Face 2 Face

First-person documentaries represent the epitome of intimate filmmaking, but when a director concentrates too heavily on his or herself, the ostensible subject can feel like an afterthought. In Face 2 Face, filmmaker Katherine Brooks—suffering from depression—travels the country to meet Facebook “friends,” some of whom she's never met, beginning her story with an off-putting wallow of self-pity. It's not that Brooks doesn't deserve sympathy, but rather that her problems tend to dominate everything. A survivor of childhood trauma, Brooks moved to Hollywood to become a star in hopes that it would make her happy. Instead, she ended up living in her car. After buying a camera she started to make short films, which gave her life purpose; but then came surgery of an unspecified nature, an overdose, and the indifference of real-world friends, which led her to spend eight hours a day on Facebook. Through the social networking site, Brooks found 50 participants willing to be part of her project, so she gathered up her cigarettes and Xanax, and set out on an 11,000-mile journey to meet people who include a burn victim, a cancer survivor, a young fan, and Emeline, the subject of Brooks' award-winning short Dear Emily. Between visits, she incorporates video-diary excerpts and folk music-filled montages of tears and hugs. Along the way, Brooks stops and starts smoking, goes off and back on the antidepressants, and has a breakdown. By the end, she appears to have grown from the experience, but many viewers will be worn out from her trip. DVD extras include additional footage. An optional purchase. [Note: this is also available with public performance rights for $250 from Frameline, www.frameline.org.] Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)