Hasta La Ideas

A new documentary on the world’s first zero-emissions motorcycle grand prix

Following the bold dreams of a handful of racing teams through the trials and tribulations of first and second zero emissions grand prix motorcycle races held on the Isle of Man is Charge, a recently released documentary by Mark Neale. Adding to the tremendous weight of the historical first race is the fact that the Isle of Man TT also happens to be the toughest and most unforgiving race track in the world which has claimed the lives of over 200 racers.

While Charge was seemingly produced on a shoestring, it’s rich in content. The uniquely intriguing stories of the teams involved and contrasting design and development processes of both heavily budgeted student run and corporate backed teams offer an insightful look into the young and still developing world of electric motorcycle racing.

Central to electric motorcycle engineering—and film—is Cedric Lynch, who may just be the most eccentric personality in racing. After dropping out of school at age 12 this self-taught, barefoot, electrical pioneer went on to invent the Lynch motor. Now used in majority of the competitors’ bikes the renamed and updated Agni motor can propel a bike upwards of 130mph while running at 93% efficiency, as compared to an average 30% on standard petrol burning motorcycles.

Through the two races in 2009 and 2010 the viewer is taken through the design and production of some of the first and finest electric grand prix capable motorcycles in the world. And after a few unfortunate tragedies we witness the first time ever an American-built and ridden machine has won a professional TT, helping turn the previously apprehensive locals onto the quieter side of the daredevil sport. Charge grabs your attention and keeps it for its entire 90min run time.

To see the trailer and pick up a copy for yourself directly through Charge’s online store where it goes for $20, although unfortunately only available in the United States and Canada only for the moment.

Two young filmmakers follow photographer Alec Soth on his quest to document people escaping from society

Somewhere to Disappear directors Laure Flammarion and Arnaud Uyttenhove admitted to the packed audience at the Q&A session following the film’s NYC premiere that they initially had no real game plan when setting out to follow Magnum photographer Alec Soth, the subject of their new documentary. While there may not have been a detailed outline of what the duo would capture, they told Cool Hunting that as fans of his work and self-proclaimed “photo book addicts,” they knew Soth was an avid traveler and a good storyteller, so they thought documenting his process would make a great road-trip movie.

Shooting for roughly one month at a time on three separate occasions over the course of 18 months, Paris-based Flammarion and Brussels-based Uyttenhove documented Soth as he roamed across America in search of reclusive individuals, for what would become his photo book “Broken Manual“—although none of those stills actually appear in the film. The directors offer a valuable glimpse of the photographer’s slight yo-yo-like process, on how he goes about finding his subjects, interacts with them, and ultimately gains their trust to sit for a portrait.

While at the beginning you may wonder if the young filmmakers are going to find their focus, in the end you understand the rhythm of the film follows that of Soth’s. At times it’s exciting, there are moments of real discovery, and then there are long shots showing the vast countryside (which both directors say they really miss) and Soth sometimes frustrated with “wasting time.” A list taped to his steering wheel attempts to keep him on track of things or people he’s looking for, but throughout the film it becomes clear that Soth mostly follows his instincts when in his search of people retreating from civilization.

Encountering some extreme personalities and occasionally frightening living situations, Flammarion says “for us those people are not weirdos.” As the film beautifully depicts, many people share this feeling of wanting to disappear, including Soth himself, who remains in search of his own personal cave.

One of the more dramatic scenes—that Soth dubs as “Silence of The Lambs”—is almost tear-jerking, as a malnourished man in his boarded-up macabre home tells them the sad story of his life, comprised mostly of parental beatings and drugs. This scene features a dark and moody original song by Ghinzu‘s Greg Remy, which Flammarion says was their “way to express what they did not show.” While the rest of the film is set to an original score by L’Aiglon (who often tours with the band Phoenix), Uyttenhove says as one of the more fictional moments in the film it was important to him to set that scene apart.

Somewhere to Disappear is an authentic take on an oft-overlooked American subculture. From a man living in the desert for 27 years to hermits hiding out, the film is an ultimately interesting portrayal of Soth, the people he photographs and their shared fantasy of wanting to escape from it all.

