Patrick McGowan Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 I just saw this today at the Landmark Embassy Theater in Cambridge. The cinematography, which earned James Longley an award from Sundance, was absolutely beautiful. Every shot was interesting, and most of the shooting was handheld with a DVX. It is not an "in your face" documentary, it is very subtle and slow moving. I was really shocked by the amount of access Longley was able to achieve and really follow through with the stories of his characters. It is not really a violent film, it is more about the people of Iraq, and broken up by stories about Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish people in Iraq. The film does not take sides or inject anything political. It shows in great detail the lives of people who our government takes for granted every day in an effort to bring "democracy" to the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven C. Boone Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I just saw this today at the Landmark Embassy Theater in Cambridge. The cinematography, which earned James Longley an award from Sundance, was absolutely beautiful. Every shot was interesting, and most of the shooting was handheld with a DVX. This movie is more of a historical landmark to me than so many of the other so-called digital landmarks. I saw this last night at the Film Forum in New York, sparkling 35mm print. This was pure cinema. It completely explodes the myth that you need to originate on HD to get a convincing transfer to 35. 24 frame progressive scan trumps high resolution. In hard midday sunlight, magic hour and everything in between, this film is as gorgeous as Days of Heaven. With complex sound design to match. Everybody on this board should see it ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Reimer Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 This movie is more of a historical landmark to me than so many of the other so-called digital landmarks. I saw this last night at the Film Forum in New York, sparkling 35mm print. This was pure cinema. It completely explodes the myth that you need to originate on HD to get a convincing transfer to 35. 24 frame progressive scan trumps high resolution. In hard midday sunlight, magic hour and everything in between, this film is as gorgeous as Days of Heaven. With complex sound design to match. Everybody on this board should see it ASAP. I just watched the trailer, and it looks like a beautiful film. I've been wanting to do something similar, and I have a DVX also, so it's great to see what can be done with it. Very inspiring! I might have to make the drive up to L.A. to catch it at the Landmark up there. Thanks for the heads up, guys. By the way, does anyone know how he had his camera setup for this? Any special lense adapters? Some of it looks really warm, so I'm wondering how much of that was white balance and how much was filters, or maybe he did some of it in post? I'd be curious to know how he managed the sound, if he was the only guy there. If I find anything, I'll be sure to share it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Reimer Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 To answer my own question, there was some discussion of this over at DVXuser.com. Here's one of the threads I found: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t...=iraq+fragments If anyone else has seen this film, I'd love to hear your impressions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven C. Boone Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 To answer my own question, there was some discussion of this over at DVXuser.com. Here's one of the threads I found:http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t...=iraq+fragments If anyone else has seen this film, I'd love to hear your impressions. A good, consice article on his process: http://digitalcontentproducer.com/mag/video_oneman_pipeline/ Maybe the warmth comes from post, but he also had a skylight filter on the lens at all times. No 35mm lens adapter, but his close framing when wide and controlled, fluid movements when long were as cinematic as any ol DOF tricks. You hardly miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Reimer Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 A good, consice article on his process: http://digitalcontentproducer.com/mag/video_oneman_pipeline/ Maybe the warmth comes from post, but he also had a skylight filter on the lens at all times. No 35mm lens adapter, but his close framing when wide and controlled, fluid movements when long were as cinematic as any ol DOF tricks. You hardly miss it. Thanks for the article, Steven. That's one of the things I love about this forum. It's the audio end of things I'm trying to get caught up on, so it was good to hear what he had to say about that part of his process. Anyone done something similar with Vegas? It sure would be nice to get my audio out for a little juicing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member steve hyde Posted May 21, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted May 21, 2007 ...thanks for posting the article. It is such an interesting documentary for so many reasons. RECOMMEND IT!!! Technically astounding accomplishment. When Michale Winterbottom's "In This World" came out a few years ago, it became clear to me that great cinema can be made on DV, but this film is so beautifully shot, I'm left nearly speechless. I didn't see the 35mm print - I saw the DVD and for all intents and purposes most all of the shots look like carefully lit celluloid with the contrast of Zeiss. Amazing! It is truly unbelievable that James Longley shot this film as a crew of one on DVX. What an incredible accomplishment. FYI: Post production was done here in Seattle: Audio http://www.badanimals.com/flashed.htm Color http://www.moderndigital.com/ Film Out http://www.alphacine.