Tribeca 2009 Part Two: Documentaries

The ties that bind: Four women-directed docs grapple with what has been, in search of what should be.

By Pamela Grossman
Published: June 19th, 2009 | 2:15pm

Where we’ve been and where we’re going, socially and personally, are big questions as the decade turns. These four documentaries span several continents as they examine the realities and traditions of the past (some beloved, some destructive, some a bit of both) while casting hopeful eyes toward the future.

Partly Private

“After too many failed relationships,” documentarian Danae Elon says in the narration for Partly Private, she and her husband have found themselves happily married and expecting their first child. When they learn that it will be a boy, Elon must consider her husband’s desire for a traditional Jewish circumcision for the child versus her own burgeoning hesitations about the procedure (Elon is Jewish as well, but from less formal and highly questioning religious roots). There is not much time to debate, however, and their son is given an at-home circumcision, complete with religious ceremony. Still, Elon’s questions continue and the issue grows in importance for the family when she becomes pregnant with a second boy.

Witty and gentle, the film nonetheless explores important issues of adherence to tradition versus critical thought and family bonds versus personal convictions. It also explores the world; Elon traveled from her home in New York City to Israel (where she was born), Italy, and Turkey in search of answers about the history of and meaning of circumcision (in Turkey, boys are circumcised at age 10 or so, in groups and amid much pageantry; who knew?). For its heart, humor, and impressive candor, the film won the Best New York Documentary prize.

Tribeca Face-to-Face: I had the pleasure of speaking with the gracious and soft-spoken Elon a few times during the festival. The last time, she was with her older son (adorable!) after a screening of her film. “I wonder what will scar him more later, the circumcision or the movie about it?” a friend of mine wondered when I mentioned the film. But Elon and her husband appear to be hugely loving and devoted parents, which in the end will trump any number of potential difficulties.

Burning Down the House

Another New York–based documentary (though on quite a different theme), Burning Down the House is director Mandy Stein’s look at the legendary rock club CBGBs: its history, the amazing selection of bands that have roots there, and the fight to keep the club open in the face of ugly landlord/tenant issues within a luxury-condo-focused NYC in 2006.

Though the commentary from director Jim Jarmusch and writer Luc Sante (seen walking through the famously filthy club while it was being dismantled) is interesting, the most compelling images are from CBGB’s prime: footage of Television, the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith, followed by bands like the Police (“I’d never been to this country before,” says Sting in the film; “I thought this was what America was like”), Guns-n-Roses, and the Beastie Boys.

At a screening near where the club once stood, Stein discussed her own history with CBGBs; her late mother, Linda Stein, co-managed the Ramones, and her father, Seymour Stein, cofounder and chairman of Sire Records, signed the Talking Heads, the Ramones, and Dead Boys. The late Hilly Crystal, owner of CBGBs, was a family friend – opinionated, brusque, and one-of-a-kind. He is surely missed in New York, as is the club that became his life’s work.

Only When I Dance

The current competition-tv craze fades to just so much junk when you discover the two glorious up-and-coming Brazilian ballet dancers at the center of Beadie Finzi’s heartfelt (and sometimes heartrending) documentary Only When I Dance. Isabela and Irlan are tremendously gifted and hardworking. They are also from low-income backgrounds and of color – in other words, not what the elite ballet world usually sees. We watch them put their all into competitions (not to mention competition fees) as they strive to move ahead, with their loving families also giving 150 percent; we see them at home in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas and hear them speak of their dreams; and we hope that the world at large will evolve quickly enough for committed artists like these two to gain what they deserve.

Tribeca face-to-face: I saw a young man on the street after a screening and felt immediately drawn to him, as though he were my friend. In fact, though, I had never met him – it was Irlan, getting ready to speak to an audience for this film. Stranger though he was to me, I didn’t fight the impulse to hug him after saying hello, rather than shaking his hand. He seemed used to this kind of greeting, so I doubt I was the only one.

Which Way Home

The life of an undocumented immigrant traveling to the U.S. will not be easy, but for those who attempt the journey as unaccompanied children, “difficult” can’t begin to describe the experience. Director Rebecca Cammisa and her crew follow several such children in their travels north from Latin America; their utter lack of preparedness and resources is matched only by their hope for the future and their dreams of the possibilities this country might hold. What lies ahead is harrowing at best, and possibly fatal; and yet the children come, optimistic and even vivacious. They are often supported (or even abetted) in this effort by their parents, who envision for them a bright new life.

The documentary will air on HBO in August; come prepared with tissues to watch it. Challenging, for sure; but the film shines light on an important issue while inviting close re-examination of immigration (not to mention adoption) laws.

Tribeca face-to-face: I was moved, after the screening, to speak seriously with a representative from UNICEF who was in attendance about the possibility of adopting these children if they do succeed in reaching the States. (It’s not as feasible as one might hope, as their parents have not technically terminated parental rights; but the laws might be changing, and foster care can be an option.) Later, at dinner, I was inspired for the first time in my life to initiate grace over a meal, giving thanks for food to eat, shoes on my feet, and shelter from the rain.