"Gideon's Army"

Gideon's Army, 2013

Dir.: Dawn Porter

Prod.: Julie Goldman, Dawn Porter

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense" - Miranda warning

I usually try to avoid documentaries that are heavy with legal jargon because I often become frustrated at my inability to follow whatever the hell they're talking about. Law is not my strongest subject. I took a law course in college that I barely scraped by in (though it was a course in media law and was pretty specific and easy to follow). I've tried a couple of times to blog about legal and law-based documentaries and they are still sitting in my draft folder because I get so jumbled up trying to explain what things are that I get flustered.

But because this week's HBO documentary was centered around the law and the legal system, I dove headfirst into it and tried my best to follow. Luckily, the subject was not so much about the law as it was about the people who practice the law.  

The doc this week is Gideon's Army, which explores the lives of the overworked, underpaid, oft-overlooked public defenders of our country's legal system. The title of the documentary comes from the case of Gideon v. Wainwright. In 1961, Clarence Gideon was jailed for robbery. He was too poor to afford a lawyer and instead represented himself in court. That turned out to be not so great of a plan, because Gideon went to jail. Gideon appealed, from jail, which was granted, and he got a re-trial, with a lawyer, and was then freed by a jury. Basically, long story short, Clarence Gideon is the reason why we have these absolute angels of the legal system called public defenders. 

There are currently 15,000 public defenders at work in the US, and even though they can't buy enough gas to fill their gas tank, they are passionate about what they do. Every day, they defend those who cannot afford a lawyer, and most often, those people are guilty of their crimes and their job is to help prove these people are innocent.  

Brandy Alexander has been a public defender for three years, and she represents 180 clients at once. She speaks to her clients with a firm but gentle tone, almost like a mother scolding a misbehaving child. Travis Williams has been a public defender for less than a year, and represents 120 clients. He carries his court losses personally, and vows to one day have the names of all of his losses tattooed on his back. June Hardwick has 150 clients and still remains positive about her career, and visits her clients in jail as often as possible. 

June, Travis and Brandy are part of a program that helps train incoming public defenders, called the Southern Public Defender Training Program (SPDTP). It's the only program like it in the country. Public defenders from several states come to this program to meet, to air their grievances, and to reassure one another that they are doing what's right and they are making a difference in the country - despite the poor pay and the long hours (there's a scene where Brandy is scraping together change in order to pay for gas to keep her car running for the next two days).

The public defenders face exhausting battles. Brandy ends up having to take a week off from work because one of the men she was defending for murder was bragging to his cellmates that he was planning on murdering her if they lost their court case. 

Being a public defender is not glamorous. It is not easy, it is not fun. But it is one of the most important jobs that someone in the legal profession could have. If everyone in this country has a right to a fair trial, someone has to defend them. That's what public defenders are here for. They are here to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. 

What is completely amazing about this documentary is the courtroom access. We get to see these court cases unfold right in front of our eyes, on film. The people who are on trial are completely open about being filmed, their faces aren't blurred, they allow the cameras access into their homes and their lives. It was amazing to get to see this process completely uncensored.

Not everyone can handle being a public defender for a long period of time. Sometimes the stress is overwhelming, and the pressure of a low paycheck is soul-crushing. But, like the head of the SPDTP tells Brandy and her co-workers, they are doing "God's work". They are speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. It is extremely admirable, what they do, and they often go unrecognized.

Gideon's Army was a wonderful look into a side of the law that gets very little attention. I was very impressed with the access the filmmakers gained and the editing, though I really think they spent too much time focusing on Brandy and not enough on Travis and June (June actually gets the least amount of screen time).  Otherwise I thought this was a great doc that had moments of victory, moments of sadness and, always, moments of glimmering hope.

"The Loving Story"

The Loving Story, 2011

Dir.: Nancy Buirski

Prod.: Nancy Buirski, Elisabeth Halivand James

Exec Prod.: Sheila Nevins

In case you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, section three of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was deemed "unconstitutional" at the end of June. What does that mean? It means that same-sex partners who were married in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage are now legally recognized as "spouses" and can now receive spousal benefits - like health care and insurance benefits - like everyone else in this goddamn country. It means that in the eyes of the government, same-sex and heterosexual marriages are one in the same. 

DOMA was signed by President Clinton in 1996. It effectively barred same-sex couples who were married in states that recognized same-sex marriages from receiving spousal benefits. Let me repeat that: 1996. That was only seventeen years ago, people. 

Now that DOMA has been overturned, we're going to have a good laugh about it, right? Oh boy, how silly was that? Can you believe how uppity people were over a thing like same-sex couples getting the same benefits as heterosexual couples? My goodness, are we are going to look back one day and have a good knee-slapper. How silly everyone was! How ridiculous people were acting! What was wrong with people back then? Our children are going to be appalled that same-sex couples didn't have the same rights as heterosexual couples. Why, it's almost as ridiculous as interracial marriage being illegal! Ha-ha-ha! 

Guess what? In 1958 - a mere fifty-five years ago - interracial marriage was illegal. It was a crime that was punishable by jail time, and this was the case across 24 states. 

