Best of the Fest
The 10 you have to see
by Matt Prigge mprigge@philadelphiaweekly.com
Some of the fest’s more high-profile nabs—You, the Living; Alexandra; I Just Didn’t Do It; California Dreamin’; closing night doc Patti Smith: Dream of Life; most of its repertory—sadly weren’t available for preview. But that still leaves something like 150 features awaiting discovery. Here, then, are 10 of the fest’s most delectable finds.
James Castle: Portrait of an Artist
Born deaf at the turn of the last century, Idahoan James Castle refused to learn to read, write, sign or act in any way social. Instead he communicated solely through art: Using stove soot and saliva, he’d sketch elaborately detailed drawings of his surroundings, as one person puts it, “living in his art.” Jeffrey Wolf’s haunting doc lasts only 52 minutes, and though it could certainly stand to be roomier, its brevity and compactness have their benefits too, allowing viewers to do some ruminating on their own. Sat., April 12, 5pm. Sold out. Ritz East.
Philadelphia Weekly
April 2-8, 2008
www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/16765/cover-story#best_of_the_fest