Day: May 31, 2013

Post-Dystopia Depression: LFM Reviews A Better World @ The 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival

By Joe Bendel. Think of this as what happens after the famous 1984 Apple commercial. Big Brother has fallen. Unfortunately, Henry Dremmel is no Winston Smith. Adjusting to a post-dystopian world will be difficult for him in Sacha Feiner’s short film A Better World, which screens during the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival.

Dremmel the tool, works for the Domestic Denunciation Program. All day he monitors security cameras, reporting even the slightest deviations from the norm. One fateful night, Dremmel wakes to the sound of fireworks. The regime has fallen. Freedom has broken out, but the Denunciator cannot handle it. He prefers the structure of his drab, harshly regimented former existence.

Audiences are unlikely to see a film more explicitly associating the compulsive need for security with oppressive statism in a month of Sundays. What’s even more mind-blowing is that it hails from Belgium, the EU’s happy host nation. Regardless, writer-director Feiner really cuts to the heart of the matter. Dremmel is not an odious villain. A pathetic figure, he is the final victim of a de-humanizing collectivist system.

From "A Better World."

A Better World is also quite an impressive looking production. Olan Bowland’s bleak, washed-out cinematography and Julia Irribaria’s imposing sets create a perfectly Orwellian environment. Almost a prop himself, Vincent Kohler is appropriately cringey and clammy as Dremmel.

Despite its twenty-four minute running time, A Better World has more to say than most features. A genuinely challenging work (especially for Williamsburg hipsters), it is one of the best dystopian films of any length to hit the festival circuit. Very highly recommended, it screens this coming Monday (6/3) and Wednesday (6/5) as part of the 2013 Magnetic edition of the Brooklyn Film Festival.

Posted on May 31st, 2013 at 12:05pm.

LFM Reviews Kumpanía Flamenco Los Angeles @ The 2013 Dances With Films

By Joe Bendel. Maybe there’s still yet hope for Los Angeles: the city is home to a small but vibrant flamenco scene. Of course, nobody is making much money—quite the contrary. The musicians, vocalists, and dancers all simply share a passion for the music. Katina Dunn documents their musical camaraderie in Kumpanía Flamenco Los Angeles, which screens this afternoon during the “Sweet Sixteen” edition of Dances With Films.

Flamenco originated in the tightly knit Roma community of Seventeenth Century Spain. Musicians and dancers from other cultures have been drawn to the music, but according to one vocalist, only Spaniards can sing Flamenco with the right accent. (Yes, he happens to be a Spanish expat.) Regardless of authenticity issues, the Los Angeles Flamenco community is distinctly diverse. Many local Hispanic musicians have adopted the music as their own – including Joey Heredia, a professional drummer comfortable crossing stylistic lines, whose impressive credits include work with Tania Maria, Poncho Sanchez, and Diane Reeves.

From "Kumpanía Flamenco Los Angeles."

Japanese artists are also well represented in KFLA. Kyoto native Jose Tanaka is not just a leading guitarrista and composer, but clearly serves as a leader holding the community together. However, if one star truly emerges from the film, it would have to be Bailaora (dancer) Mizuho Sato. A striking performer with flawless technique, her sequences will hold viewers spellbound. She also provides real insight into the Flamenco aesthetic, especially when explaining how the demur nature of the presentation is part of what makes it all smolder.

Dunn nicely conveys the scene’s vibe and gives interested viewers an easy starting point to check out the assembled artists live—namely, the Fountain Theatre. Her selective but clever use of archival footage adds fitting context as well. She does right by the music, which is the most important thing.

While not reaching the lofty heights of Fernando Trueba’s Calle 54 (the true gold standard of music performance docs), KFLA is still quite a dynamic and engaging film. At just a whisker over an hour, it will leave most viewers wanting more. Appealing to the eyes and ears, Kumpanía Flamenco Los Angeles is recommended for general audiences when it screens this afternoon (5/31) as part of the 2013 edition of Dances With Films, in Hollywood, California.

LFM GRADE: B

Posted May 31st, 2013 at 12:04pm.