I meet Linda to see a
screening of Beasts of the Southern Wild. Before the movie starts there is an
announcement informing the small audience of about 20 that the director,
screenwriter, and producer will be doing a Q&A after the film. Unfortunately we cannot stay.
The movie begins. It is a mystical story of a spritely 6-year
old living with her dying father in squalor. I think the movie is taking place
in Africa, until Linda tells me it’s in the South (which of course I should
have realized from the movie title and the fact that everyone in the movie is
speaking English).
As we are leaving, I strike
up a conversation with a young guy involved with the movie. It turns out he’s the 30-year old director,
Behn Zeitlin. He tells me that no one in
the movie has ever acted before, and the captivating little girl who stars in
it was found after literally knocking on doors, and seeing almost 14,000 kids
in Louisiana.
The NY Times says of it,
The movie, a passionate and unruly explosion of
Americana, …winks at skepticism, laughs at sober analysis and stares down
criticism.
I wish I could have stayed
longer. I wish I had pursued my dreams
to be in the film business, as my nephew is doing. And, I wish I could write as well as A.O.
Scott.
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