Speaking Volumes

I was listening to WNPR on my way into work this morning and found out that this weekend was the 3^rd annual International Film Festival in Hartford. Hmmm, sounds interesting I thought...I've blogged about films before, but as I mentioned in that blog, I'm really no movie junkie, it's only in the past few years that I have become more of a movie-watcher. On the program they were talking about the Festival this weekend and some of the featured films. The woman being interviewed (I cant remember her name – I was driving, be happy I wasn't taking notes : ) mentioned how many of the films being shown were documentaries. In fact I think she said something along the lines of this being the “year of the documentary.” The opening film of the festival is a documentary on Hurricane Katrina called Trouble The Water, here is the description from the HIFF website:

This award-winning documentary feature tells the story of an aspiring rap artist and her streetwise husband, trapped in New Orleans by deadly floodwaters, who survive Hurricane Katrina and then seize a chance for a new beginning. It's a redemptive tale of self-described street hustlers who become heroes that takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen. This film is not just about New Orleans. It's about America.

The Festival will end on Friday with another documentary called Diamonds in the Rough, again here is the description from the HIFF website:

A documentary feature that explores the emergence of hip hop in Uganda as a tool for social change in Uganda and beyond. Narrated by Michael Franti, it tells a gripping story of the way that Ugandan rappers risk political reprisals by creating rhymes that tell the stories of the victims of the bloody civil war and the long, corrupt reign of Uganda's political leaders.

I'm pretty intrigued. I actually just moved last weekend (uggg) and REALLY need to unpack and organize. BUT, now I am very tempted to run off and hide from my work at the Hartford Film Festival this weekend. I think the documentary is such a powerful form of media, seeing a great documentary can really make you think, question, and discuss, what you thought you knew about the particular topic and what you know now. The broadcast also got me thinking about some of my favorite documentaries, and documentaries that we have here at the library.

My recent favorites include:

God Grew Tired of Us - The journey of three of the 'Lost Boys' of Sudan as they relocate to America.

An Unreasonable Man - A look at the career of consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

Spellbound - Follows eight children competing in the National Spelling Bee.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon - Tracks John's career from a member of The Beatles to a rallying anti-war activist, to his assassination. 

Jesus Camp - A documentary about kids attending a Christian summer camp.

We also had the privilege of hosting the only East of the River premiere of the documentary “ Hollywood Librarian” last fall. In fact it was only a week or so after I started that we premiered the movie at the Beckish Senior Center– what a great intro to my new found profession! The movie still has not been released in DVD, but when it is I'm sure we'll have a copy of it!

We own some of the ones I mentioned above, and browsing our shelves before writing this post I found a number of other ones I would love to see, including:

     Grizzly Man            When the Levees Broke    Manufactured Landscapes

Come check out a documentary this weekend and get your learning on! Or, make your way into Hartford for the Film Fest, you might just see me there, avoiding my long to-do list, and hiding out in the theater!

For more info on the Hartford International Film Fest THIS WEEKEND, here is the link to their website:

http://www.capitolcinemacollective.org/