Blessed Unrest has numerous awards, including the New York Independent Cinema Award, the Best Documentary at the Berlin International Art Film Festival, and the Best Documentary at the Hispanic International Film Festival. It has also been featured and nominated in numerous international film festivals. Blessed Unrest was directed and produced by Mari Bonnemaison. Having bagged such big awards says a lot about the documentary. It’s a powerful story about a composer and musicologist, Michael Dodds, and his life’s purpose. When feeling lost, how do you reclaim your purpose? How do you go about creating despite your past trauma? The answer to these questions lies in the documentary.
Michael Dodds, the film's subject, is not only a performer but also a teacher at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts since 2005. The director, Mari, captures the story and even brings in Rosemary Harris, an actress who starred in Spiderman and Being Julia. Harris recites “Blessed Unrest,” a phrase by Martha Graham about a worldwide movement for a good course like stopping environmental degradation or fostering social change. Bonnemaison shows us the creative process and the symphonic production we rarely see.
For Michael, something is missing. Something that could help fulfil his personality. It’s no other than what you see in the film – the creation of a symphony. He tells a fascinating story of his childhood days in Peru. As he was growing up, he met a girl in Lima, Mari Bonnemaison, who became a film director and directed this film, Blessed Unrest. The story of Michael, her friend, motivated her to tell his story in a film.
There are a lot of emotional moments in the films, including a traumatic event in Dodd’s life and fantastic filming of the Peruvian rain forest. Also, you get to watch Dodd’s family in the village and interviews, and your ears get treated to awesome orchestra music. By the time credits run up, you’ll know what it takes to create good music. You will also have understood the life of an artist in a nutshell. Blessed Unrest is a great film to watch if you are an aspiring artist.
What kind of film series would this documentary fit in?
Any film series about music production, the harmonious aspect of it, and turning past experiences into wonderful music would benefit from this film.
How would audiences react to this screening?
They would love the style in which the story is told, from childhood, the memories in Peru shown in a film, and the inspiration from the film.