Reel Paradise (2005)
A group of young girls and boys
crowd a theater. It is 2003. The kids live on a remote
island called Tavarua in Fiji. They are watching a
Three Stooges short and howling with laughter. They
are seeing the movie free thanks to indie film guru
John Pierson and his family. Watching these young
children whole- heartedly enjoying the magic of the
cinema, is electrifying. This kids have never seen
the Three Stooges before and their delight reminds
us of our own childhood wonder at seeing movies.
Were we ever as free and open-minded
as these youngsters. With media permeating our life,
with TV, and now DVD movies and the Internet a part
of our lives from the moment we are born, are young
children in America already jaded by the time they
might see something as pure and brilliant as the Stooges
and Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and all of the
old silent films?
Pierson has come to Tavarua for
one year, to run the most remote theater in the world,
the 180 Meridian. He's found out about the theater
during production of his IFC channel TV show "Split
Screen." Through some fundage from friends like director
Kevin Smith and "South Park" creator Matt Stone, Pierson
buys the theater and for one year programs free movies
for the natives. He takes along his wife Georgia,
his teenage daughter Georgia, and his young son Wyatt
for the experience.
And what an experience it is. The
family invites documentarian Steve James ("Hoop Dreams")
to the island to capture their last month there. Although
we wish he had been along for the entire year, James
is able to get the most of the story of the experience.
While some backtracking is necessary to tell the entire
journey, the filmmaker is quite adept at telling the
story in the past tense.
Pierson, a guy whom I consider kind
of an a-hole after watching this film, is nonetheless
an amazing man. Temperamental, pedantic, authoritarian
(except with his own children) and a genius when it
comes to films, Pierson is a fascinating subject for
a film. The fact that he has this particular story
to tell is even more amazing.
And Pierson's family is equally
as compelling. His wife Janet is somewhat interested
in their experience but still insists on having a
computer to keep in touch with the outside world.
Janet spends some time on film talking to the local
women while they work and cook and we get the impression
that this is the first time she has done this in the
year she has been there.
Daughter Georgia is experiencing
the normal pangs of young adult pubescence. She is
considered somewhat exotic (as a white girl) by the
local boys and her parents wrestle with her budding
sexuality. While open-minded and considerate of her
feelings, they must also consider the problems Georgia
causes for her young female friend, Miriama, when
the girls run a bit wild and begin to get a reputation,
something Georgia can endure for the two weeks she
has left in the village but one that may haunt Miriama
after they are gone.
And finally there is the star of
the movie, young Wyatt. Smart, verbose, and opinionated
when at home with his father, Wyatt amazes us with
his insight to films at his young age (about 13).
You can tell that he loves his father and is interested
in what his father does for a living. Wyatt is a "film
geek" in training and it is amusing and fun to hear
he and John argue about programming films for the
Meridian.
But Wyatt is conversely quite, contemplative,
and composed when he is in the village or at school.
With a respect and a inquisitiveness of someone far
older, Wyatt adapts to his school and his new friends
in a way that is both wondrous and awe-inspiring.
What is most amazing is how he does this seemingly
without really thinking. Perhaps it is partially the
teenage need to be accepted but of all the participants
in the family here, Wyatt seems to be the one who
comes home with the most knowledge and compassion.
He is an amazing kid and watching him in this film,
fluctuating for normal smartmouth teenager to quiet,
reflective student is completely amazing.
Watching the Piersons live in Fiji
and run the theater is quite an amazing thing. There
is more here than just bringing movies to a remote
island. In bringing free movies to the natives, the
family creates a culture shock with vast and varied
social, sexual, cultural, economical and religious
implications. The Piersons have only minor wealth,
but their financial situation in relation to the natives
is obviously immense. This alone leads to tension
and problems within the village. Add the sociological
and religious implications of showing nearly destitute
people Hollywood and Bollywood films for free and
you have a recipe for classism that is profound.
"Reel Paradise" is more than just
a documentary about bringing films to poor native
people. There is much, much more than that going on
here and James is masterful at presenting it. The
profound and engrossing themes here are heady stuff.
But the true magic of the film is seeing the glimmer
of delight in the villagers' eyes when they watch
the "Three Stooges" and "Steamboat Bill" and, yes,
even "Jackass." It reminds you that the cinema is
a magical place, one where hearts and minds are open,
a place where joy and laughter can wash away the harsh
reality of poverty and indifference and leave happiness
in its wake. In the movie theater we are all rich.
In the movie theater, we are all a part of the village.
In the movie theater... we are one.
Notes:
The film has some subtitles so we
may understand the native words being spoken as well
as some of the English being spoken with native accents.
Produced by Smith's View Askew company.
Smith, along with John and Janet, are credited as
Executive Producers.
Several film clips are shown in
the movie on the screen at the Meridian including
"Bringing Down the House," "Chicago," "8 Mile," "Johnny
English," and some Student films.
The film premiered at Sundance and
has been picked up by Mirimax.
Viewed at SXSW in March 2005 with
John, Janet and Wyatt in attendance. The three did
a Q&A after the film. Wyatt, who must be about 15
now, was asked about the differences between the school
in Fiji (which is shown in the film - where Wyatt
is the only white person) and his new school in the
U.S. and Wyatt said that there wasn't any real difference
in the schools. When he said this so matter of factly,
I knew that he was indeed the delicate, contemplative
soul that we see in the movie.
Someone later asked Pierson what
was going on with the theater and he told us that
it was not open and he still had the keys, which he
showed us. He told us that if anyone wanted to go
to Fiji and run the theater that they should see him
in the lobby after the movie.
