From Sundance to Oscar land

Three Academy-nominated documentaries began quest together

"Speaking in Strings," directed by Paola di Florio, took three years to complete

From Correspondent Sherri Sylvester

March 20, 2000
Web posted at: 5:15 p.m. EST (2215 GMT)

(CNN) -- Three contenders for the best documentary Oscar this year have two things in common:

- The makers of "On the Ropes," "Genghis Blues" and "Speaking in Strings" started their tours de force through movie theaters at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.

- They worked on shoestring budgets to get their films made.

Roko Belic, co-director and producer of "Genghis Blues," says he maxed out his credit cards and slept in the cheapest digs while filming.

Likewise, Paola di Florio, director of "Speaking in Strings," struggled to bring the story to life. The product was worth the sacrifice, she says.

Belic admits he maxed out his credit cards to produce his film, "Genghis Blues"

"Our film is just a small labor of love," says di Florio. "It took three years to make. We had no money."

Brett Morgen, the codirector and producer of "On The Ropes," says he and filmmaking partner Nanette Burnstein cut down on costs by wearing as many hats as possible.

"We were the production assistants, the associate producers, the bookkeepers, the directors, photographers, craft service," recalls Morgen. "You name it, we did it all."

Despite their similarities, the films are different, stemming from varying life experiences. "On the Ropes" documents the lives of boxers training for a golden gloves competition. "Genghis Blues" follows a blind blues singer to Tuva, a country located between Mongolia and Siberia, where he competes in a throat-singing contest to see who can best simultaneously produce two or more sounds while singing. "Speaking in Strings" explores the genius and torment of violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.

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They are considered the underdogs against the two other entries in the hunt for Oscar -- "One Day In September," by Arthur Cohn, and "Buena Vista Social Club," by Wim Wenders.

Still, Belic, di Florio, and Morgen are readying for a night they won't forget, buying outfits to mingle with the stylish stars while deciding who to bring to the movie event of the year.

The three say they'll hang out with their Sundance cohorts at the ceremony, too. When she learned her film had been nominated, says di Florio, she didn't hesitate.

"The first thing that I did was pick up the phone and call the 'On The Ropes' people and say, 'Congratulations! Let's hang out and have a good time,'" she says.

Academy Awards Special Section
From apartheid to Tammy Faye, Sundance documentaries packed punch
February 1, 2000

The Official Academy Awards Site
Sundance 2000

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