louise on the left (coast)

Just saw " Exit Through The Gift Shop " last night and can't stop thinking about it. Fascinating film.  For so many reasons. First of all, it's so rare and unusual there was actually any filmed documentation of the  street art movement to begin with.  A total fluke .  And then, not to be a spoiler here, but then, there's an interesting twist to the film regarding the true narrative of the film. Don't want to give too much away, but when you do see it - listen closely to the narrator for clues to the film's ultimate vision.  (I wished they'd found a less dopey voice for this role, unless it's supposed to sound that pretentious and dopey so that we never really do trust it.)

Sometimes a film hasn't even opened yet, and you just know it's going to be great: Such is the case regarding the new documentary "Waiting For Superman," made  by director of An Inconvenient Truth.   This film examines how our education system is failing our kids. Notable quote: "When you see a great teacher, you are seeing a work of art." "Coming Soon For a nation that proudly declared it would leave no child behind, America continues to do so at alarming rates. Despite increased spending and politicians promises, our buckling publiceducation system, once the best in the world, routinely forsakes the education of millions of children. Oscar®—winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH) reminds us that education statistics have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the engrossing foundation of WAITING FOR SUPERMAN. As he follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits,

Pressure. Overwork. Test scores. Stress related illness. Lack of sleep. Suicide rates. -- Just what do we consider "successful" children to be, anyway? Time for people to comprehend all that is lost when don't make our children and their emotional health a top priority in our society. Looking forward to seeing more than just the trailer to this timely film. Here's what the film's website,  ReelLinkFilms ,  says about the documentary: "Director Vicki Abeles turns the personal political by igniting a national conversation in this groundbreaking documentary about the pressures American schoolchildren and their teachers face moving into the 21st century What started as a private family matter widened into a cogent examination of systemic pressures faced by youth and teachers today an increased focused on test scores, a shrinking global economy and increasingly unrealistic expectations of parents, universities, school districts and soci