Full Frame got off to its usual enthusiastic start yesterday, and I jumped right in with some screenings. POV films Promised Land (2010) and Last Train Home (2011) screened in the early afternoon, followed by Enemies of the People. Yoruba Richen, director of Promised Land was pleased with the turnout for her film about land clams in South Africa, and I heard good things about the Last Train Home screening as well. I was at the screening for Enemies of the People, and I can report that the audience was enthralled, and though Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambat couldn’t make it, a local expert on Cambodia answered questions from the audience afterwards.
The Carolina Theatre in Durham, N.C.
The opening night film, Kings of Pastry by the legendary D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus was sold out. VERY sold out. The line stretched from the front of the Fletcher Theater up the block and around the corner — nearly to the front entrance of the Marriott, where many of the theaters are located. Those lucky enough to get inside were treated to the delightful story of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, or MOF, competition. Showing once again that the French love food more than any other people, this film documents French pastry chefs as they train for months to compete for the MOF collar. The desserts constructed (and destroyed) by the chefs are unbelievable, and as in any great competition film, some chefs win and some crack under the pressure. Keep an eye out for the film in theaters near you.
The opening night party afterward felt like a get together of a very large group of old friends. There were dancers, a Kings of Pastry-inspired display by a local French Culinary institute, and lots of delicious food and treats to go around.
Today I’ve got a schedule only a programmer could love: a State of the Doc panel at 10 (I wonder what state we’re in) followed by No Crossover, My Pererstroika, The Oath, and Las Isla — Archives of Tragedy. I’ll be drinking coffee at 10 pm, but I’ll be loving every minute of it.
Tweets will follow through the weekend, so stay tuned!