MANY SHOULD SEE THESE FILMS, EVEN IF THEY ONLY INSPIRE ACTION IN THE FEW

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Enemies of apathy

We are in the golden age of political documentary filmmaking. If only some documentary makers would get over themselves. Paul Dale explains.

right/ail Iz'R. an “80 documentary l’eature

chronicling me in the emergency room of a [’8

military combat support hospital during a two- month period. got its lirst airing on pay per \‘IL‘W last Sunday. Needless to say. bcl‘ore and alter the event. US army honchos were mewing. moaning. withdrawng their support and calling for cuts. particularly ol’ those sccncs depicting soldiers reeling and in some cases dying from their war wounds. (‘rcditing audiences dcscnsitiscd by The Sopranos with a regard tor the lilm that it‘s dil‘licult to belieyc really exists. the US army appears to believe the lilm will discourage people from supporting the war in Iraq. The question is: which w'ar'.’ Allied forces are now merely counter-managing a civil \Vlll' IIIL‘} IICIPCd to ignite. Also. as Michael Moore‘s I'll/ll't’Il/It'if ‘)/ll. Robert (ircenwald‘s l'in-oi'mz'tl: 'I‘In' lliir in Iraq and Petra Iipperlain and Michael Tucker‘s (innncr Palace (not yet released in the l'Kl haye had /ero effect in slowing the war effort. its hardly a threat worth taking seriously.

User the next couple ol’ weeks. two admirable [’8 political l'eature documentaries are finally unleashed on Scottish screens: (irecnwald's artlcss but compelling collection of worrying testimonials. Ila/marl: ‘l'ln' High Price of Low (by! and Alex (iibney‘s riycting white collar creep show Enron: The SHHH'IUXI Guys in the erm. (irecnw'ald‘s film is drawn to the community lilmmaking agit-prop agenda for which he has become known since the millennium (let us not forget. however. that he is the man who made the execrable l98l) Olivia Newton John vehicle Xanadu). Gibney"s l'ilm is something of a mutant. It plays with the 'mondo‘ lilm techniques (interpreting material through stylized re-

cnactmcnts. and playing with chronology) of Moore and Iirrol Morris. while adhering to the more rigorous rules of traditional telcyision documentaries.

Many should see both cyen it they only inspire action in the few. The trouble is. I guarantee that w hateyer these films take at the cinema will he minisculc in comparison to the revenue they could generate \ia teley'ision or DVD.

The distribution patterns of documentary l'eaturcs have perplexed me eycr since .‘yloore remarked that he wanted people to go to the cinema to see his l’ilms because going to the cinema is a politically actiyc act. He seems alone in this opinion. (ireenwald recently admitted that the theatrical release of his lilms mattered little to him: in fact he preferred to totally cut otit cinemas altogether by organising mass house yiewings of his lilms. (iibney told me he likes the press locus that a theatrical ey'ent brings but is in no dotibt that the real money (and the potential to make more projects) lies with the small screen.

But where does that lcay'e last year's box office smash. .I/(ll't'll of the I’t'nguins‘.’ There are always anomalies. and as the great Indian writer (‘hanakya once wrote ‘Whores don't liye in company of poor men. citizens neyer support a weak company and birds don‘t build nests on a tree that doesn‘t bear l’ruits.‘ .\'o. i don't know what it means either.

Walmart is at GFT, Glasgow from Fri 26 May and Cameo, Edinburgh from Fri 2 Jun, see reviews page 40. Enron is at GFT, Glasgow from Fri 2 Jun and Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Fri 23 Jun, see review, page 41.

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THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES

* Tony Takitani Stunning Japanese adaptation of Haruki Murakami‘s short stOry meditation on love. loneliness and materialism. See review. page 43. Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh from Tue 30 May- Thu 1 Jun only. * Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Alex Gibney's enthralling and jaw dropping documentary about the rise and fall of the corporate behemoth. See preview and review. page 41. GET. Glasgow from Fri 2 June.

>l< The King Gael Garcia Bernal's first English language film is an unrelentingly grim but powerful experience. See interview and review. page 41. Cineworld Renirew Street. Glasgow and Cinewor/d, Edinburgh from Fri 26 May.

* Poseidon Above average disaster movie remake. See review, page 43. General release from Thu 7 Jun.

* Down in the Valley Beautiful and melancholic modern day western starring Ed Norton, Evan Rachel Wood and the mighty Bruce Dern. See review, page 40. General release from Fri 26 May.

* Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price Disturbing film about the supermarket giant. See preview, right and review page 40. Gl-T Glasgow from Fri 26 May.

* The Wicker Man Robin Hardy's unique and brilliant highlands horror gets a one day cinema outing ahead of a forthcoming US remake. GFT, Glasgow (Tue 6 Jun only).

* My Own Private Idaho Gus Van Sant's 1991 excellent take on Shakespeare's Henry IV and Henry V. i-‘ilmhouse. Edinburgh (Sat 27 May only).

III Cinema 16: American Short Films Uneven but welcome collection of early shorts from some of the biggest filmmaker names of US cinema. See review. page 44. Out Mon 5 Jun (Warp Films).

, ‘..' ~2- THE LIST 39