welcome to leith is a 2015 american documentary film directed by michael beach nichols and christopher k. walker about white supremacist craig cobb 's attempt to take over the north dakota town leith .

the film premiered on january 26 , 2015 at the 2015 sundance film festival and , after a limited theatrical release on september 9 , was broadcast on pbs ' series independent lens on april 4 , 2016 .

welcome to leith

five questions for welcome to leith directors michael beach nichols & christopher k . walker
welcome to leith
documentary | bk live | 12 . 15 . 15
welcome to leith premieres on pbs’s independent lens on monday , april 4 , 2016 .
welcome to leith … people flocked to the town’s defence . photograph : michael beach nichols / ap
kynan dutton , craig cobb and deb henderson in the documentary
welcome to leith .
five questions for welcome to leith directors michael beach nichols & christopher k . walker | filmmaker magazine
welcome to leith is a sober , terrifying look at the very real monsters roaming the quiet countryside .
this film was produced by welcome to leith , llc , which is solely responsible for its content .
there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about welcome to leith !
we met the filmmakers of ' welcome to leith ' to talk about their terrifying and visually striking new documentary about white supremacists in leith , north dakota .
welcome to leith chronicles the attempted takeover of a small north dakota town by notorious white supremacist craig cobb .
“welcome to leith” ~ review : “the witch” ~ news chat ~ col . tim holtan , us army band
the swat team arrives in leith . all stills from ' welcome to leith . ' photo by not in our town . courtesy of first run pictures
take a look at the trailer for ' welcome to leith ' , which aired at the sundance film festival .
welcome to leith is a feature - length documentary which chronicles the struggle of the residents of leith , north dakota , to rid the town of a white supremacist .
“welcome to leith” premiered this week at the sundance film festival . it is currently seeking u . s . distribution .
welcome to leith is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in north dakota by white supremacists .
kynan dutton , craig cobb , and debra thompson on patrol in ' welcome to leith . ' photo by gregory bruce
welcome to leith delivers a psychological horror film , one more compelling and politically relevant than your average fiction offering in the genre .
welcome to leith is a film about a drinking town with a racist conclave problem . is that how the t - shirts go ?
[ us ] welcome to leith ( 2015 ) documentary about white supremacist craig cobb and his attempt to take over a small town in north dakota .
[ us ] welcome to leith ( 2015 ) documentary about white supremacist craig cobb and his attempt to take over a small town in north dakota . : netflixbestof
“at first i thought he was a quiet , keep - to - himself kind of guy , ” recalls the town’s mayor ryan schock in the documentary welcome to leith .
this article is related to : festivals and tagged meet the 2015 sundance filmmakers , michael beach nichols & christopher k . walker , sundance 2015 , sundance film festival , welcome to leith
welcome to leith is now playing at ifc center in new york . the directors will be in attendance during 7 : 45 pm screening on thursday , september 10 .
we are thrilled and completely humbled to share that welcome to leith has been nominated for an emmy award ! congrats to all the nominees . and so much appreciation for independent lens | pbs ! and , of course , so much gratitude to the amazing people of leith and grant county .
welcome to leith is a movie starring craig cobb , ryan lenz , and amber schatz . when a noted white supremacist moves into their town , the residents of leith , north dakota do what they can to prevent him from taking control of the municipality .
welcome to leith shows what can happen here , though instead of the old warning
watch the skies ,
those who can stomach it will have to keep their eyes on hate - speech websites .
a welcome to leith photo zine , with stills from the film , signature character portraits by joshua simpson , and essays by the filmmakers about what went on behind - the - scenes .
the two filmmakers said they felt like they had access to the entire population of leith .
following the end of the 7 : 50 p . m . friday showing of
welcome to leith ,
walker , nichols and schock held a question - and - answer session in the theater .
welcome to leith chronicles the attempted takeover of a small north dakota town by notorious white supremacist craig cobb . as cobb and his cohorts become more threatening , tensions soar and residents desperately look for ways to expel the unwanted neighbors .
we ' ll have to rely on the bravery of rural americans like those in leith to stop their rise in power .
copyright © 2009 water of leith conservation trust . all rights reserved . the water of leith conservation trust is a scottish charity number sc000015 and a company registered in scotland no . 114294 . this website was built by greener leith
welcome to leith is a feature film offering a glimpse into a town struggling for sovereignty against one man ' s extremist vision . filmed during an 8 month period documenting a white separatist ' s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople on an armed patrol and his subsequent release from jail six months later , welcome to leith is an eerie document of american diy ideals played out in one of the most under populated states in the nation .
he begins to acquire plots of land as part of his surreptitious plan to turn leith into a whites - only community to preserve the aryan race .
he has since moved to the tiny town of antler , three hours north of leith in hopes of carrying out his plan . the town is home to 25 people — just one more than leith .
when the credits rolled , the audience erupted into applause , and it was clear that the documentary
welcome to leith ,
premiering in bismarck at the grand theatre , 1486 interstate loop , was well - received .
leith residents heather and lee cook describe how white supremacist craig cobb doxxed them .
michael beach nichols and christopher k . walker from the movie
welcome to leith
at the l . a . times photo and video studio at the sundance film festival . ( jay l . clendenin / los angeles times )
click here to join or click here to make a donation to the trust .
welcome to leith is a co - production of no weather films , the cinemart and sundial pictures , produced in association with the independent television service ( itvs ) , with funding provided by the corporation for public broadcasting ( cpb ) .
filmed over the course of eight months in late 2013 and early 2014 , welcome to leith chronicles infamous white supremacist craig cobb ' s attempt to take over the tiny hamlet of leith , north dakota ( population 24 , including children ) , by buying up properties , beckoning like - minded supporters to join him , and generally pissing off everyone who stands in his way .
we ' re coming off an incredibly successful experience finishing and getting flex is kings out into the world after the kickstarter community made it happen . we are very confident that with your support , welcome to leith will get finished on time .
in 2012 , longtime white supremacist leader craig cobb bought a property in leith , north dakota , a minuscule town that at the time counted 24 people as its population . that ominous development provides the starting point for “ welcome to leith , ” directors michael beach nichols and christopher k . walker’s fascinating portrait of bigotry incarnate .
craig cobb and kynan dutton terrorise the folk of leith . pic : first run features
you can support the water of leith conservation trust by joining or making a donation .
michael nichols , left , christopher walker , center , and ryan schock , right , answer questions from the audience following a friday night showing of the documentary
welcome to leith ,
as a bismarck police officer , background , looks on .
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welcome to leith chronicles the attempted takeover of a small town in north dakota by notorious white supremacist craig cobb . as his behavior becomes more threatening , tensions soar , and the residents desperately look for ways to expel their unwanted neighbor . with incredible access to both longtime residents of leith and white supremacists , the film examines a small community in the plains struggling for sovereignty against an extremist vision . urltoken
welcome to leith asks us this : america is a country that prides itself on freedom , but what can be done when people take that freedom too far ? and how do you deal with bald - faced hatred when it tries to take over something you hold dear ? the people of leith know the answers , and their experience with evil will be harrowing for anyone .
as the situation in the town reached boiling point , national media and critics descended on leith to protest the group’s plans and bear witnesses to the unsettling war that threatened to explode .
friday , september 20 – leith , north dakota has gotten a lot of attention resulting from craig cobb’s plan to develop the town as a white supremacist community . independent producer meg luther lindholm recently traveled to leith to talk to residents and to cobb for an npr story . she also interviewed gregory gordon about the situation . [ … ]
welcome to leith offers a glimpse into a town struggling for sovereignty against one man ' s extremist vision . filmed in the days leading up to cobb ' s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople on an armed patrol and his subsequent release from jail six months later , welcome to leith is an eerie document of american diy ideals played out in one of the most under - populated states in the nation . that it takes place in the shadow of the biggest oil boom in north dakota ' s history makes the film a complex document exploring unforeseen causes and effects .
welcome to leith is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in north dakota by notorious white supremacist craig cobb . as his behavior becomes more threatening , tensions soar , and the residents desperately look for ways to expel their unwanted neighbor . with incredible access to both long time residents of leith and white supremacists , the film examines a small community in the plains struggling for sovereignty against an extremist vision .
if “welcome to leith” has a flaw , it’s that this reality prevents any satisfying conclusion : while some justice has been served , leith’s citizens are still afraid of what the future may hold , and whatever grief they’ve been spared might now simply be visited on some other hapless rural enclave instead . offering big - picture context are agents of the southern poverty law center who keep close tabs on u . s . hate groups ; they first brought cobb’s stealth plan for leith to public attention .
