Just one day before the glitz and glamor of the star-studded Oscar ceremony, the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills hosted DocuDay, the IDA's all-day event boasting back-to-back screenings of all documentaries nominated for Oscar – both the features and the shorts. The first screening, Shorts Program 1, started at 9am to a packed house. That's what we love about documentary film lovers—they don't mind driving across town to see the year's best non-fiction works, even at 9 in the morning!

The first screening featured Incident in New Baghdad, God is the Bigger Elvis, and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, three documentary shorts that rely on contemporary and archival footage to tell the stories of a US Army Specialist with PTSD who now speaks out against the wars in the Middle East, a former movie star who left Hollywood to become a Benedictine nun, and the cherry blossom as a symbol for hope in post-disaster Japan, respectively.

The teams from each of the three films were well represented, with the producer, director, associate producer, and editor from The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, the director and subject of Incident, and the director, producer, associate producer, and editor from Elvis, all onstage to discuss their films. Both shorts programs definitely saw more female participants onstage for the Q&As, with all the feature filmmakers being men. IDA's Web Producer Katharine Relth asked the filmmakers what inspired them to tell their stories and what kind of cameras they shot on before opening the conversation to eager members of the audience.

One of DocuDay's wonderful sponsors, Zagat set up a lounge in the lobby of the WGA Theater to support the next edition of their 2013 Zagat Survey. This survey is a business based on a simple premise—that the shared opinions of thousands of avid consumers with real experiences are inherently more accurate than the opinions of just one or two critics. To kick off their 2013 Los Angeles / So. California Restaurants Survey, they gave DocuDay attendees the opportunity to win a year of movies including a year subscription to NetFlix and $300 to Arclight Theaters just for sharing their thoughts on restaurants in Los Angeles.

The next film screened was Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, a feature film by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. The third and final film of the series, these three projects have played a crucial role in keeping the case in the public eye and in helping the defendants to be released from prison. At the Q&A, which was moderated by IDA's Treasurer Laurie Ann Schag, Berlinger and Sinofsky discussed the genesis of the project and the development of the three films, which was helped along tremendously by HBO. The two mentioned that they didn't think this film could have been made today—subjects and families would have been much too savvy. And with the current 24-hour news cycle and the prominence of reality TV and viral video, the filmmakers probably couldn't be more accurate.

Homegirl Café provided delicious snacks to hungry movie-watchers in between screenings. Our favorite was the turkey sandwich with dulce de mango and chipotle salsa. A division of Homeboy Industries, Homegirl Café is a social enterprise that assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved young women and men to become contributing members of the Los Angeles community. Through training in restaurant service and culinary arts, Homegirl Café aims to empower young people to redirect their lives, giving them hope for their future.

Featured in the afternoon was If A Tree Falls, a remarkable story about the rise and fall of an Earth Liberation Front (ELF) cell which focuses on the transformation and radicalization of one of its members. In December 2005, Daniel McGowan was arrested by US Federal agents in a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the ELF—a group the FBI once called America's "number one domestic terrorism threat." Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film interweaves a vérité chronicle of Daniel on house arrest as he faces life in prison, with a recounting of the events that led to his involvement with the group.

At the Q&A following their film, director Marshall Curry mentioned that when the film first come out it was viewed mostly as a quaint, historical documentary showcasing a social movement long buried by time. But as the events of the Occupy movement started breaking out across the US, audience members and critics began to see the parallels, and the film took on a whole new life. Curry called his film "a cautionary tale" for both activists and law enforcement officials alike. 

From his embed with US Marines Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris in Hell and Back Again. The film seamlessly transitions from stunning war reportage to an intimate, visceral portrait of one man's personal struggle at home in North Carolina, where Harris confronts the physical and emotional difficulties of re-adjusting to civilian life with the love and support of his wife, Ashley.

Nathan Harris arrived at the Q&A with Dennis and his wife Ashley, who all received a standing ovation at the end of the film. Most of the audience's questions were for Nathan, who was humble and in good spirits as he discussed his experiences getting injured, and watching the film with his wife for the first time.

As one of the sponsors of the event, Canon representatives were on site showcasing their newest development, the Canon Cinema EOS System. This new camera system, "built from the ground up for the serious filmmaker [...] is inspired by and created for the industry." To completely understand everyone filmmaker's wants and needs, Canon consulted hundreds of people in the business to create this innovative new system, which they proudly showcased to DocuDay LA attendees in the lobby of the WGA Theater for the entirety of the event. The table was absolutey jam-packed with people between each and every screening, who were able to sample the new technology and test out some of the cutting-edge cameras. 

