Beginning Filmmaking (2009)

I caught this little documentary Thursday, and I still haven't forgotten about it. It is on HBO this week, so if your interested check HBO's programming. I believe it is on at 3 PM Saturday the 30th on HBO family. That's EST.

Why am I writing about this. In some way the documentary caught my interest. I had my oldest boy Kris with me, and we started to watch the film. He grew impatient, and at times lost interest in the program, but for me I was very interested in it.

The film is about filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt's attempt to interest his young daughter in filmmaking. He starts when she is four, and it ends when she turns five. It was interesting to see how a small child plays with a video camera. I myself have tried to instill my love for movies in my boys, but it has been a futile attempt. I learned that one cannot dictate what a child likes or dislikes. They are their own masters. I tried to do that with trying to do a small little film called "the last Barbecue".

My youngest turned out to be a ham, but my oldest was nervous, and unsure of himself. I did not get mad at them. I smiled and said it was okay. I've come to the conclusion that the boys love fantasy and action. Star Wars, dinosaurs, whales, and the ocean are what they dream about. Their creativity in their playing is a sign of some good story telling, and my oldest seems to like to write, and draw.

Getting back to the film "Beginning Filmmaking". I liked how the Mr. Rosenblatt let his daughter be her own person even though it was not what he would have liked. In the end it was heart warming to hear Rosenblatt's daughter, Ella, on what it was like to turn 5.

If you get a chance go watch it. I think you'll like it, and for the parents in the audience I know it will hit some familiar territory about parenting. For people who don't have families it will be an interesting look at a young girls journey into self expression. That's what this film does. It has something for everybody.

The film is 23 minutes long, and showing on HBO's family channel. Check your local listings.