Someplace with a Mountain Reviewed

Film By: Steve Goodall

Chills were sprinkled atop my bare skin as I sat in a small Theatre at Pier 39 after the Oceans Film Festival played the last of its Friday night films, a documentary entitled ‘Someplace with a Mountain.’ The most profoundly human reaction I have ever seen or experienced ensued; an uproarious energy flow and a solid stream of hands up ready to ask questions and also pleading to be a part of a solution to the film that was just shown. Its creator, Steve Goodall, stood on stage- with his pure hippie man beauty, silver hair to his shoulders earnestly accepting the questions and crying because the subjects of his film, a village of people on an island in Polynesia, had not contacted him in the days after the tsunami in Japan and he had no idea if they even existed anymore. Luckily, it proudly states on his website that he has heard word and all is grand with the islanders, for now.

The film is an ode to the streams of positivity that still remains in humanity; the purities of family, relationship, using ones hands and physicality to build shelter and cook sustenance. The film showcases a community of people that are, ultimately, what is right.

Chevy Chase (I must find out how that one came about), narrates the film that is sharply and beautifully shot and never boring in its pacing as some rhetoric documentaries can be. Its watchable demeanor is probably thanks to the superb editing because as Steve the director himself said, I "never wanted to be a film maker,” “I am a sailor.” The man sails around polynesia and stays on islands emerced in simple and utopian cultures for as long as 8 months at a time. Rejecting the set-out Western ways and institutions Steve is an angelic and really interesting man.

That is what makes the film so sincerely pure and easy to watch and engage in. The story is as follows- A man, Steve, lives on an island with beautiful people who are self sustaining and without one ounce of Western influence are unaware of news media or the currently depleting environment; a result of fossil fuels and carbon emission which they have contributed nothing to since they use zero electricity or transportation other than their legs. Their island is at high risk of being washed away, though, because of sea-level rise. Of course, without news sources or a necessity to have interest in the rest of the world- they had no idea. Steve, their American friend, breaks the news to them, via his Dell laptop.

The scene is so strange in which this piece of electronics is surrounded by the faces of indigenous half-naked islanders finding out that their home is doomed . It is one thing to be born knowing that life is going to end, but it is entirely different to be told that the island you’ve built is going to be washed away for no other reason than your fellow human population is smoking cigarettes, driving cars, and wasting a plethora of resources with their addiction to eating fast food in small plastic packages that will never biodegrade. (to be incredibly broad and not touch on the list of a million habitual graves us Westerners dig for ourselves collectively each day).

Thus, comes the solution- for these people to remain in-tact as an established group- and culture, they must move. Their island is flat and the sea will eventually, very soon, eat it.

Steve is in talks with a nearby island called Yap, that does have some highways and branded clothing, but is willing to and currently in the midst of researching the land they can give to their neighbors and save them. Ideally, though, Steve is searching far and wide for a place that they can move and continue on in their own ways, away from all else, someplace with a mountain.

The film will be screened next on PBS nationwide! ! ! Below are the links to the dates throughout the country. The first one will be in Southern California on May 3rd at 9pm (KCET)

http://www.kcet.org/shows/someplace_with_a_mountain/someplace-with-a-mountain.html

http://cpt12.org/tv_schedule/program_details.cfm?series_id=47504115

http://www.mptv.org/schedule/a-z/program/someplace-with-a-mountain/

http://www.klru.org/schedule/ViewSeries.php?SeriesID=17913

# 3

I WILL ADD. the things I see daily on the bus,

apart from the precious untainted dolls of children. is REVOLTING and strange and I don't even appreciate the bus drivers because they are RUDE and hate me even though I am so lovely to themz. AND things like full Zoo York outfits with prosthetic arm and hook that I saw today are not fazing me anymore. just seeeedlings in my psyche now to be JADED 4ever

#2

SANTA BARBARA BUSIUS FESTIVUS - Mexican children

I have this insanely giant commute to my world here in Santa Barbara. It is two bus rides and the least time I spend on the busses is 40 minutes there and an hour and half back. It is actually a beautiful disguised blessing though I THINK because I don't have friends or social activities every moment in SB (thats the slang ) and thus being ON the BUS in TRANSIT is like I am DOING SOMETHING,

