Full Description
For 20 years Doug Block (51 Birch Street, SFJFF 2006) has worked two jobs. The New York–based independent filmmaker is known primarily as an acclaimed director and producer of a handful of successful PBS documentaries. But Block’s unlikely second gig finds him practicing his craft as a part-time wedding videographer. Shooting in a loose verité style, Block recorded not only over a hundred ceremonies and receptions but also the wide-eyed expectation and jittery preparation leading up to the big event. Through his work the filmmaker often developed a fondness for the couples, but after delivering the edited footage he rarely heard from the newlyweds again. So after a couple of decades, Block decided to find a dozen couples whose nuptials he recorded and find out what has become of them. The results are surprising, revealing and occasionally heartbreaking. Block discovers a fascinating, funny and often frank mixture of wives and husbands who reflect on the complicated reality of “happily ever after.” One groom’s recollection of the manic episode that eventually brought about his train wreck of a divorce deserves a documentary all its own. Doug Block has created a memorable and telling film that explores the secret of what it takes to make a lasting partnership between two people.
West Coast Premiere
