The next morning I viewed an even more important film. "An Arctic Tale" - click here for trailer

This film was made by the same people that brought us "The March of the Penguins"(click here). For all it's 'fun' and 'humor' what is profoundly evident is the damage humans have done to the Arctic Circle/The North Pole (click here). It is not a 'kids only' film.

This film takes it's viewer to all extemes of human emotion, from elation to profound sadness. I won't give away any moment in the film, it needs to be seen in it's entirety to appreciate the depth this film takes.

I came away with a sense of 'damage.' Real damage to species of Arctic creatures forced into, as the film states, refugee status in survival rather than thriving. It is more than correct the Polar Bear is considered threatened. There is every indication it needs to be moved to endangered as the Arctic Ice continues to thin and disappear. What is completely evident to me is the profound sadness of the reality of these animals which exhibit love, loyality and loss as they experience events to their home out of their control not realizing whom to blame.

As citizens of the highest carbon dioxide polluting society on Earth, this film is profoundly important, more to Moms and Dads then to children. The kids in the theater simply loved the movie. The theater was very quiet throughout it's showing and the talking after the showing was non-stop by adults and children alike.

It isn't a film one loves or hates, but, more or less witnesses. Here again the filmmaking is extraordinary and the photography incredible in it's dimensions, from the infant birth of the bear cubs to the expansive views of this ice environment, including underwater photography. It is a must see film for every American.

"An American Crime" was the second film I viewed. I believe it is understated in it's importance

The 'Sundance Festival' review (click here) of this film takes a tangential approach to conceptualizing it in referring to Abu Ghraib. That does both the prison atrocity of Iraq and this film a gross injustice.



This is an extremely important film in that it illustrates the ability of children to fall victim to the adults that supervise their care, including absent parents and paid caretakers. This is an actual crime that took place in 1968. It speaks loudly of the disempowerment of women and children in the USA while placing them in precarious realities of societal survival. It also clearly illustrates the vulnerability of children to their 'instincts' when 'group think' is harnessed as a social discipline. I believe there are many underlying messages in this film too numerous to speak to here.



My inital reaction from the beginning of the film when 'sexual secrets' accompanied relationships was that violence would eventually be realized in some manifestation culminating in death. There was never any doubt to me the teenage girl would end up dead even with the 'escape sequence' whereby the viewer is allowed to believe the worst wasn't going to happen. It was appropriate as a 'dreamscape' just before the reality of her actual death was completely evident in the film.



If this was simply a horror picture captured for some type of 'odd' fascination by the viewership I'd be up in arms at the concept, but, this film was very methodically investigated by it's creator and brilliantly so. I appreciate his devotion to the film and it's final presentation to the public.

Following the film we were treated to a question and answer session where he was very revealing about his interest in the subject and how he managed after many years to finally write the script and film it's presentation. It is a profoundly important film about this tragedy of which should be required viewing to any social advocate for children.


My impression had nothing to do with Abu Ghraib so much as the reality that child protection laws didn't exist and perhaps still don't to the extent they needed to when this crime occurred. My first thought drifted back to a time when the first child abuse case was heard in New York City facilitated by, of all things, 'animal protection laws' governing the use of carriage horses by the ASPCA. The year was 1957 if I recall it correctly. This film takes us back to about 11 years after that first case when children are still victims to false societal standards and women are left to wander through their reality as sexual beings to survive. In many ways it is an 'ugly' film about the realities of American families forced to the periphery of society.

I found the reality of the film extremely important in it's social dynamics and the traces of which can still be found the American society today.

The Ninth Annual Provincetown Film Festival

"Earthrise" as captured on film by the Apollo 8 with its crew of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders on December 24, 1968. That was approximately seven months before the first steps on the lunar surface by Neil Armstrong followed by Buzz Aldrin. The very first picture was in black and white above. The infamous color print followed (click here).

