"La Source" to screen at Atlanta Film Festival

Last September, "La Source" struck a cord with me at the Rome International Film Festival. The impressive documentary, centered around Haitian janitor Josue Lajeunesse and his fight to make water accessible for the people of his hometown, has experienced a remarkable reception at festivals across the country. Continuing on its journey, filmmakers Patrick Shen and Brandon Vedder bring "La Source" back to Georgia next month for the Atlanta Film Festival. 

Read my review and get your tickets to see "La Source" at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, March 16th at 11:45 AM. Check out the poster (above) and trailer (after the jump)– both of which quote yours truly!

Savannah: "Flight" (***½)

Bruce Greenwood, Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle star in "Flight"

Being able to consistently open films to big numbers at the box office takes a special kind of star-power. Denzel Washington has been a box office draw for years, while consistently putting forward intense, focused performances and routinely earning awards. Few people in the industry can match his impressive record. "Flight" gives us what Denzel does best, a mesmerizing performance in a slick Hollywood production. Except this production was shot entirely and takes place in Atlanta.

"Flight" opened nationwide last weekend, but I was able to check it out on October 28th at the Savannah Film Festival. Supporting star John Goodman and screenwriter John Gatins were in town for the festival, being honored with an Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award and a Spotlight Award, respectively. A Q&A with the pair shed some light on the process of getting "Flight" out of Gatins' head and onto the big screen.

RIFF: "La Source" (****)

Josue Lajeunesse is featured in "La Source"

A lot of visual contrast is prominent within "La Source." In Haiti, the white sands contrast with the seemingly ever-ominous skies; while in Princeton, we see the deep grays and browns of the brick and stone frosted with thick snow and ice. Then there is the cultural contrast between the affluent students of Princeton and an immigrated janitor, working hard and still having to double as a taxi driver. Even greater, we contrast these two places against each other. They are both home to Josue Lajeunesse, a Haitian national who moved to America in 1989 seeking better opportunities to provide for his family.