Adventure 94: Our Nixon

I have to be honest, I wasn't planning on blogging about this experience. Mainly because I'm always going to screenings, so it doesn't really fit my criteria for my 'adventures.' However, I haven't been able to get this film out of my mind. I saw it back in January, and I encourage you to see it if the opportunity presents itself. It might be on general release soon?

This event was hosted by the Utah Film Center, and Doug Fabrizio of KUER's Radio West.

After Doug gave some recognitions, welcome's, and hellos, we watched the movie, then had a Q&A with the director/producer Penny Lane.

 

This is an incredibly unique documentary. Lane uncovered hours upon hours of film of home movies taken by Nixon's closest aides... oh, who were also convicted in the Watergate scandal. She put this together in such an interesting way.

Here are a few things that stuck in my brain from the 84 minute film:

• The film was a blend of sourced media, from television interviews, to audio from speeches, audio from the Nixon tapes, and the shaky hand held footage of the home movies.
• There was no polished talking voice giving narration, it was all audio spliced from the time.

• I was born in 1979, so Nixon has always been a piece of history for me, not anything I lived with attached memories, this movie made it feel less like history from a page, and more like something real, and relatable.

• There was a particularly haunting scene for me of footage of a political rally with a group of young bright-eyed Americans singing an upbeat song with smiles and bell-bottoms the words, "I'm an American, and I hope that you are too." 

• Penny Lane seemed young to me. Maybe a few years younger than me. She semed to have grown a fondness for the men who shot this footage, as she spent more hours than I can comprehend pouring over all the footage before coming up with the end result.

• There seemed to be many people in the audience who remembered the Nixon era, and had their ideas and thoughts to share about that time, which was interesting. It didn't have the same mood of disgust and judgement, as I'm used to hearing that era be discussed. I can't help but attribute that to the human face Lane put to that time.

Time spent on adventure: 2 hours
Money spent: $0
Recommendation: 9.5 out of 10 adventure points!