Levitated Mass directed by Doug Pray is a documentary that has appeal as an adventure story, exploration of the place of monumental art in America, the work of an artist with and alternative view of space and time, and it all revolves around a 900 million year old rock. Levitated Mass is the saga and implementation of an idea originally envisioned in 1968 by artist Michael Heizer.
Levitated Mass is a well-made documentary that both informs and entertains. Doug Pray’s previous documentaries include “Yelp.” “”Scratch,” “Big Rig,” and “Art & Copy” among others.Levitated Mass will keep you involved and finding answers to questions you may come up with while watching. This is a story about many things including art and how it relates to life for the artist and the audience.
Beautiful Losersbegins with archival footage shot as early as the 1980’s. It tells the story of outsiders who came together and found common ground in a small New York City storefront gallery. These individuals, with diverse backgrounds, including sub cultures like skateboarding, hip hop, surf, graffiti and punk began to invent their art. With no real training they established trends in pop culture based on their Do It Yourself (DIY) backgrounds. Today many of these non-traditional artists have become mainstream in the Pop Culture area and are sought after for various types of projects including art exhibits and by advertising agencies. Shepard Fairey, Ed Templeton, Harmony Korine, Mike Mills, Barry McGee, Chris Johansoon, Geoff McFetridge, Jo Jackson, Magaret Kilgallen, Stephe Powers and Thomas Campbell are names you may or may not recognize. However, their work is unmistakable in style and content.
This documentary is unique in that the artists seen in Beautiful Losers, turned filmmakers and documented themselves along the way. Aaron Rose uses that footage along with interviews to create a history of the artists, their progress and ultimate notoriety and success. This is mainly a linear journey which at times seems to slow the very interesting and informative film down. Beautiful Losers is not very cinematic in it’s storytelling approach. There is no real sense of beginning and middle, although it does build up in the last minutes to an inspirational end. This is not to say what is presented isn’t interesting and valuable. There is a pattern of talking heads illustrated with archival “B” roll that feels redundant in what it has to say about the process these artists went through. What the documentary lacks is very much action. In some respects it feels like it was edited to fit a 90 minute time frame.
The editing in Beautiful Losers is a mundane mix of interviews, archival footage taken over the years, of varying quality, and “B” roll. Beautiful Losers is essentially a compilation documentary building on archival footage taken by the artists of themselves over the years. The footage does give you a feel for what it was like for these since they came together in the eighties but it does slow down the film. Ken Burns as said that sometimes it’s good to slow things down, so that the intent of the shot becomes apparent, “that meaning accrues in duration.” Unfortunately that idea only works when the footage speaks for itself. In some cases the archival footage does speak for itself but there is so much of it that the pace stops being engaging. However, the interviews themselves are good and the artists involved project their personalities, views and ideas. The interviews combined with seeing the work is the best quality of this documentary.
Despite these storytelling difficulties Beautiful Losers is worth seeing because it ultimately has a message that creative people in the arts will be able to relate. The work of Fairey, Tempelton, Margaret Kilgallen and others is seen over time becoming more sophisticated. Their thoughts about their work and how they relate to main stream art is also important. In the end their work is setting trends in the advertising of many products that you may be surprised to see. They face becoming mainstream and part of the establishment. and not rebels in their Pop Culture world. Some seem to enjoy the new fame and fortune others eschew it but can’t turn down the money.
If you are involved in any area of the arts this is a documentary well worth seeing. Beautiful Losers is both entertaining and informing.
BEAUTIFUL LOSERS -2008 – 90 MINUTES – DIRECTED BY AARON ROSE
TRAILER
Beautiful Losers
Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.