synopsis welcome to leith is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in north dakota by notorious white supremacist craig cobb . as his behavior becomes more threatening , tensions soar , and the residents desperately look for ways to expel their unwanted neighbor . with incredible access to both long time residents of leith and white supremacists , the film examines a small community in the plains struggling for sovereignty against an extremist vision .
welcome to leith is a fascinating and frequently suspenseful story about race , civil liberties , and freedom in america . that it takes place in the shadow of the biggest oil boom in north dakota ' s history makes the film a complex document exploring unforeseen causes and effects .
as for schock , audience members asked him whether he and his fellow leith residents felt safe .
at the center of the often terrifying documentary welcome to leith is a question that we as a society seem to be struggling with more and more every passing year : to what extent can we trust the rigor of law to protect us from those who abuse it , who manipulate it to their ends to do evil wherever they can ? the film offers no easy answers , and therein lies its strength . the story of a small , largely abandoned north dakota town invaded by an infamous white supremacist , welcome to leith posits a scenario that could happen in virtually any rust belt town , any area so decimated by the death of american industry that it would take little to nothing for a particularly intelligent psychopath to come in and cause trouble . this is its disquieting power .
welcome to leith received largely positive reviews from critics . on rotten tomatoes , it holds a certified fresh 98 % score based on 40 reviews , with an average rating of 7 . 7 / 10 . the site ' s consensus states :
as disturbing as it is thought - provoking , welcome to leith offers an uncomfortable - - and essential - - glimpse into a part of society many americans would much rather ignore .
metacritic reports an 80 out of 100 rating based on 15 critics , indicating
generally favorable reviews
. ( wikipedia )
co - executive producer credit . your name included in the credits of the film and on the film ' s imdb . plus whatever you want above . welcome to the team .
cobb’s plan was to setup shop and invite other like - minded nationalists to move to leith in order to take control of the electoral vote and seize power . in a country that prides itself on its democratic process , cobb sought to take advantage of the system to implement his perverted rule .
more on the recent steps mayor ryan schock has taken to dissolve leith ' s local government .
these days , leith is ridden with abandoned buildings and strapped of cash . but there are no swastikas in sight , and residents hope to keep it that way .
associate producer credit . your name listed in the credits of the film and on the film ' s imdb page . + gorgeous limited edition and numbered welcome to leith poster + photo zine on the making of welcome to leith written by the filmmakers and featuring stunning north dakota photography by joshua simpson + two tickets to an nyc screening of the film with q and a by the filmmakers + dvd with exclusive bonus footage + digital download of the score + hd download of the film + a no weather productions one - inch round pin - back button + a thank you on our facebook page + we ' ll add you to our digital mailing list .
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what do you get when you combine gun - toting neo - nazis , frightened townspeople , and the battle for control over a small town in north dakotan oil country ? that ' s what the documentary welcome to leith , now playing at ifc center in new york , explores with terrifying intimacy .
avowed white supremacists craig cobb and kynan dutton patrol the roads of leith brandishing rifles , confronting longtime residents .
i live about an hour away from leith , i remember when this was going down . crazy stuff .
friday , march 18 – one of the films showing at the fargo film festival is “welcome to leith , ” a documentary about white supremacist craig cobb’s effort to take over a small town in north dakota . we visit with filmmakers michael nichols and christopher walker . ~ ~ ~ matt olien is here to review “the witch . ” ~ ~ ~ col . [ … ]
walker and nichols said they had no plans to do a sequel , perhaps based on cobb ' s attempt to duplicate his leith strategy in antler , just south of the canadian border in bottineau county , but others , such as leith media representative bruce , said they were continuing to follow cobb and dutton ' s movements .
welcome to leith has a lot to say to uk viewers with many echoes of the anti - racist struggle in this country . particularly chilling are the complaints that the white supremacists make about “multiculturalism” . there is an appearance from a daily mail journalist who interviews some of the residents about their campaign . ironically , their paper probably has more in common with cobb than the brave residents .
it was a dramatic and confrontational scene at the post - screening q & a ; for the documentary
welcome to leith
on thursday night , as many in the audience turned against the filmmakers and festival staff over the appearance via teleconferencing of one of the film ' s subjects , white supremacist craig cobb .
leith fought back and lawmakers used every trick and loophole in the book to thwart cobb’s plans and throw him in jail . they passed laws disallowing them to live in the houses due to the lack of running water and sought to silence their vile message .
' welcome to leith ' is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in north dakota by notorious white supremacist craig cobb . filmed in the days leading up to cobb ' s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople on an armed patrol and his subsequent release from jail six months later , the film is an eerie document of american diy ideals .
we made three trips to leith , with each lasting close to three weeks . bismarck was our home base ( a 90 - minute drive from leith ) — it was helpful for us to be in a city so we could maintain our gear if any issues arose , but it was also a way to respect the community and give them a little space from our cameras .
the tiny town of leith , n . d . , managed to thwart a white supremacist ' s plans to take over the town in 2013 . but the saga still haunts its residents .
cobb and dutton later pleaded guilty to felony terrorizing , and both have since left leith . cobb now resides in sherwood , and dutton lives in underwood .
in september 2012 , the tiny prairie town of leith , north dakota , saw its population of 24 grow by one . trouble had come to town .
' welcome to leith ' is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in north dakota by notorious white supremacist craig cobb . filmed in the days leading up to cobb ' s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople on an armed patrol and his subsequent release from jail six months later , the film is an eerie document of american diy ideals . ( imdb )
meanwhile , far from the prairies of north dakota , ryan lenz , an investigator from montgomery , alabama’s southern poverty law center , discovers cobb’s posts and informs leith’s mayor , ryan schock . schock , a young rancher and family man who has lived in leith all his life , is stunned by the news — and the ensuing media firestorm as tensions in leith threaten to boil over into violence .
the two film - makers responsible for the remarkable documentary , welcome to leith , explain that they made an important breakthrough when they recognized the type of story they were dealing with : it was a western . michael beach nichols and christopher k . walker made this observation following a screening of the film at the fargo film festival , where [ … ]
thursday , december 18 – last june , we heard about “welcome to leith” a feature film about the north dakota town’s experience with white supremacist craig cobb . at the time , the film was being funded in part by crowd - sourcing . now we learn it’s been accepted by the sundance film festival . joining us with an update are [ … ]
while there’s a certain morally transgressive element in the movie’s use of traditional documentary technique to allow dutton and cobb to discuss their motives , it also deepens the movie’s illustrative power . as the men continue to threaten locals , who respond by constantly monitoring their assailants behavior , “welcome to leith” develops into a stunning portrait of first amendment rights pushed to their extremes . ultimately , both dutton and cobb were arrested for patrolling their neighborhood with guns , but that’s only the beginning of a story in which seemingly every response to their provocations feed into their horrifying intentions .
it was soon discovered that the purchaser , craig cobb , was not , as most assumed , an outsider seeking to profit from the state’s oil boom . his real estate speculation was a stealth operation to take over the village and make leith a haven for white supremacists . shortly after his plans were revealed by the southern poverty law center , a white supremacist family moved to leith to fix up the properties .
the filmmakers deliver an up - close look at recurring showdowns between infuriated locals and the disturbing figure of cobb , along with the various likeminded forces who sprang up to support him . filled with gripping showdowns and sinister agendas , the movie builds its unsettling power by depicting the struggle from both perspectives . while the delineation between good and evil holds strong , “welcome to leith” is also creepily even - handed .
this chronicle of a rural community’s struggle for sovereignty amidst extremism quite cleverly maneuvers us into an uncomfortable confrontation with our own values . like the residents , we feel our anger escalate , but as disturbing and hateful as his racist attitudes are , cobb is afforded certain protections under the law . the unsettling underpinning of welcome to leith is how we wrestle with our democratic principles when they’re pushed to the limit .
leith mount surgery is a modern , gp medical practice in north east edinburgh , with full disabled access and double buggy access .
“welcome to leith” wisely resists the kind of gimmickry that might have resulted in a stylistic hybrid of “the blair witch project” or “invasion of the body snatchers . ” this film gives mr . cobb ample time to explain himself in language casually peppered with racist epithets that are all the more offensive for being delivered matter - of - factly . he and his young associate kynan dutton speak in calm , rational tones .
i met nichols and walker last week at the vice office in brooklyn to talk about what drew them to leith , the intersections between documentary and horror , and what it was like to meet
one of the most famous racists in the world .
documentary has a rich history of films by filmmakers who must honestly engage subjects with odious views . directors michael beach nichols and christopher walker stumbled across one such fellow in craig cobb , a white supremacist with a devious and possibly quite legal plan to produce a white power enclave in the american heartland . premiering at sundance in the documentary competition , their welcome to leith chronicles the story of the town of leith against cobb but also , implicitly , their own story of engaging their subject — who says he’s available for skype interviews after the premiere .
