Movies in the parking lot
Friday 15 June @ 16:28:16 |
 
by DWIGHT
HOBBES
The mind of Twin Cities-based cinematic gadfly and director Mark Wojahn is among us. In full force. Seems someone has turned him loose to curate a summer film exhibit he calls “A Lot Of Spirit: Inspirational Movies in the Parking Lot.” That’s ominous coming from the fellow whose feisty documentary “What America Needs: From Sea to Shining Sea” still has tongues wagging. To answer the $64,000 question, Wojahn didn’t sit in an ivory tower and draft some lofty cerebral solution. Nor did he enlist a panel of privileged know-it-alls second-guessing at somebody else’s problems, then pick up a check before heading to the country club. What he did was proceed to go from one end of the nation to the other and, on his journey, ask the people whose needs should be top priority in America. Going by train from New York City to Los Angeles, he stopped and asked 500 everyday, run-of-the-mill folk, “What do you think America needs?” And, as you might figure, got a lot of very different, very interesting answers.
Well, he now has set up shop at the last bohemian venue, Patrick’s Cabaret, for four Sunday nights to screen a few of his favorite things: “Venus of Mars” (6/17), “The Same River Twice” (6/24), “The Yes Men” (7/1) and “Wellstone” (7/8). All the showings commence at dusk. They’re also free, but you need a ticket (you can get them at businesses around the area of Patrick’s Cabaret) to get into the parking lot. Feel free, by the way, to bring your own chair, blanket, whatever.
“Venus of Mars” would pack them in by the drove if it were top-dollar admission. But for free? Listen, get there as early as humanly possible, because this particular Venus is the lead vocalist for All The Pretty Horses. It’s billed as an all-access documentary about the everyday life of a transgender punk-rocker—who also happens to be an artist and an experimental filmmaker. Director Emily Goldberg gets Venus’ whole story down, documenting a history of sexual identity issues (through high school photos, home movies and interviews with parents and bandmates) and sharing a frank discussion about the impact on Venus’ marriage. Naturally, there are dozens of cuts by All The Pretty Horses songs on the soundtrack.
Robb Moss’ “The Same River Twice” follows a group of free-spirited friends and lovers on a month-long trip down the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River. Cutting between footage of their chaotic youth and a view of the complex realities in their lives today, we have a portrait of cultural metamorphosis.
Chris Smith directs the humorous “The Yes Men,” monitoring the exploits of a group of jokester liberals who make a name for themselves as they mimic members of the World Trade Organization at venues around the globe. It all gets started when two of The Yes Men create a website that looks just like the WTO site, resulting in the The Yes Men mistakenly being invited to high-level meetings—where they are mistaken for WTO officials. You have to smile just thinking about it.
The other massive draw is going to be “Wellstone,” a feature-length documentary about the late politician. Directed by Stern, Luke, Lippold.
Patrick’s Cabaret is at 3010 Minnehaha Ave., Mpls. Free tickets are available at Longfellow Grill, Midori’s Floating World Café, The Rail Station Bar & Grill, Town Talk Diner, Calypso Greek Fusion Cuisine, Resource Center of the Americas Bookstore, East Lake Liquor, 42nd Street Gifts and TCF Bank.
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