

What’s true? What’s false?

to 42 musical acts including newbies Chris Cohen and Sunny War.

5. Ragtag Cinema, one of the fest theaters, is located inside what used to be a Pepsi bottling factory.

Find out how much you know about Columbia’s claim to film fame.

Answer: False. Until 1996, the building that houses the local cinema and bakery was a Coca-Cola bottling factory, not Pepsi. Got you on a technicality.

BY SARAH HALLAM 1. The Blue Note was one of the three original film venues. Answer: True. The True/False Film Fest launched in 2004 with three theaters: Ragtag Cinema, the Missouri Theatre and The Blue Note. In fact, before The Blue Note became the concert hall we know it as today, the building was first used as a movie theater. The Missouri Theatre, however, hadn’t projected a film in about 15 years before the festival began.

6. There is an award ceremony every year at the end of True/False to crown the year’s most influential films. Answer: False. The only award given at True/False is the True Vision Award to honor a director or a directorial team who advanced the field of nonfiction. This year’s recipients are Bill and Turner Ross. Three of their films, including the latest, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, will be shown at the festival this year.

2. Since the festival launched in 2004, attendance has more than quadrupled. Answer: True. For the first True/False, 4,200 tickets were sold. By the next year, that number jumped to 6,500. Today, True/False sees crowds of over 45,000 people. This means more volunteers too. In 2007, there were a little over 250 volunteers. Now, roughly 900 volunteers help put on the fest every year.

3. Timothy Levitch, a Manhattan tour guide and the subject of the 1998 documentary The Cruise, got his start giving tours in Boone County. Answer: False. Although Timothy “Speed” Levitch did give a tour of Boone County when he attended the film festival in 2004, the native New Yorker got his start in Manhattan where he became famous for his rapid-fire bus tour commentary. He now splits his time between there and Kansas City where his mother lives. Illustrations by Sam Balmer

7. An Academy Award-winning filmmaker once called the Oscars “a warmup to True/False.”

4. Live music wasn’t intentionally incorporated into the festival. Answer: False. Live performances before every screening have been a trademark of the fest since its origin. True/False founders Paul Sturtz and David Wilson told Indiewire in 2009 that in the early days of their film series, a friend would show up with an accordion and serenade the audiences as they entered the theaters. This year, you can look forward

DID YOU KNOW? The name of the festival is a reminder to viewers to always be “somewhat critical” of what they’re watching, no matter what it is, said David Wilson, True/False co-creator, in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio in 2017.

Answer: True. In 2008, Taxi to the Dark Side director Alex Gibney came to True/False right after winning a documentary Oscar for his film. He also was that year’s recipient of the True/False True Vision Award. Gibney made the comment during his acceptance speech in Columbia.

8. Some film submissions to the fest don’t get reviewed for inclusion. Answer: False. At least one person from the screening committee watches each of the over 500 submissions any given year. Sturtz and Wilson said in the past that they used to have viewing parties for the films once a week. VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

all eyes on film

Two directors, two personal takes on film These True/False newcomers draw influence from their pasts to document the present. BY SAGE WALLACE-WILLIAMS Marnie Ellen Hertzler’s film Crestone shows 5:30 p.m. March 5 at Big Ragtag, 7 p.m. March 6 at Forrest Theater, 3:30 p.m. March 7 at Showtime Theater and 7:30 p.m. March 8 at Willy Wilson.

rue/False first-timers Marnie Ellen Hertzler and Yashaswini Raghunandan bring fresh perspectives and new narratives to the fest this year. Both directors drew inspiration from their hometowns as well as the people and experiences they grew up with. Marnie Ellen Hertzler: From the art room to the music room In her North Carolina high school art class, Marnie Ellen Hertzler, director of Crestone, found two companions: First, her love for visual arts, and second, her best friend, Sadboytrapps, a SoundCloud rapper who introduced her to his music community in Crestone, Colorado, once the pair parted ways after high school. Crestone follows a group of Hertzler’s high school friends who smoke weed, play video games and make music for SoundCloud, one of the largest online audio platforms. “It’s a platform where anyone can put out content on the internet and express themselves.” The creative agency and freedom of SoundCloud rap culture 22

