Mondovino
from Velocity / Thinkfilm
The ultimate film about wine and wine culture, Mondovino offers an unprecedented look into the conflicts, conspiracies and alliances of the wine trade. Filmed by award-winning director Jonathan Nossiter, Mondovino has sparked controversy in its theatrical run among wine producers, distributors and consumers as it shed light on the esoteric world of wine. Hailed as "Fahrenheit 9/11 for the grape" by MSNBC.
An epic exploration into the modern world of wine, Mondovino was filmed across three continents, in five languages, over a three-year period. With an insider's access and an artist's eye, Nossiter weaves together multiple family and multi-generational sagas, all stemming from the production, distribution and consumption of one of the oldest, most respected and still-affordable luxuries. Juxtaposing artesian wine growers with multi-national conglomerates, and peasants with billionaires, the film gives voice to those who create, critique and are involved in the commerce of wine, offering up a surprisingly prismatic, varied and sometimes controversial glimpse into something everyone enjoys but few people know much about.
Signs & Wonders
by Jonathan Nossiter
from Strand Releasing
Resident Alien
from New Video Group
"I have always lived my life in the profession of being." - Quentin Crisp This hilarious film chronicles the adventures of cult figure Quentin Crisp, a flamboyant and eccentric Brit, in his madcap dash across the margins of downtown Manhattan in the pursuit of fame during the last days of bohemian New York City. A modern day Oscar Wilde, Quentin Crisp is the unbelievably witty and charming star of this intelligent and unconventional film. Crisp, wearing a dandified outfit and eye shadow, traipses through downtown Manhattan, assembling a doting fan club of artists and eccentrics, including Warhol superstar Holly Woodlawn, elderly sex prodigy Felicity Mason, rock-star Sting, playwright Robert Patrick, and actor John Hurt (who played Crisp in the autobiographical The Naked Civil Servant). From intimate dinner parties to stage performances, Crisp and his entourage always make a point of disturbing the boundary between fantasy and reality. Acclaimed director Jonathan Nossiter complements Crisp's disdain for the mundane and orthodox with an energetic and wildly original blend of traditional documentary technique and a mélange of tricks culled from art house cinema. With Crisp now deceased, RESIDENT ALIEN stands as a living testimony to one man's singular gift to the world--himself.
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