My friends, a little good news. Facing Ali had the good fortune of being shortlisted (final 15) for the Academy Award nominations. Surreal—but congratulations to everybody involved. I feel profoundly fortunate to have directed this film, to have met all those legendary fighters, and to have worked with such a great team. And congratulations to all the other films that were shortlisted.
Pete
Some really generous, recent comments from the Warren Report, and an interview I did with Warren Etheredge when Facing Ali was at the Seattle International Film Festival:
FACING ALI redefines the boxing legend thru the remembrances of his reverent opponents. Their stories are startling: hopeful, heart-breaking, heroic yet oh-so-human. (George Chuvalo’s post-fight celebration and later familial tragedy rank amongst the most memorable movie moments of the year.)
Filmmaker Pete McCormack coaxes these tales with the finesse of the Champ, luring the fighters into his corner, always mindful of their contributions to the sport and respectful of their sufferings. (The gradual revelation of Ken Norton’s shocking “downfall” floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.) Like Muhammad, McCormack is a showman with a gentleman’s heart. And, in this year of competitive documentaries, he stands shoulder to shoulder with The Greatest.
See the comments here and the interview here.
You know, you can’t worry about reviews and so on, but it still remains a great thing to be loved a little.
Speaking of which, lots of love to you,
Pete
The first review in a major publication for Facing Ali, July 15, 2009 in Variety, which is an important Hollywood Industry magazine. A few appreciated phrases below:
“…first-rate…” “…so compelling…” “…impeccably researched…” “…excruciatingly moving…” “…top-notch production values…” “…nuanced insights…” “…extraordinary tales…”
The full review is here.
As the review intimates, the ten boxers really were terrific. I have such affection, compassion and respect for their stories, and their candor. I hope putting a good review on line doesn’t seem full blown. Samantha said it was cool. Heck, these things are fleeting, opinions, but I really would like the film, and these guys’ stories, to be seen and heard—and Lord knows I’ve posted bad reviews, too.
Pete
“If you even dream of beating me you better wake up and apologize.”
—Muhammad Ali
We haven’t had any newspaper reviews yet for Facing Ali, but received three much appreciated online five star reviews from people at the Seattle International Film Festival. This is one that I could read over more than once:
(May 29, 2009) Floats like a butterfly…
By Richard Erwin
“…stings like a bee. A fantastic movie. It reminds you of what boxing is for so many who’ve attempted it—a way out of a bad life, and no guarantee that you’ll get what you seek, even when you’ve achieved it. The interviews with each of the boxers that faced Ali were each a gem in their own right, but taken together….one of the best sports, hell, documentaries about lives, and what bound them together, ever.”
SILVERDOCS
Had a great time in Silver Spring, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, at the SilverDocs festival. The crowd for Facing Ali was wonderfully animated. It’s really fulfilling to the see the film with a crowd. The Q&A was moderated by the very well-informed sports journalist David Dupree—and I met many terrific, interesting people. There’s another showing tomorrow night, the 22nd, at 8:pm.
I went into DC on the morning of the screening and took some archival b-roll of the city! After all, one never knows what the next project might be (but one does know archive will be expensive!), and with the White House, the Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Federal Reserve and the Capitol Dome all within a fifteen minute walk of each other (some minutes apart), and a little High Def camera in my hands, well, I couldn’t resist. Got a quick ‘don’t-do-that’ from security for using a foot long Joby tripod trying to get decent shots of the marble President Lincoln, but it all worked out. What a statue that is. It’s etched in my ol’ gray matter from Mr Smith Goes To Washington—and, yes, that film is a few decades before my time.
It was surreal to see it all. Couldn’t get within a half mile of the White House. The rumour was helicopters were landing there. Two security guys were on the roof. Well, I hope they were security guys.