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

led Hertzler to her idea of documenting the rappers’ journeys. “I was really struck by the imagery and by the way they’re presenting themselves through social media and YouTube,” she says. “They’ve devoted their entire lives to making music and art to the point where they’ve quarantined themselves into this small desert town just to live together.” After earning an art degree in sculpture, Hertzler began making props and sets for filmmaker friends. The production design environment led her to an interest in directing. “I felt like I had my own ideas and my own stories that I really wanted to tell,” she says. “I felt the stuff I wanted to tell wasn’t being shown through traditional narrative.” Hertzler advises viewers to “not expect a certain outcome” from Crestone. She hopes her film conveys “we are going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.”

That Cloud Never Left from director Yashaswini Raghunandan shows 4:15 p.m. March 6 at Willy Wilson, 2:45 p.m. March 7 at The Globe and 3 p.m. March 8 at Big Ragtag.

mills and pulleys coming from toys being sold by toymakers in the street caught the attention of filmmaker Yashaswini Raghunandan, while walking on the streets of her hometown Bengaluru, India. “There is something really interesting about these toys,” she says. The toys are constructed from old 35 mm film strip archives from Bollywood productions and other raw materials. Having a background in film and sound design, Raghunandan wanted to put a special emphasis on the toy manufacturing process in the documentary. That Cloud Never Left follows a village of toy sellers as they travel to larger cities to sell toys. The idea of scrap market culture inspired Raghunandan to think about how film can be transformed into something other than what it was created for. Raghunandan pushes the limits on what can be defined as documentary. “You start to encounter different dimensions to storytelling from the community, yourself and the act of filmmaking itself,” she says. “I think making the film is very fiction.” Raghunandan says her film allows viewers to leave with their own conclusions. “I think cinema is a very powerful language,” she says. “Perhaps it’s better to have secrets of our own.”

Yashaswini Raghunandan: A new purpose A cacophony of whistles, rattles, windPhotography courtesy of Marnie Ellen Hertzler and Yashaswini Raghunandan

Worth a rewatch Five of last year’s True/False participants take a walk down recent memory lane to highlight which 2019 films stood out from the pack. BY VICTORIA TRAMPLER

very True/False is packed with its own memorable films. Five members of 2019’s True/False Canary Screening Committee share which films have stayed with them a year later.

Celebration Director Olivier Meyrou studied Yves Saint Laurent from 1998 to 2001 to reveal the life of the haute couture icon. Available digitally March 31.

”Celebration was challenging because the subject matter lends itself to viewer expectations of beauty and art. Instead, director Olivier Meyrou serves up a stark view of Saint Laurent’s fragile last days, replete with a punishing, aggressive sound design. I loved it.” — Mindy Stuekel Photography courtesy of True/False Film Fest

One Child Nation Nanfu Wang takes a critical look at the China of her childhood where, for 35 years, couples were limited to raising one child. Starting in her hometown and expanding to the global impact, One Child Nation explores the heartbreaking truths of the limitations of family. Available on Amazon Prime.

Island of the Hungry Ghosts Poh Lin Lee works as a torture and trauma counselor at an Australian detention center on an island off the coast. Unfolding over four years, this film focuses on the migration crisis and the uncertainty surrounding the lives of its residents. Available for rent through Amazon Prime.

”It was so personal, and you couldn’t help but confront its realities.”

”It felt so intimate and tender, which made it all the more devastating.”

— Davis McCondichie

— Molly Bagnall

Chez Jolie Coiffure From Cameroon to Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Greece and Belgium, this film follows the journey of hairdresser Sabine, a migrant in search of a better life. Available through OVID.

Knock Down the House A film showcasing both resiliency and empowerment, Knock Down the House follows four working-class women, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who are trying to win the 2018 Democratic primaries. Available on Netflix.

