CIFF Reflections

Reflections on select films from the Camden International Film Festival

[sammieadamczyk]

A WILL FOR THE WOODS - Official Trailer

I love his dancing and playing music. He looks so happy! Music is the best form of eternal life

[sammieadamczyk]

A Will for Humanity

A Will for the Woods was an incredible film that I did not expect to enjoy. Death is not a topic that I enjoy thinking about but somehow this film—like so many others this year—changed my mind. First of all, the directors used great techniques in transitions and in including some controversial and stirring footage. I felt so close to the characters throughout the film and I loved their passion for sharing their story. I really felt that the purpose of the film was to increase awareness of green burials and to explain WHY one may choose this path. If they got me now thinking about green burials, then I would say they accomplished their goal.

The film captured my attention from the start with the archival footage of Clark’s life and shots of other life such as plants and spiders. I noticed a theme of life throughout the film by the use of shots of various forms of life such as trees, spiders, bugs, mushrooms, making a salad, and birds. These images were shown often during conversations about death to show a perspective I don’t often consider; when one person dies, life continues in other ways.

So many shots of nature and life in the film - here's one of my own!

#LIFE

I found the interview portions of the film interesting. It seemed like Clark was leading a few of the interviews which I liked. He was in control of directing the journey of green burial even though he was not in control of his body. One scene that included comments from various attendees of the conference brought up an interesting thought; he said that he supports green burial and everything it stands for, but that this new movement cannot make those who work in traditional burials look like the bad guys. I support this statement. Green burials have a lot of benefits both environmentally and spiritually, but it is important that the movement remains indifferent to those who support traditional burials because that industry has supporters as well. It remains a business and green burial should not interfere with that.

I found the audio to be one of the most powerful aspects of this film. There were many instances when conversation or music faded into something new in conjunction with the introduction of images of nature. For example, the voice of the founders of Ramsey Creek faded out and the sound of Clark’s piano faded in as images of nature were shown. That transition reiterated the life that Clark has inside him despite his illness.

The only part of the film that I did not like was the end. The whole film focused on the happiness of celebrating life—that death was not the end. However, the final moments of the film as well as the credits had a dark feeling to it. The credits had music that resembled funeral dirges. That may have been implemented out of respect for Clark, but the film showed Clark to be a person who celebrates death, and I felt that a happier song would have more accurately represented the purpose of the film. I felt happy watching a majority of the film because Clark had such a great outlook on life but the ending left me feeling empty.

Despite the end, I will remember the film for how I believe Clark and the directors intended it: as a celebration of life and I will definitely be informing my family when I get home on the movement of green burial.

Who would not want to spend eternity here?! #nature #greenburial #beautiful

[sammieadamczyk]

Not So Fun in the Sun: What the Beach's Recovery Means to Me

I grew up going Long Beach Island every summer. I can’t remember a summer when I didn’t go at least for one day. The island is very special to me because I have so many memories and connections to my childhood there. When I first heard that Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, I didn’t worry about my house. Potential damage to my home in Lawrenceville didn’t even cross my mind. I immediately thought, is the beach going to be ok? Are we going to be able to rent a house this summer? However, I do not have any personal ties to anyone who lives or owns property on the island so I never knew the true devastation that the storm caused. I could only see pictures online and what the island looked like the following summer. This Time Next Year and The First 36 Hours gave me the insight I desired to what people went through physically and emotionally in the recovery process.

My favorite view in the world #LBI #MemorialDay07

It's not just about the sun - it's about spending time with Mom-mom!

#beachhouse #familytime #rainydayfun

The First 36 Hours showed me just how terrifying the storm was. The camera angles and editing effects made it feel as if the audience was actually in the car with them dealing with each obstacle they came across. Everything surrounding the car was blurred out so the focus was on the emotions of those in the car and their intense passion for their jobs. The audio in this short was incredible. Voices were very clear even with the sound of the storm behind them. The contrast in the audio during the time when calm music faded into the real sounds of the storm made me feel like the storm was not yet over and they knew it. I particularly liked how the short focused on small obstacles rather than the storm as a whole; finding gas, making sure the exhaust pipe of the vehicles did not submerge under water, and such problems were emphasized but no one mentioned what problems the storm would cause as a whole. That made it realistic because no one would be thinking of bigger problems during the storm even though that is what most news broadcasts focused on. The makers of this short managed to convey so much feeling to the audience in such a small amount of time and I can imagine that the storm gave the same feeling to those who were there.

