The Rink
Ron “G Whiz” Butts, U.S., 2009, 60 min.
Saturday, Nov. 14, Noon, Hi-Pointe

“The Rink,” directed by legendary local DJ “G Whiz,” takes an engaging look at the urban roller-skating tradition in the African-American communities of St. Louis and East St. Louis. Fondly recalling the glory days of skating at such venues as the Crystal, the Palace and Skate King, the film mixes interviews with rare archival footage and photographs. The St. Louis American says “The Rink” “leaves no wheels unturned. Comprehensive and calculated, the film recreates the connection and illustrates the true passion that skaters have for their sport of choice.”
With director Butts.

Shown with the documentary shorts “Being Born Is Marvelous” (Denise Ward-Brown, U.S., 2009, 6 min.) and “I Always Wanted to Be a Teacher” (Denise Ward-Brown, U.S., 2009, 4 min.), which offer portraits of the filmmaker’s 91-year-old mother, Rosina, in which she reflects on working and growing up in St. Louis as a black woman and her lifelong desire to be a teacher.

Sponsored by Majic 104.9 FM, Clear Channel Radio

RiseUp
Luciano Blotta, U.S., 2009, 88 min.
Friday, Nov. 20, 9 p.m., Webster

“RiseUp” takes viewers on a journey into the heart of Jamaica, the birthplace of reggae. In a society where talent abounds and opportunity is scarce, three distinct and courageous artists attempt to rise up from underground obscurity. With music and appearances by legends Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare and a slew of new and soon-to-be stars, “RiseUp” follows reggae artists in the dangerous streets, back alleys and crowded dancehalls of Kingston and the countryside. Although the film surveys the underground scene, it focuses on three emerging musicians: Turbulence, whose “Notorious” video launches him to prominence; Ice, a faux-ghetto rich kid with real musical chops; and Kemoy, a beautiful country girl with an equally gorgeous voice. The Miami New Times enthuses: “By focusing on a few wannabes and winners struggling to compete in one of the most vibrant and energetic music scenes ever, ‘RiseUp’ gives a voice to individuals behind the up-beats.”

Sponsored by Ken and Nancy Kranzberg

Rough Aunties
Kim Longinotto, U.K./South Africa, 2008, 103 min., English & Zulu
Sunday, Nov. 22, 3 p.m., Tivoli 3

“Rough Aunties” – which won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance – provides a group portrait of a remarkable group of feisty, resolute women unwavering in their stand to protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. This latest documentary by internationally acclaimed director Longinotto (“Sisters in Law,” “Divorce Iranian Style”) follows the outspoken, multiracial cadre of Thuli, Mildred, Sdudla, Eureka and Jackie as they wage a daily battle against systemic apathy, corruption and greed to help the most vulnerable and disenfranchised of their communities. Despite the harsh realities of violence, poverty and racism in the women’s work at the Bobbi Bear child-welfare organization and in the heartaches of their personal lives, the film is filled with grace, wisdom, friendship and a deeply stirring conviction.

Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie
Michelle Esrick, U.S., 2008, 86 min.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 3:30 p.m., Tivoli 1

Weaving together intimate vérité footage, reflections from an array of cultural and countercultural peers and never-before-seen archival footage, “Saint Misbehavin’” tells the outlandish but true story of cultural phenomenon Wavy Gravy, a man whose commitment to making the world a better place has never wavered. Wavy first surfaced in the public consciousness when he was still known as Hugh Romney, a poet and proto-performance artist who roomed with Dylan and opened Greenwich Village’s coffeehouses to folk singers. Wavy subsequently boarded the Magic Bus with Kesey, founded the Hog Farm commune and memorably emceed Woodstock, and he’s remained just as active since his hippie heyday, helping restore the eyesight of impoverished people worldwide through the Seva Foundation.
With director Esrick and composer Emory Joseph, a St. Louis native.
Preceded by a musical performance by Joseph.

Sponsored by Ken and Nancy Kranzberg

Say My Name
Nirit Peled, Netherlands, 2009, 75 min.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 9 p.m., Tivoli 1

In a hip-hop world dominated by men and noted for misogyny, the unstoppable female lyricists of “Say My Name” speak candidly about class, race and gender in pursuing their passions as female emcees. The documentary takes viewers on a wide-ranging tour of urban culture, from hip-hop’s birthplace in the Bronx to Philly, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, LA and London. Featuring interviews and musical performances from such diverse artists as Remy Ma, Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Erykah Badu and Estelle, the film includes both pioneers (MC Lyte, Roxxanne Shante and Monie Love) and newcomers (Chocolate Thai, Invincible and Miz Korona). Although it delves into the personal stories of women balancing professional dreams with stark realities, music remains center stage. As the Austin Chronicle attests: “‘Say My Name’ avoids the survivor-syndrome trap, instead focusing on drop-dead skills, nonstop style, and at times a ferocity far more terrifying than mere gangsta rap thuggery. It’s a lyric both heartbreaking and exhilarating.”

