2005 in Review: Programmer's Perspective
Sunday, 18. December 2005, 20:24:11
381 individual programs. Or so. Many included multiple short films, many showed more than once, and many showed within larger programs for which you could buy double bill tickets or season tickets. But by one count, 381 programs will have shown at the Pioneer in 2005. The number of screenings, meanwhile, must have reached about 1000.
Whew.
How do you go about picking favorites?
No one saw them all, not even me, and I’m the guy who programs the theater. (Thanks to our wonderful programming partners, I can sometimes depend on others to pick the movies for the night). But I did see most of them, all of which I was very proud we were able to present.
And yet, at the end of the year, despite everything, some favorites do remain. Many are included below. They are ordered by chronology, not by personal preference, and they include both new movies and old. However, I’m going to skim over the great quantity of horror movies we screened this year, since Alex addresses them above.
* * *
January
ASHES AND DIAMONDS
A dashing young assassin pursues his quarry as World War II ends and the Communist era begins in Poland. One of my favorite films, ever: a landmark film in every possible way, whose political, moral, and interpersonal ambiguities continue to speak with force and insight sixty years later, after all of the political regimes it depicts have vanished.
January
GUELWAAR + MOOLAADE
Two films from the great filmmaker Ousmane Sembene. The first is an underseen, underappreciated masterwork, while the latter is a more recent movie that rightly received much attention. GUELWAAR: The political opposition’s leader has died. But his body is missing. MOOLAADE: A village struggles with the question of female genital mutilation.
Like ASHES AND DIAMONDS, these films speak directly, ferociously, deeply to their moments, yet with their deep, poignant, understated embrace of the specificities of their time and their people, the films are eminently accessible and unforgettable.
February
FOUR-EYED MONSTERS
One of a kind, yet evoking the experience of an entire generation, FOUR-EYED MONSTERS is an explosion of digital talent. A young man and a young woman meet on the internet, and their relationship flowers as they attempt to communicate exclusively via artistic media. Screened once, with Slamdance.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Arin Crumley, Susan Buice, Paul Rachman
February + October
THE GHOST (LO SPETTRO)
Showed twice in a beautiful print, once in the “a date with Barbara Steele” triple bill, and once in October. A treasure. A deceased man haunts his wife and her lover.
March
CRAZY LEGS CONTI: ZEN AND THE ART OF COMPETITIVE EATING
Like ROCKY, but with hot dogs instead of boxing gloves. With his deadpan, perfect comic timing, his penchant for brilliant one-liners, and his truly bizarre lifestyle, competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti is a cinematic subject for the ages. This loving portrait, made by some of Crazy Legs’ good friends, is a lovely little dish. We were delighted as well that Crazy Legs – who lives just up the street – brought the gang by for every screening, usually leading the crowd out for a good night of eating and drinking afterward.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Crazy Legs Conti, Danielle Franco, Chris Kenneally, Dinshaw, Badlands Booker, etc. Opening night the Pioneer presented a (non-sanctioned) pizza-eating “sprint.”
March
SHERIFF
Scandalously, though not unexpectedly, under-attended, SHERIFF is an exquisite, modest, beautiful documentary portrait of Sheriff Ronald Hewett, a North Carolina Sheriff who believes in what he is doing, and does it well.
March (DR. T) + December (JASON)
THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T + JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
Two “kids classics” whose imagination and brilliant design continue to evoke wonder. DR. T: A boy discovers the fantastic and dangerous world of piano lessons. JASON: a young man seeks a fabled treasure.
March + April
LOLA
A bureaucrat falls for a showgirl. A masterpiece from director Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Barbara Sukowa
April
ODESSA. . .ODESSA!
Arriving at the Pioneer with Israelis, French people, Ukrainians, and many others in tow, the debut feature from the ferociously talented Michale Boganim forms a beautiful, three-faced jewel from the dust of the Odessa Jewish community scattered across the earth. Part of “Homeland Insecurity: Documentaries from the New Israeli Foundation for Cinema and Television.”
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Michale Boganim, David Fisher, and many Odessans now living in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
May
THE GIRL FROM MONDAY
An agonizing, shattered, science fiction scream of disgust, rebellion, and hope from Hal Hartley, THE GIRL FROM MONDAY was severely under-rated by the press, but well attended and appreciated by Pioneer audiences.
THE GIRL FROM MONDAY functioned as a centerpiece for an unofficial series of films presented with Hartley’s gang of filmmakers, also including Kyle Gilman (who presented an evening of short films he had made), Richard Sylvarnes (see H.C.E. below), and James Spione (AMERICAN FARM).
