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Capsule summary of “Marwencol”
Mark Hogancamp was beaten by five men outside a bar and suffered brain damage. He had to learn to write again, to think again, and everything else. But as he continues to recover, he has started an unusual therapy: Building small worlds of people in his backyard by using and modifying dolls.
His artistic efforts are the subject of Jeff Malmbergs’ “Marwencol,” which first screened Saturday at SXSW and will screen again at 11:15 a.m. Sunday at the Alamo South and at 1:15 p.m. Friday, March 19, at the Alamo Ritz.
Hogancamp’s alternate universe is set during World War II in a Belgian village called Marwencol, hence the doc’s unusual name. The dolls in the town represent his friends, and the main soldier is his alter ego. He stages stories by positioning the dolls, then taking photographs to document the different moments in his stories.
And some of the stories help him deal with his psychological problems. For instance, rather than getting angry at real-life friends, Hogancamp takes out his frustrations on the dolls in his imaginary village. SS officers are maimed and shot. Various characters are killed off, some in noble ways, some not.
It’s a fascinating look at the mind of a man who’s trying to recover from a tragedy. And the story really takes flight when Hogancamp’s work is noticed by a New York art gallery, which stages an exhibition of his photographic stories.
“Marwencol” is one of the top documentaries at SXSW. So put it on your calendar. The screening on March 19 is probably the easiest one to attend, since the music fest will be in full swing and film crowds will diminish.
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By sa
March 15, 2010 4:58 PM | Link to this
This was the best film I’ve seen so far. It’s gonna be hard to beat too!