Tarnation (Film)

Tarnation (English " Damn !") Is an American, autobiographical documentary from the year 2003. Screenwriter, director and cameraman at the same time was Jonathan Caouette.

Content

Tarnation is a film document a work-up of the family history of Jonathan Caouette. At the beginning of the film Jonathan Caouette receives the news that his mother Renee LeBlanc was admitted with an overdose of lithium to the hospital. From here, the film rolls like a collage on the childhood and youth of the filmmaker, who has already filmed as a teenager his surroundings with the Super -8 camera. It is these super-8 film sequences (partly via split screen also several side by side), that are mounted together with more recent video footage, family photos, text and music to create a dense and vibrant cinematic self-portraits and the close relationship with a parent, a variety of psychiatric visits by the same due to a diagnosis of schizophrenia, tell the story of growing up with her grandparents and the late encounter with the Father.

Reviews

• Encyclopedia of the International film: " The virtuoso mounted film requires the viewer from a lot, but rewarded with multi-layered insights into a wounded psyche and their self-therapy with the help of the film and with a family history, as it can hardly be told more insistent. An almost reminiscent of David Lynch look at American society. "
• Joachim estimation on filmzentrale.com: " Jonathan Caouette's car therapeutic home movies family epic Tarnation tells formal agile and emotionally complicated by a long-suffering mother -son relationship. An impressive / disturbing personal film. "

Awards

• At the Independent Spirit Awards 2005 the film Tarnation by Jonathan Caouette in the category of Best Documentary Award.
• 2004, the film received the Sutherland Trophy at The Times BFI London Film Festival.