MIFF 2014 - Day 13
Lucky number 13!
Human Capital
Cinema can be many things, but one the less appreciated ones is that it can take you through a thoroughly unpleasant set of events and see you out the other side. This isn't escapist cinema, it's spending time in the lives of a bunch of thoroughly unpleasant, self-serving, grasping individuals. And their children, who are really quite nice. The basics of the plot are that a cyclist was forced off the road in an accident, and someone is responsible. Maybe it's the rich guy's son, maybe it's his girlfriend, maybe a friend of theirs. But against this event play out the lives of a financial analyst who makes money betting on things failing, his wife who is numbed to life by the luxury she occupies, and a toadying real-estate agent who commits fraud to buy into the fund managed by the aforementioned analyst. They're all horrible people in different ways, though the wife is a reasonably sympathetic figure. And trapped between them all are ordinary people, destined to be crushed. It's a brilliant movie about horrible things.
Amanda F___ing Palmer: On The Rocks
A short doco about Amanda Palmer, formerly of The Dresden Dolls, and still the punching bag of anyone with a gripe about celebrities translating their fame into cash on Kickstarter. It's a really interesting subject, and you get to see her engaging with fans in new and interesting ways, while also pondering some of the more troubled aspects of what she does. I still kinda side with Steve Albini on this topic, but I have more of an appreciation for the counter-argument thanks to this doco.
Come Worry With Us!
This should be mandatory viewing for any artist, maybe just people in general. I don't think I've seen a better analysis of the trials of being a working parent. Jessica Moss and Efrim Manuck are two members of Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra, a fairly well known Canadian band. Efrim is also a member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the iconic post-rock band. When their son Ezra is born, suddenly the difficulties of trying to tour the band and just make a living as musicians becomes deeply fraught. We follow them as they tour 20 cities in 22 days, and end up making $1500 each at the end of it due to the cost of needing a tour bus and a nanny to make it work. There's some great (and heartbreaking) discussions between several women musicians about how family is so hard to make work. They are stories that resonate beyond the music community though. I can think of friends who returned to work, only to discover that childcare ended up eating most of their weekly pay packet. There's also some great discussion around the changing face of music, how to make it pay, and if that's even possible anymore. It's a thoroughly engaging documentary about issues that most people will face, even if they're not well-respected musicians.
Human Capital
Cinema can be many things, but one the less appreciated ones is that it can take you through a thoroughly unpleasant set of events and see you out the other side. This isn't escapist cinema, it's spending time in the lives of a bunch of thoroughly unpleasant, self-serving, grasping individuals. And their children, who are really quite nice. The basics of the plot are that a cyclist was forced off the road in an accident, and someone is responsible. Maybe it's the rich guy's son, maybe it's his girlfriend, maybe a friend of theirs. But against this event play out the lives of a financial analyst who makes money betting on things failing, his wife who is numbed to life by the luxury she occupies, and a toadying real-estate agent who commits fraud to buy into the fund managed by the aforementioned analyst. They're all horrible people in different ways, though the wife is a reasonably sympathetic figure. And trapped between them all are ordinary people, destined to be crushed. It's a brilliant movie about horrible things.
Amanda F___ing Palmer: On The Rocks
A short doco about Amanda Palmer, formerly of The Dresden Dolls, and still the punching bag of anyone with a gripe about celebrities translating their fame into cash on Kickstarter. It's a really interesting subject, and you get to see her engaging with fans in new and interesting ways, while also pondering some of the more troubled aspects of what she does. I still kinda side with Steve Albini on this topic, but I have more of an appreciation for the counter-argument thanks to this doco.
Come Worry With Us!
This should be mandatory viewing for any artist, maybe just people in general. I don't think I've seen a better analysis of the trials of being a working parent. Jessica Moss and Efrim Manuck are two members of Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra, a fairly well known Canadian band. Efrim is also a member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the iconic post-rock band. When their son Ezra is born, suddenly the difficulties of trying to tour the band and just make a living as musicians becomes deeply fraught. We follow them as they tour 20 cities in 22 days, and end up making $1500 each at the end of it due to the cost of needing a tour bus and a nanny to make it work. There's some great (and heartbreaking) discussions between several women musicians about how family is so hard to make work. They are stories that resonate beyond the music community though. I can think of friends who returned to work, only to discover that childcare ended up eating most of their weekly pay packet. There's also some great discussion around the changing face of music, how to make it pay, and if that's even possible anymore. It's a thoroughly engaging documentary about issues that most people will face, even if they're not well-respected musicians.
posted by Andrew Lee at 11:58 PM
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