Southern Arts Federation’s Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers continues its sophisticated and surprising screenings with “Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea” Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6:45 p.m.in Bernheim Hall at the Ben May Main Library (701 Government St.)
Following a screening of his documentary, Filmmaker Christopher Metzler will engage the audience in a discussion about the film and his work as a filmmaker. A reception will follow. Admission is free.
Created in the early 1900s by a monumental engineering disaster, the Salton Sea is now little more than a forgotten blue jewel in the midst of the California desert. But on the shores of this dying man-made lake, a bizarre community struggles to survive. Here retirees rub shoulders with Hungarian revolutionaries, welfare families fleeing inner-city violence co-exist with religious eccentrics, all against the backdrop of the sea – an “ecological disaster” and one of California’s few remaining wetlands.
In “Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea,” first-time filmmaker Christopher Metzler – in partnership with Jeff Springer – offers an intimate portrait of these strange and wonderful characters who cling to the shores of the Salton in spite of its empty lots, foul smells, and frequent wildlife die-offs.
“Plagues and Pleasures” has garnered much praise from the press and critics.
The Village Voice called it a “heartbreaking, sidesplitting parade of humanity,” while L.A. Weekly described it as “historically thorough and thoroughly hysterical.” It has won “Best Documentary” at numerous film festivals, including the Atlanta Underground Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival, where it was also awarded the “HBO Producers Award.”
Metzler’s follow-up projects continue to delve into unusual lives and passions The USC graduate is working on his next documentary, a look at the alternative rock band Fishbone. After this, he plans to team up with Springer again for at least two more documentaries: one on taxidermy and another on evangelical Christian backpackers following the path of the apostle Paul across the Middle East. “We have a deep affection for outsiders, “says Metzler, “and we always want to explore different subcultures.”
For those who are fascinated by true stories stranger than fiction, this screening should not be missed. The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is an ongoing event of which we should all be proud and excited to be a part. This is a monthly chance to witness film we can’t see anywhere else, and to uncover your fellow film buffs, nudged out of hiding by this great viewing opportunity and ready to hobnob over free coffee.
I certainly recommend checking this screening out over renting the star-studded yet mediocre “Evening.” Those of us who loved 2002’s “The Hours” were drawn to this blatantly similar ensemble piece and subsequently disappointed.
Ann Lord (Vanessa Redgrave) drifts in and out of flashbacks on her deathbed, while her daughters look on, reflecting on their own lives, arguing and whatnot. Redgrave, like us, is bored by the present, and longs for her youth, when she was played by Claire Danes and had a supposedly unforgettable affair with a man she never stopped loving despite, as far as the viewers can tell, barely knowing him.
The portrayal of their relationship suffers from what makes the whole film less than enthralling, which is that it is diluted by the sheer numbers of characters and plots. This film is based on a book, and presumably fares better with the kind of detail and leisure that form affords. While “The Hours” gathered strength from the interrelated plots through time, “Evening” loses the power of its individual stories in the stew of heavy-hitting actresses, life-changing revelations, ghosts and visions.
“Evening” is currently available to rent.
Contact Asia Frey at afrey@lagniappemobile.com.
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