“welcome to leith” is a gripping you - are - there portrait of a community under siege : the titular tiny north dakota burg that , a couple of years ago , suddenly found itself unhappily chosen as a suitably cheap , isolated “planned community” for some of the united states’ most notorious white supremacists . the conflict between different notions of freedom , law - enforcement [ … ]
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we didn ' t want to make the film unless we could speak to every side , every perspective ,
said nichols .
it would be very easy to tell the story of the leith residents solely but that wasn ' t what we were interested in doing . we wanted to tell mr . cobb ' s story and what he wanted to do as well . because that was the story , this story was what was happening in leith , n . d .
mcdowall said her involvement in the documentary began as a personal project , as she grew up in carson , near to leith , and wanted to document cobb ' s efforts , which received national and international media attention .
welcome to leith juxtaposes background accounts of cobb and a few of his affiliates with the story of leith itself . mayor ryan schock oversaw what until late summer 2012 was a town of only about 16 or so residents . most have families , and there’s only one business left in leith : a bar . many of the town’s buildings and former businesses are condemned , the result of the only lingering industry in the area being the oil boom also chronicled in last year’s the overnighters . but for the town’s unease toward the transient population that the sudden influx of oil fields conferred , it’s cobb who caused substantially more trouble . first he bought a house in leith , and the neighbors thought little of it . they found him strange , but assumed he was just reserved . then he started buying more property . and before long , he was inviting white supremacists all over america to move to leith , the idea being that a minor majority would be enough to overthrow schock and take over the town , with the ultimate goal of it becoming a white power utopia .
jamie kelso , 65 , is believed to lead the american freedom party though he refuses to refer to himself as a white supremacist .
leith may be on the verge of losing its city government , but schock hopes to keep its history alive . he wants residents to remember the old creamery , the old movie theater that became the town hall , the town dances that used to draw residents together at night .
photo zine on the making of welcome to leith written by the filmmakers and featuring stunning portraiture and north dakota photography by joshua simpson . + two tickets to an nyc screening of the film with q and a by the filmmakers + dvd with exclusive bonus footage + digital download of the score + hd download of the film + a no weather productions one - inch round pin - back button + a thank you on our facebook page + we ' ll add you to our digital mailing list .
leith , a 90 minute drive from the nearest city ( bismarck ) is home to around 20 people , mostly farmers and ranchers living on a prairie backdrop of sky and wheat . in 2012 , an outsider moved in and started buying up property . residents initially welcomed him , figuring he’d moved to be closer to the oil fields , but craig cobb had other motives . posting on white nationalist forums that he’d found the perfect place to start an all - white enclave , cobb implored other white supremacists to move to leith and help take over the town’s government .
this documentary movie poster promotes the story of leith and white supremacist craig cobb , who is depicted under the town sign with his walking stick .
in the general election of november of 1916 , morton county was divided , and two new counties were created – sioux and grant . on this date of that year , a group of civic leaders from the village of leith were in bismarck , attempting to gain support for leith as the new county seat . boosters for [ … ]
since leith is so small , cobb’s plan was to buy up a few of the houses in town and then take over the local government with a bunch of fellow racist separatists so that they’d have the whole town to themselves . to accomplish this goal , he even sold one of his houses for $ 1 to the national socialist movement , a neo - nazi group . plenty of people flocked to leith’s defence when cobb and the cronies who moved on to his property made town meetings and daily life hell for the townsfolk by harassing them , parading around with guns , and publishing their personal information on websites to provoke retribution .
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the leith city council in north dakota approved a moratorium on any new construction in their town in order to prevent a group of white supremacists from creating an aryan community , the houston chronicle reported .
the filmmakers drive that point home in a haunting finale as they sit with cobb in a hotel room away from the public eye . it’s here that he strikes a noticeable contrast with the rambling lunatic seen before . was it all an act ? examining his angry protocol with a measured gaze , “welcome to leith” questions the notion of progress in a country where hatred has the power to percolate on its own terms . as menacing as cobb sounds during his outbursts , he’s far more intimidating when he comes down to earth .
the city of leith , north dakota , breathed a small sigh of relief on this date in 2013 when two white supremacists with designs on the town were taken into custody . craig cobb and kynan dutton , two neo - nazis , had patrolled the town with a shotgun and rifle that saturday , leading to several 911 calls from leith [ … ]
you ' ve described welcome to leith as
kind of like a western .
the film has an impressively strong sense of structure : i really felt the building sense of conflict toward a kind of final showdown , like in a western—or even a horror movie . how important was it to you to have a sense of drama and tension to the documentary ? nichols : i think it was unavoidable . and building on that idea of us being able to cover everything , we also arrived in town to find that the people who live there had been documenting each other the entire time , and were very eager to share that footage with us as proof of being antagonized , by [ whomever ] was on the other side .
the town’s ramshackle appearance — “b - roll from ‘the walking dead , ' ” as one journalist puts it — lends itself to the disturbing proceedings at hand . the vacant streets and creaky wooden homes convey the sense of abandonment that allows cobb — a bearded lunatic who spouts his racial creed to untold followers online — to quickly take root . when he initially arrives , cobb doesn’t stand out to any of the locals as particularly suspicious , until they notice his call to arms as he beckons various white supremacist leaders to join him in the area . blending talking heads with snippets of news coverage , “welcome to leith” erupts into an intense second act as cobb storms town hall meetings in an alarming , systematic process of provoking reactions from terrified locals .
currimbhoy asked the first question of cobb , as to why he agreed to participate in the film .
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craig cobb recently announced his support of donald trump’s presidency . would trump probably repudiate cobb’s support ? i don’t know . i’m no trump apologist , but i’d like to think the donald would at least distance himself from cobb , if pressed . the mastery of this film , welcome to leith , is that in 86 minutes it basically produces a microcosm of how white america has ever - so - gently started to drop the color - blind mystique of the last 50 years — even in leith . it’s not enough to simply say , “live and let live . ” there’s a rainbow of whites : the caustics , the apologists , and the growing number of people ( even in a town of 16 ) who stand up and say , “not in my backyard . ”
for all of cobb’s insistences that “all we want in the world is our own separatism , ” that seems to be at odds with the sudden appearance of signs declaring that there will be “no niggers” in leith , and declarations that “we’re not trying to threaten anyone” as they wander around armed to the teeth . for bobby harper , the only black man in leith , this is a violation of the home he built there with his wife . for lee cook , who moved to leith with his wife many years before after the sadistic murder of his teenage daughter , it’s an invasion of the sanctity of the place they chose for its silence , for the escape it offered from the horrors of the modern world . soon cobb is subtly threatening and antagonizing leith , along with his followers and compatriots , asserting their legally protected civil rights every step of the way .
winnie explores winnie mandela ' s life and contribution to the struggle to bring down apartheid from the inside .
someone else in the crowd angrily shouted a question asking why cobb is afraid of jews , which went unanswered . nichols and walker then answered a question as to how they first heard of what was happening in leith .
we cannot accept this racist hatred they are bringing here . leith is in a crisis and is crying out for help ,
said bismarck resident jeremy kelly .
interesting fact : there ' s a similar sized settlement near leith called
heil
. i wonder why cobb & co . didn ' t try moving there ?
mcdowall said it was important for north dakotans to recognize that white supremacy continues to threaten communities in the state .
good evening mr . cobb . welcome to sundance , virtually ,
said sundance programmer hussain currimbhoy , who moderated the event .
my name is hussain ali currimbhoy . i ' m the programmer here at sundance and temple har shalom .
this was met with laughs and a roar of approval from the crowd .