If this is what it floods like on a typical rainy day, I can't imagine what it looked like during Sandy!

#rainraingoaway #LBI2014

This Time Next Year hit home in so many ways. I have personal ties with the island because I spent summers there for as long as I can remember. Seeing how others have personal ties to the island really meant a lot to me. The directors did an incredible job of making sure the audience felt an appeal to the island and to its residents. The distance and landscape shots of the island with calm music were of LBI landmarks that most would be familiar with if they have visited the island: Old Barney lighthouse, the ferris wheel of Fantasy Island, Hartland Golf. These were beautiful shots that are familiar to many but the individual stories of each resident are not recognizable. They are of smaller businesses. Their stories are what make the film relatable, not the big landmarks. I would have felt close to the island even if I did not have a prior connection to it. This film had a unique call to action by focusing on individual recoveries rather than the “Jersey Strong,” or “stronger than the storm” type of publicity. It encouraged people to not look at the way the storm damaged the state, but how it damaged families. It illustrates how supporting local businesses and contributing a helping hand to friends is a small but necessary step to the recovery process. The audience is drawn in through the emotional appeal of the contrast between the devastating stories of the aftermath of the storm to the beautiful footage of the island during the summer season during the recovery process. However, there were not many film techniques that contributed to this emotion. The camera angles were not unique and the music did not stand out in a memorable way. I understand that the focus was on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but images of the interviewees’ homes immediately after the storm may have been beneficial to creating more of a visual appeal. I would have liked to see something that was not already familiar to me. I can hear in my head so many sounds of the summer: crashing waves, the piano playing in a local ice cream parlor, the ice cream man ringing bells at the top of the dunes, children laughing as they run from waves. There was no focus on any sounds that mean so much to those who have been to LBI. These sounds or others would have been wonderful to hear in the film and would have helped the audience understand just a bit of why I, as well as so many others, love the island. However, the film as a whole was effective in its encouragement of understanding the true devastation of Hurricane Sandy and the strength of a community that works together to rebuild their homes.

Barnegat Lighthouse 2006

Barnegat Lighthouse 2014

#strongerthanthestorm #OldBarney

[sammieadamczyk]

Time To Go :(

The last film of our trip was Growing Local, a series of three shorts about supporting local food businesses. These shorts fit in to our curriculum at Unity College extremely well. After getting breakfast this morning at a local restaurant, I felt good about my food choices and felt they matched up to those in the film. The theme of the films was repetitive because we learn so much about local foods at Unity College, but it was interesting all the same. I liked hearing personal stories about people who own local businesses rather than about people who support local businesses. At Unity, we read a lot about what benefits organic food has for you and how buying local comes back around to you, but I enjoyed seeing it from someone else’s perspective. It is just as important, if not more, for the business owners who are trying to create a community of local eaters.

Overall, I am extremely surprised by how much fun I had at the Camden International Film Festival. I did not expect to enjoy so many of the films or have such a good time camping. The beautiful weather contributed to everyone’s happy vibes over the course of the weekend and our friendly group made for an overall great trip!

[sammieadamczyk]

Wild Home: Mind Blown!