That was also the year that Mildred and Richard Loving were arrested in Virginia shortly after their marriage for this very reason. Mildred is black, Richard is white, and they spent nine years trying to get their marriage recognized in their home state. Told through archival footage, interviews and home video, The Loving Story tells the incredible tale of a beautiful couple and their powerful love for one another that went all the way up to the Supreme Court.

At two AM, less than two months after they were married in Washington D.C., the police entered Richard and Mildred's home, ordered them out of bed and placed them under arrest. They were put in jail for a year, but their sentences were suspended under the condition that they leave the state.

Mildred admits that she didn't know that interracial marriage was illegal. She recalls the segregated South, not being allowed to eat in "white only" restaurants, but she'd always seen black people and white people together, and it didn't bother her or anyone she knew. 

Richard and Mildred share a tender moment in their home

After they were released, Richard and Mildred were separated. Mildred went to her parents' house, Richard went to his parents'. Shortly after, they left Virginia and went to Washington, D.C., but they were under the impression that they could come back to Virginia and visit. They were wrong. Once they returned to the state, they were arrested once more.  

In a filmed interview, Richard's mother Lola Loving is surprisingly nonplussed about the whole marriage, saying she's never seen them not happy when they were together. "I like 'em. I like her," she says. "I didn't advise them not to get married." 

Peggy Loving, Richard and Mildred's daughter, recalls that her parents loved to go to drag races, and her father was passionate about building and fixing drag cars. Richard is described by friends as "warm, very friendly...he could blend and mix with any people." Other voices who'd known the Lovings describe the community they lived in as helpful and friendly. No one really cared about what race you were, and everyone helped everyone. 

The Lovings, shortly before their arrest

So what had happened in this utopia that made it all go wrong for Mildred and Richard? 

The local sheriff, that's what. It was well known that he did not get along well with the black community in Caroline County, VA, where the Lovings lived. He was the one who knocked down Richard and Mildred's door in the middle of the night to arrest them, and he was the one who kept trying to bring them back to jail.  

Mildred was unhappy living in Washington D.C., and often went back to Virginia to visit her family. They were allowed to go there separately, but not together. "Knowing them, they probably came back together," Peggy Loving says. Mildred and Richard often had to sneak around when they wanted to come together. Their friends would help them lay low, and they would stay out of public places, mainly spending time with family and keeping close to family homes. 

Mildred and Richard on the porch of the boarding house owned by Mildred's sister Garnet

In 1964, at the height of the Civil Rights movement, Mildred wrote a letter to Robert Kennedy - who was, at the time, the Attorney General of the United States - and told him her story, letting him know how unhappy she was at her plight of not being allowed back to her home state simply because she was married to a white man. He wrote back, suggesting that she contact the American Civil Liberties Union. 

Meanwhile, in the South, we start to see a very aggressive tightening of segregation and a prominence of the KKK in the South. Race issues were becoming a bigger and bigger deal, with more prominence in the media. Coinciding was the Lovings' ongoing battle with the court systems, and the runaround they were given. It wasn't until 1965 that the court of the district of Virginia finally decided that the Lovings could go to the Supreme Court of Appeals. Unfortunately, their ruling was upheld and affirmed, that Richard and Mildred were criminals, guilt of interracial marriage, which is considered just as heinous as incestual marriage. Of course, they appealed this decision again to the US Supreme Court. Richard and Mildred were flabbergasted that this was going so far. They did not attend the proceedings in Washington, D.C. but a statement was read on Richard's behalf: "Just tell the court that I love my wife."

Then, in June 1967, the US Supreme Court unanimously deemed that interracial marriage was considered 100% legal in every state. Those states that had laws against interracial marriage must revoke them immediately. The ruling read as follows: 

Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state. These convictions must be revered. It is so ordered. 

And just like that, Mildred and Richard were "free". 

The Lovings at a press conference following the Supreme Court ruling

After nine years, they were finally able to move back to Virginia with their children, and not have to worry about being arrested. They could go out in their hometown, hold hands, visit family and friends, without wondering who was going to break down the door and drag them away. Just like that. 

I thought that among the celebrating of DOMA being overturned, we should take a moment to thank the Lovings and honor their bravery, determination and devotion to their cause and one another. Because I feel in a way, Robert and Mildred Loving's fight to their right to marry paved the way for not only other interracial couples, but for same-sex couples as well.  

Our country is moving at a slow pace, "the wheels of justice grind slowly", but we know from the case of the Lovings that, one day, we will see equal rights for all. So while DOMA coming off the table is a step in the right direction, it does not mean the fight is over. Someday soon, we can hope to see that this:

will one day be as legal as this

In Loving Memory of Richard (1933-1975) and Mildred (1939-2008)

"12th & Delaware"

12th & Delaware, 2010

Dir.: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady

I know I'm mainly going to be focusing on the HBO docs this summer, but that doesn't mean that's all I'm going to be watching. This particular documentary's tenure is about to expire on HBOGO and I wanted to catch it before I wouldn't get a chance to see it anymore and I am so glad I did. 

One of my favorite styles of documentary is called cinema verite, which translates to "truthful cinema". It allows the filmmaker to remain strictly observational, and the finished product is one that is no frills, no muss, no fuss. No music, no narration, no prompting questions. They are very much a "fly on the wall". This was the style that Ewing and Grady used for their eye-opening, heart-wrenching documentary about a woman's right to choose in 12th & Delaware. 

