Reputation is a funny thing. It is something certain folks in town will say you can buy with fancy PR if you simply toss enough money at your cause, goal, project, or whatever. But one's authenticity will always be suspect if the emperor is discovered sans pants upon delivery of the goods.
One area where Grand Rapids is ramping up its reputation is within our filmmaking community. Feature films and thrilling film festivals big and small are popping up in our area, with millions of pixels burning bright in our area theatres and on our computers and handheld devices. The revolution is being televised, and we are the producers of this new wave.
Last year, when Switzerland's Festival del Film Locarno called, Mike Saunders and a group of production and talent from the film Ape packed up and headed over the pond to present their film.
After a great reception, Saunders and company did what almost everyone does at film festivals: they networked long into the early hours of morning, forging the kind of new and invaluable connections that cannot be secured over soulless LinkedIn adds. Reputation is strongest when served raw and real.
The fruits of Saunders' networking will be apparent in a series of films coming to Grand Rapids. The first is The People's Park, shot in Chengdu, China by Grand Valley State University alum J.P. Sniadecki (Foreign Parts) and New York's Libbie Dina Cohn.
Sniadecki will be attending the Grand Rapids screening of this film that the New York Times has recently singled out as part of a new trend in documentaries where the academic blends with the beauty of an art house flick. Immediately following, there will be a Q&A with Sniadecki.
The People's Park is a single shot film that explores the charm of this vibrant and crowded park in China. It is a simple premise that provides much peace and clarity in this ethnographic style of filmmaking.
As you watch this film, you will be in awe of the talent it took to produce a film of this nature without the gimmicks or the elaborate budget of a blockbuster.
"It took the filmmakers 21 takes to get it right, and is nothing short of miraculous when you consider this film is over 75 minutes," says Saunders. "But what is really inspiring is that The People's Park and the other five films I plan to bring to Grand Rapids over the next year will all showcase what can be produced with a little bit of money, access to a great community of creative talent, and a dash of creativity."
And while Sniadecki left our region to get his doctorate at Harvard, it is worth noting that he is still connected to this region through the outreach of folks like Saunders. If Saunders and the energetic filmmakers of our region have their way, soon Grand Rapids can add film to the list of things it's known for.
Admission: $5
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