The second shorts program of the day featured Saving Face and The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, two films that stir deep emotions and inspire social change for all watching. Saving Face tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors: Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and move on with their lives. Barber of Birmingham tells the story of Mr. James Armstrong, a rank-and-file "Foot Soldier" and proud proprietor of Armstrong's Barbershop, a cultural and political hub in Birmingham, Alabama, since 1955. On the eve of the election of the first African-American president, Mr. Armstrong, the barber of Birmingham, sees his unimaginable dream come true.

Oscar® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Daniel Junge and Emmy®-winning Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy appeared onstage with Dr. Jawad to discuss their project and the work that can be done to ensure that this issue continues to have a voice. (Saving Face would eventually go on to win the Oscar® for Best Documentary Short at the next night's ceremony.) 

The final director in attendance for a post-screening Q&A with "the legend" Wim Wenders, sat with IDA Board President Marjan Safinia to discuss his 3-D film Pina. A DocuDay first, every member of the audience was handed an exclusive pair of 3D glasses with which to view the film, which was absolutely stunning from every seat in the WGA Theater.

Marjan asked Wenders about the inspiration behind this film, which he said was over 20 years in the making. A personal friend of Pina Bausch's, the filmmaker never quite knew how to capture the choreographer's extraordinary pieces on screen to give them the same effect that they had in person. After Pina's death in 2008, Wenders went to a screening that answered all his problems, where he saw a film shot on a 3D camera. The technology wasn't very expensive, he said, and with the help of everyone in the company and some of his students, he was able to complete the film within a few years time.

For Undefeated, the final film of the evening, the lobby was absolutely packed with people waiting to get in to see this final film of the night. Although DocuDay didn't see filmmakers T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay in attendance, the film went on to receive the Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature the next night.  

From 7:30 in the morning to the shut-down of the theater that night, our fearless volunteers were there to make the day possible by helping with ticket sales, seating, and general event coordination. From the bottom of our hearts, we say THANK YOU for your time and dedication!

Special thanks again to our sponsors Canon, Zagat, and C&S Insurance, and congratulations to all the nominees and newly-announced winners! This day wouldn't have been possible without your loving and generous support. 

Take a look on any film-related website, blog, or events listing over the last month and one thing is clear: It is most decidedly Awards season! With the narrative feature category broadened in recent years to include more Best Picture candidates than ever, you can bet that millions upon millions were glued to their screens on Sunday evening to catch the best (and worst!) dressed on the runway to see whether or not they won their office Oscar pool. We have one over here at the IDA offices, and you can bet there were some upsets this morning!

Each year, the IDA tries to shed some light on the most discussed award in all of Hollywood by bringing together a panel of experts to talk All Things Oscar: what it takes to win, how much it costs to enter, how to create a successful ad campaign, and what winning will mean for one's future. This year, however, the excitement that usually builds before the Academy’s big event was overshadowed by some recent news that could significantly change how, and if, many documentary filmmakers make a run for the gold statuette.

Back in January, the New York Times broke a story about the new rules that would apply to the batch of documentary feature films attempting to qualify for an Academy Award nomination in the 2012 cycle. This opened up an ongoing discussion in the blogosphere and on our Facebook page on the impact of these new rules on the documentary community at large. Together with the Board of Directors, IDA’s Executive Director Michael Lumpkin released a statement regarding the rules change that attempted to take a stance on this new information without jumping to any conclusions.

It was in the wake of these events that IDA Board President Marjan Safinia agreed to moderate a panel that would give experts and supporters in the documentary community a chance to discuss these changes and determine how they would effect filmmakers attempting to qualify for Oscar down the road. Safinia was joined by Dana Harris (Indiewire), James Moll (Executive Committee member of the Documentary Branch at AMPAS), Steve Pond (TheWrap.com), and Dustin Smith (Roadside Attractions) to help break down the new rules into identifiable terms and decipherable language. On Monday, February 20, this prestigious group gathered at Cinefamily @ the Silent Movie Theatre in front of a visibly-shaken crown of documentarians to attempt answer some questions and hopefully shed some light onto the significance of the Academy's recently-leaked information.

Fresh off a plane from Montana’s Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Michael Lumpkin introduced the panel and reiterated IDA’s stance on the Academy’s new rules. While we applaud the Academy for striving toward transparency, Lumpkin stated, everyone there wanted clarification on how these new rules impact not just the documentary community at large, but also programs like DocuWeeks that have a strong history of helping smaller films to qualify for the coveted little gold man.