Now, I want to preface this entry by saying that I am pro-choice, and I will leave it at that. The documentary I am about to recount will make it clear where I stand. 

The documentary begins with two teenage girls being interviewed, separately, by a woman named Anne. The first girl is Widline, age fifteen. She is ten weeks pregnant and not ready, financially or emotionally for a baby. Then there is nineteen year old Brittney, who is seven weeks pregnant, and has already aborted one pregnancy before. Anne is the matronly sort, in her late forties maybe. During each interview, Anne occasionally scurries out of the room and whispers things to a woman in an examination type room. Things like, "She's abortion-minded" and "Let's get her in for an ultrasound, and see if we can get a heartbeat."

Anne shows the girls plastic models of what their babies look like at ten and seven weeks' development. The model for the seven-week fetus is about the size of a double-A battery. The ten-week one, about the size of an iPhone. Just by seeing this, I am immediately uneasy. Then it quickly becomes clear: these girls had mistakenly walked into a pro-life clinic. 

In 1991, an abortion clinic opened up on the corner of 12th and Delaware in Fort Pierce, Florida. In 1999, a pro-life organization opened up directly across the street. Often, girls enter the "Pregnancy Care Clinic" thinking they are getting help with their unwanted pregnancies. Instead, they get pressured and strong-armed and talked out of having an abortion. The clinic workers use scare tactics and lies to manipulate the girls and women who think they are getting help. They stock their waiting rooms with pamphlets that give completely false descriptions of an abortion procedure, and claim abortions give you breast cancer. 

Now, back to what made me uneasy about what Anne said about the size of a seven- and ten-week old fetus. According to thebump.com, at seven weeks, a fetus is the size of an apple seed (approximately .13" long). At ten weeks, it is the size of a prune (approximately 1.2" long). Knowing these girls were shown completely false representations about the size of their fetuses makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. 

Across the street, the abortion clinic is run by a husband and wife, Candace and Arnold. Arnold picks up and drops off the doctors who actually performs the abortions at a separate location every day, to protect them and their families. Arnold covers the doctors with a sheet when they are on the road, so no one can see their faces or recognize them, and he insists that the doctors carry guns and wear bulletproof vests.

"This is their paycheck," Anne says of Candace and Arnold. "It's like when you walk into a car dealership, they want to sell you a car. When you walk into an abortion clinic, they want to sell you an abortion."

Every single day, protesters arrive as early as five in the morning to set up shop in front of the abortion clinic. An elderly woman is usually the first to arrive. She carries a sign that says "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and shouts at the women who walk into the abortion clinic, calling them murderers and tells them they should be ashamed and that God will save them. She is joined by others, who carry even more graphic signs depicting babies with their limbs torn apart and spouting hell fire. They often go ignored, but it's terrifying to hear and see. When women and girls come in for their procedure, the clinic workers have to warn them ahead of time that there will be protesters outside.   

Inside the abortion clinic, Candace and Arnold make sure video cameras are on the protesters at all times. Candace talks about how disgusted she is by the. She often jokes about how she wants to go over to the pro-life clinic and stage her own protest. "But we don't have the time! We're too busy...we're not obsessed with them!"

Back at the pro-life clinic, Anne is sitting with Victoria, a 24 year old woman with two children already and pregnant a third time. Their exchange is one of the most intense parts of the film. 

Victoria tells Anne that her boyfriend is verbally abusive, and is not the best father. Anne asks her how she knows the baby won't change him (here I slap my palm to my forehead so hard I black out for a second). Anne tells her she will regret her decision to abort. Victoria says no, "abortions are for getting rid of unwanted pregnancies. This pregnancy is not wanted. The only thing I regret is having sex without a condom." Anne smiles and says that condoms are only effective 85% of the time. Victoria disagrees, and tells Anne that she's never gotten pregnant when she's had sex without a condom. Their argument becomes heated and Victoria excuses herself to make a phone call. 

"This fucking bitch is getting on my nerves," she says over the phone. "If I have this baby, she's not gonna take care of it." Victoria then leaves the clinic, and drives off. Smart girl. 

Back at the abortion clinic, we view a few of the interviews that Candace has with potential patients. Her voice is warm, she smiles a lot, and asks a lot of questions. All the women she interviews have their faces hidden. The first woman Candace interviews explains that she is 47 years old and was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. "When this baby is twenty, I'll be sixty-seven," she says to Candace. "That thought is why I am doing this." 

Another woman, who barely speaks above a whisper, tells Candace that her husband is violent and pressures her into having sex without protection. She says she does not want to do this. Candace is very patient and asks why she is here. "Because I have to," is her answer. "I feel like a monster." 

"You're not a monster," Candace assures her. "The only way you would be a monster would be if you had this baby and then mistreated it." 

One of the worst parts of the documentary is when a young girl - whose face is hidden - tells Candace that she'd gone across the street by accident. They gave her a pregnancy test and told her she was seven weeks pregnant. Candace asks the girl when the start of her last menstrual cycle was, and then pulls out a chart when the girl gives her a date. According to Candace's chart, the girl is actually more than ten weeks pregnant.

"They lied to her," Candace says later. She explains that the pro-life clinic will tell girls they are not as far as they actually are, so they think they have enough time to think it over. By the time the girls decide to go through with an abortion, it's too late and they're too far along.

