From SoHo Bistro to Peruvian Village
Tribeca Festival Discoveries
By Michael Jacobsohn
This past June, the Tribeca Festival once again captured the attention of the worldwide film festival circuit. This year’s event proudly featured films from 36 countries. From approximately 13,000 open-call submissions, the festival curated a selection of 118 features and 93 shorts. Here’s a look at some of the films and events I was fortunate enough to experience.
Raoul’s, A New York Story: A Neighborhood Gem
Raoul’s, A New York Story is a wonderful documentary that celebrates our neighborhood’s French bistro, Raoul’s. Directed by Greg Oliver and Karim Raoul, this captivating film is truly a New York story. Unlike many documentaries that feature tragic closures of venerated neighborhood institutions, Raoul’s film is a joyous celebration of a brasserie. It opened in 1975 on Prince and Thompson streets, a time when the area was affordable but not yet desirable.
Brothers Serge and Guy Raoul co-founded Raoul’s restaurant in SoHo. They came to New York from Alsace, France. Serge initially hoped to be a filmmaker, working as a soundman for French television. However, with a family background in running a bistro in Alsace, Serge and Guy decided to open their own establishment. The documentary skillfully uses wonderful archival footage to unveil the 50-year history of this cherished eatery, charting the rising popularity of the SoHo neighborhood and showcasing the Raoul family’s entrepreneurial spirit. Karim Raoul, Serge’s son, who also aspires to be a filmmaker, now runs the restaurant.
Runa Simi: A Language Preserved Through Film
RUNA SIMI film poster.
Runa Simi, an enlightening Peruvian documentary, reminded me of Cinema Paradiso, Giuseppe Tornatore’s heartfelt 1988 feature that celebrated a small-town cinema in Sicily, Italy. Runa Simi follows Fernando and Dylan Valencia, an indigenous Peruvian father and son, as they embark on a noble quest: to dub Disney’s The Lion King into Quechua, their native language. This effort aims to preserve the language for children and elders in Cusco, Peru. The film’s director, Augusto Zegarra, won this year’s Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director.
One might think the Walt Disney Company would embrace such a noble idea. However, Fernando, Dylan, and a cadre of indigenous Peruvian actors painfully discover that Disney acts more like a villain than The Lion King’s Simba. The film’s highlight is its ability to transport you to Fernando’s rural village in the Andes. The village’s lack of modernity is refreshing, speaking loudly to the indigenous way of life and underscoring why the Quechua language must be preserved.
Charliebird: Unconventional Connections Through Music
Charliebird, a narrative feature directed by Libby Ewing, won the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature. The film boasts fine performances by Samantha Smart and Gabriela Ochoa Perez, with Perez winning Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature for her role. The story centers on Smart, a dedicated music therapist working at a children’s hospital. Her life takes a significant turn when she meets Perez, an unmotivated and somewhat irritable teenage patient. The film delves into the necessity of care, both medical and emotional, exploring how unexpected connections can tap into universal human needs and desires. I connected and felt for Smart’s self-effacing existence.
The film’s unconventional visual style is also appealing: a portion of the movie screen displays footage resembling handheld smartphone recordings, presented in an Instagram-like aspect ratio. I also appreciate the inconspicuous sound design that, unlike most films these days, was not ear-piercing. It is refreshing to have moments of silence that allow the narrative to dominate the film experience.
The World of Short Films at Tribeca
TRIBECA SHORT FILMS poster.
As a host and curator of bimonthly short film screenings at New York’s New Plaza Cinema, I took a special interest in Tribeca’s short film programs. I even had the opportunity to speak with Ben Thompson, vice president of shorts programming. He informed me that this year, Tribeca received an astounding 8,900 short film submissions, of which he personally watched 900. Ultimately, 93 films were chosen and organized under headings such as Narrative Shorts, Documentary Shorts, Animated Shorts, Music Video, Family Matters, and Midnight Mash.
I particularly loved the cinematic experience of the Midnight Mash program, where Tribeca showcases provocative and entertaining shorts for audiences who enjoy a bit of a cinematic jolt. A special shout-out goes to Playing God, the stop-motion film from this program, which was a ghoulishly amazing experience.
Over the years, short films have become very popular. This year, Tribeca debuted its fully dedicated short film theater at Spring Studios on St. Johns Lane. Thompson mentioned that the odds of getting into next year’s festival are better if you submit a short comedic film. I’ll certainly keep that in mind.
Rising Voices and Festival Reflections
One amazing event was Rising Voices, which featured ten up-and-coming filmmakers. I am usually dubious of such categorizations, but to my amazement, their short films were spot on in storytelling and cinematic accomplishments. A crowd of about 400 enthusiastic, mostly young people, cheered what they saw projected. Their response truly resonated with me. Past years’ programs are available on Hulu, which I highly recommend you feast on.
As successful as the festival films are, the road to distribution is challenging. I sincerely hope these films will find their way to theatrical screenings in New York and to popular streamers.
I am not a fan of the world’s large film festival circuit due to the limited opportunities for independent filmmakers. The lottery odds of getting a film accepted highlight this challenge. I wish the Tribeca Festival could be more like the New York City Marathon, where last year 55,000 participants ran around the five boroughs. I know that dream is nearly impossible to accomplish, but I must admit that I was blessed to see many wonderful films from around the world. And I genuinely appreciate the countless individuals who make the festival possible. Amazingly, next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the festival.
Michael Jacobsohn is an independent New York filmmaker. His recently completed “The Cornelia Street Cafe In Exile” documentary that screened successfully at New Plaza Cinema. It is anticipated that the film will screen at the IFC Center in September.
