War Dance

This is about the documentary "War Dance". It is about the Northern Uganda Acholi tribe of Patonga. They are mostly orphaned children because of the rebels in that region that are fighting the government and consequently killing off farmers, raping their women, and abducting their children. The burning question I think this film really asks is why are we letting this happen? Sure, for the most part, it's about these children trying to compete in a national music competition, but I think at the heart of it, it's about the atrocities that are being committed by the rebels. The role of the filmmaker is the advocate and the observer, and the genre is direct cinema. The visual imagery is the first thing I noticed, and also happened to be the thing I found most stunning. The colors look so surreal, almost as if they had been doctored in post. Yet, that is just the beauty of Africa. The close-ups on the eyes during intense dramatic scenes are very moving. The theme of this doc is atrocities in 3rd world countries like Uganda. Again, masked by a music competition, but the real focus is obvious. The filmmakers' stakes were what if they were killed when they were out following some of the people into the bush, or if the rebels just attacked their village? The editing techniques used in this film were using shots of scenes of the tribe practicing for the competition, and then using shots of some of the children telling their stories, building up the intensity. It's like a rollercoaster of emotion. I think this along with Cove is one of the most moving films I've ever seen, and one I will never forget.

Unzipped

Unzipped is about Isaac Mizrahi and the world of fashion. The documentary takes place in New York and is the setting for his 1994 fall collection. Many actors, musicians, and of course, supermodels surround Mizrahi in this film. It's a delightful look at the hectic world that is fashion. This documentary is hard to define it to a singular genre. Some that come to mind are direct cinema, performance films, and biography. The role of the filmmaker is observer/ chronicler. We find out at the end (spoilers!) that his collection was a huge success, but my burning question is whatever happened to him? Well with a little internet help, it was easy to find the answer to that. He's still a gigantic influence to the world of fashion. The visual imagery was perfect for the early 1990's. Except for the actual show itself, the film was shot in black and white. I think it added a different element to it. Making it black and white seemed similar to the streets of New York, sort of an urban decay kind of feel. I think a lot of photographers were shooting in black and white at the time as a throwback to noir films. The theme for this film is fashion. The stakes for this film is what would the movie become had Mizrahi failed at his collection? Would he still be in the fashion world, or shunned away never to work again? The editing style is really smooth. With insert shots of Mizrahi as a child, and black and white shots before the show, and then the show in color, it blends very well. I guess the biggest thought or emotion that I have about this film is that I really want to go to a fashion show. Actually, I just really want to date a model.