Joseph Goebbels – Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda – Germany WWII
Currently there seems to be confusion in the media about what is a documentary and what is propaganda. When I hear a broadcaster on NPR or pundit on TV news call an obvious propaganda film like “Obama’s America 2016” a documentary it makes me think of the propaganda films the Nazi Party in Germany put out against the Jews. Those played in theaters too! Far right-wing groups, with a political agenda, whose purpose is to attack the President of Untied States to help current Republican candidate Willard Romney, financed this propaganda film. A quick look at the preview for “Obama’s America 2016” on You Tube makes it obvious that the film is propaganda. I guess anyone who watches Fox Fake News on cable TV is into propaganda and may enjoy paying to see more of it.
I wonder if people in the media even know the difference between propaganda and documentary. They seem to not understand that an advocacy documentary says what it’s subject and point-of-view are up front and then explores issues surrounding the topic. Whereas propaganda hides it’s true intent, inventing fictional realities while pretending to be nonfiction.
Michael Moore makes advocacy documentary films. He does not make a secret of the fact that he has a liberal or progressive point-of-view. His films explore the issues and show opposing viewpoints. Opponents of his advocacy positions have tried to call his films propaganda. But there is a big difference between advocacy and propaganda. Michael Moore’s documentaries do not start out with trumped-up accusations and an undisclosed agenda. His documentaries look at facts that are substantiated by reality not ideology or politics. Political action groups or secret wealthy donors do not finance Michael Moore’s documentaries. Moore’s work does not include unsubstantiated theories by unknown sources. He does not use racist or ethnic “dog whistles” to demean anyone. His documentaries explore issues and ask questions in an attempt to reveal truth.
Most serious documentary filmmakers do not get involved in making propaganda because its purpose is to manipulate people into believing a biased or skewed idea presented in a fake, mock documentary style. Propaganda distorts reality and/or promotes an ideological, political or religious point-of-view.
Propaganda Definitions:
Propaganda distorts and skews reality, actuality and facts to present an alternative reality that is false.
Propaganda promotes a bias that a government, political party, religion, cause, or ideology espouses, showing only one biased and usually hidden agenda.
Propaganda seeks to manipulate the viewer by altering actuality with untruths and distortion to create a reality favorable to whatever ideology or cause it favors.
It’s unfortunate that the news media and the public have generally lost the ability to distinguish between “spin” and facts; between hardcore propaganda and documentary based on actuality and facts.
Written by J R Martin
This post in part based on excerpts from Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia by James R Martin – Copyright 2011
Forks Over Knives is both a personal journey story and an educational documentary. It explores the world of nutrition and the damage foods derived from animal-based food products (meat and dairy) may be doing to human health. Forks Over Knives also makes the claim that “most, if not all” degenerative diseases that plague humans can be controlled or reversed by moving away from animal-based and processed foods.
Forks Over Knives is written and directed by Lee Folkerson, who for personal health reasons, looks at the affect of processed and animal-based foods on his health. The research of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn a former surgeon at the well know Cleveland Clinic is highlighted. According to the filmmaker, Esselystyn and Campbell’s separate, independent studies into degenerative diseases, proves there is a connection between eating processed and animal-based foods and diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other problems.
The opening scenes of Forks Over Knives begins with the following quotes, “the average American now carries twenty-three extra pounds.” “ Heart disease and stroke will claim the lives of 460 thousand American Women,” and “We’re talking about diabetes and hypertension, bone disease and osteoporosis…” also facts about the food we eat and health problems in the United States and other countries. Food and the drugs we take may be extremely harmful to the health of adults and children in the long run. According to the film the US spends five times more on health care then the defense budget. Why are there so many health problems? Bill Maher is quoted saying, “…There’s no money in healthy people or dead people. It’s the people in the middle; people who are alive with one or more chronic conditions…” Others like Michele Obama talk about “Obesity,” and other conditions as seen in a montage of film clips. These facts are well documented and the problem well stated to set the investigation conducted by the documentary.
One of the marks of a good documentary story is not to have a string of talking head interviews. In Forks Over Knives there is a continuing montage of action and “B” roll that parallels what is claimed with graphic evidence making for a convincing argument.
