I reviewed Zia Anger’s first film – or, first released film – ) called My First Film. It will all become clear when you see it and you really must see it. Review over on Ebert.
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Your review brought me to tears. The way you see what you see. It’s always a piercing of the soul. Thank you.
Wow Helena – thank you!! This movie is really special and its picture of collaboration – in all its messiness – includes the audience – we are collaborators with her and I just found that so moving!! Try to catch this one if you can!
I really want to. I love when artists let us into the process behind the scenes. And the idea of the audience being a collaborator is really profound. You captured it all so beautifully though.
Process is such a difficult thing to talk about! I think too there’s an unwillingness to let people in on it – maybe because you don’t want to admit to the messiness of it OR you don’t want to come off as pretentious?
Zia Anger deals with all of these things – with honesty and humor. She’s very innovative. It STILL feels like the film is “in process”, like it’s STILL not a finished product. and I really love that!
That was beautiful. I loved the interactions between her dad and Dina. The rose petals in the grave. The horrible needy boyfriend. That waterfall. I thought there was going to be some tragedy with the guy who built his own airplane and wanted to buzz closer and closer to the shooting.
The doctor was wonderful. What a choice to play that scene as a scene, without props, all make believe.
What a joyous film, made out of failure and abortions and foolish choices. A marvel.
I loved the airplane guy. Just one of those random people who do crazy shit, who enters our life and then exits just as quickly.
and that final scene was killer!
so glad you saw!
when I was a juror at Indie Memphis way back in 2018 – My First Film was screened, and was basically the talk of the festival. I unfortunately couldn’t go to the screening because I had other things I had to see, as a juror. Miriam Bale (artistic director) was the champion of My First Film back then – it was one of the first festival screenings. I’ve known Miriam for years at this point – so it was so cool to see her thanked in the acknowledgements section.
For a film like this, you really need champions.
There are a lot of interesting interview with Anger out there – but I tripped over this one and really liked it: so thought I’d share:
https://elephant.art/interview-with-zia-anger-on-her-new-movie-my-first-film/
That was an excellent interview.
Wild that she said her first film left out the most important part of her, that she loves to laugh. Makes me think of I Love to Laugh from Mary Poppins. What a shock and disappointment it must have been to her to realize that. And she found a way to express it later.
I was talking to a couple of friends on a different topic and I remarked about people who don’t acknowledge their mistakes, it’s odd to be proud that you attained peak wisdom at 19 when you’re in your 60’s. 40-some odd years of believing you were right all along. What a pathetic adulthood. Unless you’re Robert Conquest, I suppose.
Zia’s in no danger of that.
I can’t remember if it’s in that interview but she says she loves criticism. she’s open to all of it. in audience QAs – and she’s been “touring” with this film for years – like I said, it screened at Indie Memphis in 2018 – she wants to know what doesn’t work, what’s confusing, what people don’t like. if she finds it has value, she’ll go back and look at it. in the acting world we usually call this being “coach-able”. an “un-coach-able” actor is TOUGH. they won’t take direction. they can’t. they’re defensive. it happens a lot and it really inhibits everyone around them. I feel like her parents have a lot to do with her being coach-able, but it’s also just a general attitude from people who love the WORK not the result, whose egos aren’t bound up in the result.