Stranger Than Fiction: Silverdocs

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IN "SUPER AMIGOS," Mexican "lucha libre" wrestlers, decked out in masks and capes, raise awareness for social causes like affordable housing opportunities and gay rights. "Please Vote for Me" follows three Chinese 7-year-olds who launch full-blown political campaigns as they seek the title of class monitor. Meanwhile, in "Audience of One," an obsessed minister tirelessly pursues his goal of creating a science fiction film based on the life of Joseph.

These outlandish situations are all true stories, set to film for the fifth annual Silverdocs documentary film festival. Over the course of its six days, the festival will show nearly 100 films from 42 countries. Selected from more than 1,700 submissions, nine of the films will see their world premieres at the festival, with another 10 seeing their U.S. or North American premieres.

The festival, sponsored by the American Film Institute and the Discovery Channel, is held at the AFI Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring.

Although the diversity of the films is apparent, several of this year's submissions are tied to religion, as "Beyond Belief: Religion, Politics and Film" is a theme of the festival.
These submissions include "Buddha's Lost Children," the story of a former boxing champion who becomes a monk and provides shelter for orphaned children in remote Thailand. Another religiously themed feature is "Orthodox Stance," a film about a young Ukranian Jewish immigrant who finds a conflict between his success in New York boxing gyms and his commitment to his Hasidic roots.

"The documentary form, which takes personal stories and launches them into the public arena, is the perfect medium in which to explore how deeply personal issues of faith are informing our public discourse," said Patricia Finneran, festival director.

Several local filmmakers are represented within the festival, including Washington Capitols majority owner Ted Leonsis, producer of the documentary "Nanking," about Westerners who helped save Chinese civilians from the invading Japanese army in 1937. Local filmmakers Sean and Andrea Fine will give "War/Dance" its Washington, D.C. debut. The film, which won documentary directing honors at Sundance, deals with young Ugandans in refugee camps who have been robbed of their childhoods after the country's civil war. In the face of their suffering, the annual Kampala music competition helps provide them with hope and a positive goal.

While admission to each film is $10, the festival has two free musical documentary screenings at the outdoor Silver Spring Plaza. Thursday at 9 p.m., see Jonathan Demme's "Stop Making Sense," a 1984 concert film by the Talking Heads. Friday night at 9 p.m., the Plaza will show Demme's "Neil Young: Heart of Gold," which features Young playing with several of America's best roots musicians at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

» AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; through Sun., $10 per ticket, passes available; 301-495-6700. (Silver Spring)

By Dan Miller for Express
Photo courtesy Silverdocs