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Reimer Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hey Steve, Where did you get ahold of the DVD? I've been searching around to buy it, and so far I've only found it for rent on Netflix. Unfortunately, it never made it into any theaters in San Diego, but I've been dying to see this one for a while. One of these days I'll find it... Jay Reimer ...thanks for posting the article. It is such an interesting documentary for so many reasons. RECOMMEND IT!!! Technically astounding accomplishment. When Michale Winterbottom's "In This World" came out a few years ago, it became clear to me that great cinema can be made on DV, but this film is so beautifully shot, I'm left nearly speechless. I didn't see the 35mm print - I saw the DVD and for all intents and purposes most all of the shots look like carefully lit celluloid with the contrast of Zeiss. Amazing! It is truly unbelievable that James Longley shot this film as a crew of one on DVX. What an incredible accomplishment. FYI: Post production was done here in Seattle: Audio http://www.badanimals.com/flashed.htm Color http://www.moderndigital.com/ Film Out http://www.alphacine.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member steve hyde Posted May 22, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted May 22, 2007 ....it is a "Red Envelope Entertainment" release. (netflix subsid) It may be that NetFlix is the only place to get it. That is where I rented it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Reimer Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Yeah, that makes sense. I figured that since they've already had their theater run and their Oscar consideration that they would be trying to capitalize on that momentum and have it somewhere for sale, but maybe they're still working that part out. Thanks bro. Jay ....it is a "Red Envelope Entertainment" release. (netflix subsid) It may be that NetFlix is the only place to get it. That is where I rented it. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member steve hyde Posted May 23, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted May 23, 2007 .. some more FYI for those interested: http://www.iraqinfragments.com/ http://www.selfreliantfilm.com/?p=195 http://www.daylightfactory.com/ Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Rupe Whiteman Posted May 23, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted May 23, 2007 Longley is certainly a brave guy shooting that film... hat's off to him... only hope it can make a little bit of difference in a deeply troubled World.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member steve hyde Posted May 23, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted May 23, 2007 Longley is certainly a brave guy shooting that film... hat's off to him... only hope it can make a little bit of difference in a deeply troubled World.... I'm generally not a believer in cinema verite, but this one has a hold on me. This portrait of Iraq stands alone among the hours and hours of news coverage that is available to viewers. It is a singular view into the every-day-life of people living in a landscape that is being torn to shreds. We often here about the importance of putting a human face on the realities of war - to the filmmakers credit, they invite us to see and linger over human faces in the throes of this war and they do so without bombarding us with graphic images of violence. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Rupe Whiteman Posted May 24, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted May 24, 2007 ... The trouble is that in the US and UK the news coverage is heavily censored - in that the editors choose not to show what really goes on... In the aftermath of a bomb the news programmes show the remains of burnt-out cars and builldings and shell-shocked survivors... they rarely have the courage to show bits of people/women/children blown all over the place as actually happens. To paraphase Michael Herr " the bulllshit piled up so high you need wings to stay above it" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Maeda Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 "I'm generally not a believer in cinema verite" ha ha ha oh my god i have to get this made into a t-shirt. jk :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NathanCoombs Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 "I'm generally not a believer in cinema verite" ha ha ha oh my god i have to get this made into a t-shirt. ..er, why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Alderslade Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 "I'm generally not a believer in cinema verite" ha ha ha oh my god i have to get this made into a t-shirt. jk :ph34r: Cinema Verite is not something you can believe in or not, it was a movement that existed - the films that still exist today are the evidence of that at least. Whether you are a fan or not is another question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Maeda Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 "they rarely have the courage to show bits of people/women/children blown all over the place as actually happens." perhaps they have decided upon a minimum level of decency to which they feel they must try to adhere. jk :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Shadid Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I figured that since they've already had their theater run and their Oscar consideration that they would be trying to capitalize on that momentum and have it somewhere for sale, but maybe they're still working that part out. IIF is coming out on DVD as a double-DVD set with some pretty spectacular special features and the short film Sari's Mother (the 4th chapter of the film) that was also shot and edited by James. It ships in early July. I was the Post-Coordinator on the film. Are there other questions people had? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Reimer Posted May 31, 2007 Share Posted May 31, 2007 IIF is coming out on DVD as a double-DVD set with some pretty spectacular special features and the short film Sari's Mother (the 4th chapter of the film) that was also shot and edited by James. It ships in early July. I was the Post-Coordinator on the film. Are there other questions people had? Thanks for the heads up, Basil. No questions just yet, but I'm sure after I see it, I'll have a few. I'll probably rent it so I can see it as soon as possible, and then buy it when it comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William A Chapman Jr Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 You should also see Gunners Palace, its another docu-drama of Iraq. It was also featured in the film "this film is not yet rated" by Kirby Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member steve hyde Posted June 4, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted June 4, 2007 Cinema Verite is not something you can believe in or not, it was a movement that existed - the films that still exist today are the evidence of that at least. Whether you are a fan or not is another question. Debates around truth and fact in documentary film are important. I'm of the opinion that all films are inherently fictional since they are highly editorialized - and even if films that are "not" scripted or "directed" (aka Cinema Verite) they are still edited in camera. The word *fiction* comes with a bag of meanings and people choose a meaning to fit the needs of argument. For me fiction means fabrication. In the case of documentary filmmaking in general - a fabricated reality, or in the case at hand, a "fragmented" reality. When I said, "I am not a believer in Cinema Verite" (a clumsy statement, I admit) what I mean is that I don't believe in a *cinema of truth* that comes out of minimal editing and minimal directing. This said the film, "Iraq in Fragments" is not a verite film - it is a verite-style film and is the product of a distillation of hundreds of hours of footage and while it offers insights into the *truth* of life in Iraq in the current moment, it is still a fabrication of reality that illuminates a specific view from a particular perspective (the perspective of American James Longley and his editing team) They did an extraordinary job with it...brilliant even. Documentary filmmakers Errol Morris and Werner Herzog have argued that cinema verite, as a documentary genre, has been a tragic set-back to documentary filmmaking. Herzog's manifesto For me, the argument against cinema verite raises questions of loyalty. Where should documentary filmmakers put their loyalty? Should they create fabrications that uncover a deeper *truth* by giving the documentary subjects direction and even asking subjects/actors to speak specific lines of dialogue or monologue so that the filmmaker can succeed at making a salient point in the ways that Werner Herzog does? If a documentary film is always a *view from somewhere*, then it is also always a *subjective point of view* and that shatters any possibility of a *purely* objective lens on reality. This said, the argument can be made that documentary filmmakers should be loyal to the principles of good fiction - for me that means creating fabrications in the service of truth....a truth...a subjective truth, which is the only kind of truth a documentary filmmaker will ever have access to. Steve EDIT: I started a discussion about Herzog's Minnesota Declaration at: http://filmshooting.com/scripts/forum/view...80f8d07d082dbf6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Maeda Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 "When I said, "I am not a believer in Cinema Verite" ... what I mean is that I don't believe in a "cinema of truth"" no i understood what you meant, and it's a valid point. i just thought it sounded funny! jk :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member steve hyde Posted June 11, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted June 11, 2007 ....yeah, that is how I read your reply. It was intended to be a subtle joke - e.g. cinema as religion. ;) I was hoping to start a productive argument on truth and fiction in documentary films. Maybe this isn't the right thread for that... or forum - I don't know? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick McGowan Posted July 29, 2007 Author Share Posted July 29, 2007 Has anyone been able to find this DVD on sale anywhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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