SFF, day 8: malala, scout, and dame maggie smith!

All good things come to an end and the Savannah Film Festival is no exception.
This was the final day and I had chosen to make it all about strong women.
Hooray for choices!
Hooray for free parking, too! No need to meter-feed!
My morning began with "He Named me Malala". I had missed the opportunity to see this in the local multiplexes, so I was looking forward to this story about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai. The Pakistani teen was cheerful and forthright in her description of her struggle to get an education under Taliban rule. "I tell my story not because it is unique. I tell my story because it is not.", she says in her guest lectures.
The nicest things about the film? First, that her brothers still regard her the same as they ever have, a strong-willed ('naughty') girl named for an Afghanistani cheerleader. Second, that she very much is a teen girl, with teen-girl crushes, in spite of the ordeals she has endured. Very good lesson that kids are kids, all over the world!
Also, this was a very good lesson about Islam and the truth of its beliefs. When asked if she hated the man who shot her in the head, she replied, "...not one proton, not one quark. Islam is about humanity, equality, and forgiveness."
Amen, sister.
And thanks for using science to make your point!

Time for food! Henry's was my choice today. It's only open for breakfast and lunch, meaning it was almost always closed when I was downtown. I'm so glad I went! Such a great pork chop that I wrote it up on TripAdvisor! Very nice conversation with my waiter, too, about films seen, including "Anomalisa" on Wednesday.

Back to the Lucas for a short and a feature! "Catching Fireflies" followed a young girl and her junkie mom, living on the streets. A parallel is drawn between fireflies and bullet tracers. Nice performances by tWitch, of "So You Think You Can Dance" fame, as the girl's godfather, of sorts. Beautiful imagery for a sad tale too oft told in real life.
The narrative feature, "Scout", also followed a young girl and an inept parent and the problems of the child welfare system. Fortunately, she has an enterprising older sister who is determined to rescue her little sister, enlisting the aid of a young man with more wealth than human connections in his life. Great cameos by Ellen Burstyn, Danny Glover, and Jane Seymour.
Surprise! There was an unscheduled Q&A afterward! Here, the writer/director/producer of "Catching Fireflies", former stuntman Lee Whitaker, confessed to drawing visual inspiration from, of all places, Pinterest.com Amazing! But it was for a good cause: to draw attention to homelessness, first truly noticed in India while filming, then again back in the States, in Los Angeles. Good for him!
The writer/director (Laurie Weitz) and producer (Beverly A. Gordon) of "Scout" were also present for the Q&A. More strong women!

My final film of the festival was definitely a good one.
Of course, as Maddie Reed said, "it's got Maggie Smith in it, and I'd watch her shovel dirt."
I certainly can agree with that!
"The lady In The Van" chronicled homelessness of the elderly in England. Specifically, the mostly-true film concerned aging Mary Shepherd, in her garish van, and the playwright Alan Bennett, who admitted to being "too lazy to throw her out" for fifteen years. Dame Maggie Smith had performed this role onstage initially, as well as on-air, and brought her immense talent in support of this project.
I liked the exploration of their relationship, this homeless, but strong-willed woman who demanded respect, and the weak-willed man with his two personae, the one that worked and the one that played. I especially thought it humorous that she thought the young men coming late at night to his house were Communists! Quite a few moments of levity in this story, but also a bit of pathos. You see, the film also followed his relationship with his aging mother, who eventually had to be put into nursing care for her memory loss. Honestly, I believe he allowed so many concessions to 'Miss Shepherd' in deference to his mom.

As I said, a fine way to finish out my Savannah Pass.
Of the 118 films of all lengths screened for these eight days, I have seen 90 of them. Ninety!!!
I saw a total of 23 blocks of daytime films, each of which would have cost $5. That means I saw $115 of movies for only $75. What a great deal!
I spent a total of $63.17 on meals, including tips and taxes, over the course of eight days. Pretty good at sticking to my budget!
And I did wonderfully well at planning my parking this year! Armed with lots of quarters, and mindful of the locations of the 5-hour meters, I only spent $33.25. Much better than in years past!
Now, to remember those meters next year...
(smile)