I really enjoyed getting to hear from a filmmaker. Prior to hearing from Kat Vecchio I didn’t know much about what it’s like to create a film. I was very surprised to find out how expensive it is to make a documentary. I know movies are very expensive to make in general but you would think a documentary isn’t so expensive in comparison to an action movie. An action movie or a scifi movie involves stunt doubles, computer graphics and a lot of detail and skilled professionals to put it all together. A documentary typically involves raw footage which you would think is cheap to obtain. As Kat explained its not as simple as it sounds. I was also surprised to find out how many hours it took to create a film that lasted about 45 minutes. Filmmaking requires a lot of dedication. I think it was a great addition to the class to hear from her. It brought a better understanding to me about what it takes to make a film. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Kat Vecchio and all filmmakers. People don’t often think about how much work goes into making a film when they are watching but I feel like after hearing from Kat Vecchio I have a greater appreciation for the work being put into films especially documentaries. Her visit also opened my eyes to the content of her film. I didn’t know much about roller derby, and especially about male roller derby teams. I now have a little more knowledge on the terminology used in roller derby and I know more about the sport in general. I like that she used a controversial subject such as male involvement in a predominately female sport. It brought a more intriguing aspect to the film because it makes you think about what if it was the other way around and people were not allowing a female football team. It would be wrong for females to do to men what has been done to them. I really enjoyed learning more about filmmaking and about the content of the film with Kat Vecchio’s visit.

Today in classed we watched a French Documentary about gleaners. By definition a gleaner is someone who picks up grain left behind by harvesters. However this filmed showed that it’s not only about people out in the fields picking up leftover or left behind crops and vegetables. There are also people who search through trash or pick up things on the street that others left behind. What I found most interesting about the film was the way everything was portrayed by the filmmaker. It was interesting to see the first hand accounts of these gleaners. Hearing their personal experiences and the reasons for their actions made me feel sympathetic. This is the way that some people have to live. Their only source of food is what they are able to find for free. The film did jump all over the place but in the end I think it portrayed an important message. I would love to learn more about gleaning in the United States due to the large amount of waste that we produce. Many people in New York live in poverty or are homeless. It would be interesting to learn how New Yorkers specifically take part in “gleaning” or something like it. I know from personal experience that people often take trash from the streets, such as furniture to either use it or re-purpose it. The idea is similar to recycling however it almost cuts out the middle-man. The garbage is never picked up to be recycled in a factory, instead it is recycled immediately. I enjoyed the film and the filmmaker involvement in the film. I especially enjoyed the music that was used. The music was also all over the place because it ranged from rap/hip-hop to jazz/blues. The style of the film was unlike any other we have seen so far in class. It involved a large amount of filmmaker involvement. She even talked about making a film in her film.

In class on Tuesday we watch Tongues Untied by Marlon Riggs. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting and motivational this film was. The style of the film was very different than anything we have watched together in class previously and I found it refreshing. The style was very enticing in the sense that Riggs used a variety of resources such as music and poetry to keep the viewers engaged. The way that he put together spoken interviews with chanting/poetry in the background and overlapping really caught my attention. It made the speech more powerful and intriguing to listen to. I think the film was great for its time because at the time it was filmed I’m sure that it must have caused a lot of controversy.  There was still a large amount of racism in this time and being gay wasn’t acceptable like it is today. Already Riggs and his film have two strikes against it. However I found it inspiring how Riggs was able to successfully have his film aired on PBS. I’m sure that at the time it was a huge help to people suffering identity issues whether it be due to race or sexuality. Riggs put it out there in the open that it was okay to be who you are. In my opinion I think that this movie could have helped a lot of people and I’m glad that despite the profanity and openness of the film it was still publicized on television. Riggs made great relatable points and gave specific examples from his life and his friends lives. It was motivational and moving to watch and I’m glad that Riggs didn’t get tongue tied and truly spoke from his heart.