SOBER MINDS: Charlo Johnson's short-but-impressive look at noted wildlife photographer Paul Hughes' work, life and philosophy

TrustMovies had previously heard of neither the filmmaker Charlo Johnson nor the subject of his new film, a famous Irish wildlife photographer named Paul Hughes. Having seen the film -- which bears the oddball but appropriate title SOBER MINDS -- both men are now, I suspect, rather indelibly imprinted on my memory.

Mr. Johnson, shown below, has made a number of short films already, at least one of which -- Positive Discrimination -- has been nominated for and/or won some awards. I wouldn't be surprised to find Sober Minds following in its footsteps.

This new film is short, all right -- just 17 minutes -- but it packs in a wealth of information, ideas, beauty and (for those of us humans who love to prettify and sentimentalize animals and wildlife) some sadness, along with a salutary punch in the gut.

Photographer Hughes (shown below) is, I rather think, someone who suffers fools not at all, and Mr. Johnson simply and immediately engulfs us in this man's world: the wildlife he so loves, his photos of that wildlife, some of his own history, his philosophy, how he shoots (and when), and even the kind of music that pumps him up to achieve maximum potential, as well as a little of his personal life, too (raw youth, romances, and the like).

What we learn about the man and his work, as well as about ducks and ducklings, swans and cygnets, and especially foxes and their young makes for enticing viewing. And as good as Hughes' photographs of wildlife are, Mr Johnson's movie is equally good, with expert cinematography by Andrei Ghenoside and Jaraslava Waldeck, editing by Mark Gilleece (who also edited that terrifically funny zombie movie, Stalled), lovely animated titles (see photos at bottom) from Toshiki Nakamura and a good musical score from Rob Smith.

Together and in such a short time, this team allows us to enter the world and the mind of Mr Hughes and come away informed, perhaps chastened and certainly wiser than when we went in. Man may be at the top of the current food chain, but, yes, all species end up as predators and prey. And while there is immense love and beauty, charm and delight in Hughes' photos, he never lets us forget the "wild" in wildlife.

"People aren't revealing," notes Hughes. "That's the difference in wildlife. No pretense. They're acting out their true nature."  Which leads us into the film's title and what this means to Mr. Hughes. In all, Sober Minds is a model of a short documentary: lively, thought-provoking, and beautiful.

The short will premiere at the Oscar and BAFTA qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival on 12 August. If you're not in the Rhode Island area, the documentary will then head to St. George, Utah where it screens at DocUtah International Documentary Film Festival in September followed by Tacoma Film Festival in October. Let's hope the short will eventually be available elsewhere: on DVD, digitally and via streaming. I'll keep up with this and post here where else you might be able to view it, as soon as that information becomes available.

Julia Murat's FOUND MEMORIES, about motion (& still) pictures, opens in New York

How unusual, what a blessing it is to have two quiet and beautiful movies opening up the same week in New York City, certainly one of the hustle/bustle capitals of the globe. For anyone wanting a respite, some solace from the ever-present rupture and noise, you've got two fine choices (Why choose: See 'em both!): Hide Away, covered earlier this week, and the film under consideration here, FOUND MEMORIES.

This very quiet movie, co-written (with Maria Clara Escobar and Felipe Sholl) and directed by Júlia Murat, (shown at right) tells the simple and slow-moving story of a backwater Brazilian town, located in the verdant region of the Paraíba Valley. Formerly somewhat grand but now fallen into disrepair and populated by a few remaining senior citizens and the town's priest -- each of whom apparently has a daily task to accomplish for the good of the small community -- the town of Jotuomba could almost be seen as what lies in store for another small community, whose story was finely told in the recent documentary Tales from Dell City, TX.

Found Memories, however, is not a documentary, though it uses much of the kind of film-making technique found in documentaries (Ms Murat's only other full-length feature was a doc titled Dia dos pais). This is a narrative film, with the town and its characters created from the imagination but given such specifics (along with rapturously lovely cinematography by Lisandro Alonso's usual cameraman, Lucio Bonelli) that they live and breathe and catch us up in their lives -- despite (maybe even because of) how slowly things move here. This is part of the town's and of the movie's charm. You'll either go with it or quickly give up.

The townsperson we spend most time with is Madelena, in her 80s, still mourning her late husband and baking the town's bread, rising in the still-dark early morning to make and then carry the bread (see left) to Antonio (Luiz Serra), who runs the town's empty coffee house and calls Madelena a "stubborn old lady" because she insists on placing the bread her way in his shop, after which he re-does it to his own specifications.  ("OK, OK. So when," I hear you youngsters asking, "comes the first car chase/car crash?")

