UAM Hosts 9th Annual Documentary Film Festival

Arts and Entertainment Editor

Courtesy of The Renaud Brothers

On March 3 and 4, the Memorial Classroom Building Auditorium became a place of unscripted, visual expressions documenting reality.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello hosted its 9th Annual UAM/Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. The students, faculty and staff were taken on a journey of emotions as stories about wounded American soldiers training for the Paralympics graced the screen. The line-up of films were emotional, informative and inspirational in their own right.

“Warrior Champions: From Baghdad to Beijing” a Renaud Brothers film, told an inspiring story of four wounded American Soldiers who fought for their country in the Iraq War and were determined to continue living. Kortney Clemons, Scott Winkler, Melissa Stockwell and Carlos Leon opened their lives to the public by sharing a story of determination despite losing limbs and suffering from paralysis as they trained for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Stockwell became injured while driving a truck on the tragic day when an explosion killed seven Arkansans. She became the first female in American history to lose a limb in combat.

Clemons, who didn’t make the team, wrote a book entitled “AMPED.” His book is about his experience in the war and in sports.

Vincent Insalaco, producer of the film, poured out his feelings about the film which came about from the “Off to War” film.

“Had I brought a film that I worked on several years ago about a famous rock & roll band this place would be filled,” said the chairman of the Little Rock Film Festival. He spoke about the polarization of the country and the segregation between the military and civilians and reminded the audience that they (soldiers) were just like us.

The film showed a side of war we never see as well as the Olympics. Aware of the lack of Americans who don’t know much about the Paralympics, Insalaco informed the audience that the Olympics and Paralympics happen in conjunction with each other.

“With 60,000 wounded soldiers from the Iraqi War, this film is a morale booster and should be in the hands of every wounded veteran,” said Robert Moore, chair of the Documentary Film Festival committee.

Insalaco said he became close with Clemons after their stay together during filming.

“Kortney started his life and after the war thought it was over,“ said Insalaco.

Clemons had to undergo 185 surgeries to save his groin area.

“I don’t have their courage,“ said the passionate producer.

After the film, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions.

Ronald Sitton, assistant professor of journalism, discovered how they decided who to document for the film.

The Paralympics committee was trying to recruit from the veterans and the four soldiers were the ones who said they wanted to train for the event.

Insalaco said Stockwell, Winkler and Leon were the first veterans to make it into the Paralympics.

The in-depth film showed women carry the same responsibilities as men in combat as well as what happens to the routine soldier after war.

The Renaud Brothers

Craig and Brent Renaud, award-winning filmmakers from Little Rock, founded the Little Rock Film Festival.

The Renaud brothers have traveled the world documenting the lives of United States’ soldiers, drug addicts in New York to victims in the Haiti quake.

Closer to home, the Renaud Brothers followed the lives of the Little Rock Nine who were involved in the integration of Little Rock Central. The film entitled “Little Rock Central; 50 years later,” gave an inside look into the classrooms, meetings, community events and more. The film explored the challenges of black and white students 50 years after “Central’s” integration.

The Renaud Brothers were on to speak at the UAM Documentary Film Festival but were unable to attend due to their coverage of the quake in Haiti.

How It Began

The festival, sponsored by the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute and the UAM School of Arts and Humanities, began in 2001. Moore, who is also a professor of English, Provost David Ray, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs and Gary Marshall, professor of Speech, started the festival.

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute offers educational outreach programs with documentary films throughout the state of Arkansas. It is one of the first and oldest

documentary film festivals in the world.

The festival began in 1992 with a small group of art activists. That year 10 Academy Award nominated films became available to the public free of charge.

Photo by Linna Jones

Documentary Films- Students, faculty and staff watch "Stage IV: A Journey into the Unknown" at the UAM/Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival March 4. The festival showed 10 films over two days.

According to the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute, their festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors making it one of the largest tourist attractions in Arkansas providing significant economic benefits, as well as helping to shape the identity of Arkansas nationally and internationally.

The Films

The following is a brief synopsis of each film shown at this year’s film festival. Documentary Film Festival Committee hand selected each film.

70 x 7 the Forgiveness Equation

"70 x 7 the Forgiveness Equation," is a film with uncommon and compelling stories , challenges our beliefs in revenge and forgiveness.

The Greatest Coach Ever!

"The Greatest Coach Ever!" is a film about John McDonnell, a legendary University of Arkansas track coach.

Making the Crooked Straight

"Making the Crooked Straight" is a film about Rick Hodes and his fight to heal the sick and poor of Ethiopia. He adopted 17 children to heal and educate them.

No Cross, No Crown

"No Cross, No Crown" is a film about how New Orleans music and culture can survive Hurricane Katrina.

Who Is Bozo Texino?

"Who Is Bozo Texino?" is a film about the search for the mythic rail graffiti tag “Bozo Texino” seen on rail cars for over 80 years as it uncovers the secret society of hobo and rail worker graffiti artists, with interviews with some of the legendary hobo artists.

Sacred Spaces: The Architecture of Fay Jones

"Sacred Spaces: The Architecture of Fay Jones" is a film about Fay Jones of Fayetteville being Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous pupil. His masterpiece is Thorncrown Chapel, near Eureka Springs.

Without A Home

"Without a Home" is a film about a 4-year journey into the lives of six Los Angeles homeless families.

Heart of Stone

"Heart of Stone" is a film about the transformation of a section of Newark, NJ from a top public high school, mostly Jewish, to poor black families after the riots of 1967. New principal Ron Stone saved and restored the high school and the neighborhood.

“Automorphosis”

"Automorposis" is a film that provided a look into the minds and hearts of eccentrics, visionaries and just plain people who have transformed their automobiles into works of art.

The film festival ended with a film entitled “Stage IV: A Journey Into the Unknown.” This film documented a woman and her family as she learns she has 9-months to live. The film takes the audience on a journey of emotions as she fights cancer while teaching all who watched the need to preserve every moment.

Although the auditorium was empty, the impact of each film left prints of unscripted, visual expressions that documented reality.