Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival at the Theatre Royal
June 26 to 28 in Castlemaine.
The hook for this one was Secret Mall Apartment, the documentary film that tells the story of a group of artists in Rhode Island who built a hidden apartment inside a huge shopping centre and kept it undetected for four years. Of course, it happened to be the final film of the festival, so once again we thought, why not just go to the whole festival?
As I have mentioned previously, the beauty of going to an entire film festival is that you are no longer selecting what you go see. You're giving the curator that job. It means you end up seeing things you would not otherwise have chosen, and there is a lot to be gained from this.
CDoc, as they call it, had excellent curation. I very much liked nearly every film (and we missed Locals because it was already sold out).
I found some of it challenging: How Deep Is Your Love, which was about scientists researching the deep seabed ahead of mining it, really made me question my sense of pragmatism when it comes to nature versus development that relies on extraction. The Bend in the River made me forgive the boomers just a little bit.
Rod Quantock: Comedy Warrior made me want to write Rod a letter to reassure him that he's had more impact on the world than he thinks. I watched him and his comedy peers on the telly as an impressionable youngster and it definitely shaped my values, which I endeavour to practice every day.
Rod, if you are the type of person to search your own name on the internet and happen to read this, give yourself a little pat on the back. I also wonder if you remember making me a cup of tea before one of your shows in Perth roughly 30 years ago.
One lovely thing about the festival was The Golden Spurtle, which is a charming, warm fuzzy blanket of a film, along with a bowl of porridge or congee beforehand. It was a sunny morning and very nice to sit out on the street eating goo.
Our holiday plans are quickly becoming a series of film festivals, which is not the worst thing.