Marjan got the ball rolling by asking just why that one gold statue is so important. Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning filmmaker James Moll answered that it is just so great to be recognized by your peers. For him, winning an Oscar was a dream-come true. And now that he’s part of the Academy's Documentary Branch, he wants to make that process much easier and more democratic for everyone involved. Dana Harris, Editor-in-chief of Indiewire, noted that the peak for traffic on her website for the entire year is right before and during the Oscar ceremony. However, in her eyes receiving the coveted award gives you little more than bragging rights. Certified Oscarologist Steve Pond mentioned that much like Kim Kardashian is famous for being famous, the Oscar is important for being important. He did admit, however, that the hype has really gotten crazy during the last decade. Dustin Smith noted that part of the appeal of the Academy Awards is certainly the fact that we get to see movie stars right there in our living room, with new players up for distinguished recognition every single year.

After not much longer, Marjan jumped right into what would be the crux of the conversation for the next hour and a half: turning almost directly to James Moll, IDA’s Board President wanted to know some of the reasons for the rule change. James noted that after many years of being under-served by the rest of the voting members of the Academy, documentaries fought hard to become their own branch. Now that they have more control over who gets shortlisted and nominated in their category, they wanted to create new rules (which, by the way, they do almost every year) to give the filmmaker the benefit of the doubt. Instead of having to wait until the end of the year to watch every film submitted for consideration, the films they receive will now be spread throughout the year, and each member will get to see each and every film. He and the documentary branch believe that this will increase the quality of the films shortlisted and eventually nominated. 

Dana Harris jumped in to ask what the impetus for the rule change was: is the Academy trying to preserve something by making changes? What is the academy really trying to do with these new rules? Marjan piggybacked by asking why the Academy is making everything so difficult: "The spirit of the rule change makes sense," she said, "but aren't we going to still only get big names?"

The issue that continued to come up was the new rule that a film has to be reviewed by either the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times in order to qualify. Dana Harris called this particular portion of the new rules a "red herring" that is distracting from some of the more important details. The policy of the New York Times is to review every film that gets at least a one-week run in New York City, which would mean only films that have a "legitimate"—and this word was used a lot—run in a theater would get attention, even if that attention was a two-paragraph review online. Even so, if a film plays for one week and for some reason doesn’t get a Times write up, a filmmaker can go through an appeals process with the Academy to prove that their film does indeed qualify.

This prompted a lot of back-and-forth among the panelists, and even a few outbursts from the audience. The lack of clarity of these rules have a lot of people up in arms—even Michael Lumpkin jumped in to ask James to explain something that was unclear concerning the future of IDA's beloved DocuWeeks program. (There's still no clear answer, unfortunately.)

The panel may have come to a conclusion with more questions raised than were answered, but it can be said that a lot of rage and fury that attendees felt before the panel had been at least partially assuaged. Only time will tell how these new rules affect small and big-name filmmakers alike, but one thing is for sure: James Moll proved a great sport for taking the brunt of the audience’s passionate questions and comments. Kudos to him for not losing his cool!

All photos ©2011 Humberto Mendes, IDA

Doc U is made possible by generous grants and contributions from our donors. Special support provided by:

Above photo:  Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Looking resplendent in his Oscar-friendly garb of t-shirt, jeans and baseball cap, Michael Moore bounded onto the stage of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater Wednesday night to commandeer the sold-out DOCS! program. Now in its third year of saluting the Oscar-nominated films and filmmakers in the documentary categories, DOCS! had its genesis in IDA's long-running Oscar Nominees Reception.   

Moore opened with a keynote address, of sorts, about the power of documentaries "It's important to tell true stories," he said. "The public wants the truth, and they've been lied to." He also talked about the new rules for qualifying documentaries for Academy Award consideration, in the spirit of the theatrical experience, citing the soon-to-be-opened Bloor Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto, which will showcase documentaries year-round, as a model to be replicated. "It's our art," he stressed. "These are films you should see with your fellow Americans; they should be something to be experienced collectively."

And with that, he introduced the nominees in the Documentary Short Subject category for a panel discussion. Moore pointed out the empty chair on stage was in honor of Gail Dolgin, the director/producer, with Robin Fryday, of The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement. Dolgin had passed away of breast cancer in October 2010, before the film was completed, and the film's subject, James Armstrong, had passed in November 2009.

Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson were on hand for God Is the Bigger Elvis, which Moore cited as "the one comedy in the group." Moore himself had actually considered the priesthood in his post-college years; "Now, I'm a recovering Catholic," he admitted. Anderson noted that the nuns of the Benedictine Abbey in the film "were extremely generous" with respect to questions about contraception and abortion. "These nuns are quite modern." Cammisa, whose mother had been a nun for ten years, discussed the difference between "spiritual" and "religious" as contrasting means of engagement with the modern world.   

On the eve of former soldier Bradley Manning's trial for leaking video footage of a July 2007 attack on Reuters journalists and Iraqi civilians by US helicopters to WikiLeaks, James Spione discussed his film Incident in New Baghdad, which includes that footage in its entirety, as a pretext for profiling one soldier, US Army Specialist Ethan McCord, who was on the ground that day. "This film is about taking an international incident and bringing it to ground level, showing the personal trauma because of it," Spione asserted. "It's a film about empathy; war strips that away."

Daniel Junge sought out Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to team up with him in her native Pakistan to make Saving Face, about Pakistani women who have survived acid attacks—often at the hands of their husbands, who invariably avoid punishment—and about individuals who are striving to make changes in this dreadful  condition. The filmmakers spent four months in the edit room, and determined that the short form was the more potent one for both telling the story and trying to find redemption and hope.

 As in the case with so many documentary films, what you end up with doesn't always square with your original intentions. Such was the case with Lucy Walker's The Tsumani and the Cherry Blossom; she had planned to screen her film Countdown to Zero in Japan, then make a short "visual haiku" about the cherry blossom season, when the earthquake hit-followed in short, devastating order by the tsumani and the nuclear disaster. She decided to go to Japan, with cinematographer Aaron Phillips, and amid the severe trauma—no power, water or transportation for a week—they engaged an American translator there and found survivors to tell their stories, as the cherry blossom season began.

Discussing the short form itself, the panel agreed that "short is the new long." "Shorts don't go longer than they should," Anderson agreed," while some features are too long."

In the subsequent panel of filmmakers from the nominated documentary features, Wim Wenders extolled the virtues of 3D—his format of choice for Pina—suggesting it as the "secret weapon" for keeping documentaries in theaters. "3D is the future of the documentary language," he asserted, citing digital, then HD as the precursors. While 3D technology may not have served Danfung Dennis in the battlefields of Afghanistan when making Hell and Back Again, he too helped create a new cinematic experience with the camera equipment he developed for his film. "Hell and Back Again and Pina would not have been made three years ago," noted Dan Lindsay, director/producer of Undefeated.

For most of the features half of the evening, Moore kept the conversational topic on the challenge of getting documentaries into theaters (albeit with a veiled dig at IDA's DocuWeeks, and no mention of DocuDay). Sam Cullman of If a Tree Falls lauded Moore for helping to make documentaries more popular, given the impressive number of $1 million box office grossers in the past decade. Moore countered that he may raised unreasonable expectations among distributors and exhibitors for all documentaries. He also noted that Sony Pictures Classics, which has distributed such successes as Riding Giants, The Fog of War and last year's Oscar winner, Inside Job, was talking about backing off from documentaries altogether.   

Wenders reiterated, "We should be more adventurous in our language," while Joe Berlinger of Paradise Lost 3 felt filmmakers should be "expanding the definition of what is the cinematic experience."

"It's the Lord's work that we do," Moore concluded the evening. "Let's do all we can for this art."

IDA is excited to announce that Canon will be on hand in the lobby of the WGA Theater in Los Angeles this Saturday, February 25 at our annual DocuDay event.

Canon representatives will be on site to showcase their newest development, the Canon Cinema EOS System. This new camera system, "built from the ground up for the serious filmmaker [...] is inspired by and created for the industry." To completely understand everyone filmmaker's wants and needs, Canon has consulted hundreds of people in the business to create this innovative new system, which they are proud to showcase for you at DocuDay LA.

From Canon's website:

Leveraging decades of Canon experience delivering imaging technology and services, Cinema EOS is more than the sum of its parts—camera body, lenses, service and support; it's a definitive HD motion picture system, conceived as an extension of the cinematographer. And this is just the beginning. Expect many more announcements in the months to come—all part of Canon's commitment to provide professionals with the tools and support they need to tell their stories.

It is worth noting that Oscar-nominated films The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom and Hell and Back Again were both shot on Canon DSLRs. If you can make it to the screenings of each of these films (at 9am and 4:15pm, respectively), the filmmakers will be talking about their experiences working with Canon products out in the field.

Come pick up your tickets and passes early and spend some time with this stunning new technology. We promise you'll have bragging rights among all your filmmaker friends!