The reason this documentary infuriates me so much is that this is even an issue. It's 2013 and there is still a debate over a woman's right to choose. Why are women still getting shit over what they do to their bodies? You don't like abortion? Don't get one. Just like how if you don't like tattoos, don't get one - you don't have a right to not get a tattoo. No matter what happens, people are always going to protest, just like how currently people are tearing their hair out about DOMA being shot down. What I don't like is how people choose to verbally attack these women and then use religion as their shield. Religion is a great thing, I have religion. It's okay to not have religion. But don't use it as an excuse for your ignorance.

I can't say I enjoyed 12th & Delaware, just like you can't enjoy a root canal or paying bills. But it was a very interesting documentary about how two sides of the same old debate are never going to see eye-to-eye.

"Miss You Can Do It"

Miss You Can Do It, 2013

Dir.: Ron Davis

Prod.: Ron Davis

"Accomplishment begins with two words: 'I'll Try'" - Abbey Curran

I hate beauty pageants. I've expressed my very obvious disdain for them when I reviewed The Good Mother. I feel like they're antiquated, useless and promote the wrong kind of values. I'm especially against child beauty pageants. Do I need to go into why? Google "child beauty pageants" and you will see picture after picture of very young girls in overdone hair and make-up far too old for their faces, spray tanned, false eyelashed, plumped, corseted, wearing high heels, doing sexy dance moves...it makes me gag.

Why? Why are we doing this to these little girls? Don't they know that perfection is not the only thing in this world?

But I think I've finally seen a beauty pageant that is worthy of the word  "beauty".

Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa 2008, began the Miss You Can Do It pageant in 2005, and this documentary follows its eighth season. It's geared towards little girls as young as four years old who have special needs. Abbey herself was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of two, and became the first woman with a disability to enter Miss USA. Her cerebral palsy effects her legs and can walk unassisted, but during pageants walked with an escort.

Abbey in the Miss USA pageant in 2008

"Having a disability doesn't make me different," she said during a pageant interview in 2004. "It just means I have to overcome more challenges."

As for the pageant itself, one of the pageant coordinators says, "Miss You Can Do It is about seeing the beauty behind the challenge."

Abbey pays for the entire pageant herself - they have no sponsors, no financial backing. Everything from throwing pizza and cupcake parties for the contestants, to the professional hair and makeup each girl receives, to the trophies given out to every single girl who competes comes from volunteers or from Abbey's own pocket.

Among the contestants are: Meg and her adopted sister Alina, who both have Down Syndrome; Delaney and Teyanna, who each have different types of cerebral palsy (Delaney's is spasmodic, Teyanna's is seizures); Tierney, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a progressive muscle weakening disease; Ali, who has spina bifida, which is a disorder that causes the spine to not be fully formed during development in utero (at age six,she has had nine surgeries); and sisters Tasha, who has cerebral palsy, and Kenna, who has a cognitive disability that affects her memory. 

There's an interview process before the pageant, and it takes into account the different types of disabilities there are. There are two different interview rooms: one for those who can talk and one for those who have difficulties speaking. Miss USA 2008 and Miss America 1975 are on the panel of interviewers. They ask them questions like, "What's your favorite color?" and "Do you have any pets at home?"

Each girl gets a chance to show off their personalities. Alina, age four, whose father describes as "a fireball", spends most of the interview playing with the boom mike and then tries to make off with a magazine that Miss USA has on the table in front of her. However, she is quickly distracted by a lollipop. Ali talks about how much she loves Mustang convertibles and sings a Justin Bieber song. Delaney, who is ten, and one of the judges discuss their favorite High School Musical characters (Delaney is also the cutie featured on the movie poster):

Here, I did you a favor so you don't have to scroll back up :D

The most meaningful interview is twelve-year-old Teyanna. The judges ask her about an essay contest she'd won. The topic was about people with disabilities. She reads some of her essay to the judges: "The meaning of being disabled is not having any power but I have the power to do anything I am willing to try."

Teyanna modeling her sportswear during the pageant

As for the actual pageant itself, there are three categories: sportswear/casual wear, formal wear and interview. Nobody, not a single girl, goes home empty handed, and there's an award for everything: Best Formal Wear, Best Sportswear, Best Interview, Miss Congeniality, etc. The girls are thrilled to be going home with a trophy.

Abbey says, "It's not about outfits, it's not about the hair, it's about the girl on the inside...it's truly going to make a difference in her life."

Of course, I am not going to give away the ones who take away the big trophies. I'm going to let you watch and discover for yourself. Because honestly, though I pretty much cried my way through this documentary, I had a huge smile on my face. Director/producer Ron Davis does a wonderful job at letting the pageant unfold, at capturing the indomitable spirits of the contestants and the wonderful stories all the parents - and Abbey's too! - bring to the table. To them, their children are beautiful. But now it's time for those girls to believe it themselves. There is so much beauty in this documentary - from the contestants themselves to their wonderful parents to Abbey's kind, generous spirit - that it can move you to tears. That is why this really is a beauty pageant.

"Love, Marilyn"

Love, Marilyn (2012)

Dir.: Liz Garbus

Prod.: Stanley F. Buchthal, Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby

"She came to us in her mother's doubt, and leaves in misery" - Norman Mailer 

Marilyn Monroe. 

