Beatrice Wood: Mama Of Dada

"My two great joys in life are chocolate and young men," says artist Beatrice Wood, and while chocolate and young men may be interests shared by many, I'd wager that few of those have already celebrated their 100th birthday. Wood, who turned 101 on March 3, is the subject of Tom Neff's CINE Golden Eagle award-winning portrait Beatrice Wood: Mama of Dada, an imaginatively filmed paean which combines interviews with art historians, archival film clips and stills, original artwork, and the wonderful commentary of Wood herself to tell the story of the beginnings of the "dada" art movement. At the center of the film is the story of Wood's love affair with her mentor Marcel Duchamps (who might be called the daddy of dada). a forerunner of the surrealist movement, dada was a despairing and often disdainful response to the horrors of WWI. American exiles and the Parisian art world together mourned the perceived loss of innocence, and incidentally kicked out the jams in some memorably wild parties. During the heady teens and twenties, Wood learned her art. Over half a century later, she continues to produce striking pieces of pottery which command prices in the thousands...and she loves it. In fact, commenting on the allure of jewels and diamonds, she says they "can't touch the excitement of opening a kiln." And, speaking of jewels, I've seen none anywhere near as eloquent as the sight of Wood's nurturing hands bringing clay to life on the potter's wheel. Often, this type of film would run in the hundreds of dollars; at $29.95 it's an outstanding bargain. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)