SXSW 2012: Art as Process

Several docs at SXSW 2012 charmed me for their portrayal of artistic processes. "Wonder Women," at a crisp 62 minutes, was a delicious journey through decades of popular culture. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan interweaves the evolution of women superheroes, from the original Wonder Woman comic through Charlie’s Angels, Buffy, Riot Grrrls and beyond, and the history of modern feminism. It’s a vivid demonstration of the complex relationship between creators and consumers of popular culture; for instance, even though Wonder Woman by the 1970s had become quite tame and male-dominated, women seized upon that image as one of strength.

Scout Shannon’s "Just Like Being There" is the story of the early days of a creative movement, in DYI culture. Makers of gig-posters—rock fans with great drawing/design skills who, unbidden, make posters to celebrate a local event--talk about how they got into it, who and what they admire, what they aspire to. They also have vigorous discussions about the boundaries of the emerging art form. The art is often elegant or thought-provoking or both, and the creative enthusiasm is infectious.

"Her Master’s Voice," by Nina Conti, was perhaps the most improbable film I saw, and possibly the most endearing. Conti is a ventriloquist (yes, the art form is coming back, often with an arch art-house air), who inherited her own mentor’s puppets on his demise. The film tracks her struggle to figure out what to do with them—they are all characters she talks to, and I swear it’s not fey. It’s about the art, about the people who do this art and why they do, and about a private journey through grief, with love.

And Amir Bar-Lev’s latest, "Re:Generation," is probably a must-see for musicians everywhere. The film, sponsored by Hyundai and the Grammys, matches five electronic DJs/producers, including Skrillex and DJ Premier, with supremely talented artists in five traditional music genres. We get to watch as the digital natives meet musical tradition, and to listen as new musical works emerge—culture being created before your eyes.  

“I have always wanted to make a music film,”said Bar-Lev, “and I’ve been trying for as long as I can remember. I have music TV pilots, music laden scripts, if I looked at my file there’s innumerable projects. I’m delighted I finally got to marry the two interests and make a music film. As a music lover, I have to say, you can’t get better seats than this. I don’t shoot, I don’t record sound, so my job was to lie on my back for hours being serenaded by great musicians and enjoying myself."

He said that the sponsors were hands-off the project.  “But I also knew who I was making it for. There were things I left on the cutting room floor, like pot smoking, because there was a corporate connection to the film.”