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Hal Hartley, Tatiana Abracos, Bill Sage, Leo Fitzpatrick, D.J. Mendel, Steve Hamilton, Kyle Gilman, Richard Sylvarnes, etc.
May
THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN
One of the two very good “farm films” we showed this year (the other was AMERICAN FARM), THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN tells of an eccentric farmer and poet in Northwestern Illinois. Screened once, in May, with Slamdance and in association with Films Transit.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Farmer John Taggart, Diana Holtzberg, Paul Rachman
May
MOJADOS
A movie of daring and solidarity, MOJADOS is a bare bones, self-made documentary from filmmaker Tommy Davis. Carrying his own equipment as well as his own food and water, Davis and a group of young men cross the desert illegally from Mexico to the United States. The film is harrowing, subtle, poignant, and distinct. And some good news came out of the booking. Davis reports that the reviews of MOJADOS helped get a new movie financed.
May
THE FEARLESS FREAKS FEATURING THE FLAMING LIPS
Full of tough love and wacky music, THE FEARLESS FREAKS FEATURING THE FLAMING LIPS is one of the great rock’n’roll movies, as well as just a great movie in its own right. And it’s not just for people who already know and love the band, either. V.A. Musetto of the NEW YORK POST said he had never heard of the Flaming Lips before seeing the movie, but he liked it so much he just might seek out some of their music.
This was the biggest hit – and probably the best film – in the string of eccentric musician movies we showed through the year, which also included GARY WILSON: YOU THINK YOU REALLY KNOW ME, DERAILROADED: INSIDE THE MIND OF WILD MAN FISCHER, LOW IN EUROPE, STRANGER: BERNIE WORRELL ON EARTH (presented with Slamdance), and two films about the New York Dolls: ALL DOLLED UP and NEW YORK DOLL.
May
H.C.E. (aka HERE COMES EVERYBODY)
In a rare break from Pioneer custom, H.C.E. showed as a work-in-progress, at which director Richard Sylvarnes discussed the film and its ongoing evolution with an audience of friends, family, and onlookers. A black-and-white palimpsest of Western history, with images and sounds flowing hypnotically from the world of books and the universe of stars, through people’s souls, H.C.E. is a work that demands yet defies description, which people may well pour over for many years to come.
A draft of an interview about H.C.E. is here
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Richard Sylvarnes
June
WAGING A LIVING
This is old school, humanist, no frills, social documentary filmmaking at its best. Roger Weissberg and a team of co-directors and technicians follow a number of individuals in the Northeast and in California as they try to wage a living on their non-living wages. Heartbreaking, resonant, and perfectly paced, WAGING A LIVING should be one for the ages.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Roger Weissberg, Eddie Rosenstein, and some of the stars of the film
August + November
“The Gary Ray Show”
We actually did this show twice. A sort of extended, video-based “Where’s Waldo?” game, “The Gary Ray Show” featured an extended series of short fiction films, music videos, commercials, karaoke sing-a-long videos, and televised shopping clips – all featuring East Village icon Gary Ray. The first screening was part of the Howl! Festival of East Village Arts. Good times.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Gary Ray
September
PIGGIE
Following an appropriately odd path, PIGGIE showed twice as a “one-off” early in the year, but then came back in September to open for a week. An awkward depiction of social alienation and commitment, PIGGIE features a ferocious leading performance by Savannah Haske, who also co-wrote the script. Alison Bagnall’s understated, resourceful direction offers Haske the perfect framework in which to shine.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Alison Bagnall, Savannah Haske, Alison Dickey, Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips
October
FAMILY PORTRAITS
One of our best films from 2004 returned in October 2005 for a single screening. And, for the first time ever, anywhere, FAMILY PORTRAITS showed from 35mm. The level of control, force, and weight present in a single frame of this three-part masterpiece about cycles of abuse and guilt dwarfs that in many filmmakers’ entire oeuvres. Writer / director Douglas Buck is a major talent, whose name you will hear again – and soon.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Douglas Buck, Rita Romagnino, Larry Fessenden
November
LA SIERRA
LA SIERRA begins with possibly the most devastating image shown this year: a dead body, attacked by flies, lying in a ditch. The image is all the more devastating in its context and utter truthfulness, as LA SIERRA is a non-fiction film depicting the horrors of gang warfare in Colombia.