Provincetown is a 'natural' for this type of event. I thought the 'film venues' need work with better seating, especially the samller venues where reading subtitles can be made difficult. That reality is easily made up by the variety of cuisine along with expert chefs, as well as the varied and vibrant nightlife of the clubs and the salons, spas and plush B&Bs. There was never any 'wanting' so much as satisfaction during any time in Provincetown at the film venues.

But, there was no looking any further than Provincetown for any subject a person was willing to venture into and there were some venues sold out very early. The weather was fabulous with sunshine during the day that warmed the air, after weeks of nothing but rain. In the evening, a light jacket and depending on the person sometimes a more substantial outer covering, cape, 'hoodie' or fashionable scarves proved necessary. The sea breeze was a welcome end to the day, actually.

There was an abundance of art galleries and every where I went there was always a satisfied customer talking about the perfect painting or sculpture or antique just recently purchased. Basically, there was much to find in P'town. A lot of satisfied folks left for home at the end of the festival on Sunday. I did not stay to the end and left Sunday morning missing the patron award for best film. Each film had a ballot at every viewing.

I viewed only five films over the weekend and all were interesting and exceptional, the first was "In the Shadow of the Moon (click here)." and here.

"In the Shadow of the Moon" is an expose of the astronauts that took place in the Apollo Moon Mission program. It was interesting to hear their perspective. They obviously were all touched in a unique way by their experience. I found they all were in reverence to Earth. That was a quality of their experience which meant a great deal to me. Here these men engaged in a 'space race' with Russia were far less interested in 'the political jazz' of the moment, 'the celebrity' if you will and were moved to find Earth the point of focus to their mission. They all spoke of Earth as if unique to their experience. While the Moon was their mission, it was Earth they regarded as delicate and in need of protection by their society.

They impressed me as humble men with a great love of their country in that no act of bravery was too much to ask. They realized the brevity of the dangers they faced and yet were more than willing to participate to the end of the mission, confident everyone involved was completely dedicated to their safe return home.

Of course, there was also a second focus to the film, besides the men, the mission and their experience and that was the blatant bravery of President Kennedy to envision the program in the first place. JFK put complete political clout in the people involved with NASA and the space program without hesitancy.

It was astounding to listen to him make a speech full of uncertainty and speculation now in the year 2007 when so much of the political arena is full of pre-arranged theater for the sake of deceiving the public and creating an image. Little did JFK care about image when he put his full support behind the USA Space Program. It was very refreshing to hear a President speak with such speculation about the future and the confidence he had in the people of our nation to overcome all the obstacles to what would become the moment in time when the entire world stopped to listen to Neil Armstrong's (click here) first words while stepping onto the mooon.

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

So dedicated to 'that memory' and it's preservation in time, that following his career with NASA, Neil Armstrong retired to his farm and never became a public figure. That fact was noted by his piers in the film. It was interesting to hear them speak of 'the moment' and their regard for Neil as the choice for the first human step onto the moon. They all believed no one else would be able to be so calm as to deliver such a resounding statement.

The 'actual' film took a great leap after the climax of the discussion of Apollo 11. It seemed as though it fast forward the rest of the program to get it all in. At the end of the film, the astronauts speak to the speculation regarding the reality of the program and it's success to reach the moon; stating they were there and making light of any speculation.

It is a film worthy of the time for viewing and certainly a film young people 'should' be interested in to realize the way the American people 'of the sixties' were dedicated to greatness and leadership. I remember the Apollo 11 mission and sitting by the television with my father for the very moment we heard those words. It was a victory for all Americans, a moment of greatness that our astronaut actually achieved 'the moment' in human history when we first stepped onto an alien surface and then returned to Earth safely. Perhaps it was that moment that instilled the reverence in all of us for Earth through their insight, pictures and love for their home even today. It is a great historical film by it's unique ability to capture the astronauts in their reverence for life on Earth and their humble bravery as pioneers.