”It introduced me to an entirely new voice and new part of the world.” — Rebecca Fons

”AOC is a symbol of hope, especially when you’re 1) female, 2) not rich and 3) wanting to challenge the status quo.” — Sarah Sabatke VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

WE BUY & SELL GOOD BOOKS

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Flicks for free Here’s how to access the fest — at no cost. BY MADDY MONTOYA

on’t let your budget keep you from the True/False fun. Here are four ways to experience the fest without spending a dime.

Diverse programming you can’t find anywhere else. It’s community radio!

Become a festival volunteer True/False volunteers receive passes to the festival to attend any film via the Q. Likewise, theater operations volunteers sometimes have the opportunity to catch screenings while working. “The fest is powered on around 1,000 volunteers, so, truly, without them we would not be able to hold the fest,” says Kelly Famuliner, director of community partnerships and education for Ragtag Film Society. Score ticket vouchers The fest provides a limited number of ticket vouchers to community organizations and Columbia public high schools to offset financial barriers. Vouchers can be exchanged for tickets at the True/False box office, the Missouri Theatre, Jesse Auditorium and The Blue Note. You can request vouchers by reaching out to the organizations and schools. “We can’t guarantee anything, but we’re definitely excited and willing and passionate about getting people into the fest,” Famuliner says. Win a radio station contest Some local radio stations give away tickets or passes to the festival, but you’ll have to keep an ear out next year. KFRU and BXR have already given theirs away for True/False 2020.

KOPN

89.5 FM live streaming at kopn.org 24

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

Attend events open to the public True/False’s “open-to-all” parade, March March, is on the Friday of the fest. Famuliner describes it as a cathartic expression of people coming together to celebrate art and nonfiction with costumes, dancing and drumlines. The Neither/Nor film series — a lineup of films Ragtag Cinema plays starting the Wednesday of the fest — is free and open to the public. This year, the series will highlight Missourians’ films that push nonfiction filmmaking boundaries, according to the True/False website.

The 2020 Vox doc matrix Not sure if you need to bring tissues to the movie? Vox spoke with lead True/False programmer Chris Boeckmann to map out this year’s must-see movies. From brutal to buoyant storylines, the fest has something for everyone. BY JASMINE-KAY JOHNSON

Conventional

Down a Dark Stairwell The shooting of an unarmed black man at the hands of a police officer is not a new story. In this film, though, the racial dynamics involve not one, but two communities of color.

Welcome to Chechnya LGBTQ people face many horrors in Chechnya, but an activist group guides the community’s members to safety.

Heartbreaking *N/N: Neither/Nor is the fest’s free film series.

Lovemobil Director Elke Lehrenkrauss and cinematographer Christoph Rohrscheidt followed a group of Eastern European and African sex workers. Spanning two years, the film covers the relationships among the group of women and their clients.

Illustrations by Sam Balmer

City So Real From the trial of a police officer to the historic election of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, director Steve James puts Chicago politics under a microscope.

Mucho Mucho Amor Countless TV viewers felt the magic of Univision’s cape-wearing astrologist Walter Mercado. Director Cristina Costantini has just one question: Why the mysterious disappearance?

N/N*: The Gloria Tapes Director Lisa Steele channels her experience working at a women and children’s shelter through characters she created.

The Mole Agent A nursing home, a private investigator and an elderly bachelor are the perfect combination for a thrilling docu-mystery.

Dick Johnson is Dead Kirsten Johnson and her father, Dick, blur the lines of fiction and nonfiction in this follow-up to her 2016 Cameraperson.

Time Years and years pass by Sibil “Fox” Rich as her husband sits behind bars, but 18 years worth of video tapes keep the love alive among the family.

Heartwarming

Collective Journalists fight to uncover the broken system that caused a deadly fire.

N/N*: still/here To document ab sence through empty theaters, parking lots and old signs, director Christopher Harris shoots his hometown of St. Louis on 16 mm.

Crip Camp It was the summer of ‘69, and Camp Jened was a safe haven for campers with physical and developmental disabilities.

Feels Good Man This film tells a story of a once-harmless meme that was hijacked by the dark corners of the web.

Talking about Trees Four retired, award-winning filmmakers look to bring Sudan’s cinematic scene back to life.

Aswang Director Alyx Arumpac documents the violence that haunts the streets of Manila as a result of President Duterte’s “neutralization of illegal drug personalities.”