Many of the Pioneer’s best friends collaborated on LA SIERRA’s shows. They included Cinema Tropical, Slamdance, and First Run / Icarus Features, as well as the new group In the Fray Magazine. Thanks to all of them.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Scott Dalton, Andrew Blackwell, Carlos Gutierrez, Valeria Mogilevich
November
ARISTIDE and the Endless Revolution
A sympathetic portrait of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the twice elected and twice-deposed President of Haiti. An important film, though problematic in many ways, including for its rather angelic portrait of Aristide. Nonetheless, the presentation at the Pioneer was very moving, particularly in the reactions and conversations among Haitians – and others – following the packed screenings.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Nicolas Rossier, Ben Dupuy, Thomas Griffin, Michelle Karshan, Yvon Kernizan, Brian Concannon, Amy Goodman, Danny Glover, Margaret L. Satterthwaite, Marise Narcisse, Kim Ives
November + December
WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME? + AND LIFE GOES ON (LIFE AND NOTHING MORE)
WHERE: A young boy defies his parents and seeks out his friend’s home. AND LIFE: A few years later, an earthquake strikes the area where the young boy lives. The director of WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME? Seeks the boys who had starred in that movie, to make sure they are okay.
Two beautiful films directed by Abbas Kiarostami. I wish we could have shown THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES, the third part of the trilogy. Hopefully another day.
December
DIAS DE SANTIAGO
The last – and, possibly, best – of our many very good Latin American films this year. DIAS DE SANTIAGO arrived from Peru, telling of a young man fresh from the army who is down on his luck and filled with rage. Pietro Sibille, as Santiago, delivers one of the strongest performances to force its way across the Pioneer’s screen this year.
(many times through the year)
COWARDS BEND THE KNEE + A NIGHT TO DISMEMBER
Two late night movies that left audiences guffawing in disbelief.
* * *
So those are some favorites. Certainly, some wonderful works were overlooked - some accidentally, and some because, well, you have to make decisions.
Of course, year-end lists from the big critics, and critics groups, won’t include most of the movies mentioned above. But does that mean these movies are worse than, I don’t know, movies with Hollywood stars singing country & western songs, or playing gay cowboys? It’s hard to say. But when you consider that most of the people making those lists didn’t even check out the movies we showed, you have to wonder how they go about making grandiose statements about the best movies of the year. Meanwhile, this has just been a personal list, only drawn from movies at the Pioneer.
Whew.
How do you go about picking favorites?
No one saw them all, not even me, and I’m the guy who programs the theater. (Thanks to our wonderful programming partners, I can sometimes depend on others to pick the movies for the night). But I did see most of them, all of which I was very proud we were able to present.
And yet, at the end of the year, despite everything, some favorites do remain. Many are included below. They are ordered by chronology, not by personal preference, and they include both new movies and old. However, I’m going to skim over the great quantity of horror movies we screened this year, since Alex addresses them above.
* * *
January
ASHES AND DIAMONDS
A dashing young assassin pursues his quarry as World War II ends and the Communist era begins in Poland. One of my favorite films, ever: a landmark film in every possible way, whose political, moral, and interpersonal ambiguities continue to speak with force and insight sixty years later, after all of the political regimes it depicts have vanished.
January
GUELWAAR + MOOLAADE
Two films from the great filmmaker Ousmane Sembene. The first is an underseen, underappreciated masterwork, while the latter is a more recent movie that rightly received much attention. GUELWAAR: The political opposition’s leader has died. But his body is missing. MOOLAADE: A village struggles with the question of female genital mutilation.
Like ASHES AND DIAMONDS, these films speak directly, ferociously, deeply to their moments, yet with their deep, poignant, understated embrace of the specificities of their time and their people, the films are eminently accessible and unforgettable.
February
FOUR-EYED MONSTERS
One of a kind, yet evoking the experience of an entire generation, FOUR-EYED MONSTERS is an explosion of digital talent. A young man and a young woman meet on the internet, and their relationship flowers as they attempt to communicate exclusively via artistic media. Screened once, with Slamdance.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Arin Crumley, Susan Buice, Paul Rachman
February + October
THE GHOST (LO SPETTRO)
Showed twice in a beautiful print, once in the “a date with Barbara Steele” triple bill, and once in October. A treasure. A deceased man haunts his wife and her lover.