I love watching people I love their habits. BUT REALLY . I love the babies. and here is my first, my baby Mexican boy with a curly and luscious mullet

I realize as I write this I have this fetish thing HAPPENING because in Barbados I did the same thing, took photos of children when they didn't know but OK I WILL DO THIS ANYWAYS>

here is #1

FILM FESTIVAL 2010 -as requested by mustard and liz

THE FILM FESTIVAL IS BUBBLING OOZING UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CITY !!!!!!!!

i cannot wait. i just tried to make my choices for my 10 ticket package as a staffer but I think there are faults because I forgot various things and have NO midnight madnesses NO new john carpenter NO ke Jia Zhang ok
on the lookout.
-NEW JEAN-LUC GODARD-
my GOD of all filmic gods JORGEN LETH's 'The erotic Man'
Werner Herzog's voice is going to flap its angel wings on my ears in his documentary 'Caves of Forgotten Dreams'
Eli just reminded me that a BRILLIANT force apichatpong weerasethakul is back this year and he won CANNES and i cannot WAAIT
there is an EVA GREEN thing called WORTH!? i think i signed up for
VINCENT GALLO IS GOING TO BE BEARDED and in an afghanistan desert silent for 2 hours in this brilliant Polish man's 'Essential Killing'
and what else?? I AM SO EXCITED FOR SO MUCH I CANNOT EVEN TYPE /..../.../ i wonder what i will end up seeing/loving.

AND PS> life during wartime was released at the cumberland and i reviewed below and ALSO get low is out and i thought it was OUTSTANDING last year. xoxoxo- gossip gurlz

film festivus extraordinaire !!!! REVIEWS THUS FAR

i am currently at the nathan phillips box office working away with the largest smile .
so far i have seen the following films WRITTEN IN ORDER OF BRILLIANCE -please check titles for film times at http://www.tiff.net/
1) CRAB TRAP (heaven)-columbian film -still playing -
The film was set in La Barra, a heavenly black community in the jungles of Columbia. Apart from the magnificent landscape that was in now was romanticized -the films' characters and story were SO very human and captivating and moving and inspiring. I was so alive with a grin the whole film. It is made by Oscar Ruiz and his heart oozes from the camera. He frames the faces of the real-life people in the La Barra community with such respect and adornment it is chilling really. I ALSO was the luckiest woman to experience a q&a with the director and the films actors. One was a the star of the film, an actor, completely beautiful specimen of man. So humble. Gave the most grave and true performance in the film and then was so elegant in person . And next was Celebro, the films subject's spirit. A man from the village who portrayed himself in the film and has never left his village until he came to Canada to be at the screening. He spoke with such confidence and wisdom and invited the entire audience to his community that is rich with beauty and whose treasures should remain there and be admired as they are.
2) Life During Wartime
OMG my favorite director writer jew Todd Solondz made this glorious new film. Aesthetically unpleasing, matching the story's desperate, dismal attitude. It is also HILARIOUS. Myself, my lover of life and my bff lizard all laughed histarically at the film's witty commentary on the US and its brutally unwell and overly medicated citizens. It also, without pretension, nodded at the future Chinese takover of our world and at Jewish humor. The other traditional Jewish element was its glance at a family. In their separate demented lives and then in a scene at Billy's bar mitsvah where, of course, they all sit together in a row. The film is mostly filled with close-ups of the characters as they deliver the brilliance of todd solondz's psyche. He deservedly just won the best screenplay at venice for this film. I truly loved in in all its glory. The motifs of pedaphilia, 'proper' definitions of good and evil separated, and crying were all clear and effective in telling the story better. ALSO ps. this IS a continuence of his earlier film Happiness. but none of the characters are played by the same actors. They still do maintain their brilliance though.
love, snacklyn
3) TIE FOR THIRD - Harmony Korine's Trash Humpers and Get Low -heavenly new Robert Duvall's new masterpiece
REVIEWS TO COME> too much to say and too little time in this momento
4)Bright Star- Jane Campion
5)Samson and Delilah
and antichrist is not yet being spoken about. it was masterful and insane and I am still digesting it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/series/24hoursinpictures

this is my absolute favorite new hobby on the internet. !! ENJOY Y"ALL!!!

I ALSO have an absolute favorite new poem . get readay