Just the name conjures up so many pictures and sounds that it is almost a sensory overload. The pouty lips, the come-hither eyes, the curvaceous hips, the shapely legs. The husky voice. The trademark blonde hair. Her iconic films: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot (my personal favorite). Her infamous marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, the suggested affair with JFK.

What can be said about Marilyn that hasn't been said before? Over one thousand books have been written about her, written by friends, lovers, historians, famous novelists. She's been portrayed in movies by Ashley Judd, Poppy Montgomery, Michelle Williams and Naomi Watts. She's inspired plays and musicals (not to mention is the basis of the fictional musical "Bombshell" in the now-defunct television series Smash. And before you ask, yes, I watched the shit out of it). But where is Marilyn's voice? 

Fifty years after Marilyn's tragic death, two boxes were found in storage: boxes full of journals and diaries, letters and poetry, all written in her own hand, in her own words.

Love, Marilyn is a brilliant and moving documentary by Liz Garbus that takes all of Marilyn's personal documents and poetry to use as a backdrop against the life story of one of the most beloved women in Hollywood. Reading the words of Marilyn are contemporary actresses - Uma Thurman, Glenn Close, Evan Rachel Wood, Marissa Tomei, Viola Davis to name a few. Not only do they just read her words, they emote. They speak as though these are their own words. The emotions show on their face - pain, glee, excitement, anxiety. They inflect their speech to reflect Marilyn's writing - sometimes flowy and relaxed; other times frenzied and spasmodic. 

Lili Taylor reads Marilyn's hastily-written down instructions on how to cook a chicken (no, seriously)

Elizabeth Banks reading one of Marilyn's typed letters to her acting coach Lee Strasberg:
"There is a future, and I can't wait to get to it."

Other voices from those who knew and loved Marilyn fill in more narration, giving more background, a different perspective, are also used as narration. Adrien Brody speaks as Truman Capote, who observes Marilyn's darkest periods. Jeremy Piven portrays Elia Kazan, one of Marilyn's dearest friends. Ben Foster as Norman Mailer provides the frankest views. 

The best part of Love, Marilyn was actually getting to know her - not the dumbo bimbo, sexpot gold digger that she often portrayed in her films. No, that was an act. We get to know Norma Jean, the smart girl (and I mean smart, with an IQ of 168), who read a book a day, and knew how to play the Hollywood game to get on top. 

Do you know how Marilyn Monroe went from a two-bit B-list typecasted celeb to the superstar we now know her as? By not being sorry for any fucking thing. 

You see, in 1949, Marilyn took some nude photos for a calendar (WARNING: BOOBIES AHEAD)

See? BOOBIES!

Now, these pictures resurfaced in 1952, when she was under contract with 20th Century Fox. The studio was humiliated. They told Marilyn to deny that she took those photos, to say that this was just some unfortunate girl who happens to look like her.

Marilyn did exactly the opposite. When asked about the photos, she owned up to it. She claimed them. Therefore, she became the predecessor of a sexual revolution ahead of its time. By owning up to the nude photos, Marilyn's stock soared. She became a real star. 

Her diaries reveal that she hated being a star. She writes often about how tired she is, how she wishes she was dead. How she has an image to uphold. That's all she was - an image. She invented her way of breathless talking, the wiggle in her walk, how to use her entire body to convey sex. One particular diary entry muses over death by suicide by jumping off a bridge. She contemplates jumping of the Brooklyn Bridge, but decides not to because the view was too pretty. If she was going to jump from a bridge, she writes, she would have to find one that was ugly and with no view. But then again, she considers, she'd never seen a bridge that wasn't pretty. 

I spent a lot of time watching this film in a veil of mourning. I adore Marilyn Monroe, not just because of her acting, but because of her strengths and weaknesses. She is perhaps one of the most tragic figures of the modern age. She couldn't stay in relationships very long, they always ended in jealousy or sadness (Joe DiMaggio detested having other men looking at his wife, and stormed off the set of The Seven Year Itch when mainly male fans flooded the set to watch as her skirt billowed up). 

She was unable to have a child, having two miscarriages during her marriage to Arthur Miller. She struggled with insomnia and depression. She wrote letters upon letters to Lee Strasberg, her beloved acting coach. She was filled with doubt and anxiety, always wanting to be perfect perfect perfect all the time.

Every woman in the world wanted to be Marilyn Monroe, except for Marilyn Monroe. 

I feel like Marilyn is - was - misunderstood. She's often considered a dumb blonde or a bimbo because of how she was portrayed in her films, but it was clearly not the truth. Anyone wanting to get a better understanding of this beautiful woman who was only with us for a short time before her tragic death should see Love, Marilyn. Because her voice was the only one that hasn't been heard up until now. 

"Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, 2013

Dir.: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin

Prod.: Maxyne Franklin, Nick Fraser, Xenia Grubstein, Martin Herring, Mike Lerner, Havana Marking, Maxim Pozdorovkin, Nick Quested, Kate Townsend

It's here, it's here, it's HERE! The summer documentary series on HBO has arrived! I never knew how much I wanted this until it actually happened! 