March
CRAZY LEGS CONTI: ZEN AND THE ART OF COMPETITIVE EATING
Like ROCKY, but with hot dogs instead of boxing gloves. With his deadpan, perfect comic timing, his penchant for brilliant one-liners, and his truly bizarre lifestyle, competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti is a cinematic subject for the ages. This loving portrait, made by some of Crazy Legs’ good friends, is a lovely little dish. We were delighted as well that Crazy Legs – who lives just up the street – brought the gang by for every screening, usually leading the crowd out for a good night of eating and drinking afterward.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Crazy Legs Conti, Danielle Franco, Chris Kenneally, Dinshaw, Badlands Booker, etc. Opening night the Pioneer presented a (non-sanctioned) pizza-eating “sprint.”
March
SHERIFF
Scandalously, though not unexpectedly, under-attended, SHERIFF is an exquisite, modest, beautiful documentary portrait of Sheriff Ronald Hewett, a North Carolina Sheriff who believes in what he is doing, and does it well.
March (DR. T) + December (JASON)
THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T + JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
Two “kids classics” whose imagination and brilliant design continue to evoke wonder. DR. T: A boy discovers the fantastic and dangerous world of piano lessons. JASON: a young man seeks a fabled treasure.
March + April
LOLA
A bureaucrat falls for a showgirl. A masterpiece from director Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Barbara Sukowa
April
ODESSA. . .ODESSA!
Arriving at the Pioneer with Israelis, French people, Ukrainians, and many others in tow, the debut feature from the ferociously talented Michale Boganim forms a beautiful, three-faced jewel from the dust of the Odessa Jewish community scattered across the earth. Part of “Homeland Insecurity: Documentaries from the New Israeli Foundation for Cinema and Television.”
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Michale Boganim, David Fisher, and many Odessans now living in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
May
THE GIRL FROM MONDAY
An agonizing, shattered, science fiction scream of disgust, rebellion, and hope from Hal Hartley, THE GIRL FROM MONDAY was severely under-rated by the press, but well attended and appreciated by Pioneer audiences.
THE GIRL FROM MONDAY functioned as a centerpiece for an unofficial series of films presented with Hartley’s gang of filmmakers, also including Kyle Gilman (who presented an evening of short films he had made), Richard Sylvarnes (see H.C.E. below), and James Spione (AMERICAN FARM).
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Hal Hartley, Tatiana Abracos, Bill Sage, Leo Fitzpatrick, D.J. Mendel, Steve Hamilton, Kyle Gilman, Richard Sylvarnes, etc.
May
THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN
One of the two very good “farm films” we showed this year (the other was AMERICAN FARM), THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN tells of an eccentric farmer and poet in Northwestern Illinois. Screened once, in May, with Slamdance and in association with Films Transit.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Farmer John Taggart, Diana Holtzberg, Paul Rachman
May
MOJADOS
A movie of daring and solidarity, MOJADOS is a bare bones, self-made documentary from filmmaker Tommy Davis. Carrying his own equipment as well as his own food and water, Davis and a group of young men cross the desert illegally from Mexico to the United States. The film is harrowing, subtle, poignant, and distinct. And some good news came out of the booking. Davis reports that the reviews of MOJADOS helped get a new movie financed.
May
THE FEARLESS FREAKS FEATURING THE FLAMING LIPS
Full of tough love and wacky music, THE FEARLESS FREAKS FEATURING THE FLAMING LIPS is one of the great rock’n’roll movies, as well as just a great movie in its own right. And it’s not just for people who already know and love the band, either. V.A. Musetto of the NEW YORK POST said he had never heard of the Flaming Lips before seeing the movie, but he liked it so much he just might seek out some of their music.
This was the biggest hit – and probably the best film – in the string of eccentric musician movies we showed through the year, which also included GARY WILSON: YOU THINK YOU REALLY KNOW ME, DERAILROADED: INSIDE THE MIND OF WILD MAN FISCHER, LOW IN EUROPE, STRANGER: BERNIE WORRELL ON EARTH (presented with Slamdance), and two films about the New York Dolls: ALL DOLLED UP and NEW YORK DOLL.
May
H.C.E. (aka HERE COMES EVERYBODY)
In a rare break from Pioneer custom, H.C.E. showed as a work-in-progress, at which director Richard Sylvarnes discussed the film and its ongoing evolution with an audience of friends, family, and onlookers. A black-and-white palimpsest of Western history, with images and sounds flowing hypnotically from the world of books and the universe of stars, through people’s souls, H.C.E. is a work that demands yet defies description, which people may well pour over for many years to come.
