Festival Quickies: Herb and Dorothy

What is art?
I usually cringe at that question. Is it "Form and Content"? Every standard by which we define form and content has been challenged by the artistic community. Is it "a product of human creativity"? Possibly - but does that broad definition, then, include every product of human creativity? Is it subjective - does the observer, or the experiencer decide if it's art? Never is this so hotly discusssed than when we experience minimalist, and conceptual art. And yet, New York couple Herb and Dorothy plunged in to the world of contemporary art with confidence, dedication, and joy, managing to amass one of the most important collections in America.

Herb and Dorothy were legends in the NYC art scene, and this documentary tells the story of how a postal worker and a librarian, living in a small, one-bedroom, rent controlled apartment collected over 4000 pieces of art. It is a story of love and passion. It is also the story of a work of art.

Herb and Dorothy weren't absolute novices. They both attended art school and attempted many pieces themselves. But real life took over, and their passion never subsided, so they started collecting other artists.

However, their collecting had a structure. They made rules about how they would decide on a purchase. They had to like the piece, be able to afford it, and it had to fit in their apartment! Indeed their collection ultimately fulfills the first definition of art - it has form and content.

The content of the collection includes pieces from notable artists, and some not so noteable. We get to meet some of the artists and hear stories of how their lives were affected by Herb and Dorothy. In fact, the documentary stands as a work of art on its own; with a well crafted unveiling of their life. But most significantly we come to understand that it is possible for two people to work passionately on a partnership that, itself, evolves into art. It has form and content, it is the product of their creativity, and most of all, it speaks with to the world with great conviction and emotion. Herb and Dorothy's life is the greatest artistic achievement in this film.

Festival Quickies: "Kisses"

Director/Writer Lance Daly knows how to tell a story! Featuring two unknown young actors, "Kisses" takes tween-aged neighbours Kylie and Dylan on a journey to escape trials of a harsh homelife. They hop a barge and sail into downtown Dublin, and their adventure swirls from delirious to terrifying to romantic to melancholy, sometimes all inside a single scene.

My favorite moment happens on the barge where the generous and sympathetic operator pulls out a harmonica and sings his own, gleefully accented rendition of a Bob Dylan song. The boy Dylan, usually withdrawn and morose, stares up at him with an incredulous look, as if it has never occurred to him before that such a person could exist, who lives his life with kindness and exhuberance. Then his gaze shifts to Kylie, maybe realizing that she might be such a creature, too.

Their picaresque tale moves them thereafter from innocence to experience with a twist. Even in their darkest times when they encounter the worst kind of people, they also discover in themselves the best in human nature, and a possibility for real love and self sacrifice.

These young actors are terrific. The photography is as well, combining black & white and color with great effect. The stark, B&W shots of the Dublin low-rental area are beautiful and heartbreaking.