#shouldsee

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjOJaiWltYU)

[3 stars] I never expected that, after seeing The Conductor, that my movie paths would cross again with Marin Alsop. But she is one of the judges in this documentary about the only all-female conductor competition, La Maestra. Knowing her story adds a lot to this docu.  First-time director Maggie Contreras follows several up-and-coming woman conductors as they vie for the top title and a chance…

New Post has been published on https://literaryends.com/hgblog/maestra/

Maestra

[3 stars]

I never expected that, after seeing The Conductor, that my movie paths would cross again with Marin Alsop. But she is one of the judges in this documentary about the only all-female conductor competition, La Maestra. Knowing her story adds a lot to this docu.  First-time director Maggie Contreras follows several up-and-coming woman conductors as they vie for the top title and a chance to change their careers and lives irrevocably.

For all the emotion and nicely suspenseful structure of the competition that Contreras gets into the movie, however, she doesn’t quite help us understand why those who won, do. To some degree, I think that was a choice. The results of these competitions are always highly subjective, as we learn from some of the few snippets of feedback we do get to hear. But it shifts the ground on you a little as you watch. So understand that you probably won’t understand the results, but that isn’t the point. The focus is the emotion and the journey, and impact of the competition and the relationships of these women. The story also provides a small peek inside the workings of the music world that you rarely see or hear about.

And if you haven’t seen The Conductor yet, dig it out as well. The two make an interesting and intriguing pairing. Then, if you want to add some fiction on top, seek out Maestro and/or Tár. Neither is perfect as a movie, but with these documentaries as background they make resonant companion pieces.

[4 stars] There are classic epics that have, for decades, defied media’s desire to convert them from book to film. It wasn’t always about the cost or technology. In fact, in the end, it really always just came down to the size of the story. Dune has been assailed many times (Lynch, Jodorowosky, SyFy)… and Denis Villeneuve may finally cracked that nut (assuming his part 2 pays off the way part 1…

New Post has been published on http://literaryends.com/hgblog/gather/

Gather

[3 stars]

Food is life.

Food is culture.

Food is survival.

These are the tenants that drive the indigenous peoples in this story to reclaim the past and create a future for the Lakota and Apache and other remaining tribes across the country.

Sanjay Rawal’s (Food Chain) documentary follows three people as they nurse back to strength aspects of native life for themselves and those around them. These include three very different areas, but all with the same concerns and approach: crops, salmon, and buffalo.

The documentary puts into harsh relief the histories that have nearly destroyed indigenous Americans; highlighting how food was weaponized by settlers and the government.

Rawal’s sure hand makes the story as hopeful as it is angering and disturbing. He manages to keep a neutral and honest eye, despite a clear point of view. And he provides some calls to action if you want to get involved.

[3 stars]

Food is life.

Food is culture.

Food is survival.

These are the tenants that drive the indigenous peoples in this story to reclaim the past and create a future for the Lakota and Apache and other remaining tribes across the country.

Sanjay Rawal’s (Food Chain) documentary follows three people as they nurse back to strength aspects of native life for themselves and those around them.…