Continuing my look at the 2014 US Documentary Competition: ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS, John Harkrider’s personal doc hybrid which seeks to reconcile an estranged friendship.
Sundance Program Description:
ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS describes the palpable and uniquely portrayed real-life experience of two men seeking to repair their lifelong, but fractured, bond. Looking to move beyond their individual and shared histories of domestic violence, poverty, and racism, each seeks redemption and solace.
Best friends John Harkrider and Barron Claiborne reunite in a crowded New York jazz club to confront the actions that caused the extended rift in their longtime friendship. Both men recount chapters of their tumultuous childhoods and growing-up years in different areas of Boston. Striking black-and-white illustrations ground the unfolding story.
Weaving in conversations with a stunning bartender amidst a live band’s performance, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS conveys the raw emotional power of director John Harkrider’s life story. His vibrant new work is a distinctive portrayal of a night of intense conversation between old friends hoping to right past wrongs.
Some Background:
Harkrider’s debut, the fiction feature MITCHELLVILLE, screened at Sundance in 2005. Co-star Claiborne, a photographer and cinematographer, shot that film, while this project’s DP is Brian O’Carroll, DP/Producer of 2013 Sundance NEXT alum BLUE CAPRICE. Joining them here is editor Jim Mol, who also edited 2010 Sundance doc alum TEENAGE PAPARAZZO.
Why You Should Watch:
As detailed in the film, Harkrider and Claiborne’s participation in this project is an unusual attempt to make peace after a friendship-altering betrayal, and its atypical approach to documentary reflects its unique origins, blending animation, fiction, and non-fiction. The duo “play” themselves in carefully constructed scenes, but they’re not technically taking part in re-enactments. Instead, they’re living out their reconciliation on camera, on set, often abetted by actors whose roles are also only partially fictionalized. The result is the construction of a heightened state of hyper-reality, which enables a cathartic, narratively satisfying resolution for both the erstwhile best friends, as well as for their audience.
More Info:
Check out the film’s trailer, Harkrider’s Meet the Artist Sundance video profile, and Indiewire filmmaker interview. To keep updated on the doc, check out its website. For screening dates and times at Sundance, click the link in the first paragraph.
To experience the festival through the eyes of this year’s filmmakers, follow my Sundance filmmaker class of 2014 Twitter list.
what (not) to doc 