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a baltimore exterminator helps a resident with rat - infested yard learn to outsmart rats before they adapt to her poison .
on a final note , no students are required to go to a public school , however , it has to be proven that students are being given an adequate education elsewhere .
i ' m not going to engage you . crawl back to whatever alt - right rock you crawled out from .
the outcry over cobb’s presence in leith quickly generates national attention — in addition to support for his right to live there from major white supremacist figures , some of whom head to the town to further their efforts . hoping to attract a voting majority with the expressed desire of developing an aryan outpost , cobb’s mission is particularly troublesome because of the communal support that surrounds it , which the filmmakers capture in a suspenseful blend of verite and testimonials from both sides of the battle .
the council made their move on sunday after craig cobb , 61 , purchased 12 plots of land in leith with the hopes of transforming the area into a neo - nazi enclave .
as guardians of edinburgh’s river we need to keep watch on what is happening along the 12 miles of walkway from balerno to leith . we need to know promptly about anything which needs action . patrol volunteers are our eyes and ears . patrol volunteers adopt a ‘patch’ of river and walkway and ideally patrol it once a week , keeping a watch for any problems .
nyc - based photographer joshua simpson flew out to north dakota with us on our last trip and took some stunning photographs of leith and grant county . he ' s generously donating some limited edition prints as incentives to help the film . check out some of his work below and at his website : here .
at earlier sundance screenings of the film , leith ' s mayor ryan schock appeared for q & as . ; after the screening thursday , nichols said ,
one person from the film would like to participate in the q & a ; tonight , so i ' d like to introduce craig cobb .
that property ' s now going to cost them a lot of money every year ,
schock said to applause .
i feel that . i got in to that heavy lately but i was also stuck on keys to the kuffs hard for a grip there . i haven ' t listened to it enough to dismiss it but i think nehruviandoom is the weakest .
while most can generally agree that nazism is something that should never come back , welcome to leith examines an extreme scenario of what happens when the boundaries of law are abused , and what happens when fringe social groups find ways to work that to their advantage , even when the harm of others becomes a potential consequence . the residents of leith make them clearly unwelcome , and cobb and his associates respond by patrolling the streets with rifles . virtually nobody breaks the law , for all the excruciating tension on display , and the one instance in which the law is eventually broken is subject to substantial dispute . at the center of it all is cobb , a man equally convinced of the nobility of his mission and the evils of racial impurity . sometimes , the scariest people in the world are the ones you can’t stop , the ones who know exactly how to make sure you can never stop them , who know how you’d try to do it before you even come up with the idea . fear is a lack of control , after all .
teams of volunteers from business across the city help us to deliver environmental improvement projects in the water of leith valley , why not get your company involved ? an environmental action day gives staff the chance to make a positive difference to a familiar local environment . conservation work can also provide a great backdrop to staff training and development . this in turn can boost team moral , motivation , help with stress management and be a lot of fun . it ' s an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that your business has a commitment to corporate and social responsibility by allowing your staff to work with the third sector in their local outdoor environment .
there are a few moments in “ welcome to leith , ” a documentary about a north dakota town that resists being taken over by white supremacists , when the film might be mistaken for a horror movie about an alien invasion . only one business operates in this village of 24 residents , mostly farmers and ranchers , in grant county . three years ago , a scruffy gray - bearded stranger with beady eyes appeared and began buying properties in the area . when his real estate spree ended , he had accumulated at least a dozen plots of land .
the newcomer was craig cobb , a notorious white supremacist . quietly snapping up plots of land , he planned to take over the town government and establish cobbsville , a haven for white separatists . in organizing a rally of supremacists and neo - nazis and courting them to take up residence , cobb does not endear himself to leith . as his behavior becomes more threatening , tensions soar , and the residents desperately look for ways to expel their unwanted neighbor .
thank you for this recommendation . the courage of the towns people was really inspiring . especially the lone black resident that got in the face of cobb . the national socialist movement would definitely have the numbers to take over a small part of the country like that , and we ' ll have to rely on the bravery of rural americans like those in leith to stop their rise in power .
“welcome to leith” is a gripping you - are - there portrait of a community under siege : the titular tiny north dakota burg that , a couple of years ago , suddenly found itself unhappily chosen as a suitably cheap , isolated “planned community” for some of the united states’ most notorious white supremacists . the conflict between different notions of freedom , law - enforcement problems , and an atmosphere of escalating violent threat make michael beach nichols and christopher k . walker’s documentary as engrossing as a fictional thriller . it will be primarily of interest to broadcasters , though some additional niche home - format sales and possible limited theatrical exposure are also signaled .
leith , north dakota is a registered ghost town of 24 people . its inhabitants are mostly farmers or ranchers , with land passed down generation to generation . the town has an apocalyptic beauty set against a prairie backdrop of wide - open sky and fields of wheat .
leith is a tiny , quiet town of just 24 people . everything changes in may 2012 when craig cobb , described as one of the top five white supremacists in the us , moves into town .
16x20 clayton patterson print ! limited edition , signed and numbered print by the legendary nyc photographer . clayton is donating 10 of these to the campaign - this is a big deal . the photo will be creepy and wonderful . + special thanks in film credits and on film ' s imdb page + photo zine on the making of welcome to leith written by the filmmakers and featuring stunning north dakota photography by joshua simpson + two tickets to an nyc screening of the film with q and a by the filmmakers + dvd with exclusive bonus footage + digital download of the score + hd download of the film + a no weather productions one - inch round pin - back button + a thank you on our facebook page + we ' ll add you to our digital mailing list .
as for cobb , he remains determined to carry out his racist agenda . he spent five months in jail on terror charges and was released after he struck a deal with prosecuters . he was ultimately run out of leith in 2013 and residents even burned down his house .
we were nervous about tonight , but we felt like it was an important conversation that we wanted to attempt to have .
sundial pictures is an independent film production and distribution company , providing the resources and supervision to help bring filmmakers ' visions to reality .
the film has something to say about freedoms and liberties when applied to nazis . even the most committed liberal would shudder at the way that cobb uses constitutional rights to protect himself from the residents’ opposition .
monday , september 23 – today’s show features highlights from “minot rebuilding dreams , ” a prairie public television special documenting minot’s efforts to recover from the flood of 2011 . ~ ~ ~ more than 300 people turned out in leith , nd this weekend to protest the visit of a white nationalist group leader . new director dave thompson was in [ … ]
is an award - winning filmmaker and the recipient of jerome foundation and rooftop filmmaker grants . his critically - acclaimed second feature film , welcome to leith , debuted at the 2015 sundance film festival , before going on to screen at sxsw , hot docs , idfa , and many others . his 2013 feature debut flex is kings premiered at the tribeca film festival and was hailed as an “awesome documentary” by rapper pusha t . previously , he directed the new york times op - doc separatist , the vimeo staff pick delivery , the street dance web series bklyn flex , and was part of the peabody award - winning producing team behind sundance channel’s 11 - hour docuseries brick city .
the next question was from the audience and directed to the filmmakers , as to what was the most uncomfortable moment in shooting the film .
welcome to nacis 2016 in colorado springs ! this is the annual meeting of the north american cartographic information society ( nacis ) . see the schedule below and check out the nacis website for more details . the north american cartographic information society , founded in 1980 , is an organization comprised of specialists from private , academic , and government organizations whose common interest lies in facilitating communication in the map information community .
why you should watch : i previously profiled the project during its crowdfunding campaign . nichols and walker capture the conflict between cobb’s group and the existing leith residents as it unfolds , through genuinely frightening standoffs with palpable tension and raw emotions on either side . for both camps , it’s evident that leith becomes the front line in a cultural war , with cobb’s sense of entitlement and his tactics of intimidation pitted against a small town whose residents won’t allow change to be forced on their community by outsiders without a fight .
when craig cobb arrived in the small town of leith , north dakota in 2012 the two dozen residents in the sleepy rural town didn’t think much of him . but very soon they would find themselves fighting a bitter war against the 60 - year - old to save their way of life .
it is also a film i would urge those tempted by identity politics to watch . leith is a town with only one black male resident . he was not left to fight alone and it was his white neighbours who were often the most vehement in opposition to cobb’s white supremacist ideology . if identitarians are correct , why would this small rural white town rise up at the thought of having it turned into a whites - only community ?
editing the film into a strong fine cut ready to be submitted to festivals in the fall . this is the biggest and most expensive chunk .
thurgood marshall , after graduating howard u . law school , goes to the deep south to document how black schools were separate but not equal .
two festival passes to the film for any one festival we screen at ( transportation and lodging not included ) . our last film , flex is kings , played at festivals in new york city , brooklyn , san francisco , sweden , guam , spain , and more . if we ' re attending the festival , we ' ll take you to the after party ! + special thanks in film credits and on film ' s imdb page + photo zine on the making of welcome to leith written by the filmmakers and featuring stunning north dakota photography by joshua simpson + two tickets to an nyc screening of the film with q and a by the filmmakers + dvd with exclusive bonus footage + digital download of the score + hd download of the film + a no weather productions one - inch round pin - back button + a thank you on our facebook page + we ' ll add you to our digital mailing list .


