COLUMN: ‘Gilad and All That Jazz’ is a mediocre documentary about an extraordinary man
Logan’s first film festival was a great success.
As with all things, the festival had its ups and downs.
There were a variety of films from around the world, with a majority from Cache Valley. The use of multiple historic locations, including the Logan Arthouse and the Dansante and Lyric Theatres, enhanced the mood and feel of the films.
Unfortunately there were technical difficulties that slowed down some screen times.
Advertising and promotions suffered as well, which directly impacted audiences. Aside from filmmakers, volunteers and friends of the filmmakers, there were not as many people as desired, although there were generally more people than I expected at a number of the films.
These issues should be solved by next year, and predictions are looking bright.
The first film I saw was “Gilad and All That Jazz,” directed by U.K. filmmaker Golriz Kolahi. This documentary tells the story of one of Europe’s well-known musicians and political commentators.
The documentary is full of touching scenes of people in the Middle East, specifically Israel, Gilad’s birthplace.
Gilad was gifted and determined from a young age. When he was six or seven, he told his father he wanted to play the clarinet. His father told him that he should start with the recorder, and once he had gone through a workbook, his father would buy him a clarinet.
By the next day Gilad was playing the hardest songs in the book so his father kept his promise. This began Gilad’s musical career.
During Gilad’s childhood he was exposed to many points of view about Israel and Palestine and the difference between them. This gave him a strong base, which he built on in later years.
The documentary spends some time on Gilad’s music, but the majority is spent on his views of Jews, Israel, and Palestine. Fortunately the film shows multiple sides to Gilad’s opinion-his supporters, oppressors, and critics.
Overall, the film was well balanced between all the clips shown of the interviews, historic footage and live performances.
The music was also balanced. All the music in the film was performed by Gilad, which added a dimension to the heart of the film.
Mostly the music was there as a background supplement, but it also added to the emotion of landscapes and people in montages. Occasionally the music was the focus, as during the live performance segments.
I left the film wondering what the point of the documentary was and couldn’t come up with a definite answer.
“Gilad and All That Jazz” is a less than ordinary documentary about an extraordinary man.
Only individuals who are interested in learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or who like learning about jazz artists should consider seeing this film.
– Spencer Palmer is a graduate student working toward an MBA with a recent bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He’s a movie fanatic. Email him at spencer.palmer@aggiemail.usu.edu