Enemies of Happiness

Friday, June 15------The Main Competition section of SILVERDOCS consists of 10 documentary features, all competing for the coveted Sterling Award. The films represent some of the most innovative, provocative and compelling non-fiction films of the year. Jurors determining the prizes include: Liesl Copland, head of acquisitions of Red Envelope Entertainment, the newly created original content division of Netflix; Matt Dentler, the Producer of the South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival; and Ross Kauffman, the 2005 Academy Award winning director of BORN INTO BROTHELS. The Sterling Awards will be announced at a special ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

STERLING AWARD FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

BIG RIG / USA (Director: Doug Pray)—This stunningly photographed film follows a dozen long-haul truck drivers as they cross 21,000 miles of American highway. The nation’s beautiful scenery provides the backdrop for personal stories that emphasize how much America relies on their largely invisible labor. East Coast Premiere.

ENEMIES OF HAPPINESS / Denmark (Director: Eva Mulvad)—The first woman elected to Afghanistan’s parliament, Malalai Joya’s democratic spirit and love for her people have made her a heroine to many Afghans. Filmed during the final weeks of her 2005 campaign under threat of death, it reveals Joya’s courage and the human faces behind the news stories of burkas and blue-inked thumbs. East Coast Premiere.

HOTHOUSE / USA (Director: Shimon Dotan)—A gripping look at life behind the prison walls for some of the nearly 10,000 Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, this film reveals how prison life help forms a brotherhood that fuels the political divide. East Coast Premiere.

HOW TO COOK YOUR LIFE / Germany (Director: Doris Dorrie)—Just as life is a journey, not a destination, eating is about the process of cooking, not just food. This inspiring film follows Zen chef, Edward Brown, and good-naturedly ponders the relationship between cooking, life, and the world around us. North American Premiere.

LOSERS AND WINNERS / Germany (Directors: Michael Loeken, Ulrike Franke)—The idea of a shifting global economy, of the rise of the East and impending economic crisis in the West is in the Zeitgeist, but rarely do we see inside the working culture of either side. East Coast Premiere

MADE IN LA /USA/Spain (Director: Almudena Carracedo)—An intimate look into the blood, sweat and tears of Latina garment workers, who successfully organize against not only the sweatshops, but the glossy mall stores where there labor is displayed. World Premiere.

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME /China (Director: Weijun Chen)—What does democracy look like in the world’s largest Communist country? Start small, very small. This charming film follows the intense politicking to become class monitor of a third grade class in Wahun Province China. North American Premiere.

THE PRICE OF SUGAR / USA (Director: Bill Haney)—When a charismatic Spanish Priest arrives in the Dominican Republic and protests the slave labor of dispossessed Haitians in the sugar plantations, he ignites a firestorm of protest and tension. East Coast Premiere.

TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE / Israel (Director: Alex Gibney)—An examination of torture and the war on terror, beginning with the death of an innocent Afghani taxi driver. Alex Gibney tracks the development of the Bush administration’s interrogation techniques in Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and Iraq. Washington, DC Premiere.

A WALK INTO THE SEA: DANNY WILLIAMS AND THE WARHOL FACTORY / USA (Director: Esther Robinson)—An artful inquiry into the disappearance of the filmmaker’s uncle, Danny Williams, a promising young filmmaker and seminal but forgotten figure in Andy Warhol’s inner circle at The Factory. The film weaves rarely seen footage from the period with contemporary interviews with surviving Factory members. Washington, DC Premiere.

Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Online Dailies Editor