rhinoceros is a 1974 american comedy film based on the play rhinocéros by eugène ionesco .

the film was produced and released as part of the american film theatre , which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series .

rhinoceros ( film )

with the headline : film : absurdity of ionesco ' s ‘rhinoceros’ is reduced in transition to screen .
we are a creative international film production company , passionate about creative and powerful storytelling through film .
“rhinoceros” is the fourth in the american film theater ' s series of eight films based on stage plays . it may well be the least interesting .
there are no critic reviews yet for rhinoceros . keep checking rotten tomatoes for updates !
in the lesson , point of view : rhinoceros , students write a journal entry in which they imagine themselves as the rhinoceros and describe its journey to a new preserve .
the mission of autonomous rhinoceros is to discover stories around the world and share them through film for the purpose of awareness and positive impact for all involved .
i am presently going through the characters referenced in woody allen’s film “midnight in paris . ” luis bunuel is a surrealist film director that is responsible for the film “belle de jour” which francis schaeffer discusses below .
buñuel is a surrealist , making the dream sequences in this film a treat for the eye . eventually the guests take morphine which adds more surrealism to the film .
originally an absurdist play by eugene ionesco , rhinoceros tells the story of a french town plagued by rhinoceroses .
i admit the whole film is pretty dull and uninteresting accept for the first 35min of the film . i realise that contradicts what i just said but its true , most…
none of the film was shot in , or near , fargo , north dakota .
calling all actors and crew . . . film set protocols seminar 07 / 28 / 2018
rhinoceros is being presented in association with the castillo theatre and performances will be wednesdays through saturdays at 7 : 30 pm , with matinees saturday & sunday at 2 pm . rhinoceros is set to play a limited off - broadway engagement through october 8th .
four films seen . four still to be released . with the two‐day run here earlier this week of tom o ' horgan ' s film version of ionesco ' s “rhinoceros , ” the american film theater has reached the halfway mark in its first subscription season designed to bring culture to the otherwise depressed , that is , the american moviegoer .
i really wish there was more to say about this film , but it leaves you a little speechless .
the exquisite blu - ray transfer makes an argument for the film’s remarkable production design and audio / visual construction .
rhinoceros eyes
is a terrible title for a movie  but in this case it ' s fitting . not only does it refer to a plot device that drives the story , but it ' s also indicative of how peculiar the film is .
every thursday , chris robinson takes a look at films from animation’s past . this week he screens jan lenica ' s 1965 classic , rhinoceros .
in a film class my partner and i did a video presentation on the film belle de jour and the filmmaker luis bunuel . bunuel was a surrealist , so if the video doesn’t quite makes sense , its not supposed to .
“people who try to hang onto their individuality always come to a bad end , ” says stanley ( gene wilder ) in the last act of “rhinoceros , ” the american film theater ' s screen version of the eugene ionesco play that opened at selected theaters here yesterday .
won the 1961 tony award for best actor in a play for
rhinoceros
as john , and re - created his role in this filmed production .
distinguished israeli actor , gera sandler , has joined the cast of the upcoming yiddish world premiere of eugene ionesco ' s rhinoceros in the role of dudard .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
regarding her documentary , filush told pnc “i just wanted to create some kind of awareness campaign on the rhinoceros beetle since i felt like there was nothing out there in the community . and i felt , what better way to spread awareness than through film ? ” in the film , filush says she covers the background of the rhino beetles , how they came to guam , and how the community can help lessen their numbers .
a boozing young man in love with his co - worker finds that everyone around him , even his pompous and condescending best friend , is changing into a rhinoceros .
in
rhinoceros eyes ,
michael pitt plays chep , a hollywood
prop shop
employee . chep is a loner until he meets fran ( paige turco ) .
consequently , you could almost see this one becoming some sort of cult film . after all , the same thing happened to the similar style - over - substance 2001 film - festival hit
donnie darko
( although
darko
had more going for it ) .
examples : death of a gunfighter ( 1969 ) , let ' s get harry ( 1986 ) , the shrimp on the barbie ( 1990 ) , and the last film with the ironic alias : an alan smithee film : burn , hollywood , burn ( 1997 ) .
fargo is a 1996 oscar - winning american crime drama film produced , directed , written , and edited by brothers joel and ethan coen . it is the original film that inspired the 2014 tv adaptation of the same name in which the coen ' s serve as executive producers .
“rhinoceros , ” which had a middling run on broadway in 1961 , is not ideal film material , being an example of the kind of theater of the absurd that should be played like old‐time farce within a stylized , three‐sided set or , perhaps , within no set at all . even though the film never shows us any real rhinoceroses , the realism of the movie camera is undeniable . it reduces things absurd to the status of the merely silly .
the first third is very entertaining and delightfully absurd . zero mostel ' s gradual metamorphosis into a rhinoceros is a cinematic tour - de - force , where he completely takes over the film . when he is not on the scene any longer , it slows down and doesn ' t engage so much , unfortunately .
the stills gallery contains 18 black & white and colour images including behind - the - scenes shots . there are two posters for the film .
example : star wars episode ii : attack of the clones ( 2002 ) , the first feature ' film ' shot using digital video cinematography , isn ' t really a film - an anachronistic term in this case ; in the civil war film , glory ( 1989 ) , one of the kids in the film wears what appears to be a swatch watch ; or in lawrence of arabia ( 1962 ) , a u . s . browning air - cooled machine gun is oddly featured before its time ; or the use of 1873 colt peacemakers in red river ( 1948 )
overall rhinoceros demonstrates one of the great advantages of the american film theatre’s ethos to preserve vital and edgy experimental theatre , preserving a play that would otherwise be rarely performed and capturing a magnificent original stage performance by zero mostel . the absurdist nature of the play will certainly not be to everyone’s taste and the wacky seventies treatment will be off - putting to many , but the film effectively puts across the themes of the play and is often very funny in a way that is rarely seen in cinema . the film is well presented on dvd , with good picture and sound quality and the usual fine selection of supporting extra features .
produced by the american film theater and based upon an absurdist play by eugene ionesco , this film tells the farcical tale of a group of people who must reassess their pasts and futures after they begin turning into rhinoceroses . only one of their peers , a mild - mannered clerk , remains the same .
nearly 60 years since its premiere , the darkly comedic and terrifying rhinoceros is making its yiddish language debut with a translation by eli rosen . the sublime is merged with the ridiculous in this savage commentary on the human condition , in which an individual citizen of a small town watches his friends turn into rhinoceros es one by one until he alone stands unchanged . the cast of rhinoceros also features alec burko , amy coleman , macha fogel , malky goldman , sean griffin , chezky israeli , david mandelbaum , caraid o ' brien , eli rosen , luzer twersky , and melissa weisz .
in the film “midnight in paris” the character gil discusses the future movie “the exterminating angel” by bunuel with bunuel . below is a review of that movie .
as part of her presentation , filush showed rotarians her very first film , “beat the beetle , ” which she first showcased at festpac in 2015 , adding a fun and uplifting mood to the informative documentary . coconut rhinoceros beetles were initially discovered on guam in 2007 , and have been damaging the island’s coconut trees and continued to show signs of resilience to eradication attempts .
adriana and gil are seen above walking together in the movie “midnight in paris . ” adriana was a fictional character who was picasso’s mistress in the film . earlier she had been modigliani’s mistress and later georges braque’s mistress before moving on to picasso according to the film story line . actually picasso had taken girls from others [ … ]
gera sandler ' s numerous film credits include jellyfish , a film unfinished and a tale of love and darkness . for 12 years , he was one of the leading actors in the yiddish theatre in israel . his prominent roles include nathan rothschild in the musical the rothschilds , hershl in simple story and yasha mazor in the magician of lublin .
mr . ionesco apparently wants us to see “rhinoceros” as a parable about conformity and the contagion that could convert supposedly moral , rational people into the ecstatically mindless mobs that idolized hitler as the last word in authority figures .
gene wilder , however , and surprisingly , is simply too mawkish . his reactions seem to pour molasses into the gears of this movie . if someone else had played the role , perhaps
rhinoceros
would have worked .
durée : 1 h 44 min . contient aussi : présentation par ely landau ( 6 min ) , interview avec tom o ' horgan ( 26 min ) , bandes - annonces , texte de michael feingold
eugene o ' neill and rhinoceros
, galerie de photos et notes de production . adapté de la pièce de théâtre du même nom . cop . : american film theatre distributing corporation , 1974 .
