UT Disappoints

I always had such pride that I sent my girl from Park Slope, Brooklyn  to UT not knowing a soul.  When I stepped foot on this university campus in 2005 the first thing that I noticed was it's diversity.  OK, not Brooklyn diversity with Black and White, but ethnic diversity.  Asian, Latino, East Asian and even kids raised in the suburbs of Houston!  But today I am saddened and ashamed.  To think that someone would think they could get away with pinning signs on students with "Illegal Immigrant" and rewarding a $25 gift card if you catch one.  I am married to a son of Holocaust survivors.  He and his sister were the first set of twins born in Berlin in 1946 that were not gassed for being Jewish. Their father was taken to Siberia when they were only ten weeks old. This after surviving the death camps. My in-laws wore Jewish stars identifying themselves as Jews to the populace. I will protest and be counted as someone who loves UT and volunteers her services to students but will criticize every racist behavior and action that occurs on this campus.

12 Years A Slave/Violet Crown

Steve McQueen's film is a harrowing and painful viewing experience.  The performances by so many of the actors are gut wrenching and truthful.  A special shout out to Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o for their extraordinary work. The sadism of the slave owners and their slave masters is sometimes too difficult to watch so I covered my eyes and wept.  The beatings, the forced separations, the indignities, the cruelty to people is almost unbearable to take in.  This is what makes a great dramatic film.  This hammered my heart.

Austin Film Festival 2013 Day#6 and Day#7

Both days were filled with shorts and tonight ALL OF ME, a film about a group of morbidly obese women in Austin.  First supportive  friends, then a group of changing women as some choose surgical procedures to reduce their mass.  A human, sometimes painful, sometimes funny, and very real documentary about a serious issue in America.  I am preparing to be sad as AFF comes to a close tomorrow.

Austin Film Festival 2013 Day#5

Today was Shorts 5:A Day on the Job with the Austin made HARBINGER one of my favorites.  Tonight was the big blockbuster Coen Brothers film: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS attended by practically everyone I ever met in the UT RTF program over the years and so many fellow actors and film lovers.  A beautifully acted and photographed film with minimal flaws about NY in the 1960's.  The story's lack of a conclusion left me wanting.  But not so for many others and that makes me happy.  I loved this entire day of community for film lovers in Austin.  Even though someone stole Lizzy's newly purchased scooter.  Poop!

Austin Film Festival 2013 Day#4

The morning was Family Shorts from all over the world.  Fabulous films!  And this evening was GIRL ON A BICYCLE.  French, Italian and German romantic comedy.  Beautifully cast and filmed.  Q&A with Jeremy Leven.  Looked like Abe from the audience.

Austin Film Festival 2013 Day#3

The day started with a spellbinding doc ICEBOUND about a relay of men and dogs fighting incredible terrain in sub zero weather to bring a vaccine to children in Nome Alaska.  Makes you fall in love with dogs and the collaboration of Americans in 1925! Next film was 120 DAYS about a man's last days in Rauleigh N.C. with his family before he's deported to Mexico.  He was stopped at a light by a cop who set this horrendous separation in motion by profiling. I sobbed audibly when he left his family.  The Q&A with the filmmaker and the Spanish speaking photographer was so informative and sensitive to the family. The last film was a terror/horror film THE MAID'S ROOM which had potential.  Scary moments but an overall meh!  Shorts finally tomorrow and a table read of Vince Gilligan's new script with a reading by the talented Paula Brooks. 

Austin Film Festival 2013 Day #2

This morning THE LIFE AND CRIMES of DORIS PAYNE, a well made documentary about an elegant and notorious jewel thief in her 80's was a great way to start the day. I learned a great deal about stealing jewelry. The short that opened the show THE REHEARSAL was an adorable film of a magician rehearsing in his side show theater in Coney Island.  We then walked back over the river to The Rollins to see John Tuturro's campy and zany musical, ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES, starring James Gandolfini, Susan Sarnadon and Steve Buscemi. Christopher Walken has a cameo as well. Tuturro and Buscemi are Park Slopers where lots of the film was shot. There's lots of humor, very well cast and Sarandon gave a thoughtful and intelligent Q&A about the film and her craft.  This evening we just came from Texas Spirit theater where we saw LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON, a documentary about the burning churches of East Texas and the investigation that followed to solve the crime.  While we have heard much about East Texas since moving here, this film was a great glimpse into the social fabric of this area.  An informative Q&A followed with the first time filmmaker and the ATF guy who solved the crime (lone star boots kind of guy).  Waiting on lines, talking to film lovers from all over and giving hugs to UT RTF kids working as crew and volunteers makes this such a great event.