Anyone who loves food appreciates the importance of a helpful restaurant write-up. How else would we know what to order or the best nights for a romantic one-on-one meal? And in major metropolitan areas like LA, there's one big name to trust when it comes to informative, vetted reviews: Zagat. And with their 2013 Zagat Survey, they want to make sure they hear from you! What's your favorite dish at that hidden Korean restaurant? How much did you spend at the new place in Echo Park, and was the service worth the bill? With Zagat Survey, you can let your opinion known and see it put to good use!

Zagat Survey is a business based on a simple premise – that the shared opinions of thousands of avid consumers with real experiences are inherently more accurate than the opinions of just one or two critics. Through their print and digital content, they give people the power of a collective voice and the information to make smart decisions.

Your opinion matters to Zagat, and to kick off their 2013 Los Angeles / So. California Restaurants Survey, they'd like to give attendees of IDA’s DocuDay the opportunity to win a year of movies including a year subscription to NetFlix and $300 to Arclight Theaters just for sharing your thoughts on restaurants in Los Angeles. All you have to do is drop by our Zagat Lounge at DocuDay, register, vote and get ready to watch some movies! You'll be able to vote at the Zagat booth onsite at DocuDay as well as at home.

We're excited to see you at DocuDay this Saturday! Be sure to come with a hunger for a good movies and a desire to discuss good food. Until then!

Editor's note: Over the next few weeks, we at IDA will be introducing our community to the films that have been honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with an Oscar® nomination in the documentary category. You can see The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom at DocuDay LA on Saturday, February 25 at the Writers Guild of America Theater, with filmmakers Kira Carstensen and Lucy Walker in person.

Synopsis: Survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan's recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins.

A stunning visual poem about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan's most beloved flower.

International Documentary Association: How long after the disaster occurred were you able to get over to Japan? Did you start filming as soon as you got there?

Lucy Walker: I think it was about 10 days. We started out in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima because immediately it wasn’t actually possible to even get [to the disaster zone]. There were no cars to rent or places to stay—you can imagine, with all those displaced people and smashed-up cars. With the contamination fear in Tokyo, stores had sold out of bottled water. [There were] rolling blackouts because of the power situation. There were no trains to the North; many of the subways weren’t working. No escalators in Tokyo were working to save power, so [it was] a very strange and eerie situation.

Everyone I spoke to when we started filming kept saying that they were thinking about the people in the Tōhoku region, and they wanted to know what they were going through. Eventually, enough people say that and you realize that’s what you’re thinking, too. You say, "Well really, that’s where the film is. We should probably go there."

IDA: When you eventually got to Tōhoku, the men and women you spoke with seem very comfortable opening up to you about their losses and their pain. How did you get access to speak to members of the community and have them respond so candidly?

LW: Just by being very friendly. I had kind of an open mind about it. I think it made people happier that the world hadn’t forgotten them. Foreigners had all fled the country and there weren’t journalists around. It was a very eerie, empty landscape. It was very big, and the rescue teams were very sparse.

The empty landscape that you see in the film with just a couple of people kind of picking their way across it was what the reality was like. So if you saw another human being in that landscape, and that human being was somebody who just wanted to see how you were doing and ask you to tell your story...It turned out that people were just very happy to talk and share.

I think that most people were very touched by encouragement and support and solidarity shown by other nations in Japan’s desperate hour of need. It’s even tough to recollect now, a year later, what a triple whammy this disaster was with the earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear disaster all rolled into one. They were hit very, very hard. You actually wish there were more of you. We’re making a very small contribution with our presence, but our presence felt like a gift of support, encouragement, interest and caring. I was very glad for that.

IDA: Kira, were you over in Japan with Lucy while she was shooting?

Kira Carstensen: No, I was organizing things from stateside. Lucy only went over there with one DP (Aaron Phillips), and we picked up an interpreter—an American man living in Tokyo—to interpret for Lucy and Aaron. It was a very small crew, and that was strategic on Lucy’s part for a number of reasons. Firstly, there were dangerous stories coming out of Japan regarding contamination and other kinds of exposure. Lucy felt very responsible to not put her crew in danger any more than she needed to. Also, I think you tend to be less threatening when there’s a smaller amount of people, [especially for] people who are unaccustomed to being on television. It allowed them to get into areas that they wouldn’t have been able to get into had there been a lot more of them.

IDA: What inspired you to make this film in the first place?

