MIFF 2015 - Day 6
Today was all about groups of men coming together. Some for good, some not so good.
Raiders!
Many years ago, Popcorn Taxi screened what is probably the most legendary fan film ever. A shot for shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark, made by a bunch of kids over a period of seven years. This documentary tells the story of that film, the guys involved, the various dramas they had in their families, and the one sequence they never managed to shoot, the plane fight and explosion. Going to Kickstarter, they raised funds to film it, and the shoot serves as the framing device for the documentary. The relationships between the boys, now men, and the family lives are just as interesting as the film itself, with not everyone still friends, and some only just becoming reconciled to each other. It's a funny, affecting piece of storytelling. And stay for the end credits. They're worth it.
The Club
It's almost a psychoanalysis of the Catholic Church. In a small house in a small town, a group of retired priests train a greyhound and keep to themselves. Except that they've all been disgraced, excommunicated for various crimes. Some are paedophiles, one a war criminal, another so senile that he cannot remember why, and nobody else can either. They're cared for by a nun who has her own crimes to atone for. And then a priest turns up to look at shutting the place down. For a time, you feel a sense of hope, that the priest is part of a new wave looking to confront and atone for the sins of the past. But slowly we realise he's just as dedicated to hiding these men, and while he wants to do good, he won't let the church be shamed. And outside the house, a drug-addled victim of clerical abuse hurls insults. The way the whole thing plays out is very smart and insightful, with an ending that's both sad and satisfying.
Raiders!
Many years ago, Popcorn Taxi screened what is probably the most legendary fan film ever. A shot for shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark, made by a bunch of kids over a period of seven years. This documentary tells the story of that film, the guys involved, the various dramas they had in their families, and the one sequence they never managed to shoot, the plane fight and explosion. Going to Kickstarter, they raised funds to film it, and the shoot serves as the framing device for the documentary. The relationships between the boys, now men, and the family lives are just as interesting as the film itself, with not everyone still friends, and some only just becoming reconciled to each other. It's a funny, affecting piece of storytelling. And stay for the end credits. They're worth it.
The Club
It's almost a psychoanalysis of the Catholic Church. In a small house in a small town, a group of retired priests train a greyhound and keep to themselves. Except that they've all been disgraced, excommunicated for various crimes. Some are paedophiles, one a war criminal, another so senile that he cannot remember why, and nobody else can either. They're cared for by a nun who has her own crimes to atone for. And then a priest turns up to look at shutting the place down. For a time, you feel a sense of hope, that the priest is part of a new wave looking to confront and atone for the sins of the past. But slowly we realise he's just as dedicated to hiding these men, and while he wants to do good, he won't let the church be shamed. And outside the house, a drug-addled victim of clerical abuse hurls insults. The way the whole thing plays out is very smart and insightful, with an ending that's both sad and satisfying.
posted by Andrew Lee at 11:51 PM
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