Favorite So Far—Caris’ Peace
What an amazing day it was! I began my journey in Bavaria where times are tough. The glassworks, which had been the town’s major source of employment, has closed. Maria, Lena, and Waltraud, unable to repay their bank loan, are about to lose their small grocery store. But Maria stumbles on a plan to save the day—the three women will become purveyors of phone sex. It’s a tough sell to the other two, but they finally agree. It’s hilarious to watch as each develops her own special telephone personality. The film—laugh out loud funny—it’s called “Hot Line,” and I give it an A.
Next to Czechoslovakia for “Nicky’s Family,” a documentary about a 29-year-old stockbroker in London in 1938, who puts his own life aside in order to bring more than 650 Jewish children out of Czechoslovakia as Hitler is making plans to take over the country. The heroic work of Nicholas Winton was uncovered decades later when his wife found the scrapbook with photos of the rescued children. The film brings together many of the survivors and their families. Although the message of the film gets an A, the delivery earned only a C.
Can a tragic film also be uplifting? Yes, it can, if that film is “Caris’ Peace.” A beautiful actress on the brink of stardom is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Several surgeries leave her without short-term memory and, therefore, unable to memorize lines. Through sheer determination to resume her life as an actress, Caris Corfman creates a one-woman show based on her surgery and its aftermath. Truly inspiring, and so far, my favorite film this year—A+ for “Caris’ Peace.”
I ended the first day in a pretty tough neighborhood in Hollis, Queens. And if I hadn’t stayed for the Q & A that followed the screening of “Yelling to the Sky,” I might think that the movie was over the top in its depiction of the life of this mixed race 17-year-old girl. But director Victoria Mahoney told the audience that the film is largely autobiographical, which make this movie all the more impressive. The more I thought about this movie, the more I liked it—a solid A for this one.
Thank you.. as director of “Caris’ Peace” appreciate very much your characterization of the film and response to it. Gaylen Ross