DOCS DAY SIX: BEARS, DOGS AND SHORT FILMS
Here at Best Boy we often ponder, what would Werner Herzog do? Well today we got some answers... Here’s our round up of our Saturday at Docs Ireland.
We began our day bright and early at the wonderful Ulster Museum, appreciating the amazing work done by the people at Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive, by watching Endurance! The film was made for UTV, focused on Irish explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and his attempt to explore Antarctica. The film first screened in August 1966, and luckily for us, this was the first time it has screened since. UTV produced a lot of films in the 60s, and unfortunately this is one of the only ones to survive in its entirety. Before the film, we were privileged to hear from Rose Baker, who provided insights into the archival process, as well as into how this film was made and what type of films UTV were making at that time. It was her PHD research that led to the digitisation of this film, and we hope that more films in the archive are digitised soon.
The Digital Film Archive is an invaluable resource to us, and we would highly recommend having a look through their website. It’s an endless treasure trove to get lost in, you can find footage of almost any topic, and Endurance is a testament to the work of the archive. The perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.
After that enlightening morning, it was time to jet off to QFT screen one, for an afternoon of competition short films. It was an incredible selection but if you want the tipoff on our favourites… click here…
Okay, so the intro of this round up was not lying. Today we really found out what Werner Herzog thinks... By attending an amazing live commentary to Grizzly Man by Joe Bini, the film’s editor and Herzog’s longtime collaborator.
We’ve talked a lot this week about how no one is doing events like Docs Ireland, and we are proved right yet again by this fantastic event.
An ode to the lost art form of the DVD commentary, and a full new section of the festival as a whole with aims to repeat year after year, we were privileged to experience this live commentary, and what a perfect film to start with.
Often cited as one of the greatest documentaries ever made, the film is as earnest as it is funny, and the commentary was much the same. Providing insight into the working process with an eccentric like Herzog, Joe Bini was the perfect guide through the weird world of Timothy Treadwell, the star of the film. For anyone who hasn’t seen the film, it is an absolute must-see, and for those who had seen it, this commentary was the perfect setting for a well needed rewatch.
Best Boy can't wait to see what happens at next year’s festival, we are praying for another live commentary event, perhaps there is no better way to experience a film than with a crowd of people and someone giving you an inside scoop.
Another utterly amazing day at Docs Ireland, but more is to come, on tomorrow’s final day of the festival...
