MARWENCOL official theatrical trailer .

YouTube - MARWENCOL official theatrical trailer

cool video, yet sad....
http://www.marwencol.com/

 

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Many times I would browse through Mr. Hogancamp's photos on the Ultimate Soldier Unofficial Fan Page.

 

pleasure, rather strange? but you sense he's been through a lot..

Mark Hogancamp, the subject of the new documentary film Marwencol, also has a fantasy world he likes to disappear into. Instead of Star Wars figures, though, Hogancamp’s elaborate creation involves toy World War II military figures, mini-Barbie dolls and tiny-but-detailed props. There’s another key difference too: Hogancamp's a grown man.
He’s also the victim of a vicious crime. In 2000, five men followed Hogancamp outside a bar in upstate New York and beat him so badly he suffered brain damage, spending nine days in a coma. When he was discharged from the hospital after 40 days, he had little memory of his earlier life and had lost the fine motor skills he previously used to sketch elaborate drawings.
Since his healthcare had run out, Hogancamp fashioned his own form of therapy, creating a miniature world named Marwencol populated by dolls representing friends and family members as well as completely fictional personas. Working with the miniatures enables him to slowly regain his hand-eye coordination.
Equally important, this fantasy world serves as a place in which he can play out his frustrations—even reliving the crime he suffered—without resorting to real-world violence or succumbing to the alcohol abuse that plagued him prior to the assault.
Eventually, Hogancamp begins photographing his miniature world, and these amazingly lifelike pictures spark the interest of an art magazine and later a gallery in New York City. But will this newfound attention aid his reintegration into society or cause him to withdraw further?
Director Jeff Malmberg’s film is full of surprises, bringing you into Hogancamp’s eccentric world without passing judgment. Malmberg, an experienced film editor, structures the film as a savvy balancing act: As your affection for Hogancamp grows, so does your knowledge of the artist’s quirky tendencies. Stuff that might seem weird or creepy in other contexts takes on a new light here.
Using Hogancamp’s unique pictures as inspiration, Malmberg shoots Marwencol in perspectives that bring the miniature village to life, incorporating Hogancamp’s surreal narration to draw you into the world further. It’s fascinating to watch Hogancamp work through his lingering trauma in Marwencol, mixing and matching reality and make-believe in his alternate universe.
Malmberg’s only misstep is his decision to reveal so little of Hogancamp’s life before the assault. Though the viewer’s lack of knowledge mirrors Hogancamp’s condition, one senses that a little more information about his childhood, pre-attack artistic pursuits and failed marriage would have created a more rounded portrait.
Overall, though, this is a fascinating, unique story told in a thoroughly entertaining fashion. No Star Wars soccer or WWII toy soldiers necessary to enjoy Marwencol—just an appreciation for the imagination and the countless unexpected places it can take you.

"Marwencol" opens in Atlanta on Dec. 10 at Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema.

source: examiner.com

 

We had a family trip to the cinema today to watch ''Welcome to Marwen''.
Since coming home I've ordered the book & dvd on Marwencol.
My youngest son wants to start his own version in the garden.