As previously discussed, “The Chronicles of Piercing Ken” was attending the Tribeca Film Festival and it was actually our very first time at this event and doing so as a member of the press with what was defined as the “Chambers Pass”. For the unschooled in such things, certain badges allow for certain things and others do not. One of the events we were able to participate in was the Cinema 360 series of immersive films. There were four sessions in this series and each consisted of three short films that had a connected narrative theme. During these sessions the audience would sit in a spacious room in an office chair that allowed you to spin if necessary while wearing a set of headphones and goggles. My brief on each of these viewings have been broken up by each theme and I’ve already shared my thoughts on “Go Team!”, “Change Is Gonna Come” and “Her Truth, Her Power”. Now let’s continue along with the fourth and final theme from the series.
Theme 4: Such Sweet Sorrow:
Armonia: Armonia takes the ride of the dynamic original piano concerto “Armonia Degli Uccelli,” and marries it to a universally accessible animation, to produce a uniquely layered spectacle of spatial storytelling. Supported by Tribeca Film Institute.
Dreams of The Jaguar’s Daughter: Dreams Of The Jaguar’s Daughter is a surreal VR documentary where Achik’, the spirit of a young Maya immigrant, guides the viewer through her memories of an arduous journey north. Supported by Tribeca Film Institute.
Water Melts: A blue-hearted rom-com about people who are going to lose someone they love. Nobody knows what to say, so they bicker, laugh/cry, get married. It’s a romantic comedy, after all. Supported by Tribeca Film Institute.
Starring:
Rosa Gilmore as Daughter
Erinn Holmes as Rumi
M.L. Josepher as Father
Nick Koukas as Son
Gergana Mellin as
Chivonne Perkins as Sea Goddess
Elya Yerushalmy as Issa
Piercing Ken Thoughts: The last series was a very different vibe for me. “Armonia” was interesting and almost hypnotizing as you watched the many shapes interact and connect in front of you in a spacious, desert like setting. I liked it quite a bit and “Dreams Of The Jaguar’s Daughter” was something fascinating since you felt as if you were walking along with this young Mayan girl as she faces threats and uncertain terrain. The last film was the longest and a live cast was in this one as opposed to conventional or digital animation. It’s why I’ve listed the cast as they all did a great job. Though there are some lines that one would get a chuckle from, the larger subject is more serious and sad as these are people heading towards a loss and it’s the person across from them in this feature. For this film the viewer seems to be an observer watching from a distance that will not interfere with the outcome. Closing up I liked this series probably the best and found the “Go Team” one a close second for me. Sure they all left me with something to think about but in terms of overall enjoyment it was these two. Hopefully you readers find the means to see some of these films even if they are not presented with the 360 degrees format.
Official Website: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.com