Marina Zenovich Movies
- 2008
- NR
- Add Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired to QueueAdd Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired to top of Queue
The events of 1977 and 1978 permanently marred director Roman Polanski's life. Accused of unlawful sexual assault on minor Samantha Geimer during his stay at actor Jack Nicholson's house in March of 1977, Polanski wound up in the midst of controversial judicial proceedings that many read as supremely unfair. After being temporarily sprung on 2,500 dollars bail, Polanski then fled the United States for Europe in 1978, with the threat of incarceration hanging over him should he ever return. With her documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, filmmaker Marina Zenovich revisits this difficult case via extensive interviews with Geimer, defense attorney Douglas Dalton, Assistant DA Roger Gunson, and others. In the process, she raises pivotal questions about the U.S. legal system and the fairness of the judge, Laurence J. Rittenband (who was reportedly extremely vocal about his desire to topple Polanski) and encounters many recollections of judicial malfeasance from those who were involved. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In France, Bernard Tapie has developed a reputation as a man of many talents and varied interests; he's found success as an actor, a singer, a businessman, the host of a TV talk show, an elected official, a competitive sailor, an advisor to French president François Mitterand, and manager of a championship soccer team. Tapie's achievements are all the more remarkable considering his humble, working-class beginnings, but not all of his publicity has been good; while he's earned fortunes, he has also been forced to declare bankruptcy, and after his soccer team won the European Cup, it was discovered that he paid off players from other teams to ensure that they'd lose, which led to a six-month stay in jail. American documentary filmmaker Marina Zenovich became fascinated by Tapie's story, and flew to Paris in order to meet him and make a film about his life. Who Is Bernard Tapie? concerns itself with Tapie's roller-coaster ride in the public eye, as well as his intensely secretive nature regarding his private life; the film also offers an amusing perspective on Zenovich's somewhat obsessive interest in her subject, who isn't so certain he wants to cooperate with her. Who Is Bernard Tapie? was shown in competition at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The Sundance Channel produced this guided tour through the world of independent films and filmmakers, tossing out the statistic that the movement has escalated from some 50 films in 1985, to 800 in 1997. Interview segments include Sundance fest director Geoffrey Gilmore, fest programmer Bob Hawk, writer-director Greg Mottola, producer Steven Soderbergh, critic Roger Ebert, and directors Sydney Pollack and Kevin Smith. Filmed in L.A., N.Y., and Park City, Utah, this hour-long documentary premiered on the Sundance Channel on January 15, 1997, the opening night of the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
