Watch: “The Mark of Caïn” – A Documentary About Russian Prison Tattoos

Alix Lambert‘s documentary from 2000 about Russian criminal tattoos, The Mark of Caïn, is viewable in full on YouTube. David Cronenberg, who used the film as reference for Eastern Promises, has said, “This is a very courageous documentary…I don’t know how it ever got made, but it’s beautiful, scary, and heartbreaking.”

Synopsis:

The Mark of Caïn documents the fading art form and language of Russian criminal tattoos, formerly a forbidden topic in Russia. The now vanishing practice is seen as reflecting the transition of the broader Russian society. Filmed in some of Russia’s most notorious prisons, including the fabled White Swan, the interviews with prisoners, guards, and criminologists reveal the secret language of The Zone and The Code of Thieves (vory v zakone).

The prisoners of the Stalinist Gulag, or “Zone,” as it is called, developed a complex social structure (documented as early as the 1920s) that incorporated highly symbolic tattooing as a mark of rank. The existence of these inmates at prisons and forced labor camps was treated by the state as a deeply-kept secret. In the 1990s, Russia’s prison population exploded, with overcrowding among the worst in the world. Some estimates suggest that in the last generation over thirty million of Russia’s inmates have had tattoos even though the process is illegal inside Russian prisons.

The Mark of Caïn examines every aspect of the tattooing, from the actual creation of the tattoo ink, interviews with the tattooers and soberly looks at the double-edged sword of prison tattoos. In many ways, they were needed to survive brutal Russian prisons, but mark the prisoner for life, which complicates any readmission to normal society they may have. Tattoos expressly identify what the convict has been convicted of, how many prisons he’s been in and what kind of criminal he is. Tattoos, essentially, tell you everything you need to know about that person without ever asking. Each tattoo represents a variety of things; cupolas on churches represent the number of convictions a convict has, epaulets tattooed on shoulders represent the rank of the individual in the crime world and so on and so forth.

The unflinching look at the Russian prison system is slowly woven into the film. Cells meant to hold 15 hold 35 to 45 men. Drug resistant tuberculosis runs rampant through the prison populations and prisoners are served three meals a day of watery slop. There are allegations of brutality by the guards. As these men deal with pestilence, violence and grossly substandard living conditions, the prison guards and administration put on a talent show.

New Movie Trailer: “Somewhere to Disappear”

As someone who thinks about withdrawing from society on a daily basis this film looks fascinating.

From the film’s website:

Somewhere To Disappear is a film about the desire to run away. For his project, “Broken Manual”, the photographer Alec Soth traveled across America looking for people who’ve retreated from society. Some live in mountain cabins, some in caves, others in the desert. Who are these modern hermits? Why do they want to escape? And what is Alec Soth really looking for?

Alec Soth is a world renowned photographer best known for his portraits using a large format camera. He is represented by Gagosian Gallery, Westein Gallery, and Magnum Photos. Laure Flamarion and Arnaud Uyttenhove are young European filmmakers who followed Soth over the course of two years.

This film is about men, America, Alec Soth and the dream to disappear.

The movie will be screened at Minneapolis International Film Festival on the 2nd of May and at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto on the 5th and 7th of May.

There is no official theater release yet but the filmmakers are working on it.

Watch: All Tomorrow’s Parties – A Concert Documentary

According to Dangerous Minds:

Professional and amateur footage captured with cell phones, camcorders and Super 8 from over 200 sources combine to create the kinetic documentary All Tomorrow’s Parties. Compiled by director by Jonathan Caouette (Tarnation), ATP is a tightly edited collage of live performances, interviews and archival movies which captures the D.I.Y. spirit of one of the best and most fiercely independent music fests on the planet.

With performances by Grinderman, Dirty Three , Sonic Youth, Animal Collective, Lightning Bolt, Patti Smith, Portishead, Slint, Mogwai, Grizzly Bear, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Iggy and The Stooges.

And for our Spanish speaking friends, it has Spanish subtitles.

Watch: Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6

New Movie Review: Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop

This was the second world premiere I’ve ever attended. It was during SXSW at the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin, TX. The line wrapped around the corner. The theater itself really swanky and full of others swelling with jittery anticipation not only to see the documentary, but also for the QA session after the film with Conan himself.

Director Rodman Flender captures the unraveling of Conan O’Brien’s transition from the NBC late night disaster to his Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour. The film is raw, hilarious and incredibly revealing. As a long-time Conan fan myself, I was surprised to see an angrier side the man, the side having to deal with the tribulations of being Conan O’Brien. The film reveals Conan’s relationship with his children, his fans and other celebrities (including an unsettling encounter with Jack McBrayer in which Conan basically acts like huge prick).

The film itself is a must-see. I’m a huge fan of Conan, but this film helps to understand Conan O’Brien and his inability to stop pursuing his ambitions.

The QA with Flender and Conan was hilarious, insightful and worth the long wait in line.

No trailer or teaser poster has been released at this time.

Watch: “Cracked Actor” – A BBC Documentary About David Bowie From 1975

According to Dangerous Minds:

Cracked Actor captured David Bowie at “a fragile stage” in his life. His relationship with his wife, Angie, was beginning to falter, there was business problems looming, and he was addicted to cocaine, which caused “severe physical debilitation, paranoia and emotional problems.” Filmed during Bowie’s legendary “Diamond Dogs Tour” in 1974, Alan Yentob’s film revealed a man on the run, taking stock, even questioning his own ambitions:

‘I never wanted to be a rock ‘n’ roll star. I never, honest guy, I wasn’t even there. But I was, you see, I was there. That’s what happened.’

In a series of interviews, filmed in limousines, backstage and in hotel rooms, Cracked Actor reveals an uncertain, vulnerable, and at times incoherent Bowie; but in performance, he is magnificent.