It started last night, but I got home late last night and I stayed up way too late watching the doc and by the time I finished, I was way too tired to blog. Especially because this particular doc is mainly in Russian, meaning subtitles, meaning every time I looked down for a second to jot down some notes, I missed something, so there was a lot of rewinding involved. Luckily, my husband kept his word and watched with me, and helpfully read the subtitles when he noticed my head was down. 

HBO really chose a strong leader for the first doc of the summer season with "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer".

You probably have heard of Pussy Riot without even realizing it, especially if you were an avid news watcher early in 2012. They made CNN and world news headlines. 

A group of Russian women of varying ages, outraged by the re-election of Vladimir Putin in 2011, stage visually stunning, guerrilla-style protests, hiding their identities with brightly colored clothing and covering their faces with balaclavas (ski masks), looking like Luchador Barbie.

Accessories include: ATTITUDE!

They scream feminist, anti-government lyrics set to driving punk music, throw confetti and shoot off colored smoke bombs. They are Pussy Riot - they are strong, outspoken women, and they are angry.

In February of 2012, members of Pussy Riot decide to stage a performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow...on the altar...during a service. Yeah. These girls have BALLS. 

Naturally, security is called and three of the members of Pussy Riot are arrested on moral charges.

The documentary actually begins with video footage of the arrest, followed by interrogations of the three women who were arrested: three good looking, well spoken women in their early-to-mid-twenties. They are introduced as Nadia, Katia and Masha.

otherwise known as the hottest bitches in cell block go-fuck-yourself

In one interview with the police, Nadia is asked, "Why do you fight the Russian Orthodox Church?" 

"Did you see where the Easter services were held? The cathedral symbolizes the union of church and state," she replies. "That's not how it should be...the Patriarch stands at the altar. But a woman should occupy it. As a member of Pussy Riot, I believe that women should be allowed to run services and that women should stand at the altar. Because she is not a sinful creature." 

The rest of the documentary follows the trial and persecution of the three Pussy Riot members. Cameras, recorders, reporters, journalists, media of all kinds are allowed access to the courtroom. Not one camera is shooed away, no journalist are asked to turn of their recording devices. 

As Nadia is led, handcuffed, into a courtroom, she has nothing but smiles for the overwhelming amount of reporters that show up. She chats with them, flirts with them, states that Pussy Riot is a group that Russia needs. Her husband Peter shouts, "You look good, Nadia!" 

"I always look good," is her coquettish reply. 

Katia receives a welcome from her family, who ask her if prison has a library. She replies yes, but the books are old and that new books take a long time to arrive. Her father assures her that they would send her new ones but “You’ll be out before they reach you.”

As for Masha, she is asked by a reporter if her son was going to be taken away. Masha replies, “No...When the investigator presented the charges, he asked me a question: is your child being cared for? And if he needs to call social services. I almost had a nervous breakdown. I don’t want to hear a word about social services. And if this horrific theater affects my child in any way, that will be the worst that could happen.”

Pussy Riot’s lawyer, Violetta, is a ball-buster. She’s tough and fights hard for her clients. She disagrees with the court’s decision to keep the girls in jail instead of releasing them on bail, insisting that this is just going to fuel protest fires, rather than smother them.

“Punk has never existed in Russia, and neither has performance art. Nobody understands it,” explains another Pussy Riot lawyer.

Meanwhile, members of The Russian Orthodox "carriers of the cross" refer to Nadia as a “demon” and the other girls as “witches”, and discuss how in the 16^th century, the girls would have been hanged or burned. They hold their own protests outside the courtroom as the trial commences, singing hymns and carrying pictures of religious icons. 

As the Pussy Riot trial gains momentum, supporters from all over the world – America to Amsterdam to Ireland – are posting YouTube videos and making statements, calling for “Free Pussy Riot”. Madonna and Yoko Ono make public announcements in their support of the imprisoned women. Madonna even performs, in Moscow, with “Pussy Riot” written on her back, and wearing a balaclava.

CHECK!

THIS!

SHIT!

OUT!!!!!

I think the one thing you must keep in mind while you are watching this film is, Did these women really do anything wrong? 

What I mean by this is, did they deserve to be jailed for their "crimes"? In America, they would have a right to protest. In a draconian Russian court system, minor offenses are deemed jail-worthy. Do they really "deserve" to be imprisoned for protesting at a church? While the documentary itself gives the viewer its opinion, it's done in a way that it's really left up to the viewer themselves to decide for sure, which I think makes this a wonderful doc to watch with a group, especially if you're the lively debate type of group. 

Next week: "Love, Marilyn" - a look into the very private life of one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. 

“Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape it” – Bertolt Brecht

Want to join the movement to Free Pussy Riot? Visit http://freepussyriot.org/about

"Young@Heart"

Young@Heart, 2007
Dir.: Stephen Walker, Sally George
Prod.: Hannah Beckerman, Sally George, Jane Villiers

This morning, as I lay in bed watching TV, I saw a commercial for something only I would get excited for: the summer documentary series on HBO. YES!!!

HBO will be showing ten hour-long documentaries, once a week for ten weeks, starting tomorrow until August 12th. I was so excited I immediately set my DVR. I’m going to be watching and blogging all ten documentaries (starting tomorrow with Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer).

Anyway, seeing this commercial totally lit a fire under me and it put me in a doc watching mood. So, let’s dive back in!

Okay. Quick – picture a glee club!

