Maine International Film Festival makes world travelers of us all

By Emily Burnham
Thursday, July 10, 2008 - Bangor Daily News

The Maine International Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is one of the highlights of an always jampacked summer of events in the Pine Tree State. Screening nearly 100 films in 10 days, the festival showcases international and independent cinema of a caliber usually reserved for the big-name festivals, like those in Toronto and Berlin.

This year, special events include a screening of Kaiulani Lee’s documentary on Rachel Carson, "A Sense of Wonder," a tribute to actress and director Isild Le Besco featuring the films "Charly" and "A Tout de Suite," and the presentation of the 2008 Mid-Life Achievement Award to actor-director John Turturro, whose films "Romance and Cigarettes" and the Spike Lee classic "Do The Right Thing" will be screened, among others.

It also places special emphasis on films made in Maine and has acted as a springboard for international attention — last year’s "Billy the Kid," a documentary filmed in Lisbon Falls by Maine director Jennifer Venditti, went on to win awards at the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Here’s a rundown of some of the intriguing offerings at this year’s MIFF — Maine-made or otherwise.

- "Man on Wire" — In 1974, Philippe Petit walked thousands of feet in the air without a net on a high wire between New York City’s World Trade Center’s twin towers. The film is the result of Winslow, Maine, native James Marsh’s fascination by what was called the "art crime of the century." The 90-minute film, winner of the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, is in English and French with English subtitles, and will be screened at 7 p.m. Friday, July 11.

- "A Road Not Taken" — In 1991, Unity College received the solar panels originally installed at the White House in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. The hour-long "Road," directed by Christina Hemauer and Roman Keller, tells the story of how that came to be. It will be screened at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 13, and 3 p.m. Friday, July 18.

- "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell" — A visually adventurous journey into the life and world of a nearly forgotten but seminal avant-garde composer, singer-songwriter, cellist and disco producer. The 71-minute film, directed by Matt Wolf, will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 13, and 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 15.

- "The Champagne Spy" — James Bond’s real-life 1960s Egyptian counterpart was the handsome, wealthy, German horse breeder Wolfgang Lotz. While it was whispered he was a former lieutenant colonel in Hitler’s SS who had joined Egyptian intelligence after the war, in reality he was a Jew, an Israeli citizen and a spy with a taste for champagne. The 90-minute "Spy," directed by Nadav Schirman, will be screened at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 13; 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 15.

- "A Secret" — Nominated for 11 Cesar Awards (France’s Oscar equivalent), this film focuses on the German occupation of France during World War II as seen in the lives of one well-to-do extended Jewish family in events leading up to those fateful years, and in the years after the war ended. Directed by Claude Miller, this 105-minute film in French with English subtitles will be screened at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 15; 9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17; and 3 p.m. Saturday, July 19.

- "A Man Named Pearl" — The story of a black man who fashioned a garden of topiary, flowers and good will in his South Carolina town. The 78- minute film, directed by Scott Galloway and Brent Pierson, will be screened at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 20.

- "Maine Shorts Program" — Ten short films from Maine directors, featuring documentaries, animation and short drama. With a total running time of 98 minutes, the film will be screened at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 12.

A full festival pass is $200; a partial pass, with admission to 10 screenings, is $85. Individual tickets are $9. Screenings are held at Railroad Square Cinema and at the Waterville Opera House. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.miff.org, or call 861-8138.