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Show continued pom page I ; ) v tale "Lianna" and early lesbian coming-ou- t "Brother." Many can't be restored until the rights are reverted back to Sayles. I'm most concerned about the masterful "City of Hope" because I haven't even found a widescreen transfer of it on video or laserdisc. . Ceresko advises me to pester the distributer DVD release. about a well-don- 1 TV e LJr) ,.V.'? SUNDAY: i- v -- 7- -- rrf-' - - ;- I . -- ---t . ' - J f. .. -- -i'.: :;.-"- - i - i r-- v ...-. 1. r( 4j J c - r - -- it wit '5 '''.It If I l :. "rf T v. ' '. rfC. 1 1 1,-.- ' S3S . r. r.T k::f 4 ,;is J. I I -- the mainstream press, the documenare often some of taries in ' the best films at thecompetition festival. I've seen several already, and the stories are real and somehow always turn out more interesting than most pretentious writers of a Dra- 2 !" fn . hile often overlooked by filmgoers and - ?;-- I ' ..j." r f srr i f . ''ir---j?&-6;- -- - The Stories I've Seen J - tr '?.,, y" S 1 f -- R9 'JS-J'-- . . - ( A ,.r.,, .J I . . matic Competition entry could imagine. Simply look at "Sister Helen," about a woman who became a nun after her husband and two sons died. As the film opens, she's running a house for recovering drug addicts in a dangerous Brooklyn neighborhood. Directors Rob Fruchtman and Rebecca Cam-mis- a must have spent years following her to get the amazing footage and developments that they did. Or watch "The Daughter from Danang," about Heidi Bub, a.k.a. Mai, a woman who, as a child, was aggressively adopted and sent from Vietnam to the U.S. during the war as part of Operation Babylift. Originally, she regrets her disconnected childhood, but soon, she has to deal with more difficult questions about the path her life took. And "American Standoff" director Kristi Jacob-so- n and her crew couldn't have known that the Teamsters strike against Ovemite trucking company would be almost everlasting. When the strike that was expected to last three weeks lasts months, neither side wants to back down. The personal lives of several Teamsters across the country are explored. Another political story is "Blue Vinyl," about Judith Helfand's quest to get her parents to take the vinyl siding off their house. Her research leads to several indicators that PVC is, indeed, dangerous. The film delivers its information in various fun ways, including two animated sequences by Emily Hubley ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch"). A touchier, less playful issue is that of child molestation, explored in "Close to Home." Directors Vanessa Roth and Alexandra Dickson look at every aspect of the crime: kids that have to testify, the new parents of adopted kids, the victims and a group of convicted offendg ers in a meetJohn Cooper is one of the festival programmers ing, discussing who enthusiastically their methods and runs around Park City compulsion. films. Earlier, I menintroducing tioned some inde pendent films that found homes on cable channels like IFC, The Sundance Channel, HBO and Showtime. This is even a larger truth in documentaries. HBO, the channel that showed last year's Grand Jury prize, "Southern Comfort," is already showing six documentaries, and Cinemax and Showtime have some too. Along with PBS, these channels will be the outlet for these outstanding and moving films. Additionally, The Sundance Channel, which is by Robert Redford and Showtime Networks, made a big announcement in the area of. documentaries this week. A new sister channel, to be launched later this year, will show documentaries exclusively, including both feature-lengtand short form. It's nice to know that, somehow, these films will reach an audience. i now-grow- n group-counselin- . it-- f .Mi ' , ' w.. i i I.." f I s j I t ' i - '" ""rj,f-.Vv- r l- -T I , " ' h Sister Helen (top) explores the l:Je of a woman who became a nun when her husband and sons died and who works with recovering drug addicts. "Viuc vinyl (Donomj explores the relationship ' between consumer and manufacturer in the PVC plastic industry. jeTemyred-mag.co- RIO JANUARy 17, 2002 I RED MAGAZINE |