Sunday, June 9, 2024

Jazzy (2024) Tribeca 2024


Morrisa Maltz follows up  her acclaimed THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY  with  a film that seems more like a documentary than a narrative. The film charts the relationship of Jazzy, an Oglala Lakota girl from age six to twelve. While it primarily focuses  on her relationship with her friend Syriah, it also focuses on the experience of being a kid. 

This is a one of a kind film. At times  playing like a documentary (the kids are quizzed about various subjects at one point), at other times it plays like a kind of music video (the film is driven by an amazing score) all the while the film remains a the story of the arc of a friendship. I don't know how this film came together, but it is a a kind of glorious magic that is being worked by Maltz which heralds the arrival of a major cinematic talent.

You will forgive me for being brief in my discussion of the film but I am struggling to find words. What Maltz is doing here is over powering. While I've seen attempts at making a hybrid film such as this before, I've not really seen them work. Other filmmakers never got the balance right. Maltz's construction of the tale is note perfect and her use of a score by Alexis Marsh is the perfect binding material.

This is a stunning and grand achievement that is destined to be the big and most talked about film at this years festival.

See this film.

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