Forks Over Knives takes an unexpected turn when it takes goes to China and a study done there initiated by Chinese Premier Zhou En-lai, who is suffering from bladder cancer. Six hundred and fifty thousand researchers cataloged the mortality patterns caused by several types of cancer for the years between 1973 and 1975. The study covered every county in China and over 850 million people.
Based on the study by Dr. Campbell they found some important correlations between what people in China were eating and the types of cancer and other diseases they contracted. An in-depth food and nutrition study ensued looking at the diet and lifestyles of people over many years. The results were conclusive. In 1990 after ten years of intensive work, Dr. Campbell and his team published the China Study. It identified no less than ninety-four thousand correlations between diet and disease.
Forks Over Knivesis a documentary that may well change your life. There is important information here that cannot be ignored. This is a film well worth seeing, that makes a definitive statement based on fact and not speculation. It is informative and educational. It may save your life.
FORKS OVER KNIVES – 2011 – 96 Minutes – Written and Directed by Lee Folkerson – Virgil Films Entertainment
LINKS
Forks Over Knives
Books by James R Martin Available on Amazon
Listen Learn Share: How & Why Listening, Learning and Sharing can Transform Your Life Experience In Practical Ways
Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.
Actuality Interviewing and Listening: How to conduct successful interviews for nonfiction storytelling, actuality documentaries and other disciplines … (Documentary and Nonfiction Storytelling)
I AM – What if the solution to the world’s problems was in front of us all along?
I AM is a good documentary that makes many worthwhile observations about how we live, what our values are and what we might do to reverse some of the more dangerous trends in our current version of civilization. It is well paced and makes its point-of-view known early in the story. I AM explores how we have evolved in our perception of ourselves and the world around us. One major theme is that we have survived not necessarily by “survival of the fittest” but by cooperation with others. That in fact only one aspect of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution has been promoted while the his theories about cooperation as part of survival and evolution have been ignored. What emerges is the idea that we have separated ourselves from nature so completely that it could destroy us. Science evolves in it’s theories but the documentary claims that there is too much reliance on science in our culture. (SEE TRAILER – END OF POST)
Tom Shadyac, director of Bruce Almighty, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Nutty Professor is living high. He has it all, luxurious homes, corporate jets; the life style of the rich and famous until one day he has an accident riding his bicycle. The concussion he received in the accident puts him in the hospital for an extended stay. Even when released he suffers from Post Concussion Syndrome – the same malady pro football players experience. When he finally recovers he decides he needs to find the answer to two key questions: “What is wrong with our world?” and “What can we do about it?” With a small documentary film crew of four, Shadyac goes on a quest to find the answer to these questions by interviewing some great minds including authors, poets, teachers, religious leaders and scientists (Lynn McTaggart, Desmond Tutu, Thom Harman, Coleman Barks, David Zuzuki and others).
“We started asking what’s wrong with the world and ended up discovering what’s right with it.” — Tom Shadyac.
Tom Shadyac sets up this hybrid documentary with what appears to be reenacted scenes of him in the hospital, leaving the hospital, and recovering. Before long there are shots of his past opulent Hollywood life style with one or two large, nouveau riche decorated homes. This opening seems a little long but does make the point of how rich Shadyac is and how he seems to have been, like many Americans, obsessed with material wealth. But the central theme of this story is not material wealth. It also appears that while Shadyac “lived the life” he did so because he thought it was what you were supposed to do.
One of the first ideas presented inI AM is the reliance humankind has put on science. I AM does not appear to be an anti science documentary. It simply offers human realities to be considered in addition to scientific theory when it comes down to human existence. There is no doubt that scientific theory can be and is questioned by scientists themselves over time. The documentary does make a false analogy between what has been considered scientific fact at a given point in history by one culture and reality. In some respects it equates scientific fact with how it is interpreted by society. The film does seem to try to make the point that somehow science equates with a mechanistic view of how humans behave and eat. It is easy to blame science and the government for all that is wrong with the world. Perhaps the problems lie with individual people, who they select as leaders and not faceless institutions.
