Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Double Feature

One of the big events in Utah is the Sundance Film Festival every January. Officially, the festival ended Saturday, but luckily, they hold a few "Best of Fest" screenings at different theatres especially for locals. Kevin got a hold of a couple tickets to last nights films at Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden.
The first film was Captain Abu Raed, winner of the World Cinema Audience Award. It was a Jordanian picture about an airport janitor who tells stories of travels he hasn't taken. It was a little sappy in parts, but overall a good movie about building friendships and helping others.
The second film was Patti Smith: Dream of Life, which won the award for Excellence in Cinematography, Documentary category. It was a wonderful portrait of the life and music of Patti Smith, with whom I was only casually familiar. It was interesting to see how influential she has been since her debut album "Horses" was released in 1975. She narrated the film, which discussed her family, her friendships with Robert Mapplethorpe and Michael Stipe, her love of New York, and her political standings. I think a lot of people thought it was boring, because several got up and left; but I really enjoyed it, and might even pick up a few old Patti Smith albums.
Thanks to Kevin and Karen for scoring the tickets. I've always had a love for independent cinema, and this was a great way to catch a little Sundance fever before I leave Utah.

1 comment:

Pete said...

Patti Smith rocks and Horses is one of my favorite albums ever. You must get it!