I got my film-loving feet wet at this year's buffet of movie magic at two events that sit on different sides of the spectrum - one laced in movie star glitz and the other in the poignancy of real-life hardship. The latter was the world premiere of Gasland Part II, the followup to the Oscar-nominated anti-fracking documentary that made waves in 2010. Jonnie and I attended this premiere last Sunday at the School of Visual Arts Theatre in Chelsea.
The predecessor to this film, Gasland (available on Netflix instant streaming), follows the individuals across the United States who's lives have been affected by "fracking", or hydraulic fracturing, the process by which natural gas is extracted from the ground. This film premiered right around the time that fracking started to jump in the headlines and Congress started taking notice. Because the original film was made slightly before fracking became a well-known and controversial issue, it seems only natural that director/creator/narrator Josh Fox would strive to make a followup.
The film was fantastic - far-reaching and fearless, but the real magic of this screening was brewed by the audience. Being that this was the world premiere, almost every single individual depicted in the film was sitting among us - and directly next to Jonnie and I, to my delight. It is a strange and powerful thing to be among families while they watch themselves pack up their former homes and moving or discussing their children's nosebleeds on the big screen. Most notably in the audience and film was the former mayor of DISH, Texas (named for the television company in a PR deal that yielded 10 years of free DISH Network for its 201 residents...no, I'm serious), Calvin Tillman, his wife Tiffiney, and their new baby.
After the film and obligatory standing ovation, Josh Fox came to the front of the stage and introduced all of those individuals in the audience in addition to those that helped make the film or supported it (Yoko Ono!). Overall, it was a very rewarding experience that I won't soon forget.
The second screening I attended solo today at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in Tribeca. There was a much larger step and repeat, and a much longer press line at this event than the last, in direct correlation with the increase in star power. This event was the premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story, an aptly named documentary following the directorial career of Clint Eastwood, followed by a conversation between the aforementioned and fellow director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan).
The film was full of Western film history, charming anecdotes, and big name interviewees that were directed by (and in many cases, starred alongside) Eastwood at one time or another. Meryl Streep reminisced over The Bridges of Madison County while Kevin Bacon and Tim Robbins discussed Mystic River. Hillary Swank got teary telling Million Dollar Baby tales and Martin Scorsese preached on the importance of J. Edgar. Most interestingly, Steven Spielberg discussed the little-known musical side of Clint, revealing that he wrote the entire score for his films Mystic River, Flags of Our Fathers, and Million Dollar Baby, among others.
The subsequent conversation between Clint, wearing a contradictorily gleeful scowl, and Darren, wearing old school three-stripped Adidas, was endearing. I found Clint to be insightful, witty, and ever so slightly charming - essentially the antithesis of the Clint that made headlines for talking to a now infamous chair at the 2012 Republican National Convention.
Unfortunately, none of my photos from either event really panned out, so I will close this long overdue post with some pics from our trip to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in early April. Cheers to spring!
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