Film title:
Pavee Lackeen
Already an accomplished photographer, Perry Ogden co-wrote and directed his first film as documentary-like as possible. Shot with a plotless 24 page script, the film follows 10 year-old Winnie, an Irish traveller, through her daily grind. The permanently bored characters encounter a few token painful scenarios – Winnie doesn't even know the year she was born. Still, the film gives real life Winnie Maughan and her family the only portrait suitable: unflinching realism, from the sea of powerless public service agents to the family's permanent lack of plumbing. Especially poignant is Winnie's educational encounter with an African hair salon where both hairdresser and Winnie attempt to appear more comfortable with each other in their on-screen roles. However, since both are playing versions of their real selves, the tension between them gets even more bizarre. The DVD release will certainly afford more of an audience to this marginalized population, and the commentary track affords a typical amount of added insight into Ogden's photographic style and desire to make a difference. [David Winton]