Because everyone wanted to stay in Rockland for the shorts, we made the group decision once more to skip our required film and see one that we knew would mean the most to us: Wild Home. I knew this film was going to be about an animal refuge in Maine, but had no idea how much meaning I would take from it. I was first and foremost surprised that the filmmakers appeared to be very young. The way they portrayed themselves seemed that they did not have much experience as filmmakers and their introduction of the film was not particularly exciting. Therefore I went into the film thinking it would not be up to par with other films such as Point and Shoot directed by Marshall Curry. However, I was happily surprised. They achieved their goal of spreading the word about Bob and Julie Miner by capturing their emotion. By incorporating Bob’s history with his father and his recovery from time spent in Vietnam, Jack and Robert Schurman immediately created an emotional appeal (the adorable lion cub and baby lemur were just a lucky benefit). I really appreciated this film because I had never heard of D.E.W. Animal Kingdom before, and it is something so close to Unity College! It would be great for an environmental and animal based school such as ours to develop a relationship with such an organization that is so close. I had no idea there were lions and tigers and bears only an hour away! As for film techniques, I would have liked to see more advanced cinematic effects. There was nothing in particular about the music, the camera shots, or the visuals that kept my attention. I think they could have used these techniques to appeal to the audience on a sensory level rather than just an emotional level. Overall, I feel they accomplished their goal and it was incredibly enjoyable, especially the Q and A session at the end with Bob and Julie Miner!

[sammieadamczyk]

In the morning, I went to a restaurant in Rockland for breakfast. They atmosphere was so homey and the people were incredibly friendly. As busy as it was, there was great service and the food came out quickly. They had such large portion sizes and used locally grown foods which made it taste amazing. I would later find out the importance of eating local food from the last film of the day. While eating, we overheard a couple who was going to the film festival. Surprisingly, they were the only people I had talked to personally over the weekend. They were in town just for the last day and found it interesting that our school provided us with the opportunity to have such a wonderful experience at the festival. Speaking to them made me truly appreciate what the festival had to offer and that Unity allows us to take part in it.

[sammieadamczyk]

Day 3: Don't Want To Leave!

The last day of the Camden International Film Festival was by far the best. Not because the movies were particularly over the top wonderful, and not because of the beautiful weather. This was the day that meant the most to me. The people I met, the places I saw, and the meaning behind the movies made me grateful that I took this class and could be a part of such a big picture. The festival is so much more than just watching a bunch of movies all weekend; it is about why people are here and what they have to say.

Still enjoying the beautiful weather!

[sammieadamczyk]

Awesome project on Kickstarter! Postcard found in Bayview Street Cinema

[sammieadamczyk]

Desert Haze: Lowpoint of the Trip

Desert Haze was my least favorite of the films. I felt no connection to anything that happened in this film and did not like the message Sofie Benoot stated before the start of the film. She encouraged the audience to take from it what they will, and have their own interpretations. I thought that was an interesting concept, but it did not work out for me. I felt that the film was boring and meaningless; there was no content for me to interpret or feel connected to. I particularly disliked the camera shots; most documentaries show close ups of the speakers to make the audience feel close to them. This film showed the speakers from very far away. I understand that by doing so the audience was able to see more of the background which the speakers have a passion for, but I could not feel that passion through the scenes. It felt dry and boring. The lack of music and audio made this film tedious to watch. If the film had included an aspect that was either relatable or exciting, I may have found it more enjoyable.

[sammieadamczyk]

Bugarach

Bugarach was definitely an interesting film that captured my attention, but not one that I enjoyed. The filmmakers used many unique cinematic effects that were breathtaking and captivating such as when the old man and the boy were dancing around the fire or footage of the mountain and the landscape. By incorporating music, the audience felt drawn to pay attention and it created strong feelings. However, I felt that this film was too staged to be a documentary. Much of what was going on was created, not candidly shot. I felt that if the situation was portrayed realistically and without characters being introduced to each other or created, it would be more interesting because it would feel real. Although there is no doubt in my mind that they were telling the truth and people really did think that Bugarach was going to be saved in the apocalypse, I feel that I would have been more connected to the film if I were hearing true feelings from the characters. It was an interesting story to share, but not one that captured my attention.

[sammieadamczyk]

Enjoying the beautiful weather!

[sammieadamczyk]

The Search for General Tso: More Fun at the Strand!

