In "Conventioneers," David Massey(Matthew Mabe) is visiting New York City for the first time for a convention. It is 2004 and he is a delegate to the Republican National Convention. While in town, he looks up Lea(Woodwyn Koons), an old friend from Dartmouth. Despite her being busy with the protests, much to the
consternation of her Vietnam veteran father(Robert O'Gorman) who wishes she would finally finish her architecture degree, she meets David for lunch but does not finish due to philosophical differences. Later, she goes to his hotel to apologize and they go to his room to raid his snack bar.
"Conventioneers" is a fine example of guerilla filmmaking, shot on the streets during the protests. It is not "Medium Cool" but then what is? Actually, "Conventioneers" shows me very clearly what I missed. For the record, I did not see much point in attending the protests at the time because I thought they would be kept out of mind and sight(The Democrats are just as guilty in trying to control the message) and I was afraid I would be risking arrest just by participating.(So, I read Michael Moore's dispatches in USA Today from the safe distance of Denver.) In retrospect, the film gave good reasons why my fears were not that ungrounded, as the end credits testify to crew members being detained during various events. That reinforces the film's major theme of being at a crossroads for not only the country but also the various characters, especially Lea's friend Dylan(Alek Friedman) who is now married and a father and now must be concerned with the consequences of his actions. This is in an America divided, not united, by George W. Bush. Of course, there are people who do not need an excuse, like politics, to argue.
November 30, 2010
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