Last Saturday, I stopped by the Majestic Crest Theatre in Westwood to see the documentary "Dirty Hands, The Art & Crimes of David Choe". When the film first began, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had briefly read the synopsis about some do-whatever-he-wants bad boy artist and his rough soulful journey toward his own salvation... Was this going to be an attempt at trying to unnecessarily draw out profound meaning or shock value from some artsy fartsy situation, or was this going to strike a chord with the audience?As an artist, I have a tendency to be highly critical when it comes to other artists and the messages that they communicate. I could be apologetic, but in actuality, I'm trained to be this way... to dig beyond the flash of "artsyness" and trends and what I'm told is great to find something that's more raw and authentic, as ugly as it can be.
I'll admit that the documentary was a little too long, and sometimes disorienting in its swirls of colors, commentary, and just plain crazy antics on the artist's part (at one point, David's being interviewed while submerged in water up to his neck out in Africa in search of dinosaurs). But after some thought, I realized that what I initially mistook as the usual mix of arrogance and nonchalance was actually his natural air as an artist... because artists tend to be counter cultural in nature, bordering on defiant and even absurdity in hitting and satiating their creative needs. And by the end of the movie, when I finally oriented myself amid the swirls and snippets of interviews and artworks to fully realize the difficulties and poignant depths of his trials, I realized that while David might really be crazy, he's just more willing than most to go with his impulses and experiment, regardless of the outcome. Seeing as how that's one of my biggest weaknesses as an artist, he's definitely garnered my respect.
The LA Film Fest's well underway, with just a few days left before it makes its glorious exit with a closing gala screening of "Hellboy II". Be sure to check out Family Day on Sunday that's full of free activities, a petting zoo, and more, along with other awesome screenings!
-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Marketing Assistant
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