KC: Prior to the disaster, Lucy and I were talking about using an upcoming promotional trip that she had to Japan with regard to her previous film Countdown to Zero. We thought while she was over there she would make a short, visual poem about cherry blossoms. I’ve always been obsessed with cherry blossoms as much as Lucy, and we talked about that we had that in common and thought it would be beautiful [to] make a short, little visual haiku. And of course a few days before her scheduled departure, the earthquake and tsunami hit.

It was sort of a question of—What do we do now? Do we go? And we realized it was more important now than ever. It was the classic documentary story, I guess: Lucy as a photojournalist reacting to real-world events and changing up the plan. We ended up having to get a fresh crew, and we didn’t have the support from Japan that we thought we were going to have for the little film because obviously, Japan was in crisis.

And you know, as desolate and as much destruction as you see in the film, it was so much worse in person than I think even shows on film. Aaron and James MacWhyte, who was the interpreter that we picked up in Tokyo, both of them have been forever changed by that experience for sure.

IDA: It’s interesting that the initial idea was to make a film about cherry blossoms because it seems it would be the other way around—that you went over to do this work about the disaster, and then ended up pulling in the cherry blossom as a metaphor for the resilience of the Japanese people.

LW: It was really organic. Documentary filmmaking is sort of art because you are constantly evolving how you’re working based on what you’re finding. Originally I wanted to make a small film about cherry blossoms. Then [after the disaster] we went there and realized the story was actually in that disaster area. And in the disaster area when you ask people how they’re doing, they’ll naturally start telling you about the cherry blossoms, because you couldn’t miss it. In that landscape, when you’ve got these beautiful buds poking through that debris, you can smell dead bodies and you can see the markings on the house and the cars and the boats where the dead bodies had been found—such a dreadful landscape to see these flowers poking up and starting to bloom. It was just so remarkable.

That symbol is so incredibly strong in the Japanese culture. Japanese people are genuinely obsessed with [cherry blossoms] and it came a month after the disaster, right when people were picking themselves back up and realizing that nobody was really going to help them. Everybody had to move forward in life and figure out what they had to do for themselves.

As somebody says at the end of the movie, "One day people get up and say ‘I can do this. I can carry on.'" That’s in a nutshell what the whole movie is—people deciding that they can carry on after what’s happened. These are the moments in life when we need the most deep wisdom and understanding and strength to pull on, because how on earth can you get through moments in history or in your life like this one? You need the best forces of strength and power and encouragement available in a moment like that.

IDA: Lucy, why do you think you have such a strong connection with cherry blossoms?

LW: I had been taking care of my mother when she had been dying. She looked out of the window and said "these are the last cherry blossoms I’m going to see." Then she said that when she had been taking care of her mother, my grandmother looked out of the window and said “I’m not going to see any cherry blossoms anymore.”

My mom said "Oh, don’t worry. You’re going to get better, I’m sure you will." My mother had always been haunted by this response of denial, that she hadn’t been able to accept that her mother was dying and therefore couldn’t share an honest moment with her mother. She told me this, and then she and I had an honest moment about the fact that she was dying quite soon.

I was in Washington DC and I saw these cherry blossoms and it kind of snapped me into the present. And for me, I’d measured my own grief against these cherry blossoms. They had this very powerful effect on me and snapped me back into the present in a very healing way.

I realized that in Japan they had the same obsessions with these blossoms. And that’s why I wanted to go hanami ("flower viewing") parties in Tokyo. When people start talking to you and they naturally start talking about cherry blossoms, everyone had stories like that.

IDA: Kira, do you have a personal story about your connection to this tree or the process it goes through or to what it symbolizes?

KC: When I was very young I took my first field trip to Washington DC with my father and my mother, and it happened to be when the cherry blossoms were in bloom. I thought they were just so gorgeous, and they were falling. It’s so gorgeous when they fall. When they die, it’s beautiful. It’s the thing that I associate with that trip. I don’t remember so much of the monuments and the other things that I saw, but I do remember that.

What I love more than anything was their symbolism in the Japanese culture and that they were so revered and respected. They do symbolize life and the fragility of life and the transient nature of life. That just always struck me; I just think they’re the most beautiful flower. So when Lucy called me and asked what I thought of cherry blossoms, I said "I love cherry blossoms. Why are you asking?" We discussed it and she said "I’m thinking about making a short film." At that time we thought we were going to make like a four or five minute film that was just something beautiful. And then of course, on March 11, prior to departure, the other events unfolded.

IDA: How have audiences reacted as you have screened this film? What do you find the most surprising about their response?

LW: We’ve been really overjoyed. I’ve made short films before, and I never know what to expect. I think that people have really gotten a lot out of it. I’m obviously overjoyed by the Academy and the Sundance recognition. It was a very personal project.

