An adorable yodeling animal animation, a legendary buck-dancer documentary, a splendid story of spirits in the tropics, plus more magnificent movies from pastoral places.
For you city dwellers, sweltering away amidst the concrete and steel, Rooftop Films offers a summer respite--a lush lawn to lie on and a cinematic journey into the jungle. The films in this program offer a glimpse of the scenery where the grass is indeed greener. Places where you can see hundreds (and hundreds!) of birds in a single day...if you race around the clock to do it. Places where gooey tree pulp can offer sustenance...if you don't mind the giant slug fights. Places where cowboys sing like crooners, grandpa dances up the dickens, and wild animals become unwelcome pets. These cute cartoons, fascinating fictions, and delightful documentaries prove that compared to urban existence the rural life might be a touch more casual, maybe a tad more calm, but it's no less complex.
- Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Presented in partnership with: IFC, New York magazine, vitaminwater, Radeberger, Cinereach, Automotive High School, Matchless & Council Member David Yassky.
Big Birding Day (David Wilson | Columbia, MO | 12 min.)
A glimpse into the world of competitive birdwatching, as three friends attempt to see as many species as possible in 24 hours.
Fledgling (Tony Gault & Elizabeth Henry | Glenwood Springs, CO | 7 min.)
Rooftop alums Gault and Henry explore the relationship between a man named Kevin and a baby crow he finds on the street one stormy night. Kevin's backyard provides the rich setting for a story about his conflicted relationship to nature.
Great Ambition (Malcolm Sutherland | Canada | 2 min.)
An amiable animation about a lovelorn singing cowboy and his posse of yodeling birds. Music by the Dezurik Sisters. animalcolm.com
Let Your Feet Do the Talking (Stewart Copeland | Tallahoma, TN | 30 min.)
Let Your Feet Do The Talkin' tells the story of buck dancing legend Thomas Maupin, who, at the age of 70, remains one of the greatest old time dancers in America. The film presents a portrait of a man in the twilight of his life reflecting back on his legacy as a father, teacher, and artist. stewstew.com
Spirit (Semangat) (Adam Gutch & Chu-Li Shewring | Borneo & UK | 44 min.)
In the lush jungles of Borneo, an Iban father on the cusp of old age begins a river journey to seek medical help for his sick child. Along the way, the boy is troubled by recurring visions of a strange figure who appears on the river bank. Their journey contrasts the vibrant otherworldly flora and fauna in the rain forest with the grey, foreboding mechanics of modern urban life, and father and son are drawn inexorably to a final encounter with the mythical 'transformed' shaman who dwells deep inside the jungle.
Semangat was made by working closely with one Iban longhouse community from Sarawak, Malaysia with whom the story was devised and filmed. The basis of the film explores the conflict that exists between ancient animist beliefs and modern approaches to illness. The main protagonists of the film are a real father and son, and a retired shaman from this community. flyingant.org.uk
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