I told myself that I was going to blog on-the-go this past weekend, but as a beginner blogger, I didn't have the experience to do that yet. I wanted my first big post to be thoughtful and accurately capture the weekend. So here is a rewind of the festivities. It will come in four parts, one post for each day.
TRUE/FALSE FILM FEST
This past weekend was one of Columbia's most awesome and ever-expanding events, the True/False Film Fest! If you aren't familiar with this fest, it is a documentary film festival, which showcases films, art and music from creative folks locally, nationally and globally. What's with the name? Great question. True/False challenges the notion that nonfiction documentary films have to be presented with boring talking heads like we've watched in school. Instead, they can possess the same emotion, character development, artistry, cinematography, and thought-provoking stories as fiction films. Just because something is entertaining, emotional, and artfully crafted, doesn't mean it is false. Likewise, a film that mimics real life in a traditional, documentary-style way of shooting isn't entirely true. Their mission is "to promote art, dialogue and deepen our community's understanding of each other and the world at large." They do this by providing an experience rich with culture, passionate creatives, and new perspectives, which allow you to critically view the world through a new lens.
T/F BOOT CAMP
The last four years I've been a teacher liaison for the T/F Boot Camp, an educational outreach program through the fest's organizational team. High school students apply to participate in fest films and activities for free, as well as events like meeting directors and artists for small-group Q&A's. It is such an amazing experience for the students, as well as for me. Before joining the Boot Camp, I had never attended T/F and had never experienced documentary film in this way. I learn and grow along with my students about the art of filmmaking, the trials and tribulations of individuals and societies, and the things that challenge our assumptions and understandings of the human condition.
THURSDAY
5:00 PM
Our festivities started with a kick-off dinner at India's House. It's amazing to think our first year was only 10 kids, a few teachers and two camp counselors. Now we all fill a restaurant. After shoveling some welcomed supper down, we had some time to kill before our first film of the fest. We decided buying some T/F merch from the box office was the best use of our time, naturally. A few T-shirts and a great glass water bottle later, and we were off to the Missouri Theatre for the film.
7:30 PM : Best of Enemies
One of the many amazing things about True/False is that they have buskers performing before the start of each film, kind of like the old organ players of years past. This group Shilpa Ray was fantastic and great start to the weekend. They are described as an Indie-garage rock band with a blues-punk sound. I suggest checking them out!
The first film to kick off our T/F experience was Best of Enemies (dir. Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon). Using archival footage, this film accounts the post-convention debates between William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal in 1968. As a child of the late '80s with a limited amount of historical political knowledge, I had never heard of these two or the controversies surrounding them. Their witty banter was entertaining, but then again, I think that was the point. The story is timely and timeless in that sense and drew parallels to today's broadcast news, which acts as more of a theatrical performance seeking better ratings and better entertainment value.
Read Part 2: Friday