The movie's action, such as it is, concerns the arrival of a young woman named Rita (played by Lisa Fávero, above), a photographer perhaps on vacation (or escaping from a bad relationship) who needs a hotel (there is none) and so persuades Madelena to let her stay with her for a few days. These soon become a week, and a guarded relationship (between Rita and Madelena and between Rita and the town and its inhabitants) slowly blossoms into something more.

There. TM has done what he always tries to avoid -- giving away the goddamned plot. Yet this blossoming, with its tiny increments and details, is really all. Within it, you'll stumble across some inter-esting ideas: the glories of motion vs. still photography, why age needs youth & vice versa, and the uses and importance of tradition and repetition. And maybe ever more that I didn't catch. So relax, lean back, stay awake, and enjoy. This is one beautiful movie.

Found Memories (called Historias que so existem quando lembradas in its native Portuguese), from the ever-reliable Film Movement, opens tomorrow -- Friday, June 1 -- in New York City at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema. The only other playdate currently scheduled can be found here. Once the movie opens in Manhattan and does some decent box-office, however, who knows?

Minos Papas' SHUTTERBUG takes us back to the weird 60s in style & theme, if not time-frame

Whew -- what a time trip! SHUTTERBUG, the new film from Minos Papas which looks like a million dollars, photog-
raphy-wise, whisks us back to a decade of experimentation: in film technique, style, story, and that old bugaboo, the search for identity. At least I think that's what on the movie-maker's mind. But I wouldn't want to swear to it.  That's also why the film reminded me of the movie-going experience during the mid-to-late 60s: Back then, we'd often watch a film as much for its "puzzle" factor as for any innate entertainment value.

Mr. Papas (shown at right) follows the "adventures" of a very hunky photographer named Alex -- played, as well as his role allows, by Nando Del Castillo (shown above and below) -- at work (he's rather driven and doesn't always treat his models nicely), at home (where his girl is growing tired of his unpleasant ways) and at play (or what passes for play in this guy's world: taking more photographs -- but outdoors). One day, as he shoots the sun, he looks into it and promptly starts having "eye trouble."

In this case "eye trouble" means seeing spots and then photographing a young woman who is not actually there. He consults a pal who tells him to visit an eye doctor (after engaging in a rather funny discussion of photography-against-writing as an art form), which he does (below). No problem. No: The problem is elsewhere. And here is where Shutterbug either falls apart, as it did for me, or perhaps will open up for you into a whole, wild new world, as the filmmaker takes us into a semi-phantasmagorical dimension in which our hero meets all kinds of weird folk (fortune-teller, street gang, pest exterminator, crazy cabbie, etc.) who help (or not) his search for identity and the "real," better Alex. Or maybe not. As I say, I'm not sure I have a clue as to what is on Mr. Papas' mind regarding this movie and what's going on. Maybe I'm wrong even about that identity thing.

Yet the photography looks awfully good, and so does Mr. Del Castillo, though he and most of the cast offer performances that appear either flat or one-note. Could be that they weren't sure what was going on either, or that, as written, their roles offered little chance for "range." At this point I did what I usually don't do -- and referred to the press notes given me by the film's very accom-
modating publicist. You viewers that go to the theater or wait for the DVD to arrive do not have the benefit of these press notes, so my theory is, "If my readers don't have access to any 'explanation,' why should I?" But in this case, I broke my rule and in the process discovered that the film, as Mr. Papas notes, "is inspired by Greek mythology, Dante's Inferno, and life in New York." Hmmm. OK.

Papas has been able to imagine and have photographed his fantasy elements pretty well (his cinematographer was Rossana Rizzo). But he needs to be able to come up with a better hook and follow-through so that we care a little more about the characters and what is going on here. Also, more attention to a comprehen-
sible script and more fulfilling dialog would be helpful. Still, the filmmaker seems to have come up with something that pleases him. He's made the movie he wanted to make. So now it's your move.

Shutterbug makes its theatrical debut this Friday, March 19, at the Cinema Village, after which its nationwide platform release will begin in the spring.

Further note: For those particularly interested in this film -- or in a look at the behind-the-scenes works that goes into making a low/no budget movie -- there's a lot of good information to be found on Mr. Papas'  Shutterbug blog.