Oscars

Oscar Week Events – DOCUMENTARIES

By Michelle McCue | February 27, 2014

On Wednesday evening of Oscar Week, the Academy introduced the five films nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Host Rob Epstein introduced the event by welcoming the packed house to the “Temple of Films.” Represented by the nominees in both categories, the program included clips from all of the films nominated and panel discussions with filmmakers from each group.

First up were the Documentary Short Subject films.

On hand were nominees Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed, directors of the “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life,” the story of 109 year old, Alice Herz Sommer, the world’s oldest pianist and Holocaust survivor who shares her story on how to achieve a long and happy life through music, laughter and optimism. It was apparent that both were still deeply affected by this woman who passed away on Sunday.

Edgar Barens, director of “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” enthusiastically talked about his film – a terminally ill prisoner and the hospice volunteers, they themselves prisoners, who care for him. The film draws from footage shot over a six-month period behind the walls of the Iowa State Penitentiary.

Jeffrey Karoff, director of “CaveDigger” explained how the subject of his short film, one New Mexico environmental sculptor, Ra Paulette, carved elaborately designed and painstakingly executed sandstone caves. The filmmaker’s story of obsession is driven by an artistic vision that often brings him into conflict with his patrons.

Jason Cohen, director of “Facing Fear” wanted people to be inspired by the subjects of his film. In one senseless moment of hate, there’s a lifetime of forgiveness. The worlds of a former neo-Nazi and the gay victim of his senseless hate crime attack collide by chance 25 years after the incident that dramatically shaped both of their lives. They proceed to embark on a journey of forgiveness that challenges both to grapple with their beliefs and fears, eventually leading to an improbable collaboration…and friendship. I hope people find this important film.

Following the Shorts was the Q&A with the nominees from the Documentary Features.

The panel included:

Directors Morgan Neville and Caitrin Rogers, feature, “20 Feet from Stardom,” is the feel good movie of the lot. Background singers heard on many of the 20th century’s greatest songs have made a crucial contribution to the world of pop music while remaining unknown to listeners. The singers take center stage for an in-depth look at their role as supporting figures in the complex process involved in creating the finished recordings.

Zachary Heinzerling’s and Lydia Dean Pilcher’s, “Cutie and the Boxer,” is the story of the 40-year marriage of painter Ushio Shinohara, known for his boxing paintings, and his wife, Noriko, who gave up her own career as an artist to focus on her husband. Meanwhile he has become the subject of a series of comic strips drawn by Noriko. Both directors strongly felt the need to bring this love story to the screen. As the 80-year-old Ushio finds his own artistic reputation fading, Noriko’s fame continues to grow.

With almost no interest to their own personal safety while making this film, Richard Rowley and Jeremy Scahill, directors of “Dirty Wars,” hold strong to their convictions in their documentary feature. One of the least-known components in the war on terror, the Joint Special Operations Command conducts its work in secret and seemingly without limitations. With no existing record of their actions or personnel, the JSOC carries out strikes against those deemed a threat to U.S. security while remaining entirely outside the scope of public knowledge.

Still a difficult watch, directors Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen, “The Act of Killing,” was one of the most engrossing films of 2013. In the wake of the deaths of nearly a million opponents of Indonesia’s political regime, the heads of the country’s death squads are celebrated as heroes. Challenged to examine their actions by creating films about the killings, the men produce elaborately staged movies that reenact the mass slayings. Shooting enough footage for two films, their next movie will be from the viewpoint of the victims.

Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, directors of the “The Square,” were also there for the panel discussion.This category is dominated by the strong women filmmakers and I was especially struck by the passionate Yemeni director, Jehane Noujaim. She felt this calling, down to her very soul, that she must track down brave cameramen to cover the protests and capture it on film.

Here’s what qualifies these films for nominations.

Under Rule 11 of the category, “A Documentary Feature is a film with a running time of more than 40 minutes and is defined as a theatrically released nonfiction motion picture dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic or other subjects. It may be photographed in actual occurrence, or may employ partial reenactment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion or other techniques, as long as the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction.” The Documentary Shorts are only allowed a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits.

A documentary feature must complete both a seven-day commercial run in a theater in Los Angeles County and a seven-day commercial run in a theater in the Borough of Manhattan during the eligibility period beginning on January 1, 2013 and ending on December 31, 2013. A documentary short subject must complete a seven-day commercial run in a theater in either city.

Five documentary feature nominees are chosen from a shortlist of 15 films by members of the Documentary Branch. The Shorts are also viewed by the same members, who use an averaged score system to produce an eight-picture shortlist. Three to five nominees are then be chosen by a second round of balloting, using the averaged score system.