Jason goes to SFIFF--Day 12

SFIFF is all over but the writing. And after a weekend three weeks of catching up on sleep, two more shows on Monday, May 4, starting with the boxing documentary T-REX. That's the nickname of Claressa Shields from Flint, Michigan (finally they can boast of a celebrity other than Michael Moore) who became the first Olympic Gold Medalist in women's boxing. That was 2012, and the movie had unprecedented access to her quest. But it's what happens afterwards that's even more interesting. Namely, that she doesn't get the fame and endorsements that she expected. Sure, she gets a big welcome bag in Flint, but she doesn't find herself doing commercials or getting sponsorships. Instead she finds herself pondering whether to go pro (she hasn't, specifically so she can defend her gold medal in 2016) and whether to stay with her coach or with her boyfriend (yeah, that's actually a f'ed up decision she has to make.) Claressa was actually there for the screening, and she was a cool, personable, likeable hero, which comes through both in the movie and in real life. So I might be cheering for her in the Olympics in 2016.

And then Shorts 4: New Visions, the program of experimental shorts. You will simply have to forgive me if I can't quite remember all of these.
ARROWED: A swinging light illuminates one side and then another of a role-play/dance.
ATLANTIS: A meditation on watery utopia.
BLACKOUT: JOHN BURRIS SPEAKS: Turning racist police brutality into an evocative type of modern dance with a powerful speech over it.
THE BOOMBOX COLLECTION: BOOTS RILEY: The philosophy and activism of one of the OGs of hip hop.
BUS NUT: A recreation based on the actual words of a press conference by the most famous bus rider in history--Rosa Pars.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: The funniest Power Point presentation I've ever seen.
A LONG WAY FROM HOME: Jesus, on distressed and degraded celluloid.
NO ID: Okay, I had to look up its website. Too bad I don't remember it, because it looks pretty awesome.
PICTURE PARTICLES: Literally scraps of film. Watch it here.
SOUNDPRINT: The visualization of sound, in many forms. Or heck, I don't know. Watch it yourself.
THE STREAM 5: Water flowing with algae. Beautiful?

Total Running Time: 169 minutes

My Total Minutes: 396,049