“Convention”, a chronicling of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, made its world premiere last night as the centerpiece screening at SilverDocs.  The documentary showed the DNC experience through following some everyman participants on the ground including journalists from the Denver Post, protesters, including Tom Morello (who, yes, is just an everyman after all, we learn) from Rage Against the Machine, and municipal workers from the Denver city government, charged with the Herculean task of trying to orchestrate the enormous event.  The filmmakers included a number of notables in the world of non-fiction film including AJ Schnack, who managed the endeavor, Laura Poitras, Paul Taylor, Daniel Junge, Nathan Truesdell, David Wilson, Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar.

After watching “The Dark Knight” on HBO the evening prior to “Convention”, I couldn’t shake the connection that the chaos surrounding the nomination of a major Presidential candidate was the fulfillment of exactly what Heath Ledger’s The Joker was seeking in Christopher Nolan’s Batman sequel.  The subjects of the film across the board (with the exception of those in the city control center who come out shining most of the time) seem overwhelmed, sometimes even lost within the huge forces that surround them.  When seen from this vantage point, it seems a miracle that events this size are ever pulled off.  But, all’s well that ends well, with Obama receiving the historic nomination in dramatic fashion at Invesco Field before moving full speed to his November victory. 

While a fine demonstration that people tend to work much better within the rhythms of a normal routine than in a one off events, “Convention” doesn’t really offer the viewer much more than DNC backstage follies - and not even from the powerful figures like Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi etc. who are assembled at the event, which might make things a little more juicy at least.  Rather normal people are shown acting in a predictably harried way in response to a situation they have never dealt with before.  A post screening talk from the filmmakers revealed that most of the filmmakers were working in a similarly chaotic fashion once arrived in Denver.  With one pair saying they were given car keys and the telephone number of one of the subjects and told to hit the ground running upon landing at the airport.  A watchable and likable film was cut from the footage, but better planning and access would have created a more revealing look at this important historical event.

LINKS:

Hollywood Reporter: ‘Convention’ gets world premiere at Silverdocs

IndieWire: Not a Conventional Shoot: Schnack’s DNC Doc Debuts

WaPo: ‘Convention’ Winds Up Merely Conventional