(L–R) Maria Dizzia, Carmen Emmi, and Russell Tovey attend the “Plainclothes” premiere at The Ray Theater in Park City. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Jordan Crucchiola   Before the U.S. Dramatic Competition premiere of Plainclothes on January 27, writer-director Carmen Emmi was beside himself. Not just because he was about to debut […]

The post Carmen Emmi’s “Plainclothes” Evokes the Rawness and Sensuality of New Queer Cinema first appeared on sundance.org.

Kantara, A Legend, Chapter 1: All’s well that ends in a Well

How many times can you scream out long war-cries in a film that is 168 minutes long? Theoretically, maybe around 2,520 times. Kantara, A Legend, Chapter 1 does not clock anywhere near that number, hovering, most probably, around a mere 252 times. That shows consideration and sympathy for your tympanic membranes, aka ear-drums. In between, it lets out a barrage of voice overs, dubbed dialogue (I saw the Hindustani version of this Kannada original), songs, background music and sound effects, many of which overlap or run concurrently, and some of which try to outdo the intensity of the war-cries. Mercifully, the film is low on body, and body part, count, by comparison with other films of its ilk, and unlike many of the other representative films of the ‘epic mythological battles between humans with varying super-powers’ genre, it comes up with at least two home-truths: Even good-at-heart humans are susceptible to the greed of stripping forests of their riches, and the greed for acquiring more land, using the might-is-right approach, can be agnostic and all pervasive. To that extent, the film is different from the spate of its block-buster cousins from the South, and somewhat redeems itself.

Like most kings of his times, the king of Bangra (I first heard it ass Bandra, the suburb of Mumbai where I live!) orders the execution of a fisherman, only to find a pouch of precious spices in his possession. This sparks his desire to conquer a Hindu God’s Madhuban, a forest established by Goddess Parvati, within the large Kantara forest. When he enters the forest, the guardian ‘daivas’ (derived from ‘dev’; godly humans) Panjurli and Guliga, use their divine power and kill him for his transgression. His young son, Vijayendra, however, is spared. Traumatised by his father’s death, he grows-up to become the new king, and decrees that no one from his kingdom should enter the Kantara forest. Vijayendra fathers two children: Kulashekhara, who develops into a reckless and indulgent adult, loving là dolce vita, and Princess Kanakavathi, who is a silent schemer.

Inside the Kantara village, a dry well holds a secret. A young boy, believed to be born of divine will, is found inside the well, and adopted by a tribal woman, who names him Berme. Kulashekhara ventures into the wild, on a hunting trip, and reaches the border of Kantara. There, his army is attacked by the locals, and many are killed. One Minister, Chenna, survives, and from him, the Kantarians learn about the Bangra kingdom and its power. They convince him to change sides, and decide to infiltrate the kingdom, disguised as Bangra soldiers, using the costumes of the dead Bangra army-men. Once inside, they discover that traders of Bangra steal the precious herbs of Kantara, which are left at the border by the Kantarians, who divide their harvests into three: one for their gods, one for themselves and one placed at the borders, for any outsiders.

Berme and his tribe discover that the spices from the Kantara forest are being exploited by the kingdom through barter trade with Portuguese and Arab traders. They are all found out, arrested and jailed. Incarcerated, they are subjected to whipping and other forms of torture, but they take it in their stride. Ultimately, they manage to escape, on a gigantic chariot. As a tribe in no contact with civilisation and progress, the Kantarians were not aware of commercial agriculture and international trade. Having seen it with their own eyes, in Bangra, the tribals, led by Berme, decide to cultivate and trade

Thomas Winston’s LOST WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE opens, André Hörmann’s THE COWBOY is the Centerpiece selection, and Elegance Bratton’s MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE gets the closing slot  

Jon Alpert will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award, and ​​Geeta Gandbhir will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award

The critically acclaimed Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival announced the lineup of films and honorees for its 34th edition, taking place October 10 -18. Screenings will kick off at Oaklawn’s Event Center with the Opening Night presentation of Thomas Winston’s Lost Wolves of Yellowstone, followed by the North American premiere of Centerpiece Selection, André Hörmann’s The Cowboy, and Elegance Bratton’s Move Ya Body: The Birth of House screening on Closing Night. Other premieres include the North American premiere of Sheffield DocFest Grand Jury Award winner Welded Together, the U.S. premiere of John Dower’s The Balloonists, and the U.S. premiere of Jo Seyoung’s K-Number.

Jon Alpert will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award, and Geeta Gandbhir will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award.

HSDFF Executive Director, Ken Jacobson, said, “In a world that seems, at times, on the verge of spinning out of control, I marvel at the fact that something as simple as a gathering of people to watch documentary films on a big screen can feel as miraculous and urgent as it does this year. For 34 years, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival has brought the best in non-fiction filmmaking to Hot Springs. Our community has responded by welcoming filmmakers and other guests here to join with us in celebrating this remarkable art form. This year, I am struck by the sheer quality and dynamism of the filmmaking, the courage of those willing to share their lives with the filmmakers, and the emotional depths explored through these incredibly diverse stories. If this year’s festival lineup tells us anything, it’s that creativity and truth-telling still remain as vital as ever. From our Opening to our Closing Night and everything in between, I know that our audiences are in for a very special and unique experience.”

THE GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Thomas Winston’s Lost Wolves Of Yellowstone will open HSDFF on Friday, October 10 at the Oaklawn Event Center. The film follows the audacious plan and journey to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone as well as profiles the courageous story of Mollie Beattie, director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who led the way. Winston will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A. André Hörmann’s The Cowboy will make its North American premiere as the Centerpiece selection on Wednesday, October 15 at the Arlington Hotel & Spa. Focusing on the idea of the American Cowboy, the film introduces us to 11-year-old Crowley McCuistion, as he’s riding horses and learning how to rope on a Colorado ranch, and then takes us on a remarkable 10-year journey, witnessing his dream of being an American cowboy prove as elusive as a runaway bull. Hörmann will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A. Elegance Bratton’s Move Ya Body