I have to admit, I was expecting a lot more from the Tumbleweeds Film Festival in Salt Lake last weekend. I guess I had the image of a one of the big film festivals in my mind so I was expecting booths and panels and propaganda and such. And I suspect that there was a bigger deal made when they first opened the festival Friday night. Since I couldn't make it Friday, I went Saturday and it wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped. The films themselves were the only focus. If you weren't seeing a film, there was literally NOTHING to see or look at. I think there might have been a gift table where you could buy things that said Tumbleweeds on it, and that is it.
Despite my disappointment regarding extras, the film I saw was actually quite good. I saw Will, a British drama about the triumph of a little boy as he learns to cope with the death of his father. A brief summary- a young boy, Will, is living at an orphanage when his apparently dead beat father comes to collect him, promising they will be a family again. Will's father purchases some tickets to a football (soccer) game being held in Istanbul where Will and his dad's favorite team, the Liverpool Football Club, will play. But a week before the game, Will's father dies of a brain hemorrhage, leaving him alone again. Will is then faced with the challenge to run away from his orphanage and get to Istanbul himself to experience the game that he and his dad were supposed to attend. He makes his way to France where he meets a has-been footballer named Alek who reluctantly helps him on his quest to see the game. Will becomes a sort of runaway celebrity, and through his genius love of football and positive determination, he not only gets to the game but is able to run in with the players he so loves.
Will may be a bit of a cut and dry story, with a boy losing everything and doing everything in his power to hold on to the one thing he still has: hope. But it is definitely well executed and well acted. When it started, I was expecting a deadbeat dad story, about a man trying to make family a priority but finding himself not up to the challenge. Thus, when the father died, I was literally shocked. Truth be told, the story up until the dad dies is a bit boring, but once he dies and it becomes a quest the story really picks up.
The production design for this film was actually really impressive. They filmed in very beautiful locations such as England and Paris, and there are some establishing shots that are quite breathtaking. Set design and costuming were also very good. All in all, it struck me as the sort of film that, in the wrong hands, could've been a total flop, but as it was executed so artistically and directed so poignantly I really liked it. I actually went to the festival with a couple of friends who are not in the film program and they enjoyed it as well, which says to me that it doesn't just have appeal to the high-minded film connoisseurs who can find reasons to enjoy a movie that the general populous finds dull.
With regards to its relation to our discussions in class, I found it to be very adventuresome. Will is faced with adversity and is only able to confront his problem by going out into the unknown world on a quest. The main lessons he learns are not taught to him from parents or outside sources, but learned from his own experience connecting with the world around him. The child is seen as being a source of hope and light for others as well as himself. At one point, the police are searching for him as a runaway, but, inspired by Wills determination and love of the game, everyone protects him. They allow him to experience the world, instead of protecting him from it.
When the movie ended my friend turned to me and said, "Well, that definitely glorifies running away doesn't it?" And he definitely has a point. Will stole money and ran away from home, doing all sorts of dangerous things like getting into cars with strangers. But the whole time he is lucky enough to find nothing but help and support and encouragement on his quest. At no point does he ever feel that running away was wrong, a point which is exacerbated when his friend Alek chooses to defy the police and help him get to the game. Adults are supposed to be the moral compass for children, helping them to choose the right, especially when the wrong choice is so glamorous and exciting. But the adults all seem to just have a change of heart by the end and decide that him running away was the best thing for him. Will does at one point get his wallet stolen but since he meets Alek soon after the effects of this are very short lived. In all, the message a child may take from the film is "If you have a really good reason to run away, things will work out and all your wildest dreams will come true!" Definitely not a message I want my kids learning.
Aside from the problematic interpretation that could be made, I found the film to be very heartwarming and tender, very funny at times, and all together a very enjoyable experience. I probably wouldn't have seen this film if not for this Festival so I am very glad I went.
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