BYOD continues coverage of Sundance 2012 with the makers of three documentaries that focused the festival’s attention around the globe.
First off, Ondi and Vlad sit down with Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, the makers of “5 Broken Cameras.” They talk about bringing the lens into the Palestinian territories to show what life is like in a ‘closed military zone,’ and taking that story to the snowy reaches of Sundance.
Next up, we talked with Marius Markevicius and Jon Weinbach, the team behind “The Other Dream Team.” The film details the story of the 1992 Lithuanian Olympic basketball team which won medals and the support of the Grateful Dead, and uplifted the former eastern bloc.
Finally, as the one-year anniversary approaches from the 2011 Japanese Tsunami disaster, Lucy Walker discusses her latest project, “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.” The film, a short, shows the power of fleeting beauty in a shaken region that continues to rebuild.
Watch new episodes of BYOD live each week on Tuesdays at noon on TheLip.TV, or tune in for the archived replay starting here on the following Thursday.
ABOUT BYOD:
BYOD is co-hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice, and Vladimir Radovanov, entertainment attorney, and executive producer of “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC.” Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi and Vladimir share their insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.
GUEST BIO:
Emad Burnat– is a Palestinian freelance cameraman and photographer with experience filming for Al-Jazeera and Palestinian Television. He has contributed to several documentaries, including Bil’in My Love, Palestine Kids, Open Close, and Interrupted Streams.
Guy Davidi– is a documentary filmmaker and cinema teacher who has been directing, editing, and shooting films since the age of 16. Davidi has directed many short documentaries and his first feature film, Interrupted Streams, premiered in 2010 at the Jerusalem International Film Festival.
Marius Markevicius– graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and received his MFA from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. He has produced several feature films and co-produced “Like Crazy,” the dramatic Grand Jury Prize winner at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. “The Other Dream Team,” a documentary about Lithuania, his family’s homeland, and basketball, one of his life’s passions, is his directorial debut.
Lucy Walker– directed four feature documentaries prior to “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.” Three of these have premiered at Sundance. Her previous work has been nominated for an Academy Award, five Emmys and a number of other honors. Walker grew up in London and graduated from Oxford University before winning a Fulbright Scholarship to attend NYU.
ADD’L LINKS:
http://www.sundance.org/festival/
http://www.theotherdreamteam.com/
http://thetsunamiandthecherryblossom.com/
http://www.ghfilmcentre.org/
EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 BYOD SUNDANCE SPECIAL EDITION PT. 2
01:41 “5 Broken Cameras,” Directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi.
02:51 Sitting down with Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi: Welcome to Sundance (and snow!)
05:13 From home movies to documenting the struggle.
06:22 How did an Israeli and Palestinian get together to make the film?
08:45 Trying to shoot in a ‘closed military zone.’
10:10 “Who is Phil?”
11:38 Emad’s camera shot off his face.
13:20 “Does the camera protect you?”
15:41 A wife’s concerns during the filming; A hospital stay.
18:10 Focusing 700 hours and seven years into a single film.
18:36 Lasting wishes from the film makers.
21:30 How to follow the film.
22:15 “5 Broken Cameras” Clip 2.
23:13 “The Other Dream Team”
24:57 Ondi welcomes Marius Markevicius and Jon Weinbach.
25:51 From “Douchebag” film maker to documentarian of his culture.
29:05 The story of the 92′ Lithuanian Basketball team.
30:28 The Grateful Dead sponsors the team and supports the film.
33:39 Editing and an extra year of shooting.
37:07 Finding financing for the film.
37:58 Getting Archival footage from the Iron Curtain-Era
39:19 “What do you want people to take away from the film?”
41:34 When bronze means more than gold.
42:10 Sundance is hard, but the documentary process is harder.
43:11 Keeping up with the film
43:45 “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” by Lucy Walker.
46:24 Introducing Lucy Walker, getting up to speed since “Devil’s Playground”
47:43 Lucy talks about “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.”
50:22 Finding poetry in the tragedy.
50:47 The advantages of making a short; the Sundance shorts program
52:36 How to learn more and stay active in solidarity with Japan.
54:07 Shooting in Fukushima; the radioactive legacy.
56:52 Re-humanizing Japan.
59:34 Show Wrap-up.
