An Evening with Albert Maysles

Documentary filmmaking legend Albert Maysles spoke at Capilano College University in North Vancouver on Saturday evening. At times moderator Katherine Monk struggled to keep pace with the 83 year-old as he systematically ploughed through a well-practiced presentation of clips from his body of work.

The clips included the classic Tea for Two sequence from Grey Gardens, an introspective musical moment with The Rolling Stones from Gimme Shelter, and a truly mind-blowing single take following JFK through a crowd of adoring Democrats in 1960’s Primary. Mr. Maysles peppered his commentary with equally astounding personal anecdotes; he happened to be chatting with Fidel Castro at the very moment the revolutionary leader received a telegram declaring that the US had severed diplomatic relations with Cuba. Too bad the camera wasn’t rolling on that little slice of history.

After observing Mr. Maysles in conversation for a few minutes there remains no question as to how he managed to become such a masterful documentarian over the past sixty years. The inimitable intimacy of his footage stems directly from the disarming quality of his personality. The warmth of his approach to his subjects, whether they are celebrities or Soviet mental patients, always feels sincere. His manner embodies the simple philosophy that fuels his success: “handheld, with an open heart.”

At the end of the evening the director presented a clip from In Transit, a work-in-progress exploring train travel and random found-subject narratives. He spoke with bright enthusiasm about his hope for launching a new genre of “short story collection” documentaries. Then he mentioned his desire to instigate another new genre of “documentary poems.” His eyes glowed as he shared his dream of a future where every flip-cam owner becomes a documentary filmmaker, capturing fleeting moments of real life in miniature films. The future genres he envisions have, more or less, already manifested elsewhere in the culture of the moment, but the continuing relevance of his creative imagination points to an unyielding engagement with the cutting edge of his craft. At 83, Mr. Maysles still actively exercises an ambition to change the way we think about documentary film.

I’m not a documentary filmmaker myself, but count me inspired.

Review: 65_RedRoses

As a child Eva Markvoort could not pronounce her illness: cystic fibrosis. Her mis-pronunciation gave birth to the monicker that became her online identity, her global calling card, and perhaps her most potent weapon in her fight to stay alive.

65_RedRoses is also the title of the documentary that Philip Lyall and Nimisha Mukerji co-directed about Eva in 2009. The film follows the 23 year old as she endures the stress of waiting for a double lung transplant. Beyond its unflinching examination of the horrors of cystic fibrosis, the film explores the emerging role of social media in building community and support groups among victims, who are kept physically isolated from each other for medical reasons. The filmmakers travel to the US to visit two of Eva’s online friends, each struggling in their own way. What emerges is a portrait of friendship, hope and a snapshot of the positive applications of social technology.

I went to film school with both directors, and have collaborated with them on other projects. Watching the film at the Vancouver Film Festival last fall was a deeply moving experience. I’m proud of what they accomplished with this film, and I’m inspired by their rigour and courage as filmmakers. But I can’t help but feel that the crucial storyteller, in a way the third director of the film, was Eva herself.

We learn from the doc that Eva once aspired to an acting career. Watching the film and looking at the self-portraiture on her world-famous blog, we can see the playful spark of a diva in Eva’s eyes. She waged her battle with poetry and in a profound sense, transformed her struggle into theatre. It seems to me that her love of performance gave her a vital buzz that energized her fight and allowed her to transcend the  issues of self-disclosure that might inhibit other subjects of medical documentaries. Her magnetic charisma drew people to her story. She had genuine star-wattage, combined with the media savvy to harness the narrative of her life.

With characteristic flair, Eva recently made headlines by posting a youtube video announcing her impending death. The self-consious drama and genuine emotional complexity of that moment encapsulated everything that her story has come to represent in the contemporary information-sharing landscape. Every one of us who elects to participate in social media projects a personally shaped narrative into the data cloud. Eva engaged with self-publishing at the highest stakes possible. In doing so she fashioned her avatar into a self-made champion of cystic fibrosis awareness and organ donation: a genuine heroine for people all around the world.

Eva died yesterday, but her digital identity lingers. 65_RedRoses’ pioneering engagement with traditional and social media ensures her legacy as a distinguished public figure. A Terry Fox for the internet age.

65_RedRoses returns to the CBC’s Passionate Eye on April 2nd.