This short documentary unearths the history and body of work of Houstonian and photographer, Ben DeSoto. In a personal story, Ben reminisces and examines his photos during his 30-year run. Working as photojournalist for the Houston Chronicle and Houston Post, the window of opportunities allowed him to capture and document diverse genres of the early underground punk scene, major touring acts, rap/hip hop culture, and current events. Ben was never one to look at his work for its monetary value, but instead the importance of sharing his work with the world before his memories vanish. Join Ben as he reflects on his memories during shooting assignments, the lost art of developing film, the transition from manual to digital media, and the love For Art’s Sake.
Ben DeSoto: For Art's Sake
27. 12. 32. 9. 66. 4. These are numbers. These are names. Six students prepare for graduation from a utopian training facility when they are faced with a dangerous final test.
Six-year-old Guoguo was born right before the one-child policy started. But outsiders thought the family broke the regulation because of her. To make it right, Guoguo tries hard to become “a good girl” in others’ eyes, and one accomplishment is to be enrolled as a Young Pioneer. Her elder brother, Wangwang, is striving for his own dream, to win an essay competition, “Animal Diary”, so as to be qualified to join a prairie summer camp. Yet he should have his first pet, a snail, to raise and write about. The two siblings gradually find that their wishes tangled awfully because they need each other’s time and support to fulfill either dream, while at many moments they can’t coordinate and even barely break up. Who and what should be the priority? Will Guoguo keeps behaving herself, or be brave enough to break all the rules and disobey the grown-ups, such as skipping classes and fighting the bullies, to help take back her brother’s snail? It’s all about choices and it’s a lesson that the single-born would have no chance to learn.
Directed by Michael Witnes Zapata