The Search for General Tso was a fun and interesting film that taught me a lot more than where the name “General Tso” came from. I went into this film thinking it would uncover dark secrets within the Chinese American food business that would make me not want to eat Chinese food anymore. However, it was the opposite. In fact it encouraged me to broaden my experiences with eating Chinese food. The interview style and the progression of the events were upbeat and kept me interested in the topic throughout the film. I was surprised to learn of the extreme differences between the Chinese food eaten in America and the Chinese food eaten in China. I now hope to someday have the opportunity to try authentic Chinese cuisine and experience real Chinese culture. By understanding the events that lead to the development of modern day Chinese American food, I can now appreciate it much more. I feel that the creators of this film accomplished their goal of educating the public on Chinese culture and how it has changed in America in an exciting way that was very relatable.

[sammieadamczyk]

Tomorrow We Disappear

               I had very mixed feelings about Day 2 of the Camden International Film Festival. I really enjoyed two of our required films and the other two were very hard for me to get through. My favorite film of the entire festival was Tomorrow We Disappear. This film was incredibly touching and I took away such strong messages of both hope and despair. By incorporating both interviews and candid footage, I got a sense of what the artists and their families were feeling and why. Seeing the contrast among everyone’s opinions was very important to helping the audience understand what they are going through. The visuals and the audio were very fitting for the situation; the colors the artists used in their puppets and costumes were vivid and bright representing their passion for their art forms, but the overall atmosphere was dark and dismal representing the impending doom of the colony. Directors Adam Weber and Jimmy Goldblum did a fantastic job of capturing the emotions of the artists through not only their words, but also through their facial expressions. They used unique camera angles to expose the gravity of the situation. It was truly a remarkable film that made me feel connected to a colony of people and really made me think about all sides of their situation.

[sammieadamczyk]

Party!

At the end of the night, half of the group decided to go to the warehouse for the after party, including me. I had a great time! There were so many people there discussing the films and enjoying their time off from sitting in theatres all day. I did not take the opportunity to engage in conversation with any filmmakers but it was a great time for us students to relax and discuss what we thought of the first day. Everyone seemed to have a great day and were anxious to see what the rest of the weekend would be like!

[sammieadamczyk]

Point And Shoot: Not What I Expected

There was a small conflict with scheduling over the weekend, but I felt the group worked it out satisfactorily. Everyone wanted to see Point and Shoot which not only conflicted in time with our required film, The Great Invisible, but also with the location. One was in Camden and one was in Rockland. We made the unanimous decision to see Point and Shoot instead because we felt that it would have a greater impact on us. And boy, were we right. This film was incredibly touching and captivating. It was one of the only films I saw that was conducted as an interview and I appreciated that. I liked hearing the story from a personal view. The order of events was fascinating and captured my attention right away. After seeing the footage of Matt with his gear and weapons, I was very curious and wanted to learn more. He is a talented camera man and I was impressed with the incredible shots he got and the way Marshall Curry incorporated them into his own vision. This film taught me about a subject I was very ignorant of and it did it in a way that made me want to learn more. By the end of the film I was content with what happened but it had also raised questions which is a key feature of a documentary film. A minor benefit of seeing Point and Shoot was that it was at The Strand Theatre which was much more comfortable than the Bayview Street Cinema. Everyone seemed to love the Strand because of the more plush seats, the concession stand, and the size of the screen.

[sammieadamczyk]

Welcome to The Strand! My favorite venue :)

[sammieadamczyk]

Waiting For August

Waiting for August was an enjoyable film but it did not really stand out for me. I believe the director not only wanted us to feel connected to the family, but she wanted us to understand what they were going through. I feel she accomplished this very well. I particularly liked the end when we could hear the mother unsuccessfully trying to find a new job. It really drove home the point that it is a continuous situation that this family is in. I liked that the director showed that despite their living situation, the children are making the most out of life and are generally happy. I did not take away a negative message or feeling from this film until the very end when there was a feeling of hopelessness. I thought it was generally a feel good movie about a broken family growing up together.