Reviews

 

1991 IJA Festival Highlights Tape.

Produced by Maverick Media.  $35 from the IJA

 

The 1991 IJA Festival Highlights video improves on previous versions of Maverick Media productions in many ways, but also reminds the viewer that there's no substitute for being there.  At one-hour fifty-one minutes, it's the longest festival tape produced so far. It's also the most thorough look at a festival week, giving us mainly quick peeks at everything from the auction to prop tables to workshops to backstage production of the daily newsletter. The feature slots are saved for Sergei Ignatov, the stage championships and the shows, including a good deal of time well-spent at Club Renegade.

 

But it's a chronicle of the festival without much personality, a view through a keyhole that only infrequently involves us emotionally because it only infrequently looks at the participants eye-to-eye and asks them "How do you feel?" From a production standpoint, it may be impossible to provide both an emotionally engaging look at this emotion-laden week and make sure all events are covered. But this year's festival film could have been improved with more interviews.

For instance, there are many minutes of video of Sergei Ignatov practicing, answering questions, giving advice on proper form, signing autographs and performing in the public show. But not once does the Soviet superstar look directly into the lens and say in his quite passable English something like, "I'm happy to be here." The single instance of an interview is an interesting opinion rendered by Rick Rubenstein of Clockwork on the new awards format. Letting participants tell the audience about events in their own words would have made for a more interesting and per­sonable production.

 

The film teases toward personal experience through some well-edited black and white footage of people before and after their performances. We see them pacing in grainy black and white backstage while the on-stage announcer introduces them, or announces them as award recipients. The black and white camera follows them until the moment they part the curtain, then an immediate cut to the front color camera presents them as the audience saw them next.

 

The crowning segment of this genre follows Ignatov's Public Show performance. The black and white camera follows him backstage after his successful 11 ring flash. Exhausted and elated, he is greeted by fellow performers. He and Anthony Gatto embrace, and then we are witness to the surprising, private moment when Ignatov unexpectedly sweeps Gatto up in his arms as they are about to return to stage for their final bows.

 

Besides the scene of Ignatov carrying Gatto onto the stage, the film captures several other "historic" moments from Festival '91. We witness the first introduction of the "Ioopie" at Club Renegade, Ignatov's final night ambush of Jeff Daymont at that same venue, Trixie's statement that she sometimes considers picking up three balls again but then realizes there's no reason to do so, and the audience's vocal disapproval of Doubble Troubble receiving only a silver medal.

 

Trixie and Ignatov receive special treatment as the honored guests at the festival. The video includes some wonderful old film of Trixie performing at the height of her career with Ice Capades and Ignatov during his American appearance in the late 1970s. The quality of the clips isn't good, but its veracity is a wonderful addition to the production and fine tribute to these two special jugglers.  AlI stage competitors are shown, with the segments of medallists and winners being much longer than those of non-medallists. It's nice, however, that everyone's appearance is acknowledged and at least a sample of their best work is shown. We see all the winning numbers runs, and joggling is well-presented by superimposing the results over general sights and sounds from those races.

 

The graphics are far and away the best ever in a festival tape. The superimposed names of performers and their honors are colorful and high­tech, giving the production a professional touch lacking in past editions. The titles are also pleas­antly comprehensive, recapping all winners and times.