Das Leben
The VIFF wrapped on Friday, and as I sat in the theatre for one of the final screenings -- the crowd shouting out word-for-word the farcical festival promotional spots which appeared before each screening (but, hey, no candy commercials!) -- I couldn't help but think about how wonderful it had been. Two weeks of world cinema right on our doorstep. Two weeks of ditching work early to duck into a darkened theatre in the middle of the afternoon with a few hundred other aficionados. I was struck by how easy it had been to see a number of fabulous films, films you'd never usually get a chance to see, films you'd never heard about, knew nothing about, and hadn't been preconditioned to like or avoid. There is a certain thrill of discovery inherent in attending a film festival. You know that there are going to be some truly tedious and perhaps even a few awful films, but there are also treasures to be uncovered.
I kept getting lucky throughout the festival, scoring tickets to sold out shows that I had only chosen because they happened to suit my schedule. Which is how I came to see one of the best films I've ever seen in my life, a German film called The Lives of Others or Das Leben der Anderen. A week or so later it was given The People's Choice Award for Most Popular International Film.
The Lives of Others is set in East Berlin during the years preceding the fall of the Iron Curtain, and is about the master interrogator for the secret police who believes that if someone's hiding something he can find out what it is, and everyone's hiding something. He is at once fearsome and relatable because he's a believer, proud to be the "...shield and sword of the Party." When he's charged with finding something to indict the state's leading playwright and his beautiful actress wife his faith begins to slowly unravel as the corruption inherent in his superiors is revealed to him through the round-the-clock surveillance of the couple he gradually comes to respect and, eventually, actively protect.
The film is exquisitely written, beautifully produced and emotionally devastating. It is a rare film that feels this true. It is founded in some very fascinating facts. For instance, the German Democratic Republic is credited with the being the most effective intelligence agency in the world effecting the most comprehensive infiltration of a civilian population in history. One in three-hundred East Germans was employed by the state and one in fifty citizens were informants for the secret police, or Stasi. After the wall came down, citizens could access all of the surveillance that had been gathered on them, or at least that which was not destroyed by terrified officials in the republic's last days. Which is the stage upon which one of the most powerful scenes in Lives of Others plays out.
By contrast, last night Esther and I went to see The Departed, and while it is Scorsese, I was struck by how loud and sensational it was; all bombast with no discernible emotional resonance.
Made me look forward to next year.
6 Comments:
It could not have been my imagination - did you notice the boom mic showed up twice - in a Scorcese film?! Maybe I'll lend them a couple bucks to re-shoot the scenes next time.
I am a little jealous of the film festival; I would be more jealous if I knew that I might go to some of the films. Now if Rosenort would start a film festival I could handle the commute. Of course all movies would need to be PG or cleaner, otherwise the ruckus caused ...
Might be a good venue for the world premiere of "retired". Speaking of which, when is that going to happen?
plett
I didn't notice the boom mic. And on a big-budget film with star power galore, I'd be surprised if They'd let something like that get through.
Great, now the next time I see it I'll be looking for the boom mic the whole time.
I've felt very lucky to live close enough to enjoy VIFF these last couple of years. And to have a gig where, even if they catch me ditching out of work early, 'going to see a film' is a legitimate excuse.
'Retired' is premiering at NSI Film Exchange, February 28th - March 3rd. Exact screening details TBA. We got into VIFF with 'On a Sunday' last year, so who knows.
The first scene where I thought I saw it was in the cops meeting room with Sheen and Whalberg where Mark Whalberg was tearing a strip off the FBI agent for the first time. Then I thought I saw it shortly after when they where walking down the riverbank to get to some bodies. Now you don't have to spend the whole movie looking.
Get the specifics on NSI to me when you know them, otherwise I will forget. I definitely want to catch that.
Hope lotusland life is still good. We will find our way out there sooner or later. Say hi to the mrs.
plett
Agreed, pretty cool that you've got the opportunity (and that you take advantage of it) to see all those great films in such a condensed timeframe.
That condensed time frame certainly contributed to the profound effect the festival had on me this year.
With so many people in attendance, it also left me wondering why more of these films aren't available throughout the year. (The answer, of course, is obvious.) Encouraging to see that thoughtful, honest films are being made the world over; a shame that more people don't have access to them.
At each show, I thought "Where are these people coming from?". The community, which comprised of those craving thoughtful and edgy, culturally relevant content, was absolutely inspiring.
We are not alone.
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