The Japanese audiences reactions have been amazing. The emails we’re getting—you can’t believe how moving they are and how happy and grateful they are. Really profound responses. The film was made from my Westerner’s eyes. We had a wonderful Japanese editor who contributed as much as anyone to the film. I take ownership of the fact that I’m absolutely not Japanese. I’m an outsider, so I didn’t know what Japanese people would make of the film.

KC: I've seen the movie a hundred times or more. I love screening it with new audiences because there's a common reaction like from Toronto and Sundance to San Diego for Cinema Society—completely different groups at different places. There’s always a huge audible gasp at the opening footage of the tsunami devastating this town. And then there's tears in the audience. I feel myself experiencing those emotions no matter how many times I see the film over and over again. I do leave the film feeling hopefully at the end. I believe the audiences do, too. It’s a powerful moviegoing experience for a lot of people who watch the film. It is for me every time.

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom is screening at DocuDay LA at the Writers Guild of America Theater and at DocuDay NY at the Paley Center for Media as part of IDA's program of 2012 Oscar®-nominated films.

In 2010, IDA achieved an historic exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act on behalf of documentary filmmakers that allows us to obtain materials from DVDs for use in our films when we are conducting criticism and commentary. This was an important victory because without an exemption, even where it was perfectly legal to use a particular piece of content, the DMCA often made it illegal to access that content. (We are now seeking a renewal of the DVD exemption that will also cover Blu-Ray and digitally transmitted video.)

We recently learned that in Canada, policymakers are considering a similar law—but the Canadian version might not contain any protections for documentary filmmakers or others who use existing cultural or historical material as they conduct commentary, make criticism, or explore the world around us. So IDA wrote a letter to Canadian policymakers in which we share the experience of American documentarians with the DMCA. As we explain in the letter, the fact is that without an exemption the DMCA would have deeply harmed documentary filmmaking in the United States. We hope that our members and fellow filmmakers in Canada don't suffer that fate.

At IDA, we advocate for, help protect and advance the legal rights of documentary filmmakers. Over our thirty-year history, IDA has been at the forefront of support on major issues confronting our industry.

Learn more about IDA's advocacy work.

Read the full letter as submitted by IDA Executive Director Michael Lumpkin.

Editor's Note: Saving Face is nominated for an IDA Documentary Award in the Short category. Here's an interview with filmmakers Daniel Junge and Shameen Obaid Chinoy that we published a week prior to DocuDay.

Synopsis: Every year in Pakistan, at least 100 people are victimized by brutal acid attacks. The majority of these are women, and many more cases go unreported. With little or no access to reconstructive surgery, survivors are physically and emotionally scarred, while many reported assailants - typically a husband or someone close to the victim - are let go with minimal punishment from the state.

Saving Face tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors: Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and move on with their lives. Saving Face also highlights the efforts of the women across Pakistani society that are making efforts to help this vexing issue and the changes that occur from their efforts. Directed by Oscar® and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Daniel Junge and Emmy®-winning Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Saving Face is an intimate look inside Pakistani society, illuminating each women's personal journey while showing how reformers are tackling this vexing problem.

International Documentary Association: How did you get started in documentary filmmaking?

Daniel Junge: I got the documentary bug learning from George Stoney at NYU, but worked in the narrative film industry for a number of years before gravitating to London where I started doing documentary work. From there I researched and organized my first feature documentary in my home state of Wyoming.

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy: I began my career as an investigative print journalist in my hometown, Karachi. I continued to write for local publications in the US and Canada during my undergraduate career at Smith College. During my time at Smith, the tragic events of September 11th took place, and I recognized that journalists who were familiar with the region needed to report out of Afghanistan and Pakistan as they recognized the political and cultural contexts of the two nations. I then chose to transition to film as I felt it was a visceral medium that promoted audience engagement and dialogue.

IDA: When were you first made aware of the increase in acid burnings in Pakistan?

SOC: Currently, there are over a hundred cases of acid violence reported in Pakistan annually. It is estimated that the real figures are much higher. Although I had always been aware of the fact that acid assaults existed in Pakistan, I had not had the opportunity to meet with survivors or engage with relevant organizations. When Daniel spoke with me about the initial concept behind Saving Face, I was immediately struck by the urgency of this situation, and felt compelled to do my part in not only projecting the issue but also giving due credit to those who were effectively working against it. Saving Face is meant to serve as an educational tool that prompts communities to recognize the prevalence of acid violence and foster communication on this issue.
 

