THE SANTA BARBARA FILM FESTIVAL COMES OF AGE
©2000 L. Paul Mann

The 15th annual Santa Barbara Film Festival got off to a fitting start, under stormy skies, with a free block party. The weather was gracious enough to hold back the rain until most festival goers were snug in bed. State street, in front of the historic Arlington theater, was closed to traffic, while revellers enjoyed a gratis event, courtesy of the city. Meridian Vineyards provided as much of their finest wines, to anyone old enough to drink (In California you have to be 21 to consume alcohol). In the wine garden, I spotted my Austrian Mercedes mechanic, my dentist, and the man who makes my surfboards. There was also free beer, juice and bottled water. Kids could gorge themselves on all the free popcorn, cotton candy, and soft drinks they could stomach. Other freebies included, live music by Jymie Lykes and the Club swingers, flower leighs, and massages. It was a fitting opening because the Santa Barbara festival is not like more well known International Film Festivals, where the stars and media overshadow film fans. The public has priority at this event. Tickets are advertised well in advance, making it easy for true fans to purchase them, and are kept affordable. To be sure there is the red carpet fascination with the stars. After last years record breaking attendance, donations rolled in, and this year has the biggest line up of talent yet. Among expected celebrities are, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Pryor, and Ivan Reitman. Opening night's screening of "The Big Kahuna", came complete with appearances' by the Director, James Swanbeck, and actors' Danny Devito and newcomer Peter Facinelli. Kevin Spacey also stars in this intense drama, taken from the play of the same name. As if to underscore the low key familiarity of the Santa barbara film festival patrons with the films talent, the actors refused to sit in the reserved V.I.P. section. Standing by his seat in the middle of the theater, only to acknowledge his presence, Danny Devito was greeted with warm applause. Peter Facinelli had to jump up and down to be seen in the back row, when introduced by the director. Then everyone settled into their seats, in one of the most beautiful theaters in the United States. the film was a good choice for opening night. It underscored the type of films chosen for the festival. They are not typical Hollywood films, full of action, effects, and predictable plots. Rather they gravitate more towards thought provoking scenarios of the human condition in real life. Many are true art films, while others are pure documentary, and some defy categorization. The city is now so comfortable with the Festival, the rest of downtown does not miss a beat. Taking place during the low point in tourist season, hotels and restaurants are not particularly stressed to capacity. I stumbled down state street after the opening screening and discovered a free concert at Rocks Restaurant and bar. Corby Yates was playing. This mild mannered child prodigy could be destined to become the next Stevie Ray Vaughn. He plays a blistering blues guitar, as good as most I have seen. As I began to recognize famous people from the film festival filtering in to the club, I tucked my Festival press pass under my shirt. Movie stars and construction workers were relaxed and swaying to Corby's guitar beat. and the best part was that it was all free. Only in Santa Barbara! For more information regarding the Santa Barbara Film Festival, visit their website www.sbfilmfestival.org

French Director Shines Brightly At The 15th Annual Santa Barbara Film Festival
©2000 L. Paul Mann

The crown jewel of the 15th annual Santa Barbara film festival, was screened to a half-full Fiesta theater, Friday night. The piece de resistance was that the Director and Lead actor, Albert Dupontel, appeared after the film, with his lead actress, Claude Perron, to answer questions from the crowd. "Le Createur" (The Creator), is a wickedly funny farce, fashioned in a style that could be described as Monty Python meets Kafka. In fact, some of the Python crew are fans of the director, and Terry Jones makes a cameo appearance, as Le Createur. If you could describe watching a typical Hollywood film as analogous to playing a game of chess, then watching "Le Createur would be like playing three dimensional chess". The film comes at you from so many uniquely fascinating levels, of camera views, sounds, and ideas, your senses are thrown askew and you are left vulnerable to Dupontels' satirical viewpoint. Nothing is inanimate in Dupontels' vision. We peer out from inside a a laptop computer, scuddle along with the point of view of a pet cat, and can see, hear and almost smell the sounds of a city in motion. All of this with only the use of subtitles. I only wish I could understand French, so I would be able to sense the subtleties of the dialogue in "Le Createur", as French is such a precise and descriptive language, I am sure much of the intricate nuances are lost in the translation. Be that as it may, the film still translates as a uniquely fascinating look at french filmmaking at it's finest. Dupontel plays Darius, a successful playwright, who has a nervous breakdown on opening night. After returning from a stay in a sanitarium, his nightmare begins again when he discovers that he was supposed to have written a new play, which will be opening in two weeks. He stares at his laptop computer in total terror when he realizes he has not written a single word. Meeting with his lead actress Chloe Duval(Claude Peron), she reminds him that Moliere wrote Tartuffe in two weeks. All he needs is inspiration. He finds it in ever more diabolical fashion and rapidly sinks into an abyss of murderous satire. The film is hilarious, original, and thought provoking. Thirty-six year old Albert Dupontel, is an established actor, writer, and director, in France. He appeared in four major acting roles, before starring in his own films, "Bernie" and "Le Creator". "Bernie", his first feature, was shown appropriately, as the late show at the festival. This is a much simpler film, technically, than "Le Creator". This film is not for everyone! It is a black comedy in the darkest sense. If John Waters' cult classic, "Pink Flamingos" appeals to you, then you may appreciate Dupontels' sordid tale, which has become a controversial cult classic in France. Bernie(Albert Dupontel), who grows up in the shelter of an orphanage, decides to go off on his own into the real world. His quest for his birth parents turns into a psychotic, amoral rampage, as he tries seeking love and a meaningful existence in all the wrong places. The wicked humour of this film is paced with shocking and surprising moments, that will amuse some and send others rushing for the exit doors. I doubt anyone would find this film boring. Following the film, Dupontel was assaulted by a questioning audience, demanding explanations for the graphic violence portrayed in the movie. He explained that "The film was a protest". He wanted to protest how he saw his own society treating orphans and homeless people. He said "I am trying to give them a voice." Earlier, he was greeted by a much more appreciative audience, asking questions about the significance of some of his visions in "Le Creatuer". He noted that the film had been well received by international audiences, but he was most surprised to see how different cultures found different parts of the film to be humorous. For instance, Spanish audiences found the wise cracking Jesus icon to be particularly funny, while American audiences seemed to be more fascinated with the fate of Momo the cat. In any language, I found this film to be the most refreshingly unique piece of filmmaking that I have experienced in a long time.