Strange Culture (2007)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Lynn Hershman-Leeson

Writer:

Lynn Hershman-Leeson (writer)

Release Date:

5 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A documentary in which actors interpret the legally touchy subject of artist Steve Kurtz, who is being held as a suspected terrorist because of his work.

Plot Keywords:

Reenactment

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Thomas Jay Ryan	...	Himself
Tilda Swinton	...	Hope Kurtz
Peter Coyote	...	Himself
Josh Kornbluth	...	Himself
Steve Kurtz	...	Himself
Shoresh Alaudini	...	Loren
Cassie Powell	...	Lise
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jakob Bokulich	...	FBI Agent
Larissa Clayton	...	Char
Beatriz da Costa	...	Herself
Dr. Susan Leeson	...	Herself
Keith Olbermann	...	Himself
Marcie Prohofsky	...	FBI Agent
Wallace Shawn	...	Himself
Lucia Sommer	...	Herself
Sigrid Sutter	...	Reporter
Nato Thompson	...	Himself
Paul Vanouse	...	Himself
Richard Wenzel	...	FBI Agent

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Australia:M | Germany:12

Company:

L5 Productions

Trivia:

Official Selection, Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2007

Quotes:

[first lines]
news caster: Like many an unfortunate drama, the story begins with a death. Steve Kurtz called 911 early on the morning of May 11th, after his wife suffered cardiac arrest and died in her sleep. When police arrived on the scene they saw not a 45-year old woman claimed well before her time, but rather petri dishes and sophisticated scientific equipment...

a timely and important film about freedom of expression.

i was blown away by this movie. It is nothing you would expect. It creeps up on you. It is a truly important film, and extremely timely. The footage is remarkable and varied. It is as if the film turns itself inside out so that you are right there, inside the movie, sitting right next to the actors, who are sharing intimate moments of themselves, candidly and without guile. The identity device is brilliant, and took me by surprise, even though there were clues along the way. The way the various elements were handled, from the comic strips to re enactments to interviews were skillful and well crafted. This is one of the the films that can make a difference because it brings an awareness of the repercussions of policies to a human level. I highly recommend this film.