Sponsored by Majic 104.9 FM, Clear Channel Radio

See What I’m Saying
Hilari Scarl, U.S., 2008, 108 min., fully captioned
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2 p.m., Tivoli 1

“See What I’m Saying” takes a revealing look at deaf entertainers, allowing audiences a peek inside the vibrant world of deaf culture. The film follows the journeys of four extraordinary deaf entertainers over the course of a single year: Robert DeMayo, an actor who is homeless despite having taught at such prestigious schools as Julliard; C.J. Jones, a comic famous in the deaf community but still striving to break into the mainstream; Bob Hiltermann, the drummer for the all-deaf rock band Beethoven’s Nightmare; and T.L. Forsberg, a singer blessed with a beautiful voice even though she is severely hard of hearing. USA Today writes: “Scarl has captured the humor, heartbreak and pathos of a world we once viewed only from the outside, if at all. This is a community that has been waiting to be heard, and ‘See What I’m Saying’ allows the viewer to do just that. And you won’t soon forget what they’ve said.”
With director Scarl.

Severe Clear
Kristian Fraga, U.S., 2009, 93 min.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 3 p.m., Webster
Shot by Marine First Lt. Mike Scotti on his Mini-DV camera and told through his own journal entries, “Severe Clear” is a gripping nonfiction companion to “The Hurt Locker,” providing an immersive first-person account of life on Operation Iraqi Freedom’s frontlines. By breaking down the barrier between audience and soldier, the film viscerally communicates the fear, moral complexity and sheer adrenaline rush of the battlefield. The story begins with Scotti on a 40-day voyage across the Arabian Sea, continues in Kuwait as the Marines await the beginning of the Iraq invasion, and reaches a terrifying climax as they push into Baghdad and are faced with escalating resistance and the grim, horrific realities of war.
With director Fraga.

Shown with the documentary short “Keep the Home Fires Burning” (Ryan O’Toole, U.S., 2008, 8 min.), which explores duty and loss through the home movies of a military family.

Soldiers of Peace
Timothy Wise, Australia, 2009, 85 min.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., Webster

War is often treated as a necessary evil, but the inspirational “Soldiers of Peace” posits that violence is not necessarily the natural state for human beings. Suggesting that people are capable of elevating themselves above conflict, the film devotes revealing attention to ingenious solutions to many international and ethnic tensions. “Soldiers of Peace” examines such efforts as a Muslim mosque and a Christian church in Nigeria that give joint teachings to emphasize the religions’ similarities; a former IRA soldier who befriends the daughter of one of his bombing victims in England; a Kenyan soccer game that has brought together two sides of an old ethnic conflict; and a Columbian troupe of dancers formerly involved in the military and gangs who perform to raise awareness of their new peaceful path. Narrated by Michael Douglas, the film features interviews with such luminaries as Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Richard Branson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Gareth Evans, Paul Rogers and James Galbraith.

Tapped
Stephanie Soechtig, U.S., 2009, 79 min.
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m., Frontenac 1
Friday, Nov. 20, 2:30 p.m., Frontenac 1

“Tapped” provides an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. From the producers of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and “I.O.U.S.A.,” this timely documentary looks into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. From the factories that produce the plastic to the ocean in which so many of the discarded bottles end up, “Tapped” doggedly trails the path of bottled water. A powerful portrait of the lives and communities affected by the industry, this revelatory film explores the intersection of big business and the public’s right to water. The LA Times writes that the bottled-water business’ “troubling tentacles are persuasively exposed by director Stephanie Soechtig in her compact, clear-headed documentary.”

Shown with the narrative short “Life’s a Beach” (Susan Beraza, U.S., 2007, 6 min.), a wryly satiric commentary on America’s wasteful and environmentally destructive behavior.

Waiting for Hockney
Julie Checkoway, U.S., 2008, 78 min.
Monday, Nov. 16, 9:30 p.m., Tivoli 1

Alternately comic and poignant, “Waiting for Hockney” explores the precarious line between dreams and delusions. An art-school graduate from a working-class background, Billy Pappas aims to reinvent realism and spends eight years on a single drawing, obsessively working to show a microscopic level of detail. Aided/enabled by an eccentric cast of characters – including a clergyman and an architect calling himself “Dr. Lifestyle” – Billy finally completes the portrait only to begin another Sisyphean task: a quest for validation from renowned contemporary artist David Hockney. 

Shown with the documentary shorts “The Poetry of Exactitude (La Poisie de l’Exactitude)” (Alan Govenar, U.S./France, 2008, 8 min., French), a portrait of Lucien Mouchet, who makes detailed, small-scale reproductions of carousels and fairground scenes, and “Photograph of Jesus” (Laurie Hill, 2009, U.K., 7 min.), a stop-motion animated look at outlandish requests received by a photo archive.

Sponsored by Ken and Nancy Kranzberg