Moonlight
The second official day and the first full day of screenings at the 36th Atlantic Film Festival wrapped up yesterday and it had great films and tough choices as the screens of Park Lane and the Oxford showed some of the best films in the world to appreciative audiences. The days are long but with a great film it soothes the soul and energizes you to leave you wanting more. Here is some of what I saw on Friday, September 16th.
The day began with the first possible screening with the documentary With This Ring. A film about women who box in India, With This Ring was introduced by co-director Ameesha Joshi and it was a look at the stories of three remarkable women whose lives take different paths in their boxing careers. A decade in the making, we see the challenges that they face as well as the rewards with the story taking place over six years as we watch the women from India dominate the sport. With interesting characters and skillful editing, we get a glimpse into the world that they struggled to be part of and how it has changed them.
Then it was time for the first of many Reel Atlantic Shorts programs with many of the filmmakers present to introduce their films. While the screening was in the afternoon on a Friday there was a great audience to enjoy the films. After the films played there was a Q&A session with the filmmakers as well. It was nice to see the film Black Guitar on the big screen too as I was lucky to be on set to help with making that film.
When you know nothing about a film going in it can be a truly wonderful experience. Without expectations you need to be open to the film and deal with it on different terms than when you have read and thought about it. A late addition to the festival, Moonlight is a remarkable coming of age story. Set in Florida and stunningly shot by James Laxton, the film is directed and written by Barry Jenkins from a story by Tarrel McCraney. Divided into three chapters, we watch as Chiron grows up by seeing him at three pivotal moments in his life. We are immersed into his world and the superb cast draw you into their lives in a film that is gentle and beautiful as we see small and gentle moments of grace in lives that are lonely. A unique and powerful film, I saw echoes at times of other great films such as Killer of Sheep and The 400 Blows. This is a film I definitely want to see again on a big screen.
I can’t think of a better way to end a full day at a film festival than by watching a 2 hour and 42 minute German deadpan comedy. Toni Erdmann is directed by Maren Ade and it is not so accidentally set largely in Romania. With echoes of Romanian New Wave films, but with a unique approach, it blends awkward moments, slapstick, and some emotional moments together over the long (but enjoyable) running time. It’s about the relationship between a daughter and her father as they struggle to connect with each other. Her father constantly plays practical jokes and that provides a stark contrast with her professional life as a consultant. As she makes her living and works within the absurd and sexist world of business, the over-the-top antics of her father don’t seem as extreme as they do at first. It’s a strange and wonderful film with some truly memorable set pieces as the absurdity builds to a climax and then brings it all back together with a skillful hand.
This full day of the festival also gave me with the impetus to continue on with new energy with my #52FilmsByWomen goal by ramping things up with challenging myself to see at least one feature film a day directed by a woman. That hasn’t been a problem so far and it looks as though there are some other great films directed by women that I’ll be seeing too. So many more films from around the world to see as the festival gets underway!