IDA: How did you find the plastic surgeon that was doing this reconstructive work for women victims?

DJ: I heard Dr. Jawad on BBC Radio discussing his patient Katie Piper, the aspiring model attacked by acid in London. When I heard his name, I called him up out of the blue and asked if he knew about the incidence of acid attacks in South Asia and the Muslim world, to which he replied, "Know about it? I'm working with them in my home country of Pakistan." The adventure began.
 

IDA: How did your vision change over the course of the filmmaking process?

DJ: We always knew Dr. Jawad would be the center of the film and a vehicle to tell the stories of different survivors. But we were really struck by two of the women's stories and their courage in opening up to our cameras. They, in essence, are the heroes of the film and Dr. Jawad became the connective fiber for their stories.

IDA: What were some of the obstacles that you encountered when making this film?

SOC: A vast majority of acid violence cases are found in the Seraiki belt, a cotton-growing region that has some of the highest levels of poverty and lowest levels of education in all of Pakistan. Acid is widely available there as it is used in cotton fields. These factors, coupled with cultures that condone violence against women, have contributed to the underreported nature of acid violence.

As a film crew, we were initially met with skepticism in local communities, and we struggled to battle against the mindset that existed there. However, once we settled into the towns and made connections we did not face any further obstacles.

As a director, I had to train myself to not get overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of injustice and violence found in the narratives behind Saving Face. It is one thing to hear about acid violence or read an article about it, and another to spend long periods of time with survivors as they slowly rebuild their lives. Zakia and Rukhsana's determination was contagious; I was incredibly inspired by their stories and am honored to have the opportunity to share their stories with a wider audience.

IDA: As you've screened this film, how have audiences reacted? What has been most surprising or unexpected about their reaction?

DJ: We have yet to see it front of a live audience. We raced to qualify the film for the Oscars this year and were not able to attend the qualifying screenings.  We now have a number of global screenings and our HBO broadcast, so we're really looking forward to seeing how audiences react.
 

IDA: What documentaries or documentary filmmakers have served as inspiration for you?

SOC: I deeply admire James Longley's film Iraq In Fragments. Shot, directed and edited beautifully, this film tells the story of Iraq during the conflict in a unique and awe inspiring manner. It humanizes a conflict by telling an alternative story than the one that we have grown used to; one in which things are more complex than the basic good guy bad guy binary. I was impressed by the honesty and integrity in the film, and was inspired by the treatment of the Iraq war in it. 

Saving Face is screening at DocuDay LA at the Writers Guild of America Theater and at DocuDay NY at the Paley Center for Media as part of IDA's program of 2012 Oscar®-nominated films.

Academy Governor Michael Moore and the Academy's new rules for docs were challenged by Nina Seavey, Director of the Documentary Center at George Washington University, on NPR's Talk of the Nation program today. Seavey, also a documentary filmmaker and founding director of Silverdocs, questioned the inclusivity of the new rules and their impact on IDA's Oscar-qualifying program DocuWeeks, which has qualified over 186 films in the documentary short and feature categories.

The conversation continues at IDA's Doc U this Monday at the Cinefamily in Los Angeles.

Since news broke in early January about the changes to the Academy’s rules for documentary features, there has been an ongoing discussion on impact of these new rules on the documentary community. On January 10, IDA released a statement regarding the rules change. Over the past month, we have been talking to filmmakers, journalists, Academy members and newspaper editors as we try to asses the impact of the Academy’s actions on the doc filmmaking community as well as IDA’s Oscar-qualifying program, DocuWeeks.

With the final decision on the current Oscar race just days away, and many looking forward to making a bid for 2012’s Oscars, IDA invites the Los Angeles film community to join IDA Board President Marjan Safinia as she moderates a discussion with doc insiders, including Steve Pond, columnist for The Wrap and a top Oscarologist (according to goldderby.com); Dana Harris, Editor-in-chief of Indiewire; James Moll, veteran non-fiction filmmaker and Executive Committee member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; and Dustin Smith, VP, Acquisitions & Business Affairs for Roadside Attractions, to ask and answer these questions and many more. What does it take to mount a successful Oscar® campaign, and how much does it cost? What does an award really mean for the future of your film and your career? And what do the new rules really mean for doc filmmakers?

Join us on Monday, February 20 at 7pm at Cinefamily @ the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Advanced tickets are on sale now, with additional tickets available at the door the night of the event (pending availability). IDA Members and Student Members will find tickets at special discounted rates.

The evening's on-stage conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A, and a reception on the Cinefamily's backyard Spanish patio!