While the three-city tour has come to an end, Flammarion and Uyttenhove are taking the film on the road to festivals around the world. To find out where, follow the film’s Twitter feed.

A photographer’s eye-opening look at U.S. energy production and consumption

In 2003 renowned photographer Mitch Epstein unintentionally began a documentary series on the production and consumption of energy in America. Now called “What is American Power?,” the Prix Pictet-winning project started while on assignment when Epstein learned that American Electric Power Company bought out the citizens of Cheshire, OH to avoid future lawsuits over constant environmental containment. Deeply moved by the willingness of the industry to systematically erase an entire town, Epstein set out to further document the full impact the utility companies have on people and places, seeking to “heighten our awareness of the toll that energy production and consumption take on our economy, security, health and natural resources”.

Epstein describes what he found during the six-year endeavor as playing with a Russian nesting doll, “when I opened electrical power, I discovered political power; when I opened political power, I discovered corporate power; within corporate was consumer; within consumer was civic; within civic was religious, and so on, one type of power enabling the next.”

The upshot, an amazing book and interactive website, feature Epstein’s stunning photographs from “the land of the free.” Adding emotional effect, the project also includes enlightening answers to the imposing question by everyone from school kids to artists, in both the U.S. and abroad.

The selected quotes lend extra insight into the connection between humans and consumption. Chicago-based photographer and writer Dawoud Bey claims, “American power is a paradoxical thing that has the potential for so much good but that is too often misused and indeed abused.” He feels if the country used its collective knowledge to benefit the global public, the world would be a much better place.

Sixth grader Lucia Bell-Epstein astutely says, “American power is a disgusting use of fossil fuels that is destroying the environment and our health. Sooner or later American power will destroy itself; unless we all come together to save what’s left of America.”

The second edition of the book “American Power” is also available for pre-order from
Amazon.

Photographer Hunter Barnes’ intimate images of an obscure American religion

In an era of digitally-manipulated images, Oregon-based photographer Hunter Barnes is one of a strong contingent who continue to create powerful pictures through a documentary approach. Intent on revealing unseen lifestyles, Barnes immerses himself within a community—past subjects have included ranchers, bikers and Native Americans—building trust with its members to intimately depict the reality of misunderstood subcultures.

For his latest project, “A Testimony of Serpent Handling,” Barnes traveled to the hills of West Virginia to document the last of a small community of Serpent Handlers. Abiding by the word of God, this dwindling religion (less than 15 members remaining) is largely unknown and fading fast in America. There, Barnes shot traditional black-and-white photography, documenting their miracle healing, poison drinking and serpent handling, in a series which he will exhibit at Milk Gallery NYC and with an extensive book.

With the process of completing the book underway, Barnes needs to further generate funds by 28 April 2011 to meet production and publication deadlines. To pledge support and help bring this project to publication, jump over to Kickstarter, where he’s halfway to reaching his goal of raising $12,000.

3Sixteen details three of their uniquely talented clients in video

In celebration of the unique individuals that wear 3Sixteen, the denim-focused label recently created a series of videos showing off their customers’ talents and hardworking lifestyles. The trio of intriguing mini-docs, all profiling people in their homebase of NYC and cleverly titled “Singularities,” follows the dedicated coffee roasters at The Coffee Foundry, the skilled tattoo artists at Invisible Ink and the laid-back drummer Jahphet Landis. Directed by Kellen Dengler, the vignettes capture each of their subjects without ever mentioning 3Sixteen. This subtle brand-building project, much like their clothing, keeps it about the product not the name.

We had the pleasure of getting to know just how the clothing company works when we collaborated with Andrew Chen and the 3Sixteen team late last year on a series of ties made from locally-sourced wool in Manhattan’s Garment District. Like everything the brand produces, the attention to detail and commitment to craft really shines in each of the four styles, with a simple label hand-sewn on the back.

Dengler and the team are still searching for the fourth subject for the Singularities series. If you think your talents deserve some airtime, submit your work using one of their various online platforms for the project before 1 April 2011. To get your hands on one of our remaining collaborative ties, check them out in our online shop, where they sell for $80 each.