"Blood is at the Doorstep"
One of the most anticipated films at this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival is The Blood is at the Doorstep, a harrowing yet uplifting documentary about the aftermath of the death of Dontre Hamilton, who was shot by Milwaukee police officer Christopher Manney in 2014.
The Golden Badger Award-winning doc lays bare the complex divisions in the city while highlighting the strain the tragedy put on those who were close to the victim.
“You hear about the day Tony Robinson or Dontre Hamilton were shot, and you hear six months later when the district attorney decides to not press charges, but a lot of people don’t understand the lives of families in between these two dates,” says director Erik Ljung.
Some of the polarization comes through when the film shows the president of the Milwaukee Police Union affirming the department’s position that there was no way to avoid the officer shooting Hamilton 14 times.
Ultimately, the film is about the protests organized by the Hamilton family, which eventually led to Manney’s removal from the force. Dontre’s mother, Maria, shines as an example of the kind of leadership and determination needed to enact change on this national issue.
“I think this film will have insight for people who are critical of groups like Black Lives Matter,” says Ljung. “It shows real grassroots organizing, and demystifies these groups.”
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Ljung, Hamilton family members and Rep. Chris Taylor, who wants to strengthen external investigations of police killings.
Another quite different Golden Badger winner is the quirky, experimental music documentary Future Language: The Dimensions of Von Lmo. Von Lmo is a post-punk progenitor who disappeared from the public eye in the 1980s, surfacing later in underground space-rock outfits. The filmmaker catches up with the musician, who divulges his complex personal mythology, complete with his claims of being a reincarnated alien. The director, Lori Felker, develops a friendship with her subject, allowing us to understand the eccentric on his own terms.
Riverwest Film & Video takes a deep look at a video rental shop that offers more than (arguably) outdated technology. There’s a radio station where anything goes, bickering academics, and even a Passover meal. Emir Cakaroz’s intimate direction includes a scene where a rabbi uses a GoPro (headband camera) while cooking a chicken — and offers food to customers. The business rests on a shaky financial foundation, but that problem recedes as the audience learns what the store means to the gentrifying neighborhood.
Amarillo Ramp focuses on a large dirt spiral that land-artist Robert Smithson constructed in Texas. The ramp’s location becomes the focus of this experimental investigation, as a guide highlights industrial machinery left to decay, and mirrors are placed to reflect the sky — and the filmmakers — onto the desert surface.
Los Lecheros (The Dairy Farmers) is a short documentary from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism about Wisconsin’s immigrant dairy workers. It highlights the peril facing undocumented immigrants, whose labor is desperately needed by Wisconsin’s farmers. Amid the Trump administration’s crackdown and an increase in deportations, the film includes interviews with immigrants, farmers, legislators and activists, showing the situation in all its complexity.
The Blood is at the Doorstep: Saturday, April 7, Memorial Union Shannon Hall, 1:15 pm
Future Language: The Dimensions of Von Lmo: Saturday April 7, UW Cinematheque, 8:30 pm
Riverwest Film & Video (Screens as part of Cinephiles & Scorekeepers): Friday, April 6, Chazen Museum of Art, 8:30 pm
Amarillo Ramp (Screens before Rodents of Unusual Size): Tuesday, April 10, AMC Madison 6, 5:45 pm; Wednesday, April 11, AMC Madison 6, 12:30 pm
Los Lecheros (Screening in A World of Wisconsin’s Own): Friday, April 6, Union South, 6 pm