A draft of an interview about H.C.E. is here
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Richard Sylvarnes
June
WAGING A LIVING
This is old school, humanist, no frills, social documentary filmmaking at its best. Roger Weissberg and a team of co-directors and technicians follow a number of individuals in the Northeast and in California as they try to wage a living on their non-living wages. Heartbreaking, resonant, and perfectly paced, WAGING A LIVING should be one for the ages.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Roger Weissberg, Eddie Rosenstein, and some of the stars of the film
August + November
“The Gary Ray Show”
We actually did this show twice. A sort of extended, video-based “Where’s Waldo?” game, “The Gary Ray Show” featured an extended series of short fiction films, music videos, commercials, karaoke sing-a-long videos, and televised shopping clips – all featuring East Village icon Gary Ray. The first screening was part of the Howl! Festival of East Village Arts. Good times.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Gary Ray
September
PIGGIE
Following an appropriately odd path, PIGGIE showed twice as a “one-off” early in the year, but then came back in September to open for a week. An awkward depiction of social alienation and commitment, PIGGIE features a ferocious leading performance by Savannah Haske, who also co-wrote the script. Alison Bagnall’s understated, resourceful direction offers Haske the perfect framework in which to shine.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Alison Bagnall, Savannah Haske, Alison Dickey, Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips
October
FAMILY PORTRAITS
One of our best films from 2004 returned in October 2005 for a single screening. And, for the first time ever, anywhere, FAMILY PORTRAITS showed from 35mm. The level of control, force, and weight present in a single frame of this three-part masterpiece about cycles of abuse and guilt dwarfs that in many filmmakers’ entire oeuvres. Writer / director Douglas Buck is a major talent, whose name you will hear again – and soon.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Douglas Buck, Rita Romagnino, Larry Fessenden
November
LA SIERRA
LA SIERRA begins with possibly the most devastating image shown this year: a dead body, attacked by flies, lying in a ditch. The image is all the more devastating in its context and utter truthfulness, as LA SIERRA is a non-fiction film depicting the horrors of gang warfare in Colombia.
Many of the Pioneer’s best friends collaborated on LA SIERRA’s shows. They included Cinema Tropical, Slamdance, and First Run / Icarus Features, as well as the new group In the Fray Magazine. Thanks to all of them.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Scott Dalton, Andrew Blackwell, Carlos Gutierrez, Valeria Mogilevich
November
ARISTIDE and the Endless Revolution
A sympathetic portrait of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the twice elected and twice-deposed President of Haiti. An important film, though problematic in many ways, including for its rather angelic portrait of Aristide. Nonetheless, the presentation at the Pioneer was very moving, particularly in the reactions and conversations among Haitians – and others – following the packed screenings.
Guests at the Pioneer included:
Nicolas Rossier, Ben Dupuy, Thomas Griffin, Michelle Karshan, Yvon Kernizan, Brian Concannon, Amy Goodman, Danny Glover, Margaret L. Satterthwaite, Marise Narcisse, Kim Ives
November + December
WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME? + AND LIFE GOES ON (LIFE AND NOTHING MORE)
WHERE: A young boy defies his parents and seeks out his friend’s home. AND LIFE: A few years later, an earthquake strikes the area where the young boy lives. The director of WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOME? Seeks the boys who had starred in that movie, to make sure they are okay.
Two beautiful films directed by Abbas Kiarostami. I wish we could have shown THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES, the third part of the trilogy. Hopefully another day.
December
DIAS DE SANTIAGO
The last – and, possibly, best – of our many very good Latin American films this year. DIAS DE SANTIAGO arrived from Peru, telling of a young man fresh from the army who is down on his luck and filled with rage. Pietro Sibille, as Santiago, delivers one of the strongest performances to force its way across the Pioneer’s screen this year.
(many times through the year)
COWARDS BEND THE KNEE + A NIGHT TO DISMEMBER
Two late night movies that left audiences guffawing in disbelief.
* * *
So those are some favorites. Certainly, some wonderful works were overlooked - some accidentally, and some because, well, you have to make decisions.
Of course, year-end lists from the big critics, and critics groups, won’t include most of the movies mentioned above. But does that mean these movies are worse than, I don’t know, movies with Hollywood stars singing country & western songs, or playing gay cowboys? It’s hard to say. But when you consider that most of the people making those lists didn’t even check out the movies we showed, you have to wonder how they go about making grandiose statements about the best movies of the year. Meanwhile, this has just been a personal list, only drawn from movies at the Pioneer.
WIDGETIZE