March 17: Vincent Monnikendam
Vincent Monnikendam’s most famous film Moeder Dao, the Turtlelike is made entirely out of archival footage, but during his program for the opening, the celebrated filmmaker wants to show us films by makers who “get very close to people and experiences.”
New generations of filmmakers continue to refer to the classic found footage film Mother Dao, the Turtlelike from 1995 when they want to cite a film about The Netherlands’s role as colonizer in Indonesia. Monnikendam used fragments from newsreels and other forms of non-fiction films which were commissioned by the colonizer. The time is right for audiences to revisit this film, now that questions surrounding colonization and how our perception of it is shaped by film footage are topical again.
For the film program, Monnikendam chose a different path: Bread Day (1998) by Sergei Dvortsevoy and Kings of Pastry (2009) by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker. What brings these two films together is the observational style with which they were made.
Mother Dao, the Turtlelike
A compilation of clips from silent documentary and propaganda films shot by Dutch cameramen in Indonesia between 1912 and 1932. The film contrasts the lives of colonial rulers with the hopeless situation of the native population.
Bread Day
In a hamlet fifty miles north of St. Petersburg, a group of elderly people are the only stay-behinds. They are living almost completely isolated from the outside world, but once a week the train passes by that brings them their bread. This ritual repeats itself every week, on Tuesdays, also called ‘bread day.’ With modest means, the Russian director Sergey Dvortsevoy has produced a perceptive portrait of this exceptional community and the unusual way in which they obtain and distribute the indispensable bread.
The film will shown with English subtitles.
Kings of Pastry
How do earn the prestigious prize for the best pastry chef in all of France? Every four years, sixteen chefs battle for the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France—a contest that takes its mental, physical, and emotional toll. A respected jury determines the winners of the prestigious title by a blue, white, and red collar that they wear with a great deal of pride. According to the selected participants, the competition is tougher than the Olympic Games. The ultimate recognition is both a dream and an obsession for every chef.
The film will shown with English subtitles.
