Whatever Edinburgh 2005 might appear to have lacked in big-name stars attending 'event' movie premieres, it more than made up for in the quality of emerging talent and documentary programming. If there were any discernible themes to this years entries, they were the continuing rise of feature-length documentaries, and the political re-engagement of both documentary and fictional cinema.
There were various styles of doc on show this year, demonstrating their increasing number and quality. They range from unconventional rockumentaries (The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Screaming Masterpiece), to socially oriented pieces such as The Boys of Baraka and The Devil's Miner.
The Boys of Baraka follows a group of socially disadvantaged Baltimore children being taken on a special schools programme in Kenyan, only to have their lives once more disturbed by the political complications of the region, while The Devil's Miner takes a child as its central character in a examining the horrors of mining in rural Bolivia. Both were fantastic and sad studies of interrupted childhoods, which despite their narrow focus manage to examine the global via the specific. Another American offering, Gunner Palace, introduces the theme of Iraq, which is unsurprisingly echoed in many of the Festival's other offerings: Voices of Iraq and a compendium of shorts, Liberty's Century, its title making ironic use of George W Bush's description of our current era.
Coinciding nicely with all of these new and interesting verite efforts was the festivals' retrospective of Albert Maysles. A legendary figure in filmmaking, his influence in the field of capturing 'reality' cannot be underestimated. As well as showings of seminal works such as Salesman and Grey Gardens, Maysles gave an illuminating talk in which he explained how he first came to pick up a camera and his guiding principles of respect, 'love', for one's subject.
There was a smattering of offbeat horror, with unusual and highly watchable films from around the globe. P is a new take on the vampire movie, with an original aesthetic and setting. A Thai production, it follows young orphan Dau's journey from rural Thailand to Bangkok, where she starts working as an erotic dancer. Set almost entirely within the club, the film charts her transformation from innocent and naïve newcomer to something far darker and more powerful. Very well shot, with beautiful choreography and colour schemes, it is worth seeing for its sheer feel, plot aside.
George A Romero's Land of the Dead, and Paul Schrader's never-before-seen Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist were both examples of older Hollywood masters, still creating thought-provoking work (but not necessarily getting it past his producers, in Paul Schrader's case). One man who was definitely not suffering from lack of exposure was Joss Whedon, whose greatly anticipated Serenity was shown to much acclaim at the festival, developing further the world which he created in TV programmes Buffy and Angel.
On the fiction side, there was a strong British contingent, with Song of Songs, On A Clear Day and Rag Tale showing a diversity in theme and production style, all successfully. On hand to talk about the mechanics of creating drama was a woman with a wealth of experience, Thelma Schoonmaker. Working as Scorsese's editor for years, and being responsible for some of the most memorable sequences in modern cinema (Raging Bull 's climactic scenes for example) she offered her deep knowledge to a receptive audience at one of the highlight talks of the festival. She was, of course married to another of cinema's most talented, British director Michael Powell. Powell was responsible for films such as The Red Shoes, A Matter of Life and Death and Peeping Tom, which was deemed so powerfully disturbing it effectively ended Powell's career. The festival's Michael Powell retrospective gave people the chance to see some of the most brilliant, intelligent and visually adventurous films Britain (or the world) has produced, on the big screen once more, and was a welcome celebration of a true cinematic legend.
Here are some more of the highlights, which you can expect to see over the coming months:
Grizzly Man
In recent years, Werner Herzog has concentrated on documentary, and this look at the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, a man who attempted to live amongst his beloved Grizzly, is one of his finest. Treadwell was a minor celebrity and self styled animal expert, whose passion for wild nature led him to live, for large stretches of the year, virtually alone in Alaska amongst the most dangerous animals in North America. However, his ultimate demise at the hands of a Grizzly, prompted a mixed response from all sections of American society. From the sadness of those who knew him (and worked for his 'Grizzly People' charity), to the criticism by Native Americans and academics for attempting to disrupt and disrespect 'nature', and downright vitriol from rightwing anti-environmentalists, Herzog finds in Treadwell's story a parable for our times. In showing a man struggling to accept his own human-ness and the heated response to this from others, he illuminates the disparate ways in which we all consider our place in, or eternally at odds with 'nature'.
Gypo
Billed as 'the first British Dogme film' this debut feature from Jan Dunn is a novel take on the themes that currently reverberate around Britain's media. It aims to get inside the lives of those usually only cursorily described (single mothers, working men facing financial difficulties in changing labour markets, and refugees living on the breadline in the UK today). In this way it can be seen a part of a tradition of British social-realism, but its treatment, style, aesthetic are all much rawer and fresher. Filmed in Margate in just two weeks, and with an enviable cast list, it is a unique and non-judgemental portrait of contemporary British lives.
Gunner Palace
Following the American invasion of Baghdad, one of Uday's ( the late son of Saddam Hussein) palatial dwellings was converted into a home and relaxation venue for American troops, serving their tour of duty in Iraq. With unprecedented access, documentary filmmakers Michael Tucker and Perla Epperlein follow the everyday madness of the soldiers' lives. Distinctive for its visual style (saturated primary colours, night time vision, rough cutting and the inclusion of many brilliant, incongruous moments) and soundtrack of G.I home-grown freestyles relating the indescribable nature of their current existence. What the film makes clear is the extreme youth of those with so much responsibility, and most pertinently, their awareness of the entertainment they present for bored news junkies across the globe.
Screaming Masterpiece
In recent years several Icelandic bands have achieved a considerable international standing, fuelling interest in the country's apparently unique musical atmosphere and attitude. Discounting the already globally feted Bjork, the two best-known bands are Mum and Sigur Ros, both of whom make idiosyncratic and delicate music. Commissioned and directed by native Icelanders, this is an affectionate look at music making in Iceland, of which there is a great deal: a list of statistics details the huge numbers of orchestras, choirs and societies dedicated to preserving ancient Icelandic song, and to performing classical and current compositions. Through interviews with musicians both famous and fledgling, concert footage and stunning arial views of Iceland's wild landscape, the filmmakers seek for the common thread which inspires Icelandic bands to create the type of music they do.
Tickets
An ensemble piece of filmmaking, with Ken Loach, Ermanno Olmi and Abbas Kiarostami each directing a segment of a continuous story, this works very well as a complete entity. The films' structural spine is a train journey from Germany to Italy, with the only constant ( but never central) characters being a group of refugees travelling to Rome. While Loach and Olmi make commendable use of the struggling family to highlight attitudes of both audience and lead characters within the film (in Loach's case a group of Celtic fans abroad, in Olmi's a professor returning from finalising a deal with a chemicals company) Kiarotami's subtler middle section deals with seemingly more local issues: a young man completing arduous community service in the form of chaperoning an overbearing general's widow. Humourous and sympathetic, it is a no-less precise examination of contemporary dilemmas.
L'Intrus
Claire Denis returns with a film that continues to investigate her favourite themes: masculine identities and the messy post-colonial entanglements that haunt modern France. Ostensibly a highly allegorical tale concerning a sick man's search for a new heart, the film moves slowly through snowy wastes, far eastern ports and pacific islands, as the film's anti-hero (played by Michel Subor) roams, hounded by guilty dreams of vengeful women. To summarise a plot would be pointless, as it is the elliptical nature, the elusive symbolism of Denis's imagery (wild and tame dogs, a cargo ship setting sale, a blind Chinese masseuse) which informs, and refuses easy reading.
Joanna Coates
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