I bet you’re thinking one of two things: overly sequined Broadway rejects singing cheesy, schmaltzy versions of pop songs, or that monstrous TV show that falls under the category "it seemed like a good idea at the time" (you know exactly what I'm talking about). 

I'm glaring at you, Fox...

Well, I’m about to totally blow your mind. Meet the Young@Heart chorus – a music group comprised of twenty-four senior citizens singing punk and rock songs. Talk about “seniors behaving badly”!

The average age of this group is EIGHTY! EIGHTY, OKAY?! They sing, they entertain, they tour, they’re up on stage, singing their asses off, with walkers, wheelchairs and canes. The documentary follows them on their journey to rehearse a brand new touring show, which will open in seven weeks.

Eat your heart out, Rachel Berry

It originally began as a group of golden oldies singing golden oldies. However, one member of the group suddenly busted out into singing the song “Do Wa Ditty”, and the course of the chorus was changed forever.

The chorus master, Bob Cilman, is charismatic and funny and works extremely hard with the chorus. At the first rehearsal that is filmed, he congratulates one member on his birthday, makes a few jokes about kidney stones, and then asks, “Anyone have any other health issues they want to share? Anyone having a baby?”

Bob picks songs like “I Wanna Be Sedated” by the Ramones and “I Feel Good” by James Brown. He’s not so much concerned with tune or harmonies. It’s more about camaraderie, fun and entertainment. He prints the lyrics out for everyone using an extra-large font. He provides CDs for the members, so that they can sing along at home and learn the words. The choreography is light and easy. They’ve performed at schools, festivals and for the Queen of Norway. Though not everyone loves the music Bob picks (some admit to wearing ear plugs to rehearsal), they all love being a part of the chorus.

Most of the members of the group have no idea about punk and rock – they only sing it. Their own tastes vary from Broadway standards to opera. Sonic Youth, the Clash and Outkast may be on their own program, but they don’t prefer to listen to it.

The oldest member of the group is Eileen, who is 92 years old. She’s a British import who, in a former life, was a burlesque dancer. She’s flirty and sweet, who tells people she’s twenty nine. “I just switch the numbers ‘round!” she laughs. She lives in a nursing home, but is the only resident who has her own key to the front door to the facility, due to the fact that chorus rehearsals sometimes keep her out late, after all of the staff has gone home.

“Singing does a lot for your whole body,” says chorus member Joe. He’s eighty three years old, has battled cancer (and went through six bouts of chemotherapy), and is going on tour with Young@Heart against medical advice. He, Eileen and their friend Lenny, travel to rehearsals together. Lenny (a WW2 veteran) is the only one who is still able to drive. He also enjoys going on long bike rides and is still active in other choral groups, like the Harmonicats and the church choir.

The most emotional part of the documentary is when Bob visits a former member of Young@Heart, named Bob Salvini, who swears that music brought him back from the brink of death. He was hospitalized, and not expected to survive the night. A priest was brought in to say his last rites. However, his daughter tells about how singing through the night helped him pull through. “He sang everything,” she says. “Everything from the Young@Heart program.”

I think my favorite part, however, is the scene where the chorus does their first-ever performance at a prison. This was one of the greatest things I have ever seen on film - two dozen senior citizens performing in an outside courtyard, surrounded by barbed wire, for inmates who genuinely look like that they are having a wonderful time. I'm serious! These guys sit and listen to the chorus with gigantic smiles on their faces, bobbing their heads and clapping with sincere appreciation. At one point, a few of them are moved to tears. Afterwards, the chorus members mingle with the prisoners, who give them hugs and handshakes, complimenting their performance and saying how much they loved them. It was quite wonderful to see. 

Young@Heart was a wonderful, uplifting documentary. I did not stop smiling the entire time, though there are moments that will move you to tears. These elderly folks really are young at heart – they would rather defy their doctors and travel to rehearsals than miss a single one. They sing in the shower, they sing in the car, they sing to each other. They love to dance and to perform. They work so hard to learn these songs, and when Bob gets frustrated at rehearsals and wants to cut a song, they get up and arms and threaten to pummel him. They even make music videos!

What I took away the most from Young@Heart is that you’re never too old to do what you love and as long as it makes you happy, there’s nothing that can stop you.

I really hope I'm this cool when I'm an octogenarian. 

For more information about the Young@Heart chorus (and get their tour schedule, of course), visit: http://youngatheartchorus.com/

"Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers"

Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers, 2010

Dir.: Chip Mabry

Prod.: Chip Mabry

For those of you who don't know, as of March 2013, I became a proud member of the Jerzey Derby Brigade, a women's flat track roller derby team! It's one of the best decisions I've ever made! Our captain Doom Hilda is an amazing and hard-working leader, and my teammates are some of the toughest, funniest, most supportive and encouraging ladies I have ever had the pleasure of being associated with. It has been hard and challenging, but twice a week, I lace up my skates and pad up within an inch of my life and work my ass off on learning everything from how to skate on one foot to how to whip a fellow player (don't worry, that's not as cruel as it sounds). It's helping me build my confidence and be a little more outgoing in social situations. I've made amazing friends and I've been having a frigging blast! 

I wanted to cover a derby-related documentary for this blog first thing I dove right back into it, but Prostitution: Behind the Veil caught my interest first. As I was searching through Hulu, I found a documentary that I had put on my original list of to-watch documentaries waaaaaay back from 2011, when I first started this blog! I found Brutal Beauty! 

