I know very few people who do not like documentaries, which are produced by the hundreds if not thousands every year. Some of the most respected filmmakers lauded at film festivals are documentarians. And, yet docs are rarely screened in theaters, and specific titles are difficult to track down. Documentary distribution and marketing just seems so arbitrary and indiscriminate.
The opportunity to see documentaries on the big screen is the main reason why I continue to attend and support the Sarasota Film Festival (SFF), despite some serious misgivings about the fest. Often, filmmakers attend the screenings to introduce their films and to answer questions from the audience. I am always touched by their passion for the format as well as their thoughtful commentary. The documentary selection at the SFF was particularly good this year, and I recommend the following titles.
MEDIA COVERAGE SPUN A STORY ABOUT BIG-CITY APATHY, BUT IN DOING SO, THEY MISREPRESENTED THE WITNESSES.
The Witness. Even if you are not old enough to remember the event directly, you are likely familiar with story of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death in New York City in 1964. As the story goes, Genovese screamed for help as 38 of her neighbors allegedly watched and did nothing. Her story seemed to reflect the twin evils of the modern urban world: Crime statistics were soaring while ordinary folk looked the other way, choosing not get involved. Kitty’s murder underlined a new word in our social discourse—apathy. In this fascinating and moving documentary, director James Solomon followed Kitty’s brother, Bill Genovese, who spent 11 years investigating his sister’s case. He was determined to uncover the truth after a 2004 New York Times story raised questions about the accuracy of the original accounts.
BILL GENOVESE SPENT 11 YEARS INVESTIGATING HIS SISTER’S DEATH.
I did not realize that the murder occurred in stages. Kitty was stabbed on the street between several apartment buildings by an assailant who attempted to rape her. When she screamed for help, the assailant ran away. She staggered down the street and around the corner to her apartment building. The assailant followed her, assaulting her again in the vestibule of her building. Shockingly, some 40 minutes passed between the first attack and the final assault.
The Witness is structured like a mystery, with the viewer uncovering clues along with Genovese. He starts by asking some of those 38 witnesses to recall their versions of what happened. One witness swore that she called the police when she heard the screaming, but police logs prove otherwise. Was she fabricating a story for Genovese’s benefit, or was it a false memory, because she wished she had called the authorities, and, over the years, that wish became fact. Genovese learns that his sister had a close friend who lived in the same apartment building. In a harrowing account, the friend recalls running to Kitty’s aid when she was bleeding to death in the hallway. She held her close as she lay dying. It was comforting for him—and for us—to know that she did not die alone.
KITTY GENOVESE: MORE TO HER THAN A SENSATIONALIZED DEATH.
More than just an account of the crime that defined the 20th century, The Witness captures the process of grieving over the loss of a loved one and the impact of that loss are on those left behind. It is also a film about the Genovese family, who never really knew Kitty because her vibrant, interesting life was overshadowed by the mythic trappings of her death. I was most affected by the unmasking of the media and the role they played in the perpetuation of half-truths and inaccuracies surrounding the original crime. The Witness turned out to be my favorite film at the SFF, and I highly recommend it. If you live in Madison, Wisconsin, or Dallas, Texas, catch the film at the Wisconsin and USA Film Festivals. Otherwise, put it in your Netflix Saved queue, because it will be available in the fall.
HERZOG RAN ACROSS A GROUP OF MONKS IN CHICAGO WHO PREFERRED TEXTING TO MEDITATING ON THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW. THE IMAGE SUGGESTS THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE NEW RELIGION.
Lo and Behold. A very close second to The Witness was Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World. Herzog narrates this director-participant documentary, which offers a unique exploration of the Internet, social media, and texting. He begins innocently enough with the history of the Internet, including a conversation with a scientist who is just downright giddy to show us where the first online message was sent. But, Lo and Behold is really about how the ‘Net has so permeated our culture that we could not survive without it. To prove that point, Herzog includes a section on Hurricane Sandy and the social chaos that ensued when part of NYC fell off the grid.
IT’S A NO WIFI AND A NO CELL ZONE IN GREEN BANKS, WV.
Divided into chapters, the documentary is like a collage of the contemporary communications industry. Some chapters offer a positive depiction of online capabilities; others reveal the dark side. Understanding which is which may depend on your own views of the Internet. Though Herzog does make his point of view clear with the occasional pointed comment or question, overall he neither condemns nor praises. Personally, I was annoyed at those techno wizards interviewed in the film who seem to embrace the online world without reflection. I find people like Sebastian Thrun, a robotics developer and pioneer of the self-driving car, to be blinded by their love of high tech toys, just like the young scientist and his coworkers who are building a team of soccer-playing robots capable of beating the world champions. They speak of the Internet with the enthusiasm of a true believer—as though it were the second coming.
BEAUTIFUL GREEN BANK, WV, AND ITS MASSIVE TELESCOPE
My family hails from West Virginia, and I was pleased to know that the town of Green Bank, which is home to a very sensitive research telescope, has no cell phone towers or wireless capabilities for a 10-mile radius. The telescope would simply not function properly if the air was polluted with cell phone and wireless signals. Green Bank has proved to be an oasis for a handful of people who have contracted an illness caused by signals emitted by cell phone towers. Each evening, they join the locals to play music, host barbeques, and enjoy each other’s company—like a community. Clearly, they are missing out on nothing. Lo and Behold will also be available on Netflix in the near future.
MO SCARPELLI SHOOTS ‘FRAME BY FRAME’
Frame by Frame. This no-frills doc by Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli follows the careers of four photojournalists from Afghanistan who work to reveal and expose the conditions and issues of the Afghan people. This documentary reminded me about the power of images—both moving and still. Sometimes a picture can be a weapon.
This is something the Taiban understood. When they were in control of Afghanistan, taking a photograph was actually a crime. After the U.S. troops entered the country and the Taliban lost control, the Afghans began to form a free press.
Najibullah Musafer, considered the father of Afghan photography, developed his picture-taking skills while the Taliban were still in control. This was at great risk to his own life, but, as he notes, “Without photos, a country is without an identity.” Female photographer Farzana Wahidy faces dangers of a different type. In the most disturbing segment, Farzana photographs a victim of self-immolation, in which a woman sets herself on fire in the hopes of escaping an agonizing lifetime of abuse. Some practitioners of self-immolation want to die, while others hope their faces and bodies will be so badly disfigured that their worth will plummet. If that happens, families and husbands who view them as commodities won’t care enough to beat them. In the small villages where Farzana travels, men stare at her as she explores the streets with her camera. Viewers are startled when a man runs at her from behind, striking her on the shoulder and telling her to cover her face.
The photographers interviewed in Frame by Frame fear what will happen to photojournalists after the Americans leave Afghanistan. They predict the economy will collapse, and they will lose their jobs with the AFP, the country’s news agency. Or, more seriously, there will be retaliation against them by extremists. At the end of the film, statistics bear out the fears of those interviewed – in 2014,a major increase in violence against journalists resulted in the murder of a photojournalist.
Frame by Frame is now showing at universities and film festivals across the country. Check the website at http://www.framebyframethefilm.com/ for screenings near you.