SXSW IV

It's hard to imagine seeing four films in one day that could each be so captivating.  Three of them were so powerful that when I left the theater I felt as though my view of the world had changed.

This morning I saw INSIDE AMERICA.  A film about a HS in Brownsville Texas and the lives of six teens .from the school  The filmmaker is an Austrian woman who came to Brownsville at age 17 as an exchange student and was thrown out by her host family.  The Q&A with crew, cast and filmmaker was so informative, warm and inspiring.

The next film I saw, also made by a woman was WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM. A doc about 8 friends from Upper Peninsula Michigan who enlist together and are deployed to Afghanistan.  These are not your edgy, hardened  tattooed killers.  Just a bunch of sweet kids whose families love them.  A great Q&A with director, crew and the soldiers and some of their mothers.

Abe joined me this evening for WIN WIN with Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and Jeffrey Tambor.  While this film is more mainstream it is delicious in its view of relationships between men, husbands and wives, and finally an adolescent who's a delight to watch.  This kid was so refreshing in the way he dealt with adults and his screwed up life.  We did not stay for the Q&A with the actors and director (Tom McCarthy) because we had to run next door to see INCENDIES.

There is no Eng translation for INCENDIES (aflame comes close).  This is an extraordinary Canadian film (in French) about twins whose mother's history in Lebanon is absolutely unknown to them until her death.  She sends them on a search for a brother and father which is extraordinary in it's expanse of what might occur to one woman in her life.  It was a favorite of mine and Abe's.  The story took our breath away.  It is unimaginable and we are grateful the filmmaker imagined it. It is based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad.  The Q&A with the screenwriter was wonderful. 


Once again I end the day feeling so fortunate to be involved in this extraordinary festival of creative minds.  More to come.