Yes, I know this is out of order. I finished the Milosevic on Trial review Thursday morning, whereas I'm still working on the (longer) Kassim the Dream one.
The festival is winding down for the Industry department, part of the reason I tied up my volunteer duties. Now it's time to redeem vouchers for some screenings, as if I weren't attending enough already! I used only one Wednesday, for by far my heaviest film to date. ("Heavy" equaled "intelligent" here, not "tawdry" like Savage Grace.) Milosevic on Trial was the least-populated show I've attended thus far - about 30 people on a Wednesday afternoon, the first nice day we'd had since Saturday. However, the Q&A was fantastic: A 70-minute documentary was followed by a 30-minute discussion with the director. His next project, due later this year: Saddam on Trial.
Movie seen: Milosevic on Trial
What it is (description from TFF Web site): Defending himself against widely credited charges of genocide before an international court in The Hague, Serbia's former ruler proved frustratingly difficult to convict, as this riveting look at Milosevic and the chief prosecuting attorney attests.
Viewing partners: none
General festival notes: It was my last volunteer day, as I must return to the real world and my job. Sob! I returned to my Village East haunts, at this point recognizing some of the same press people and Tribeca staff. I was pleased that my supervisor trusted me enough to be on my own a couple of times, and I felt confident handling everything that came up. One of these days, maybe I should work for a festival rather than just volunteer at it.
Review: More suitable for a 90-minute CNN special than a theatrical viewing, the documentary Milosovic on Trial combs through 2,000 hours of courtroom footage from Serbian leader Slobodan Milosovic's four-year trial at the Hague.
Michael Christoffersen and his crew were able to obtain amazing access: to Geoffrey Nice, the prosecution's lead barrister; to Milosevic's personal lawyer - "Slobo" chose to represent himself during the trial, which he deemed "illegal" - and, briefly, even to Milosevic's widow, just before she went into exile. Alas, the prosecution shut Christoffersen out of many of its strategy sessions, leaving an impression of a disjointed legal team in court.
The other problem: While the information is fascinating, its presentation is cold and clinical, not to mention somewhat dense. Milosevic on Trial represents a rare instance where commercial interruptions would help a production - and in fact, the documentary has been on TV globally.
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