eugene ionesco ( 1909 - 1994 ) was one of the foremost figures of the french avant - garde theatre . among his most popular plays are rhinoceros , the bald soprano , the lesson , the chairs , and the killer .
the pseudonym used by directors who refuse to put their name on a film and want to disassociate themselves , usually when they believe their control or vision has been co - opted by the studio ( i . e . , the film could have been recut , mutilated and altered against their wishes ) ; aka alan smithee jr . , allan smithee , or allen smithee
stanley , the mild . mannered , virtually identity‐less office clerk , has admittedly had a terrifying time . he finds himself the only human being in a world where everyone else , for various reasons , is electing to turn into a rhinoceros .
chep ' s feelings of isolation don ' t help . he refuses to fraternize with his co - workers or leave the shop , except when he goes to the movies . but that changes when he meets fran ( paige turco ) , a movie production designer who comes into the shop one day looking for rhinoceros eyes . real ones . which the shop does have , but unfortunately they ' ve already been loaned out to another film .
ok , this is one weird film that i caught very late one night , i only decided to see it because it had gene wilder in it , who is one of the funniest men in history . i was totally surprised by how bizarre it was . the plot is about zero mostel and gene wilder talking and all these people turn into ( unseen ) rhinoceros ' . later on the story goes from zany comedy to mild horror as our ' heroes ' try to stop themselves from turning into rhinoceros ' . . . if you ' re in a good mood you could find some enjoyment out of this , but if you like your films straightforward then avoid this like the plague .
something that would have been an interesting 10 minute short film overstretched to feature length that is only barely watchable because of its cast . supposed to be theatre of the absurd but its just absurd .
a still from disney ' s full - length animated feature film , snow white and the seven dwarfs ( 1937 ) . also the hand - drawn colorful laser - beams in the star wars films .
darius khondji ’s cinematography evokes to the hilt the gorgeously inviting paris of so many people’s imaginations ( while conveniently ignoring the rest ) , and the film has the concision and snappy pace of allen’s best work .
from this dream , eric was encouraged to draw our auto the rhino and his bird . then he took it further – he decided to apply his passion for film and storytelling to sharing the stories of others .
performances are set to begin september 7th , with the opening on thursday , september 14th at the castillo theatre , 543 west 42 street ( between tenth & eleventh aves . ) new yiddish rep ' s rare revival of rhinoceros will be performed in yiddish with english supertitles .
due to unregulated hunting and poaching , the black rhinoceros has become an endangered species across the african continent . in an effort to preserve the remaining rhinos and repopulate the species , wildlife preserves have been created . the black rhinoceros now thrives in the south african national park system . in order to spread the success of the south african preserve to other regions , rhinos from this sanctuary are being relocated to other preserves across the continent . in this video from nature , learn about the factors taken into consideration to release the black rhino back into the wild .
. this impression is reinforced by gene wilder’s typically eccentric performance in what would normally be considered the central role of béranger , re - named as stanley for the aft film . he is however upstaged by zero mostel as his neighbour john . mostel , reprising his broadway stage role is simply magnificent , relishing every little gesture and intonation . his transformation into a rhinoceros , done without the aid of make - up or special effects , is one of the great moments of the aft programme of films .
( you will notice in the last part of the 14 minute clip above , it shows how the movie “belle de jour” ends . even though her husband has been shot three times which was the result of the horrible friends she had associated with , he is pictured in her dreams as recovering from his wheel chair and blindness and he gladly kisses her . francis schaeffer in his film series shows how this film was appealing to “nonreason” to answer our problems . )
a type of film that rejects traditional narrative in favor of using poetic form ( color , motion , sound , irrational images , etc . ) to convey its meaning or feeling ; aka non - linear ; see also avant - garde
with the exception of peter hall ' s fine production of “the homecoming , ” which works so well as a film that you don ' t pay any attention to its theatrical seams , the aft looks to be produoing a new type of film—one that may not ultimately be in the greatest demand . the aft is manufacturing the coffee table movie , something that is supposed to establish one ' s intellectual credentials by physical association . purchase tickets but give them to your friends .
guam – local filmmaker sarah filush was the guest speaker at the rotary club of tumon bay’s weekly meeting at the pacific star resort and spa , where she took the opportunity to speak of her passion for modern - day storytelling through film .
filush is currently trying to gain funding to officially release the film to the community . filush’s other projects , rock the vote guam and kids from chuuk : the movie , can be viewed on her youtube channel by searching “sarah filush . ”
with the exception of “the homecoming , ” none of the aft productions has been quite the play it was written to be , or the film it is presented as being . none of the plays has been grossly “opened up , ” except for “rhinoceros . ” they ' ve pretty much stuck to their original theatrical locales , but they ' ve been photographed in that dumb tennis‐match style—the back‐and‐forth cutting from one medium close‐up to another—that has about as much to do . with the original theatrical experience as the intermissions with which the filing are presented .
rhinoceros eyes
features one of the more aloof main characters in recent memory , chep ( michael pitt ) , an employee in a hollywood
prop shop
who is slowly losing his mind  he imagines that some of the props have been assembling themselves into humanlike form and talk to him .
rhinoceros eyes
is rated r for violence ( a beating , a mutilation and some disturbing imagery ) , occasional use of strong sexual profanity , simulated sex , brief male and female nudity , some crude sexual talk and use of vulgar slang terms , and brief gore . running time : 92 minutes .
it’s a bit of a story . founder eric j . trujillo had a dream a while back , in which a cartoon of a rhinoceros starred . what stood out the most was that the rhinoceros seemed totally independent and ‘autonomous’ , yet always had a tiny bird on his back . you know , those little birds that in real life , practically live on the back of rhinoceroses . they pick off the little gnats and insects and who knows what else . they’re nourished and get a ride , the rhino seems to like it , and the two benefit one another by being themselves and doing what they do best .
in spite of a lot of clumsy , badly choreographed slapstick , in spite of some nice music by galt macdermot and an extremely attractive performance by gene wilder , who plays the leading role , zero mostel still is the riveting object of attention in the film . the reasons are that mostel is an audaciously surprising actor , even when you think you know his style , and that “rhinoceros” is a far from interesting play . how much more provocative would have been screen versions ( if possible ) of ionesco ' s “the bald soprano” and “the chairs
?
plays aren ' t films and films aren ' t plays , and three of the four aft productions to date have landed in a no man ' s land between theater and film . with the exception of “the homecoming , ” they do not record for posterity great theatrical performances , and they do not add anything to one ' s cinematic experience . almost any five‐minute segment of robert altman ' s “the long goodbye” is a greater artistic experience ( pardon my language ) than any 60‐minute segment of the aft ' s “iceman , ” “a delicate balance” “rhinoceros . ”
after this apprenticeship , buñuel shot and directed a 16 - minute short , un chien andalou , with salvador dalí . the film , financed by buñuel’s mother , [ 42 ] consists of a series of startling images of a freudian nature , [ 43 ] starting with a woman’s eyeball being sliced open with a razor blade . un chien andalou was enthusiastically received by the burgeoning french surrealist movement of the time [ 44 ] and continues to be shown regularly in film societies to this day . [ 45 ]
surrealism definition . a movement in art and literature that flourished in the early twentieth century . surrealism aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control . salvador dali was an influential surrealist painter ; jean cocteau was a master of surrealist film .
the worst of the aft ventures so far has been the o ' horgan version of “rhinoceros , ” which is not great ionesco , and not great theater of the absurd , to begin with . o ' horgan , perhaps in desperation , has taken this slight and fuzzy parable , about’ a civilization where people break their necks
originally an absurdist play by eugene ionesco , rhinoceros tells the story of a french town plagued by rhinoceroses . these are not ordinary rhinoceroses , but people who have been victims of
rhinoceritis .
or is it something else entirely ? but , why are they turning into rhinoceroses and what is ionesco trying to tell us about society ?
rhinoceros is a nightmare comedy about a society that chooses to follow the herd and become rhinoceroses . the original play by eugene ionesco is a thinly - veiled attack on romanian and french extremist politics in the wake of their nationalist conformity during world war ii . former liberals became recruiters of the legion , and everybody started demonizing the jews .
but do they always come to . a bad end ? stanley , the hero of “rhinoceros , ” is an unreliable mouthpiece in an unreliable metaphor so grossly overdirected by tom o ' horgan that you might get the idea mr . o ' horgan thought he was making a movie for an audience made up entirely of rhinoceroses instead of people .
as weird and off - putting as portions of the film are , the most serious problem is pitt ' s performance . for some reason , he appears to be channeling crispin glover . ( to paraphrase the
highlander
movies :
there can be only one !
