For those living in Seattle, Washington or the Pacific Northwest, at large, the name Wes Hurley carries significant weight. He created the series, Capitol Hill, which starred a number of big name drag, burlesque, and boylesque performers in the region, from Waxie Moon to Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme. He has an eye for drama, direction, and talent.
Potato Dreams of America
From the very start of
Potato Dreams of America, an autobiographical film from writer/director Wes Hurley, the titular Potato understands how to frame a story.
While watching a black-and-white TV set with his grandma Tamara (Lea DeLaria), Potato forms his fingers into a rectangle to peer through – first at his father beating his mother and then, drifting, at the television screen. He reimagines his parents’ domestic violence as a celluloid dance, rough but staged, and all in clean maneuvers unlike the fight happening in reality.
Scenes of Potato as a youth (Hersh Powers/Tyler Bocock) in mid-Eighties’ USSR are painted with vibrant, broad brushstrokes. Each scene has a stage-play affect, as though at any moment you might see figures in all black run in to rearrange the sets. These are memories, and so thrum with emotion rather than strict realism. Another striking element are the accents of Potato and his mother, Lena (Sera Barbieri/Marya Sea Kaminsk
SXSW Film Festival Announces Full Lineup, Including Tom Petty and Selma Blair Docs
Matt Donnelly, provided by
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The South by Southwest Film Festival has rolled out its full programming line up, with high-profile new documentaries bolstering previously announced features.
For many in Hollywood, the last-minute cancellation of the Austin-based 2020 SXSW conference was a reality check about the severity of the coronavirus pandemic. Global lockdowns followed, and a year later, the film portion of the cultural event is soldiering on.
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“We feel privileged to have been able to pivot to SXSW Online and present a fantastic treasure trove of programming, including a pared down and wonderful selection of films that we know will delight, entertain and move our attendees,” said Janet Pierson, SXSW’s director of film.