Boys State Teenagers across Texas take on the world of bipartisan politics. Over the course of one week during the summer of 2018, the boys must create two imaginary political parties and vote for the next Boys State Governor.

Tchoupitoulas Months of footage are distilled into one night of childlike charm as three brothers explore New Orleans in this companion film to Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets by Bill and Turner Ross.

Nofinofy Malagasy barber Romeo sees cutting hair as an honor, but this honor is stripped away when city officials evict him.

małni--towards the ocean, towards the shore The Pacific Northwest is the backdrop for Sky Hopinka’s love letter to the Chinookan people.

The Metamorphosis of Birds A couple communicates via journals and letters while one is at sea and the other takes care of their home.

Experimental VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

ALL EYES ON

THE SCENE

Encore, please

Columbia band loose loose is playing Cafe Berlin’s Saturday Night Showcase.

Returning music acts take back the True/False stage in 2020. BY ASHLEY JONES

rue/False Film Fest emits a magnetic energy that brings back its musical performers year after year. Music is an integral part of the festival. When you walk the streets of downtown, you’re bound to hear buskers. These musicians play sets before film showings, march in the parade and play on balconies at parties. Buskers also play alongside special acts during evening showcases throughout the week. When Music Director Martin Kamau started the job three years ago, he set a goal that he’d only schedule musicians two years in a row to keep the lineup fresh. “I think we should challenge the audience and have them listen to styles they haven’t listened to before,” Kamau says. This year’s showcase brings a host of eclectic styles as well as some familiar faces. Tonina Saputo is the only artist performing this year for a third time in a row. Saputo came back for more because of the positive mark the fest made

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

on her career. “It’s honestly one of the highlights of my year, just all the people and all the new fans, all the new music I can discover, and then I just love being surrounded by that much art in different mediums,” Saputo says. “It’s just a great couple of days, and it reinvigorates me, and it really inspired me. And it kind of forces me to keep going and to keep performing music.” She says her music doesn’t fall into one genre. She has a folk sound when it’s just her and a guitar, but once she adds vocals and her band, she broadens into R&B, soul or even jazz. One of Saputo’s favorite memories from True/False 2019 was watching one of her favorite performers, Mary Elizabeth “Mesonjixx” Lawson. After meeting at the festival, they kindled a friendship and now play shows together. “Whether it was a film or music or art, there was this really great kinetic buzz and energy that was there,” Mesonjixx says. “I really, really enjoyed that.” Mesonjixx performed at the fest for the first time last year in front of a sold-

A SAMPLE OF SHOWS DURING THE WEEK Eastside Kickoff Wednesday, March 4 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Fumes Cowgirl Jordy After Ours Cafe Berlin Showcase Thursday, March 5 8 to 11:30 p.m. James Tillman Sunny War Cara Louise Blue Note Afterparty Friday, March 6 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dam-Funk Sanctuary Showcase Saturday, March 7 7 to 8:30 p.m. Yasmin Williams Andreas Kapsalis Hitt Rexx Sessions Sunday, March 8 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Ada Lea Karen Meat

out auditorium for the screening of the Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace. For 2020, she is bringing all-new music that has only been played live once before to the True/False stage. She describes her sound as “radical, revolutionary and familiar.” Another 2020 musician who performed last year is Nicholas Naioti. He describes his sound as art pop, and he played seven times in the span of two days at last year’s fest. “I loved it so much. I dream about it,” Naioti says. “I think about it all the time. I can’t wait to come back.” Other music vets you can look forward to seeing this year include Peter Collins, Square Peg Round Hole, Andreas Kapsalis, Black Bear Combo, Francesco Tristano and Columbia’s own loose loose. “I’m excited about Square Peg Round Hole,” Kamau says. “They really kind of stole the show last year.” The Philly-based trio has a percussion-driven sound and pulls inspiration from postrock, electronic and classical genres. Collins recently worked on and performed in Kanye West’s 2019 rap opera, Nebuchadnezzar. Kapsalis is a Greek American guitarist and composer born in the suburbs of Chicago who has performed across nine countries. The Black Bear Combo is a raucous group inspired by traditional music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans filtered through its own noise/free-jazz/ rock backgrounds, according to its free music archive page. A concert pianist of international acclaim, Tristano studied at Julliard. Columbia’s own future-soul collective loose loose combines jazz methods with funk and hip-hop grooves, soulful vocal hooks and agile, potent rap lyrics, according to Spotify. Thanya Iyer, Monzie Leo, Karen Meat, Ada Lea and Dam-Funk are others who are returning from years past. Above all, Kamau says he wants the live performances — not just the music — to resonate with the festival goers. To find the full list of performances, go to the True/False website. Photography courtesy of Tré Warfield