)
the above clip is from the film series by francis schaeffer “how should we then live ? ” below is an outline of the 8th episode on the impressionists and the age of fragmentation . the third part discusses surrealist films like belle de jour that mixes our reality with our day dreams .
rhinoceros marks the second yiddish world premiere at new yiddish rep , following their groundbreaking production of god of vengeance last season which scored a new york times critics ' pick . new yiddish rep is dedicated to creating modern theater which speaks to a diverse contemporary audience , including those who never might have thought they could connect to a performance in a language other than their own .
francis schaeffer was a christian philosopher who studied culture and made observations about people’s worldview . below we will see three short clips from his film series “how should we then live ? ” and i have included an outline . if you enjoy this work of schaeffer then you might want to refer back to posts i did on paul gauguin and henri de toulouse lautrec who are also in the film “midnight in paris . ” both gauguin and lautrec are from the 1890’s and they believed the golden period was not the 1890’s , but the renaissance according to a scene in the movie “midnight in paris . ”
belle de jour presentation in a film class my partner and i did a video presentation on the film belle de jour and the filmmaker luis bunuel . bunuel was a surrealist , so if the video doesn’t quite makes sense , its not supposed to . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ i am presently going through the characters referenced in woody allen’s [ … ]
get to know the faces behind our storytelling discoveries and film - creating ways . and yes , there’s auto the rhino ; a cartoon rhino , that is . but no , we don’t have a real rhino on the team . they prefer to run wild and free , and we do too .
there were some parts of this that i loved , others that i just kinda enjoyed . the film is definitely based on a play , and most of the scenes are long drawn out conversations . it uses the film medium at most wisely in the beginning 20 or so minutes , as it adds odd musical queues and does interesting things with parallel action , while still keeping an absurdist bend . some of the scenes , especially later on , just feel like fairly point - and - shoot recreations of the play , but are still very funny . the movie stays weird throughout and the performances are all great .
seen in new york so far have been o ' neill ' s “the iceman cometh , ” directed by john frankenheimer , pinter ' s “the homecoming , ” directed by peter hall , albee ' s “a delicate balance , ” directed by tony richardson and , most recently , “rhinoceros . ” upcoming are “luther , ” “butley , ” “lost in the stars” and “the three sisters . ”
we are always in the process of becoming . life is a process . to stop is to die . the search for self is at the core of every lenica film . his protagonists ( think jan lenica as performed by buster keaton through beckett and ionesco and gilliam ) travel through a world of violence , paranoia , anxiety , and absurdity . they do not know how to , nor sure they want to , fit into an increasingly dehumanized society . lenica’s characters encounter various forms of oppression in the face of paranoia ( rhinoceros ) , language ( a ) , exile ( labyrinth ) , humans , and even themselves . each character is simply trying to define and establish a unique blip on life’s map .
… . when his first film ( un chien andalou ) was released , buñuel became the first filmmaker to be officially welcomed into the ranks of the surrealists by the movement’s leader andré breton , an event recalled by film historian georges sadoul : “breton had convoked the creators to our usual venue [ the café radio ] … one summer’s evening . dalí had the large eyes , grace , and timidity of a gazelle . to us , buñuel , big and athletic , his black eyes protruding a little , seemed exactly like he always is in un chien andalou , meticulously honing the razor that will slice the open eye in two . ”
the shooting ( or re - shooting ) of a film ' s ending for its theatrical release , usually enforced by the studio for any number of reasons ( because of test audience preview results , controversial or unpopular subject matter , to provide a ' happy ' ending , etc . ) . see also director ' s cut
that isn ' t exactly the way the aft is described by henry t . weinstein , the organization ' s vice president in charge of creative affairs . he says its aim is to bring “to audiences everywhere great works ‘ of the theater , performed by consummate artists , under the guidance of major directors , on film . ”
the name given to the prestigious film awards presented each year by ampas ( the academy of motion picture arts and sciences , or simply ' the academy ' ) , a professional honorary organization within the industry , since 1927 . the annual awards show , in slang , is sometimes referred to as a kudo - cast , see also oscars
related to different optical imaging effects ; refers to a method of intentionally distorting and creating a wide screen image with standard film , using a conversion process or a special lens on the camera and projector to produce different magnifications in the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the picture ; an anamorphic image usually appears
squished
horizontally , while retaining its full vertical resolution ; see also aspect ratio and the trade name cinemascope . many studios produced anamorphic lenses , using other trade names such as panavision , technovision , and technirama . on the right are examples of anamorphic imaging effects from the film blade ( 1998 ) ( with an aspect ratio of 2 : 35 . 1 ) .
2011 roger arpajou / sony pictures classics lea seydoux as gabrielle in “midnight in paris . ” adriana and gil are seen above walking together in the movie “midnight in paris . ” adriana was a fictional character who was picasso’s mistress in the film . earlier she had been georges braque’s mistress before moving on to picasso according to [ … ]
mr . o ' horgan ' s direction has the effect of exposing all of the play ' s weaknesses and none of its merits . it is clumsily inventive and obtrusive . the same was true of his only other film , “futz , ” though it was probably responsible for his huge stage successes , “hair” and “jesus christ superstar . ”
ionesco ' s tale of the herd is played in high 70 ' s style , but its message of the perils of conformity is timelessly ( and hilariously ) worked out by wilder , mostel , and o ' horgan . ionesco ' s language is an intricate pas de deux , bristling and baroque : ionesco is the anti - mamet . mostel ' s range here is incredible . he can go from a grace note struck on the upper octave of a pianoforte to an exploding oil refinery in an instant . rhinoceros would be the last big canvas this big comic would work on before his passing just three years later . mostel , who knew something of the political implications of art , puts on the thick hide of the rhino like a kid glove . what had originated as a european anti - fascist satire now finds its tongue in a sometimes glum attack on corporate conformity , but the rhinoceros horn still gores deep .
given the current political climate , lenica’s work suddenly seems striking fresh again . rhinoceros ( 1965 ) , based on the 1959 play by eugene ionesco , follows a kind but slacker / drunkard named berenger . as he drinks in a café – before returning late to his dull office job - berenger begins to notice that everyone is turning into rhinos . eventually finding himself alone , berenger struggles with the emergence of his own passing rhino features has he defiantly struggles to maintain his individuality .
the lesson is both very small and very fuzzy . it is so determinedly out of focus that one begins to wonder whether the playwright had any ideas in mind at all and , if he did , whether they work out the way he intended , stanley talks in clichés about “humanity” and “standards” and is , at heart , quite as ignorant as the rhinoceros he disdains . he also has a lot less fun than they do . all of which adds up to a philosophical so‐what .
it was over too soon . landau couldn ' t have launched at a worse moment . the indie film movement was still a decade off , and the audience members who had long complained that they wanted quality fare turned out not to be around when it was . aft folded after only two seasons , and those unique productions were lost until recently in a maze of mergers of successor companies .
however , as written , these super - elite 0 . 00001 percenters are straw figures ready to be burnt at the stake of white ' s and arteta’s righteous indignation . even if one agrees with the disgust they feel at this privileged , entitled class’ complacency and complicity , a little more subtlety and a more nuanced approach to the dynamics of this culture clash would have made the film that little bit more effective .
the presentation of one art form through another medium ; a film based upon , derived from ( or adapted from ) a stage play ( or from another medium such as a short story , book , article , history , novel , video game , comic strip / book , etc . ) which basically preserves both the setting and dialogue of the original ; can be in the form of a script ( screenplay ) or a proposal treatment
rhinoceros this was a hard film for me to figure out . i rented this movie because gene wilder was in it and i always knew him to be funny , also i am a collector of kino international films and this is one out of there catalog . usually i have given all there films a 4 plus stars , but this not be the case for this movie . i just couldn ? t wait for it to be over , and came within seconds of shutting it off completely , but i had the day off from work , it was raining outside and i figured what the heck . in this movie people are turning into rhinoceroses , now i am not sure but many have said it represents american people turning in to cattle in real life and just flowing with the crowd rather then standing up for there rights and what is right from wrong , and i can see that , similar story line to 1984 . i just couldn ? t get into this one , maybe you can . 1 star .
grant has serious misgivings about bringing beatriz to the table since one of the guests is power client douglas strutt ( john lithgow ) , a famously opinionated , unabashedly capitalist hotel and golf - course magnate whose resemblance to donald trump is surely not accidental . that said , lithgow’s bragging , boorish captain of industry , who asks beatriz if she entered the country legally , boasts about having shot a rhinoceros on safari in africa and couldn’t give a damn if his ventures poison the environment and ruin lives , still comes across as more savvy and likable than the newly sworn - in potus .
