Cavedigger

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to the local theater to see all the Oscar-nominated Documentary Shorts. My good friend came with me and force once we were in agreement as to which shorts were strongest and weakest--which is a little unusual. Of the five documentaries, we both liked "Cavedigger" the least. And, when I came home and looked at the IMDb sites for all these shorts, I was shocked to see such an incredibly high rating for "Cavedigger". After all, it was a very slight film and took neither the risks of the best of the shorts ("Karama Has No Walls" where one cameraman actually got shot documenting the Yemeni democracy movement) nor had a emotional impact of "Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Jack Hall". While not a terrible film, its subject matter just didn't seem to merit a film this long--as about 10 minutes would have probably sufficed.

The story is about a very strange man named 'Ra'. Ra is an odd-ball--and would probably admit that readily. He lives in the art Mecca of Taos, New Mexico and even there among these bohemians, he's a stand-out! He has an obsession that consumes his life--digging tunnels and rooms into the very, very soft sandstone. Now I must admit that his artistry in making these is pretty impressive, though he never really makes any money doing this and is quite happy despite this. That's really all there is to the story--mildly interesting but hardly in the same league as the other shorts that were nominated.

It's tough for me to be objective because I do know the filmmaker. That said, I couldn't pull my eyes away from this documentary. Two thoughts on this film. First, the subject, Ra, creates these spectacular spaces/caves that need to be seen to be believed. Words don't really do his work justice. This movie shines a light on his work and it's special to get a window into his underground world.

Second, what I like so much about the film is, Jeffrey captures Ra's quirks and communicates his desire for underground perfection without ever pushing any sort of agenda. Put another way: It's very difficult to capture the intensity of a person like this in a subtle way. Jeff manages it without a hint of exposition.

Not surprising to me it was nominated for an Oscar.

A small movie with an enormous heart. A fantastic journey of one artist's singular talent and how he confronts the world to pursue it. Is the ultimate goal in art to gain recognition, fame and fortune or is it simply the opportunity to create one's interpretation no matter what the toll? Cavedigger is a breathtaking meditation on the struggle of one artist to define his own goals within the context of his life. The cave creations are jaw dropping themselves but it's the man behind them that will give each audience member pause in reflection of one's own life choices. Jeffrey Karoff has presented an unflinching portrait of what it takes realize your dreams.

A remarkable film worth watching. I was held by, both, the beauty of Ra Paulette's creation and the complex honesty captured by the film-maker. I heartily recommend this quirky documentary to others. At a pragmatic level, I love the way the movie held me, simultaneously, in solidarity with the main character's struggle against other people's efforts to control his clearly visionary endeavor, and yet frustrated with his own seeming inability to "play-well" with others in the sandbox of his creations. The movie seem's especially potent as a metaphorical tale regarding the universal human dilemma to rise out of our existential day-to-day, down-in-the-dirt struggle to merely survive, in order to leave behind some extraordinary witness of our presence in the world.

Cavedigger takes you on the journey of Ra Paulette, a singular, driven man whose art is creating caves in the sandstone hills of New Mexico.

The word "caves" doesn't really do justice to what Ra creates, they are truly works of art that need to be seen, just as Cavedigger needs to be seen. It tells the tale of one man's need to express himself no matter the odds. His artistic goals sometimes run counter to those of his patrons, and his need to support his family, and his own race against time and age, working in an art form that's incredibly physically demanding.

The documentary does a terrific job showing how and why this man is determined never to stop. He says that there may be an end to his need to create, but after watching this mesmerizing film, that's hard to imagine. For him, it's a spiritual journey, and Cavedigger itself is a journey into both the art he creates and the driven soul behind the art.