Tom Hurwitz, Asc, is one of America’s most honored documentary cameramen. A guy who loves to court chance, Hurwitz started out in documentaries, moved into feature and commercial work, then returned to documentary cinematography nearly 25 years ago. During that time, he has put himself in hundreds of situations that have relied on both his willingness to take chances and his ability to have a camera pointed at the right place at just the right time to capture the powerful and the unexpected. Hurwitz’s work extends from “Frontline,” “Nova,” “American Experience” and “American Masters” to “Cathouse: The Series,” from “Paul Taylor: Dancemaker” and ‘Valentino: The Last Emperor” to “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” “Killing in the Name” and the Oscar-winning “Down and Out in America.” His latest project, “The Queen of Versailles,” had its world...
- 7/19/2012
- by Tom Hurwitz, ASC
- Indiewire
To vote for Best Documentary Feature, academy members must see all five nominees in a theatrical setting. The only exceptions are for those Documentary branch members who took part in the nominating process. "Paradise Lost 3" is the third film from directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky that documents the wrongful imprisonment of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley who were convicted of murdering three boys in 1993. This series of films helped bring about their release last August. To document the life and work of choreographer Pina Bausch, director Wim Wenders made the 3D film "Pina." While there is some footage of dancers discussing her work, it is dominated by performances of these dances. In 1998, "Dancemaker," a profile of choreographer Paul Taylor, won this award. "Pina" was shortlisted for the foreign language Oscar but did not make the final five. Make Your Oscar Pre...
- 2/23/2012
- Gold Derby
"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance." - Japanese proverb
Not since Matthew Diamond's splendid documentary on Paul Taylor, Dancemaker (1998), has a film honored the essence of Terpsichore, the muse of dance, so well as does First Position.
Bess Kargman's new film focuses on seven competitors, aged 10 to 17, who are putting their personal lives on hold to win top prizes at the Youth American Grand Prix, the "largest competition that awards full scholarships to top ballet schools."
Much as in any reality competition on TV, we first meet the wannabe dancers and eventually their families. Then we watch the talented juveniles rehearse, overcoming pain and doubt as they twist their torsos into unimaginable configurations and leap dizzying heights.
Where the film succeeds is in its wise choice of leads to focus on. Michaela DePrince, 14, for example, was three when both of her...
Not since Matthew Diamond's splendid documentary on Paul Taylor, Dancemaker (1998), has a film honored the essence of Terpsichore, the muse of dance, so well as does First Position.
Bess Kargman's new film focuses on seven competitors, aged 10 to 17, who are putting their personal lives on hold to win top prizes at the Youth American Grand Prix, the "largest competition that awards full scholarships to top ballet schools."
Much as in any reality competition on TV, we first meet the wannabe dancers and eventually their families. Then we watch the talented juveniles rehearse, overcoming pain and doubt as they twist their torsos into unimaginable configurations and leap dizzying heights.
Where the film succeeds is in its wise choice of leads to focus on. Michaela DePrince, 14, for example, was three when both of her...
- 1/20/2012
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
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