the script was written in six days at dalí’s home in cadaqués . in a letter to a friend written in february 1929 , buñuel described the writing process : “we had to look for the plot line . dalí said to me , ‘i dreamed last night of ants swarming around in my hands’ , and i said , ‘good lord , and i dreamed that i had sliced somebody or other’s eye . there’s the film , let’s go and make it . ' ” [ 46 ]
the o ' horgan rhinoceros is often wondrously dark . stanley , a listless accountant with a listless accountant ' s name , swills booze to forget his dead - end life . he ' s an organization man who hates his organization , a buttondown rebel without a cause . his friend john ( mostel ) dishes up advice for john , but john continues to mope , disengaged from the thudding repetitiveness of his interchangeable days . there ' s daisy , a lovely co - worker , who he admires , but stanley is so mired in self - contempt that his love for her is lost in a forest of ledgers and memos .
the following film notes were prepared for the new york state writers institute by kevin jack hagopian , senior lecturer in media studies at pennsylvania state university : impresario ely landau ' s idea seemed inspired : what if a discriminating national movie audience could be persuaded to invest its ticket money upfront , in a program of superior adaptations of significant dramatic works ? the money could be used to finance production down the line , and the lucky viewers wouldn ' t pay much more than they would for ordinary films .
“the iceman cometh” is a tremendous , primal theatrical experience , but was it really necessary to film it again just so we could have the dubious pleasure of witnessing lee marvin fail in the key role as hickey ? it was nice seeing robert ryan and fredric march in this version , but nothing can convince me that it was worth doing if , in the archives somewhere , there exists a print of that extraordinary tv tape version directed by sidney lumet , produced by worthington miner and starring jason robards .
based on a play by eugene lonesco , this film is pretty odd if you know nothing of the material its based on . i don ' t know the play a tall so i did find the plot strange indeed and i can see why it was a failure upon release . this is a shame of course as all the sequences with wilder and mostel are pure epic comic genius ! . their facial expressions and body language is fantastic and show two men of comedy , one at his peak and one reaching his peak .
mr . o ' horgan attempts to jazz up the film with music by galt macdermot ( “hair” ) , which is nice but superfluous , and with low comedy routines that he photographs in ways guaranteed to make them unfunny . the grace and continuity of a series of pratfalls are broken up into a lot of different , isolated shots . his feel for slapstick is as solemn as that of an archeologist photographing the individual bones of a dinosaur . for reasons best kept to himself the director also introduces into lonesco a comparatively lyric dream sequence .
thus , the american film theater . from 1973 to 1975 , fourteen plays were filmed . looking back , many seem far too good to be true . edward albee ' s a delicate balance , with katherine hepburn , paul scofield , and lee remick ? o ' neill ' s the iceman cometh , with lee marvin and robert ryan , and directed by live television veteran john frankenheimer ? but it happened . this spring , the writers institute pays tribute to landau ' s labor of love with a selection of the aft films , including homecoming and the seldom seen philadelphia , here i come .
for years i ' ve wished that there were some organization that would have as its function the presevation on film of great theatrical occasions . i think of laurette taylor in “the glass menagerie , ” tallulah bankhead and fredric march and florence eldridge in “the skin of our teeth , ” tallulah again in “the little foxes , ” laurence olivier and vivien leigh doing their backto‐back “cleopatras , ” ethel merman shooting that stuffed seagull in “annie get your gun . ” i mean the simplest kind of preservation : the performance photographed , preferably from a fixed position , with no close‐ups , no alternating two‐shots , no cinematic junk .
i didn ' t know this existed , or i likely would have watched it in high school and told everybody that it was my favorite movie . it addresses an issue that i was fond of back then ( conformity , the same issue my movie are you asleep ? addressed so elegantly and professionally ) , and i liked ionesco . we even ( incredibly ) read ionesco ' s the sand box in another class taught by the teacher who taught the class i made my movie for . no wonder that nut case was my favorite teacher . anyway , rhinoceros . ionesco ? gene wilder ? i expected to dig this one , but it was way too long , way too stupid ( read : it misses
absurd
and hits stupid squarely between the eyes ) , and way too…
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venue : cannes film festival ( opening night , out of competition ) opens : may 20 ( sony pictures classics ) production : mediapro , versatil cinema , gravier prods . , pontchartrain prods . ) cast : owen wilson , rachel mcadams , marion cotillard , michael sheen , kathy bates , adrien brody , carla bruni , nina arianda , kurt fuller , tom hiddleston , alison pill , lea seydoux , corey stoll director - screenwriter : woody allen producers : letty aronson , stephen tenenbaum , jaume roures executive producers : javier mendez director of photography : darius khondji production designer : anne seibel costume designer : sonia grande editor : alisa lepselter rated pg - 13 , 94 minutes
given the dinner - party premise , the film is expectedly heavy on talk , but arteta avoids monologue monotony by cutting away frequently to his ensemble’s faces in repose as they listen to the others . each and every one masterfully deploys a full arsenal of subtle moues , grimaces and side - eye glances to hint at private feelings that may or may not be in accord with the consensus around the table . britton’s eye twitches and fluttering gestures of horror as her party starts to go wrong are a thing of beauty to behold , as are landecker’s embarrassed eye rolls and sevigny ' s and duplass ' impish smirks . even john early as the simpering caterer seems to be snickering inwardly as the evening implodes .
plays up the absurdity and it can often be very funny , but it leaves its message a little vague , unspecified and abstract .
. each of the releases contains a substantial number of relevant and high quality extra features .
the picture quality is quite good on this aft release , possibly the best of those so far released . colours are warm and rich , showing a good level of detail . there is a slight hint of grain in some scenes , but by and large , the image is clear and sharp with only occasional marks on the print . the picture remains stable with little sign of any digital artefacts .
the audio is reasonably clear throughout . there is a low level of background noise , some roughness and sibilance at times , but the dialogue remains clear and audible at all times .
there are no hard of hearing subtitles on the feature or on the extra material .
the director reflects on what the play means to him , the performances of wilder and mostel and the filmmaking decisions that were made in adapting a theatre of the absurd play to the screen .
contains quotes from the playwright on rhinoceritis and the value of art in society .
looks at the variety of the comedian’s stage and screen performance , with some interview excerpts . in
, the director offers some thoughts on the play and on translating theatre to cinema .
” , by michael feingold , the chief theatre critic for the village voice , provides some biographical details on ionesco and the theatre of the absurd , and the playwright’s place in the académie française .
a thank you to subscribers at the end of the first season of films , the producer reflects on the ideal of the afts aim to preserve theatre on screen and takes a look over what films had been made so far .
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directed by tom o ' horgan ( united states / uk / canada , 1973 , 104 minutes , color , dvd ) starring : zero mostel……… . john gene wilder……… . stanley karen black……… . daisy joe silver
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jermaine fowler and omari hardwick of sorry to bother you take us back in time to the worst jobs of their careers .
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: i hate the taste of alcohol , but if i don ' t drink , i feel awful .
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his best friend john ( zero mostel ) , a fastidious , prissy man who always carries a pocket mirror and an extra necktie , has transformed himself right in front of stanley ' s eyes . at first it seemed only that john had a pesky virus . his voice sounded hoarse and he was irritable . later there was no doubt what was happening when , between whimpers , john began to paw the floor , snort angrily and exclaim that he really didn ' t hate people , he was simply indifferent to them .
daisy ( karen black ) , stanley ' s girl , tries to hold out but she too eventually gives in to the call of the wild : she can ' t resist the tremendous energy emanating from all the rhinoceroses now charging through the streets of the town that , in julian barry ' s adaptation of ionesco , is situated not in france but in “anywhere , u . s . a . ”
considering the material , and considering the obstacles they had to act around , through and over , the performers come off very well . mr . mostel , comparatively subdued , is extremely funny , whether he is outlining the regime stanley is to follow to become a cultivated man , or whether he is slipping unaware into the early stages of rhinoceritis , munching the leaves of a potted plant .
mr . wilder has an innate sweetness that neutralizes a lot of the dumbness of stanley , a character called berenger in the play but renamed in the movie , i suspect , to evoke unfairly the shade of the late great stan laurel . miss black , like mr . mostel , succesfully created a cartoon character out of pure flesh and blood , hers being a variation on little orphan annie , though not so articulate .