Book about Marwencol produced by the filmmakers

In 2000, Mark Hogencamp was beaten into a coma by five men outside of a bar in Kingston, NY. Unable to continue paying for medical help, Hogencamp began to create a new world in his backyard as a form of physical and emotional therapy during his recovery (which is ongoing). The resulting 1/6th scale Belgian village, named Marwencol, is a fantasy oasis set in the middle of World War II peopled with lifelike dolls, many based on real people in Hogencamp’s life. And this town has, in turn, become the subject of a new documentary of the same name.

 

The story of Marwencol begins when Hogencamp’s alter ego crash-lands in a European field and is drawn into an almost-empty village by a group of beautiful women. He makes this place his home, beginning a narrative that continues and grows day by day as new dolls and storylines are introduced. This "second" world has rescued Hogencamp, helping him to deal with an attack that still haunts him and keeps him from fully functioning outside the village.

Mark Hogancamp at his White Columns art show in New York City.

And then there are the photographs. Moving and beautifully realized, Hogencamp has taken thousands of photographs of Marwencol, chronicling its stories, and capturing them with a stunning sincerity. Drawing on our popular ideas of everything from war nostalgia to pulp exploitation cinema (there’s a river scene reminiscent of the original Inglorious Bastards movie), the “discovery” of the photographs have led to an appreciation in the art world of Hogencamp’s work.

Three weeks ago, when director James Benning was in San Francisco, he spoke briefly about his love for folk artists such as Vivian Girls creator Henry Darger. At the same time he pointed out that we’re too apt to label this work as primitive; the so-called folk art that really rises to the top needs no context, it’s successful in and of itself. While Hogencamp’s story is deeply moving, and in the documentary he comes across as intelligent and endearing, it’s the work itself that elevates the story. Director Jeff Malmberg features Hogencamp's photographs heavily, which is a good choice, especially considering Hogencamp remains reluctant to leave his home, so this is a rare chance to see his images of the town writ large.

Jeff Malmberg, Director

Malmberg treats the story behind the photos with a deft touch, guiding the audience through unfolding revelations about Hogencamp’s life, while showcasing the photographs in a way that allows their artistry to glow. The story also evokes the vivid connection adults lose between themselves and the world of make-believe, the complex imaginative narratives that once lived inside us, and the real connection we once felt with dolls and other inanimate objects.

Marwencol is the well-deserved winner of the SXSW Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature (I predict there will be a screening in San Francisco and other cities soon). Director Malmberg and co-producer Chris Shellen were in attendance in Austin, and were selling a small book of Mark E. Hogancamp’s photographs. This isn't currently available for sale online, but check back at the Marwencol website in the coming weeks.

Right on the heels of the release of his latest documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore stirs up controversy again on Link TV, taking on Obama, the media, and America's very financial underpinnings. Link's special features Michael Moore's standing-room only talk at the Commonwealth Club of California, as he gives insight into his new film while getting in his trademark jabs at the rich.

What makes his latest movie a love story, a "romantic documentary", as Moore calls it? "It is a love story. It's about the wealthy, who love their money. Except the movie has a twist - they not only love their money, but they love our money too. And they want all of it."

The critics have weighed in with fairly positive reviews of Capitalism: A Love Story, though Manohla Dargis in the New York Times takes Moore to task for his lack of "any real answers... which tends to be true of most socially minded directors in the commercial mainstream." And while some of Moore's cinematic decisions left Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi, blogging on the website True/Slant, a bit perplexed, he was nevertheless impressed that the film addressed "a taboo subject for every other major media outlet in the country": a society undergoing a "rapid peasant-ization."

Need Moore? Check out this interview with Blanche Shaheen (who has appeared recently as a host on Link TV), where the filmmaker reveals his premonition that the economic "house of cards was about to come down" even before the global economy officially tanked. And he pulls no punches for the capitalists, who he depicts as continually concocting new schemes to part working folk from their cash: "In capitalism, for the wealthy, there's no such thing as the word "enough". "Enough" is the dirtiest word in capitalism."

 

What do you think? Does Moore speak the truth, and does he have the answers? What do you think the repercussions will be after Moore's exposé of Wall Street and the capitalist system? Be sure to watch Link's special and let us know!

The conflict in Iran has brought media attention to a diverse group of young Iranians. As David Michaelis stated in his recent blog post, "Iran has gained a new face. Instead of relating to Ahmadinejad as the only face of Iran, we now see a multitude of younger people."

Link TV has been producing a series of documentaries to give Americans a unique glimpse into the lives of ordinary Iranians, called Bridge to Iran.  Showcasing documentaries by contemporary independent Iranian filmmakers living and working in Iran, Bridge to Iran shatters preconceived notions about a nation and culture that most Americans know little about and have never experienced firsthand.

Tonight marks the premiere of a new installment of the series: Cinema Encounters in Tehran. An original production of Link TV, the film follows Americans Yoni Brook and Musa Syeed as they travel to Iran for the 2007 Verite Film Festival, where they meet two young filmmakers Atefeh and Abbas. The film documents their efforts to overcome language and cultural barriers and use cinematic language and friendship to create a movie.  In the end they find that the friendship and understanding they develop in a short time transcends the barriers of the national and political divisions that separates them.

 

Watch Online!

Watch the documentary Waiting for the Revolution online!

 

For over 500 years the indigenous people of the Andes have had to endure racism and discrimination. Now, with democracy on their side, the time has come for a change. Following two newly elected indigenous leaders from the campaign trail to their first year in office, filmmaker Rodrigo Vasquez journeys into the heart of the democratic revolution in Bolivia.

 

It takes more than a Che Guevara t-shirt to be a revolutionary - and Waiting for the Revolution proves this. It wasn’t branded images of rebellion that inspired Che – it was experiences traveling around in Latin America and Africa and observing the realities of rural poverty. The living conditions of the destitute convinced him that radical change was necessary. Today, billions of people still live in poverty, without access to adequate healthcare, clean water and food. The world’s ecosystems are under tremendous strain from human impact. Corruption and human rights violations still impact large parts of the human population. Is there a way to change these negative trends? Don’t say it’s a t-shirt. What would make you start a revolution?