A taste of True/False Grab a bite between films at these new-to-town spots. BY JASMINE-KAY JOHNSON

his time last year, DrinKraft and J-Petal & Poke were among a few of Columbia’s new must-try spots. In the wake of their closures, a host of globally inspired restaurants have taken their places, and we’ve curated culinary pairings for each spot. From Middle Eastern to homegrown dishes, there’s no shortage of eateries to visit between flicks at True/False 2020. Beet Box 602 Fay St. Owners Ben Hamrah and Amanda Elliott specialize in cooking Middle Eastern cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients. Beet Box is anything but predictable as ever-changing specials keep the menu exciting. Don’t miss the schwarma // Price $14 // Pair with Hamrah says, lightly, he pairs dishes with songs. Try Notorious B.I.G.’s “Kick In The Door.” // Hours Tues.–Sat. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cherry Street Cellar 505 Cherry St. Stop by Cherry Street Cellar, formerly Wine Cellar & Bistro, for a glass of Les Bourgeois wine or a cocktail. The restaurant’s cheese selection would satisfy any dairy aficionado in cow, goat and sheep’s milk varieties. But beware, it is closed on Sundays, so don’t wait until the last minute to give it a try. Don’t miss the Arctic char with butter-poached jumbo lump crab or the dark chocolate pavé // Price $45; $10 // Pair with Broadside chardonnay; Ferraria 10-year tawny port // Price $8; $12 // Hours Mon.–Thurs. 4:30–9:30 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 4:30–10 p.m.

Sagua La Grande 114 S. Ninth St. You can chow down on a cubano if your heart desires, but consider exploring the

True/False weekend is about more than films. Schedule time for a meal at some of these new spots that have popped up since last year’s festival. Greg Butler and Katy Ugalde (above left) opened Sagua La Grande, or check out Cherry Street Cellar (top) or Tiger Chef.

menu a bit more to taste authentic Cuban food at Sagua La Grande. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, end your meal with a cup of Cuban coffee. It packs quite a punch of both flavor and caffeine. Don’t miss la ropa vieja with moros y cristiano, a rice and black beans dish, or the combination platter with two croquetas, one order of papas rellenas and two empanadas // Price $14; $13 // Pair with flan or frutabomba con queso crema, a caramelized papaya served with cream cheese // Price $4.50; $5.50 // Hours Mon.–Sat. (lunch) 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Mon.–Thurs. (dinner) 5–9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. (dinner) 5–10 p.m.

Archive photography by Joel Chan, Claire Hassler and Renae Whissel

Tiger Chef 907 Rain Forest Parkway Columbia has its fair share of Thai restaurants, but none are quite like Tiger Chef where the tastes of Thailand fare married to Burmese cuisine. The beloved chicken rice dish is only available on weekends, so be sure to plan accordingly. Don’t miss the red curry if you’re a spice enthusiast or the Sweet and Sour Tiger Dish // Price $10.99 (for chicken, pork or beef) or $12.99 (shrimp); $9.99 to $12.99 (varies based on protein choice) // Pair with Thai tea // Price $2.35 // Hours Tues.–Sun. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5–9:15 p.m. VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

all eyes on the scene

Art of another era Inspired by foresight, artists reflect on the past and look to the future with fiber creations, animal eyes and more. BY FIONA MURPHY

