Country: USA
Year: 2003
Duration: 107'
McElwee's voyage to his native
North Carolina, where his great-grandfather founded the famous brand of tobacco,
"Bull Durham." The documentary is a subjective meditation on the social,
economic and psychological aspects of nicotine addiction; it explores the
relationship between different generations through photos from the director's
family album, and clips from a Hollywood film based on the life of his
great-grandfather (Bright Leaf by Michael Curtiz, starring Gary
Cooper).
"My cousin sent me an article on tobacco which quoted my
great-grandfather. I started thinking about the implications and asking myself
if my family was responsible for the diffusion of the tobacco industry" (R.
McElwee).
Biography
film director
Ross McElwee
Ross McElwee has produced and directed seven documentaries which have been shown at festivals throughout the world, winning various prizes. In 1986 his film Sherman's March marked the beginning of the autobiographical and documentary style that characterizes his work (made of personal research into his own family and American society). He continued experimenting with this style in his later works, from Something to Do With the Wall to Six O'Clock News. In 2000, Sherman's March was included in the Library of Congress National Registry as "a historically significant American film".
FILMOGRAFIA
Charleen (doc., 1978), Space Coast (doc., 1978), Resident Exile (cm, doc., 1981), Backward (mm, doc., 1984), Sherman's March: A Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love in the South During an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation (doc., 1986), Something to Do With the Wall (doc., 1990), Time Indefinite (doc., 1993), Six O'Clock News (doc., 1996), Kosuth (cm, doc., 1997), Curating (cm, doc., 2002), Bright Leaves (doc., 2003).
Cast
& Credits
Regia, sceneggiatura, fotografia, suono/ Director,
screenplay, director of photography sound
: Ross McElwee
Montaggio/Film editor : Ross McElwee, Mark Meato
Interpreti/Cast : Ross McElwee, Patricia Neal, Vlada Petric
Produzione/Production: Ross McElwee per la Homeland Movies Carpenter Center.
: Ross McElwee
Montaggio/Film editor : Ross McElwee, Mark Meato
Interpreti/Cast : Ross McElwee, Patricia Neal, Vlada Petric
Produzione/Production: Ross McElwee per la Homeland Movies Carpenter Center.