David Zuzuki, Scientist, Author “The Sacred Balance” is one of the first individuals interviewed, he is insightful. He makes the case for a holistic view of what humankind have created as their reality of the world. He also points out how we have come to treat “The Economy” almost as if it were some natural force, beyond human control. The premiss that “Greed is Good” has become commonplace.
I AMcovers a number of contemporary issues about how we live and brings to light not only the problems but possible solutions. It is fast paced, incorporates archival footage and graphics to tell the story. I AM is well directed, edited and shot. Director Tom Shadyac chose to treat the story as a personal quest. At times he seems very self-conscious in this role. There is something to be learned from watching I AM. I think it’s interesting that a filmmaker made a documentary that in part talks about humans cooperating. That’s what we do making films. We cooperate to create something larger than the sum of it’s parts, something that wasn’t there before. I feel that idea coming through in this documentary.
ROTHKO’S ROOMS, produced and directed by David Thompson is a journey into the world of Mark Rothko (1903 to 1970), who in the period from 1940 into 1960’s was one of the leading American Painters in the Modern Art world. The unique thing about this educational documentary is that it goes beyond mere facts and history. Using action, interviews, archival elements, and additional footage, the documentary story penetrates Rothko’s abstract view of the world — unlocking the door to Rothko’s abstract work. This is a beautifully crafted documentary film well worth watching.
Rothko’s work and fragments of his life are brought into focus with the aid of voice over narration by Dilly Barlow. Also interviews and commentary with Sean Scully, Artist, Brian O’Douherty, writer/artist, and other artists, friends, family, critics, art historians, collectors and museum curators. One technique used throughout the documentary is to conduct the interviews in front of subjectively lit paintings by Rothko. This has an amazing effect, like being there with someone giving you a guided tour. Classical music, Mozart (Rothko enjoyed Mozart), is used in the film under interviews and in other scenes. Between interviews and commentary there are moments when you are allowed to spend a few moments on your own with the work and music.
ROTHKO’S ROOMS looks at Mark Rothko’s life from age ten when his family moved from Russia to Portland Oregon. Upon graduating from high school he won a scholarship to Yale. According to his daughter he did not begin his career as an artist until after he finished studying and then moved to New York City. The documentary makes a beautiful transition from archival photographs of Rothko to New York City and a series of shots of the city in a twilight rush of colors. The lighting and cinematography in ROTHKO’S ROOMS is excellent and helps to tell the story. It goes beyond simply getting a good exposure. The sound track whether it’s music or the sound of a subway train pulling into the platform, also helps set the mood and subjectively narrate scenes.
ROTHKO’S ROOMS goes a long way in helping one to understand abstract modern art; how the work represents emotion, environment and the artist’s presentation of those realities. The film looks at Rothko’s early years, his time at Yale, his evolution from the early years and New York abstract minimalism to his later painting. Like many artists Rothko did not like labels. He wanted his work to stand on its own. Rothko said: “I’m not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions – tragedy, ecstasy, doom and so on… The people who weep before my pictures are having the same religious experience as I had when I painted them.”
ROTHKO’S ROOMS examines the circumstances surrounding Mark Rothko’s refusal to deliver work he was commissioned to create for a space in the new Segrams Building in New York City. He apparently did not understand that the work would be exhibited in a Four Season’s restaurant. He visited the restaurant before the installation happened and returned the $35,000 fee he had received. This work is now exhibited in the Tate Modern in London, England.
ROTHKO’S ROOMS is both an informative and entertaining documentary. It should be watched by anyone interested in understanding modern art, Mark Rothko’s work or enjoying an excellent documentary film. But the major achievement of this documentary is that it brings you closer to Rothko’s work and his message.
Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia: A Comprehensive Guide to Using Documentary Storytelling Techniques for Film, Video, the Internet and Digital Media Projects.
