On Sunday, November 9th, Mary and I were able to attend the
Ojai Film Festival. We started our afternoon at the
Matilja Junior High auditorium where we saw three very interesting films.
The first, The Art of Stalking, is about a man who devotes his entire life to stalking a Chicago actress named Kate. But, when he discovers someone else is following her, he decides her safety is more valued than her love. I rated this film a three out of five because it seemed to be missing a key component that make a film entertaining.
Uncovered, the next film, tells the story of a premature twins, both with severe health problems and denied health insurance. Without financial aid, the couple struggles to pay their bills and must make immense sacrifices. I gave this short a four out of five because all though it was touching and made me want to make change, it was negative from the start.
The feature film of that segment was entitled Life.Support.Music. Jason, a musician in New York City, suffered a severe brain hemorrhage during a concert. The doctor’s diagnosis was that he would either die or become the equivalent of a vegetable. Unable to accept this terrible news, when admitted from the hospital over a year later, Jason’s family took him into their own care, devoting twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. The results were breathtaking and life-changing. It was definitely a five out of five.
Later that evening we watched the short God’s Beach about a woman going through a time of both emotional and physical pain. It shows her inner journey and the comparison of her life to a piece of sea glass. I believe it deserves a two out of five because it was difficult to follow and made no connection to the title.
The last short of the day was The Other Woman. This elusive film is about a married woman who is aware her husband is having an affair. I awarded this film a four out of five because it was well-done and sucsessfully fit a plot into only twenty minutes; however, it was difficult to comprehend.
Tru Loved, our final film, was one of the best films of the day. Tru, high-school girl, is forced to move far away to a new school, where she is anything but accepted. With lesbian moms and gay dads, everyone at her new school thinks she is a lesbian outcast, except for her so-called boyfriend Lodell. But when Tru discovers his secret, things don’t go as planned and Tru is forced to lie in order to be accepted. This five out of five film touches on serious issues while still being upbeat and hilarious!
