my first film festival

The Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan (www.waterfrontfilm.org) is my first professtional film festival. In it's tenth year, it has been called one of the top five film festivals in the country, at least according to it's web site. If the opening night festivities are any indication, I wonder about the quality of the others. It sounded like fun; a street fair starting with a parade through town (which I missed because of not watching the clock) followed by a band (nondescript urban, funk), special guests (no one famous), then the opening night movie, Doubletime, under the stars in a lakeside location.

Everything started at 5:30. The movie, because it was being shown in an outdoor venue would start at dusk. Reminders of my childhood going to the drive-in! Unfortunately, because of the band deciding to offer an unwanted encore, the time it took to remove equipment from the stage, listen to speakers, then show trailors of other weekend films, the opening night movie did not start until 11:00 pm. By then at least a dozen people seated near me already left. Many more left during the first half hour of the movie. That's too bad because the movie was incredible.

Doubletime is a 2007 documentary film that features competitive jump roping. The two top American teams, the Bouncing Bulldogs and the Double Dutch Forces, belong to separate leagues that do not compete against one another. After twenty years of separation they finally meet at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, for a competition which features "fusion" routines where Double Dutch is blended with hip- hop dance and music. The movie contrasts the two teams. The Bouncing Bulldogs, from an affluent section of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, are a primarily white team with one African-American member and an African-American coach. South Carolina's Double Dutch Forces are predominately poor African-Americans. The Bulldogs are shown boarding an airplane and riding taxis while in New York while the Double Dutch Forces drive to New York in a van. Fortunately the film does not belabor these points but shows that even with their diverse backgrounds, everyone is there for one reason; to excell while they jump over ropes.

The film is fascinating because the kids, ranging in ages from 11-18, are fascinating. These amazing athletes who do things with a jump rope that I would not think possible. The short interviews paced throughout the movie provide character background and add spice to the movie. Although very competitive, these kids do not hesitate to cheer for the other teams. Who wins? It doesn't matter. The movie is so good it does not need a climatic winner/loser scenario.

I am not a huge fan of documentries, but this one is definately worth seeing.
More films today and tomorrow.