The Wisconsin Film Festival

Last weekend I went to several movies as part of the Wisconsin Film festival. I wanted to give a few comments about what I saw. Perhaps they'll be coming to your area.

The first one I saw was "Shiva for My Mother: Seven Days of Mourning".
This was a documentary by Yael Katzir, about the seven days of mourning Yael went through for her mother's death. The film was in Hebrew, with English subtitles.
Yael is an Israeli, whose mother was a native born "Sabra" and her father was a German refugee from the holocaust. The documentary, filmed by her son Dan, shows her reflections about her parents, her siblings, and her adult children. Yael "always wanted her [mother] to hug me and say that I am a good girl, but it did not happen.”
Her mom was a tough, outspoken woman. Her father was a quiet, reflective man whom she knew little about. Her children are loving, sensitive, and very emotionally honest. Her siblings discuss which one they thought loved them best. You can tell that although they had problems like any family, it was a family filled with love.
The film was beautiful, and deals with family relationships that anyone could relate to.

The second movie was "High School Record." This was a mockumentary by Ben Wolfinsohn about, well, you guessed it: an arts high school. It follows four high school students :Caleb, Sabrina, Erin, and Bobby during a few high school days.
Caleb is an odd outsider (aka Geek) who wears outrageous clothing, does screwy things with his hair, and wants to direct a futuristic TV show teaching children how to eat well. Sabrina is also a bit socially awkward, and at the beginning of the film is dating Caleb. She does and says some cruel things, but a good heart is buried beneath. There is also the wacky teacher, who plays guitar, sings off key, wears the most outrageous outfits, and eventually sleeps with Bobby. It's funny and slightly touching. The actors were all amateurs, but they were very believable.
Probably the biggest budget movie I saw was Childstar. This was a witty Canadian film making fun of shallow Hollywood, and our obsession with Child Stars and celebrity. Don Mckellar, who also wrote and directed the film, stars as driver Rick Schiller, hired to drive Taylor Brandon Burns, a child star played by Mark Rendall.
Rick sleeps with Taylor's mother, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. He also acts as the boy's tutor and mentor, as he's the only one who can stand him. It's a clever satire, and who can resist cameos by Alan Thicke and Erik Stolz?
"North Korea: Beyond the DMZ" and "Seoul Train" were two fascinating documentaries about North Korea. The first one, focused on a Korean American girl who took an organized trip to North Korea. As she did, the documentary supplied some context and history to the conflicts between the US and North Korea. The film put a lot of blame to the US and was trying to humanize one of the "axes of evil", but did go to lengths to explain the philosophies beyond North Korea's government. Although it does blame Kim Jung Il for many of its problems, it puts some blame to the United States and the West. It also shows the people of North Korea in a very warm light, particularly when the American woman reunites with her aunt.
"Seoul Train" was about North Korean refugees escaping to China in hopes of resettling in South Korea or other "safe countries". If the Chinese government catches them, it sends them back to North Korea where they are imprisoned, tortured, and almost killed. It focuses on China's culpability in the refugee problem, and on the efforts of some US congressman to address the problem. It was also interesting. The two films together put good context and depth on the Korean/American relationship.
The final movie I saw, was probably the most outrageous: Never Been Thawed.
It followed several characters who collect and trade Frozen Dinners as part of the Mesa frozen Entree Enthusiasts'. Each of them have their own quirks. Shawn, the founder, is a part time dental hygenist and plays in a punk band that goes Christian to try and make money. Shelly, who has a crush on Shawn, is a devoted virgin who works for the Wiliam Jefferson Clinton abstinence clinic. Al is a "smilist", a clown costumed hair stylist who lives with his parents at their retirement home. They meet at the "No Choice Cafe" an anti-abortion coffee house, located near abortion clinics so you can eat a snack while you are protesting. Although the film dragged near the end, it's a hilarious satire of collecting geeks, Christian Rock, religious fanatics, losers, nice guys, and competitive highway alphabet.
I'd recommend all of those movies. If you get a chance to see them, don't miss it.