One thing I have learned ever since starting derby myself was that you cannot trust what you see on films and TV about the sport. They make it look easy. I'll be the first to admit that the reason why I joined derby was because of the movie Whip It. But I knew from the day I decided to join that I wasn't going to be on the roster any time soon. I hadn't strapped on a pair of skates since elementary school. Now, well, I'm not gonna say I'm good or anything, but at least I don't look like an asshole. Thankfully, the JDB is an amazing support system and even if I'm feeling down on myself for things like not being able to execute a smooth transition (read: turn around while skating), I get a knock on the helmet from one of my teammates and the words, "It's okay, you'll get the hang of it."

Anyway, enough of me rambling. Brutal Beauty tells the story of the Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon, and their 2008-2009 season. It opens with a montage of skates being laced up, pads being strapped on and skaters weaving through bright orange cones, accompanied by the sounds of skates on the floor, players shouting to one another, and whistles blowing. I'm immediately choked up - by now I know these sights and sounds like I know my own heartbeat.

Rose City Rollers founder, who goes by the derby name Rocket Mean, says that roller derby is "indicative of the culture of young women in America."

Skater Blood Clottia explains that it gives women "an alter ego".

"I was captain of the cheerleading squad in high school," says skater Marollin' Monroe, a curvaceous blonde bombshell with a husky voice. "The universe wanted me to be a derby girl. I obliged it."

Rocket Mean launches into the origins story of the Rose City Rollers. In 2004, three friends - Rocket Mean, Jeff and Yvette - were having drinks at a bar. Jeff was the one who suddenly says, "We need to start a roller derby league." At the time, there was no derby in Portland. They planned for nearly two months, meeting every single night at the bar, before they began skating and recruiting. They only place they had to practice was the basement of a bowling alley that they rented out at $200 a month. Once they began to understand the rules more and had a better grip on things, the league grew at a rapid pace.

The league grew to thew point where it was eventually divided into four local teams: the Break Neck Betties, the Heartless Heathers, Guns N Rollers, and the High Rollers. Then there are two travelling teams: the Wheels of Justice and Axles of Annihilation, that compete on a national level.

"It gave us the camaraderie we were all kind of looking for," Rocket Mean adds.

There are discussions about the origins of their derby names, their quirky costumes, and, of course, the one thing synonymous to derby: injuries. Broken ribs, sprained ankles, fractured legs...everytime you step onto the track, there's a potential for injury. Skater and co-captain Angry Wrench, who is interviewed from her living room couch with her foot in a cast, describes it as "going to the bathhouse without a condom every Friday night."

My favorite part of the documentary has to be when the High Rollers' coach, a lean mean donut-making machine who goes by Rob Lobster, demonstrates the basics of roller derby rules using - what else? - donuts.

My other favorite part was an interview with skater Rhea Damage and her husband Jason, who admits that ever since his wife began roller derby, it has taken the top spot over football as his favorite sport and refers to his wife as his "favorite derby girl" (say it with me: Awwwww!!!)

"Men can get passionate about a sport when they're playing it," Jason explains, "But women...it's a whole other level. I mean, these girls devote themselves to it, and they don't even get paid!"

It's true - we actually have to pay dues to play. But ask any roller derby girl if that matters and they will say "Hell NO!" Seriously. At least three or four girls who are interviewed in this film say the exact same line: "Roller derby saved my soul."

It's true for both the skaters and fans alike. Derby is a sport that's for everyone - no matter what your size is, no matter what your skill level is, no matter what you look like.

The Rose City Roller girls - as well as my Jerzey Derby Brigade family - come from all walks of life. Women who are librarians, acupuncturists, and day care teachers strap on skates and become another person entirely when they're on the track. My own team consists of women who are lawyers, therapists, musicians, nannies and stay-at-home moms. That's what roller derby does. It takes whatever kind of mood you're in and immediately turns it on its ear, transforms it into something bigger and better.

Honestly, I spent most of this documentary crying my eyes out. It made me fall in love with this sport all over again. If I wasn't a derby girl now, I would have been immediately after seeing this film. It made me remember all of the beautiful, friendly, intelligent women that I am surrounded by weekly. They are instantly accepting of who you are and where you come from. Once you're in, you're in. I've only been a JDB member for a little less than two months and it feels like forever. I get hugs and advice and encouragement. I sweat, I laugh, and though sometimes I get frustrated, I will never quit.

....Sorry, how did this post become all about me all of a sudden?

Anyway. I have one complaint about the film and that is I wish I had seen more of a perspective from a beginning skater (or "fresh meat", which is the correct derby lingo). These girls have all been skating and on the roster for months or even years. I would have liked the film to follow at least one newbie, someone who was closer to my own experiences. But you know what? That's okay. The film gave me something to aspire to.

If you've ever had any inclination about joining roller derby, watch Brutal Beauty and I promise you, you will be hooked. It's a love affair you will never regret!

Oh, and of course, don't forget to support your local roller derby teams! :D

For more information on the Rose City Rollers: http://www.rosecityrollers.com/
For more information on the Jerzey Derby Brigade: http://www.jerzeyderby.com/

To find local derby near you: http://www.derbyroster.com/