It’s heartbreaking to see the names of the something like 59,000 American soldiers who were killed during the invasion of Vietnam, all engraved on the Vietnam monument. 59,000. And then to consider for a moment that something like 3.4 million people died in Indochina altogether during that horrific war (I guess horrific as an adjective for war is redundant). I say Indochina because one should never forget the horrific and illegal (wasn’t it all illegal?)—well, even more illegal carpet bombings of Cambodia and Laos.
LAFF
Facing Ali is then in LA on the 27th and 28 at the Los Angeles Film Festival, and I heard there was a coming-to-theatres-soon TV commercial for the Facing Ali, which is exciting. May it come to Vancouver!
From the LAFF website:
Gorgeously shot [the Red Camera—shot beautifully by Ian Kerr] against the rich reds and browns of boxing rings, gyms and arenas, Facing Ali tells the stories of ten men who faced the charismatic, fast-talking dynamo some believe was the greatest fighter of all time: Muhammad Ali.
Using dynamic graphics [graphics by the super creative Jeremy Unrau] and gorgeous archival footage to quickly set down the facts of Ali’s life and career, McCormack delves into the history of each contest and the boxer who fought it. Forgoing testimony from sportswriters and celebrity fans [and no narration], McCormack lets these ten men tell their story and Ali’s entirely in their own words [I can't express how great and diverse the ten guys were—Cooper, Chuvalo, Terrell, Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Lyle, Shavers, Leon Spinks, Holmes].
The history they reveal is unexpectedly moving. The chance to fight Ali was life changing, and many acknowledge that boxing is a profession of last resort for the poor. The film also reveals the darker side of the confidence and drive that helped make Ali the hero he is but also may have kept him in the ring longer than he should have stayed. As one of his opponents [Ron Lyle] notes, “You can lose your life giving the people what they want to see.”
In sum, it was a thrill to be in DC and at the festival in Silver Spring—and inspiring to see people so moved and enthused and touched by these ten great boxers, who fought Muhammad Ali, as they tell their rich stories.
Looking forward to LA. I’ll be in attendance for both viewings.
Lots of love to you,
Pete
Continuing from the previous blog, here’s a revealing and provocative film called El Contrato from the national Film Board of Canada. It is about the challenges facing Mexican migrant farm workers shipped to Canada from Mexico on eight month work contracts. Although the film only gives the side of the workers, the film is still very worth seeing. The conditions these brothers (I didn’t see any women) work under are often brutal and degrading and abusive—and who can be against giving a voice to the almost always voiceless? Not me.
The 49 minute film can be seen in its entirety here.
Workers who have left their family and sometimes children in Mexico and sign contracts in Canada have them being paid $7.50 an hour, working ten hours a day, seven days a week for eight straight months. Then something like a quarter of the paltry wage they make goes to government taxes and other payments. Perhaps it is better than what could be made in Mexico, but it is against the labour laws of Canada, that have been fought on behalf of human dignity and rights for for a hundred years or more.
Here’s to remembering how important it is that people, communities, continue to come together…
On that note, and speaking of Mexico, it is important to remember that the fight of the indigenous people in Chiapas continues unabated. I’m not sure of the accuracy of the numbers, but I have heard a third of Mexico’s military forces remain stationed in Chiapas, and human rights abuses and State terror continue. A friend of mine is traveling there soon to offer her expertise in helping those who have suffered terrorism and torture. See Nettie Wild’s film A Place Called Chiapas, from the mid 1990s.
Lots of love,
Pete
Well, my friends, today’s the day. FACING ALI is having its first ever public screening at the Seattle International Film Festival tonight, 7:00 (and tomorrow at the Egyptian Theatre). I’m driving down there, leaving in a few minutes, down the 99 to the I-5. Here’s to hoping the border’s clear, people come, and they have a great experience!
And may it look good…
Ali (don’t) bomaye!
Ali (don’t) kill him! We’re all in this together, after all. Here’s to joy.
Lots of love to you—armed with yoga, stand and fight!
Pete
