Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Full Frame was this past weekend. If you don't know, its a supercool documentary film festival that somehow ended up in Durham. I got a sweet press pass thanks to a lil' radio station that I help run and saw lots of great doc's. Here are some short reviews.
Lucio: Film about this simple Spanish bricklayer who happened to also be one of the largest counterfeiters in the world. Lucio was an anarchist who worked around the world to topple the system. He made City Bank actually pay him off in exchange for him quitting counterfeiting travelers checks (and never kept any of the money). Interesting politics in this too, as the French gov't doesn't really want to arrest him, because of the controversial work he is doing, funneling money to South American rebels. This dude even tells Che Guevera that he's lame, that's how cool Lucio is, even for a simple bricklayer. Trailer HERE.

Full Battle Rattle: All about this crazy-ass army war games in the California desert. Soldiers are immersed in this fake situation amidst these fake Iraq villages. This thing is so elaborate that they even use Iraqi refugees as the "actors". Surreal to say the least. You get to see images of war that you don't see in the mainstream media... injuries, coffins, funerals... but its all fake. This film follows a captain getting his troops ready for Iraq, and some soldiers about to head there again, and several of the Iraqi refugees who are living mostly normal lives trying to become American citizens. No political heavy-handness at all, which I appreciated. Excellent movie. Funny, bizarre, and heavy. More info HERE.

The Order of Myths: film about the segregated celebration of Mardi Gras in Mobile Alabama. Interesting look at the South, race, class, and some truly wacked-out weird traditions. This movie was fascinating for all the weirdness surrounding the Mardi Gras celebrations and the debutante traditions but also wove in great stories of a long history of segregation. Will integration happen? Does anyone want it to? Will Mardi Gras just continue being a weird mess of weirdness? I really liked this movie. Directed by Margaret Brown, whose from Mobile and whose mother and grandfather are involved in these societies. She also made the excellent Townes Van Zandt film, Be Here to Love Me. More info HERE.

Encounters at the End of the World: Werner Herzog's newest about life at the South Pole. Some beautiful scenery in unfamiliar lands. Also, a bizarre group of travelers who have ended up finding home here at the end of the world. Scientists, hippies, military people combine to form weird communities. Not a bad movie, but a bit unfocused. Is it about the people, the science, the landscape, nature, what? Throw in Herzog's heavy, sometimes funny, sometimes self-indulgent narration, and its a bit much. Not bad, because, I really don't know much about the South Pole, but could have been better. More info HERE.

Boogie Man: This awesome film is the story of Lee Atwater. If you don't know, he's the mentor of Karl Rove. He's the father of the modern dirty political campaign. He's a win-at-any-cost Republican who led the party to some huge success in elections. His personality charms you and then he'll just as quickly stick an knife in your back. This is the guy that destroyed Michael Dukakis (remember the Willie Horton ads). Great film, chronicling his rise to power within the party. Out of South Carolina, he built the College Republicans, started in state elections, then moved to the national scene. Good interviews with big time Republicans and Democratics that got in his way, Ed Rollins (Reagan's campaign manager), Tom Turnipseed (Dem Congressman) and Michael Dukakis (Dem Presidential Nominee). He spread rumors and flat out lied to get the job done. The catch to the story is that Atwater got brain cancer during the Bush re-election campaign. He kinda became a Republican outcast as he got sicker, he even apologized to some of the people that he hurt over the years, although its debatable whether this was just another "spin". Excellent film with plenty of political implications today. More info HERE.