A Wrap-Up

Silverdocs officially wrapped up its 2008 festival on Monday, announcing winners and putting an end to a great week of documentary film. Here is a little wrap-up including takepart links for some of the films I saw, plus the winners:

1) The Sterling US Feature Award went to a film called The Garden. I didn’t see The Garden, but my good pal did. She loved it and came out of the screening excited and moved. The film follows a group of farmers in their struggle to save their land, a 14 acre community garden that rose up after the 1992 riots. When development reared its ugly head and threatened to the turn the garden into warehouses a battle ensued in the courts and on the street and thus a film was made.

takepart to learn more about the farmers and the film.

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2) Phie Ambo’s Mechanical Love was my favorite film of the fest. It told the story of Japanese Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro and his attempts to make a geminoid - or a robot twin of himself, along with the story of the Paro, a seal like robot often used as a therapy tool with older adults. The film is fascinating, a tad bit creepy and a subtle examination of what it means to be human. A must see for any sci-fi lover.

takepart to read more on Mechanical Love and takepart again to learn more about the Paro’s upcoming US debut.

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3) I finally caught Yung Chang’s Up the Yangtze (the film had been in New York & I kept missing it). Chang’s quiet portrait of those people affected by China’s 3 Gorges Damn project is a gentle reminder of the people hidden in the cracks of development projects. He follows a young girl, Cindy Yu Shui, and her family as she’s forced to get work on a boat and her family deals with the threat of rising waters on their home. I didn’t love Chang’s personal narration, but it’s easy to overlook given the strength of his story and characters. However, I would still recommend Jia Zhang-ke’s Still Life over Up the Yangtze, although the obvious answer is to see both.

takepart to help Cindy Yu Shui and her family as their home continues to be threatened.

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Below are trailers for the above films and read up on more Silverdocs coverage:

• DISPATCH FROM MARYLAND | Silverdocs: Telling the Truth
  
• Spout Blog’s Silverdocs Coverage
• AFI Announces Silverdocs Award Winners