We warmly welcome Jonathan Caouette as our 4th annual FilmForward Spotlight Director.
Jonathan Caouette has made several appearances in queer cinema, including his lead role in Fat Girls and a quirky cameo in John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus, but he is best known for playing the part of himself in his homemade autobiography Tarnation. Produced by John Cameron Mitchell and Gus Van Sant, Tarnation sent enthusiastic shock waves through audiences when it first premiered at Sundance and at Cannes in 2004. It has since been widely discussed in art reviews, fan blogs, academic papers and throughout the international film festival circuit. The film's appeal with critics and filmgoers alike has been twofold: it demonstrates the wonders that can be done on a micro-budget (originally made with a budget of $218) whilst documenting 20 years of his distressing, yet unshakably loving relationship with his mother Renee, a former model whose mind was nearly destroyed by the mental health system and electroshock therapy. Tarnation poetically assembles both mother and son's life stories out of hundreds of different home movies and confessional text, found audio, photos, movie and TV fragments and exemplifies self-expression at its utmost creative. This special spotlight screening of Tarnation will be followed by a discussion with Jonathan Caouette and local author Sean Horlor.
WINNER
Best Documentary, 2004 National Society of Film Critics Sutherland Trophy, British Film Institute Awards
Total time: 90 min
Jonathan Caouette will also be appearing with Gwen Haworth and Carolina Valencia in a FREE artists-in-conversation style Autobiographical Documentary Panel on Sunday, August 16.