STONE RISING: THE WORK OF DAN SNOW (documentary)

Written and directed by Camilla Rockwell

Showing July 19 and 21

In a solid example of regional documentary filmmaking, Stone Rising follows Vermont dry-waller Dan Snow through lush New England summer days and frozen fall evenings as he "imperfectly creates" astonishing rock formations with few tools but his hands, his eyes, and the occasional piece of heavy machinery. By balancing 500-pound rocks with the weight of two lighter ones and shoring up chinks with 50 tiny, smooth river stones, Snow erects fantastic, even monolithic creations. From the surprise of an underground grotto designed to weep spring water during the hottest days of summer to a full-size ancient Moorish tent whose stone flaps seem to blow in the breeze, Snow’s work is rare and inspirational.

The photography is breathtaking, reminding you of how insanely beautiful New England is and interpreting Snow’s work in a clean, architectural style reminiscent of Andy Goldsworthy. It’s a sweet, lighthearted documentary about a love affair between man and rock; their offspring being among the most awe-inspiring and graceful examples of current, functional art.

THE PUFFY CHAIR

A Duplass Brothers Production

Showing July 22 and 23

The Puffy Chair is not a comfortable place to sit if you’ve ever been in a failing long-term relationship. As Josh (Mark Duplass) and Emily (Maine-native Kathryn Aselton) simultaneously suffocate and scream their way through the beginnings of a tedious break-up while traveling the East Coast in search of a red-velour puffy chair (a birthday gift for Josh’s dad), their passive-aggressive bickering reminds you of your own ill-fated, co-dependent relationships past, making the film difficult to digest if you’ve forgotten how to laugh at yourself. Although, if you can’t laugh at yourself, rest assured the Duplass Brothers will do it for you.

This, their first full-length feature film, was completed (from writing to final edit) in nine short months, premiering at Sundance. With it the brothers have created a movie that is self-deprecating and dead funny. It’s powered with a humor twisted by the hands of culture, sex, and gender, allowing them to rank on everything from common relationship tics (baby talk, anyone?) to the tenuous distance between father and son.

Including a rocking soundtrack that boasts numbers from Indie bands like Spoon and Death Cab for Cutie, and bolstered by enough left-wing commentary to arch Air America’s eyebrows, The Puffy Chair is sure to give you a laughter-sprung bellyache and inspire you to burn all those old break-up letters you’re hiding.

FESTIVAL (documentary)

Written and directed by Jim and Tom Isler

Showing July 17 and 23

This is a film about a group of high-school students. They aren’t pimping any rides, exposing their own hidden desire to go under the knife to look like Britney Spears, or letting a camera crew follow them around while they party in the woods with mom’s stolen Marlboros in one hand and a Budweiser 40-ounce in the other. Instead, this film is a testament to the fact that talented, intellectual, and mature teenagers really do exist, despite what MTV says. Even better? These gifted kids were raised on ocean air and lobsters, right next door in Falmouth.

Filmed in 2004, and starring Falmouth’s award-winning theatre company, Festival is a peek into the stress and dizzying elation of the Maine State High School Theatre Festival Competition, where a winning play must be executed perfectly in under 55 minutes (including set building).

With three witty, well spoken boys and a sassy female lead, each student’s talent and hard-headed focus on success comes through as fresh and inspirational. Add a surprise ending, and Festival becomes a wonderful family film that will leave you feeling unexpectedly proud of your teen brethren. That, and you’ll never accidentally utter the epithet "theatre geek" again.

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