Dreams of a Life

Do you ever stop to think about what will happen after you die? What kind of impact your death will have? How you will be remembered? Dreams of a Life, directed by Carol Morley, tells the story of someone who slipped through the cracks.

In 2003, the remains of Joyce Carol Vincent were found in her North London bedsit. Nothing unusual there, perhaps; people die alone all of the time. The strange thing about this was that she wasn't discovered until three years after she had died. Her skeleton was stretched out on the sofa, the television was still on and there were wrapped Christmas presents at her side. Joyce Vincent was not an old woman with no family. She was 38, had siblings, friends and ex-boyfriends. In that time, nobody had called round to see her, nobody had tried to track her down, even the electricity company hadn't shut her power off.  

Part documentary, part drama, part detective story, this intriguing film attempts to solve the mystery behind one young, beautiful, seemingly popular woman's lonely death. Carol Morley conducts interviews - which range from funny to heartbreaking - with friends, colleagues and lovers (traced through personal ads, posters and Internet sites) and uses dramatised sequences (featuring actor Zawe Ashton) to recreate the life of this glamorous and vivacious young woman. 

While Joyce Vincent died a lonely death, this touching, achingly sad film keeps her name and her memory alive and serves as a reminder to us all that, in this increasingly busy and fractured world, it is vital to remain close to the people you care about.

Review by Bobby Townsend. Dreams of a Life plays at the Sydney Film Festival on Weds morning the 13th June. If you are elsewhere, you can buy the DVD or order it on itunes. Visit the official site for links.

(Incidentally, while we're on the subject of the Sydney Film Fest, we've just noticed that one of our all-time faves is playing this year. Don't miss The Dreamers on Sunday 17th June).

Sydney Film Festival kicks off today

Sydney Film Festival gets underway today. There are heaps of awesome movies to check out. We've already cast our eyes over a couple of the highlights:

Obviously we're interested in the music doccos that are on offer at this year's Sydney Film Festival. We're especially excited for Marley, and we were fascinated to watch Under African Skies, which sees Paul Simon return to South Africa to reunite with the musicians who collaborated on his mega-hit Graceland.

The album's 1986 release put Simon in the eye of a storm of controversy for breaking the UN cultural boycott of the South African Apartheid regime. Prize-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster and the Paradise Lost trilogy) follows Simon to South Africa for the album's 25th-anniversary celebrations, where he confronts his critics - including Artists United Against Apartheid founder Dali Tambo - and defends his appropriation of African music. Anyone who has an interest in Simon, in this seminal album, or in the politics of South Africa at the time, will be absolutely fascinated by this interesting and thought-provoking documentary. To be honest, it's worth watching just to see footage of the studio sessions. Awesome.

Coincidentally, yesterday we checked out another film based in South Africa (we were sitting next to Margaret and David in the screening - eeek). Beauty is a study of desire that won of the Queer Palm at Cannes. In it, South African director Oliver Hermanus focuses on Francois (Deon Lotz), a middle-aged, Afrikaans-speaking family man who becomes obsessed with the young son of longtime friends. As Francois stalks the young man, his world begins to unravel. Beauty is a gripping, tough watch. It's difficult to discuss the film's more difficult scenes without giving away plot-spoilers, but suffice to say its challenging, powerful content is typical of the kind of unrelenting cinema that Sydney Film Festival offers up as part of its extensive programme.

Under African Skies is playing Friday 8th June at 6.30pm and Sunday 10th June at 2.30pm at Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney. Tickets are selling fast. You can see Beauty on Sunday 10th June at 8.30pm and Monday 11th June at 8.15pm at Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney. Tickets here. For a full schedule of all the amazing stuff that Sydney Film Festival has got going on, visit: http://sff.org.au/public/home/

Double feature for Sydney library-goers

Sydneysiders will get a double-barrel chance for a sneak peek at movies in the 2012 Sydney Film Festival program at the City’s libraries in May. Incoming Sydney Film Festival director, Nashen Moodley, will launch the festival at Customs House Library on 9 May, while Festival programmer Richard Kuipers will lead a taster event at Surry Hills Library (pictured, top) on 24 May.

The Surry Hills evening will showcase snippets from some of the freakiest films on the program for this year’s festival, which will run from 6-17 June.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said, “The festival screens a huge program of exceptional films from around the world, the challenge is working out which of the more than 150 films and 250 screenings to see. I hope these taster events at Customs House and Surry Hills libraries make the decision easier.”

Festival director Nashen Moodley said: “We have put together a program of fascinating films for this year’s Sydney Film Festival and I look forward to presenting it to the public at Customs House Library on Wednesday, 9 May. From some of the best, prize-winning films from the world’s most prestigious film festivals, to some wonderful lesser known titles, this year’s selection really does have something for everyone. I’m also looking forward to spending time at Festival Hub @ Lower Town Hall - our brand new SFF venue – which promises to be a centre for filmmakers and festival-goers alike.”

This year, for the first time, Sydney Town Hall will act as the Sydney Film Festival Hub, with free exhibitions, screenings, talks, panels, parties, live music, performances, cheap tickets and DJs from 5 to 10pm each night.

The Hub, from 7-17 June, will be located in Lower Town Hall, and will feature a headline exhibition by Italian-born photographer Fabrizio Maltese, who has captured dozens of the world’s best stars and directors of the silver screen, including Sofia Coppola, Helena Bonham Carter and Jeff Bridges.

2012 Sydney Film Festival public program launch:
Wednesday 9 May
6-7pm
Customs House Library
31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay
Free; call 02 9242 8555

Freak Me Out  
Thursday 24 May
9-10pm
Surry Hills Library
405 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Free, call 02 8374 6230

Sydney Film Festival Hub 
Thursday 7 June-Sunday 17 June
5-10pm
Lower Town Hall
483 George Street, Sydney
Free; for more information visit sff.org.au

For more information, visit cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/library