Mike Ott‘s Lake Los Angeles hits theaters this month and is currently on display at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It’s the final installment of his Antelope Valley trilogy, which began with award-winner Littlerock, a film that director Dave Boyle put in his own list of guest picks for us, calling it “haunting, humorous, and memorable.” To celebrate the completion of the three works, we asked Mike Ott for his own favorites from our library. He responded with a surprising, satisfying selection of unflinching and courageous documentaries. Here are his favorite Fandor films, in his own words:
1. Private Practices (1985), directed by Kirby Dick
“I have no idea why this isn’t a more popular film, but in my opinion it’s a hidden gem. I’m not sure how Kirby Dick found his way into this strange cast of characters (Kipper is one of my favorite doc subjects ever), but it’s a pretty compelling story. It’s my favorite Kirby Dick documentary by far.”
2. Workingman’s Death (2005), directed by Michael Glawogger
“I feel documentaries either look great and have mediocre content or have amazing content but are visually uninteresting. Glawogger somehow was always able to combine truly breathtaking images while still dealing with complex subject matter. This and Megacities are my favorites by him. What a shame that he passed away; a true auteur.”
3. Hated (1994), directed by Todd Phillips
“It’s hard to believe that Todd Phillips made this film. Regardless, GG Allin is a fascinating subject and (love him or hate him) was a true rebel living outside of the system… and in this corporate nightmare we all live in today, I can appreciate that.”
Two in the Wave (2010), directed by Emmanuel Laurent
“This film should probably be called ‘Three in the Wave’ since Jean Pierre Leaud plays a pretty big part in the film and the relationship between Godard and Truffaut. Overall, it’s a solid intro to the Nouvelle Vague and a really interesting look into the friendship and later fractured relationship between the two filmmakers.”
5. The Weather Underground (1958), directed by Sam Green and Bill Siegel
“This film made me cry the first time I saw it. There is something about how it captures the loss of ideals as people get older and the change in radical politics as a whole that is pretty heartbreaking. Also, I think Bernardine Dohrn is one of the coolest women who ever existed, really.”
