This week, I'm recommending the 2010 documentary "Marwencol," which is directed by Jeff Malmberg. If your interest was piqued by our discussion of "Harlan Ellison: Dreams With Sharp Teeth," and you're looking for another great documentary to watch, or you feel like watching a documentary but the Harlan Ellison doc doesn't appeal to you, then I strongly recommend you check out "Marwencol."
The film surrounds the fascinating personality that is Mark Hogancamp. In 2000, Hogancamp was the victim of a vicious beating at the hands of five men outside a bar in Kingston, New York. He suffered severe brain damage, and was hospitalized for physical and cognitive therapies for about 40 days. Due to the fact that he could not afford to stay in the hospital any longer, he was forced to leave medical care and take his recovery into his own hands. How does he cope with this trauma? Read on!
As a method of therapy, Hogancamp created his own fictional town, all of which is 1/6th scale to the real world. The town is called Marwencol, and is populated by dolls, most of which are analogous to people Mark knows from the outside world (coworkers, neighbors, his mother, etc.). In Marwencol, a Belgian town circa World War II, a story is unfolding every day, and Hogancamp uses this story to work out all of his frustrations and desires. In Marwencol, Mark's alter ego is married to a beautiful woman. In Marwencol, the townspeople regularly rise up and defeat the monstrous forces of the SS. In Marwencol, everybody gets along, and anyone can be a hero.
I first heard about Mark Hogancamp and Marwencol on a short segment on the short-lived (but quite fantastic in its own right) showtime series, "This American Life." It is, by itself, a powerful and intriguing story, but what Malmberg has done with this feature-length documentary is manage to get even deeper into who Hogancamp is and what exactly Marwencol is able to do for him. It is an incredibly well-structured documentary, and even manages to pack in a few surprise reveals of information that color everything you've seen before and everything you will see in a beautifully subtle and fascinating way.
Stylistically, the film remains engaging throughout, combining new footage filmed by Malmberg and his crew with the story-driven photographs that Hogancamp takes of his fictional town. World War II era music is used to great effect all the way through the film, and the stories Hogancamp tells about the adventures of his townsfolk are full of excitement and flights of fancy, and his photography is gorgeous.
Despite the wondrous quality of Mark's photos and storytelling, he never had any intention of sharing Marwencol with the rest of the world. It was always just meant to be therapeutic, but when he invites a neighbor to see the town, and begins sending him boxes of photographs, the artistic merit of Mark's project is finally revealed to someone outside his closest friends and family. The film does a wonderful job chronicling Hogancamp's struggle with revealing something so personal without ever feeling exploitative. He is a very lovable personality, and you can't help but be drawn into his incredible fantasy world and admire the attention to detail present in what he's doing.
"Marwencol" is a truly delightful documentary that I would have no reservations recommending to anyone. It is engaging throughout its 83 minute runtime, and tells a story both heartbreaking and inspiring. Hogancamp is a fascinating figure, and Malmberg does a great job telling his story with as much respect to the man's disability and artwork as is possible. It is an absolute must-watch for documentary fans.
, an awesome collection of previously unpublished fiction. It's a great book, but unfortunately, we haven't the time to discuss the whole thing... SO, for those of you keeping score, we will highlight 4 outstanding stories in the collection; Confido, FUBAR, Hello Red, and Look at the Birdie. So, there you go, hope you enjoy the book and join us this wednesday for a rousing discussion.