ith 2020 being the year of perfect vision, the organizers of this year’s True/False hope to inspire a little foresight. Futurism, optical illusion, voyeurism and peripheral vision are just a few of the concepts chosen for the featured art installations. A record number of artists submitted work addressing these concepts and the festival’s overall theme, Foresight, for the chance to have a piece exhibited. Local businesses have also been employing artists to display work in honor of the annual festival. Each year, the theme for True/ False is chosen by festival leadership. This year, videographers, photographers,

illustrators, sculptors and other artists will have work installed downtown from March 4 to 8. Camellia Cosgray, the festival’s director and head of the art team, helps make the final decisions about which art installations to include. This year, Cosgray’s own work, a stained-glass panel titled The Map, will be featured in The Globe theater. “Leadership consistently does a wonderful job coming up with something that is tangible and inspiring but leaves plenty of room for our artists to interpret things their own way,” writes Duncan Bindbeutel, the director of art installations, in an email to Vox.

Tavia Sanza has incrementally added to her True/False piece since she started graduate school nearly two years ago.

After 10 years working in New York City as a fiberist and jeweler, MU graduate student Tavia Sanza now creates botanical, creature-like fiber pieces that will be displayed in the Jesse Hall Rotunda. The layers of fabric in her art represent the passage of time.

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VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

Photography by Fiona Murphy

“The past and the future are, in my mind, kind of inextricably tangled together in this kind of network,” Sanza says. “I started thinking about how much the future is predicated on the past and how much you build on what came before.” In the final weeks before the festival’s opening night, several artists hosted craft nights and employed others to help them manage the festival deadline. Sanza says the amount of time she put into this work is unquantifiable. Every Thursday, she invites fellow graduate students and friends to her workspace to help her work on the piece. Carrie Elliott, a local artist, has friends over weekly to work on Animal Vision, which will be featured in Alley A. Animal Vision comprises gigantic, illuminated eyeballs replicating the eyes of 15 animals, including geckos, parrots, squids, llamas and more. Elliott has been submitting art to the festival for the past four years. “What I love about True/False is the

collaborative nature of the festival and the art,” Elliott says. Other installations include Jordan Doig and Stephanie Gould’s video projection project, Cosmos, which will be played outdoors. A collective work created by Tobi C, Saj Issa, Tod Seelie and Pat Falco will be featured in Sager Braudis Gallery.

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7pm 6:45pm PreConcert M I Z Z O O N S

Photography by Fiona Murphy

Carrie Elliott follows her 2019 papier-mâché fish installation with Animal Vision for Alley A.

Michael Marcum, a returning artist, is presenting his 15th tree from his ongoing metal reforestation project. This piece, called Forrest Trees, will be featured in the Tiger Hotel’s Forrest Theater. Art displayed during the festival is not exclusive to True/False. Yellow Dog Bookshop will feature local art during the entire month of March in honor of the festival. A colorful, soft sculpture of an open book with two eyes on the pages created by founder and director of Resident Arts Madeleine LeMieux will be featured in the bookshop’s windows, which will be painted with rainbows. In 2015, her wood-burned, painted panels were displayed by the bookshop for the fest. So, when they approached her again for this year, she agreed. LeMieux’s love of sci-fi inspired the featured sculpture. “The sci-fi genre just has that kind of perspective,” LeMieux says. “I find that it, and reading in general, gives us insight and foresight.”

Kassandra Ormsby, Odyssey S.16 Performance Fellow

Friday, March 20, 2020

First Baptist Church, 1112 E Broadway in Columbia

Admission $10 / $5 Student | 573.825.0079 | OdysseyMissouri.org

VOX MAGAZINE • TRUE/FALSE 2020

photo finish

Glimpsing glamour PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACOB MOSCOVITCH As one of the first events in the festival, the annual True/False Jubilee kicks off the excitement and creativity of the weekend with a gala at the Missouri Theatre that spills out onto Ninth Street. Most guests attending the celebration don costumes or formal attire and masquerade masks, as T/F sponsor Kristi Powell did for the Jubilee in 2019. The party is open to Super Circle, Silver Circle and Lux passholders; after it finishes, guests can go straight from the gala to the opening night film.

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