American Movie

American movie follows aspiring filmmaker Mark Borchardt over a period of years as he struggles to complete his latest project, a horror film called 'Coven'. This is one of my favourite documentaries as it provides real insights into the life of a low-budget filmmaker. We see first-hand the struggle Mark goes through in order to finance his film, hire actors and complete the script while juggling debt and family issues. The film is very comedic and points and some would say that it exploits it subjects but to me mark's passion for filmmaking shines through overall. We see him struggle to keep the film afloat despite scheduling issues and financial restraints. We are shown short films Mark has made throughout the years and we understand his dedication. The filmmakers ensured that the audience would understand the effort that goes into creating a low-budget film in a way that can be understood even by todays generation who have contestant access to HD camera and personal editing apps at the push of a button. No part of the process is lost on viewers who watch the shooting and cutting of the film and follow mark through various meetings as he tries to cast and fund the film. As valuable as these insights are, where the documentary shines is in how deeply it explores its subjects. In particular, Mike Schanck, a friend of Mark's who, despite being a recovering addict, is one of the most reliable members of his crew and Uncle Bill a retiree who reluctantly agrees to fund Mark's film Coven. Throughout the film, mark's personal troubles are displayed, we see him struggle to connect with his ex-girlfriend and children and watch as he fails to find funding for his passion-project, 'North-western', which he hopes to fund through VHS sales of Coven. Director Christ Smith had this to say, "Mark was in a class I was teaching at the University of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. One day I saw him outside of school. He was drunk, and he said, "I ain't on your list, but I come to your class. Check your class list. I dropped your class but I still use your equipment." I looked and sure enough, although he was the best student in the class, he wasn't registered." From there Chris Smith and a film crew documented Mark's attempts at creating a feature film. To me, this film is a testament to creativity, dedication and above all the value of community.