The US Premiere of Carmen Meets Borat was a delightful start to my fifth full day of screenings. This International Showcase selection, partly in Romanian with English subtitles, was shot in Romania and hails from The Netherlands.

Written and directed by Mercedes Stalenhoef, this poignant documentary takes us to the town of Glod, the "fictional" Kazakhstan village which served (somewhat unwittingly) as Borat's hometown in Sacha Baron Cohen's film of the same name. Carmen Meets Borat benefits from the latter character's name in its title but deservedly so.

As Stalenhoef explained in the fascinating Q&A following the screening, while on vacation she initially had a chance encounter with Carmen, a charming but feisty resident of a small country town in Romania. Intrigued by the description of her rich and colorful life in the former Communist country, Stalenhoef decided to travel to Glod and shoot a film about its people. Serendipitously, 20th Century Fox just happened to show up in Glod during the filming of her documentary. In presenting its simple townsfolk as backwards and even somewhat perverted, Borat's presence caused Stalenhoef's film to evolve into something completely different -- an exposé of sorts, following the ensuing lawsuit which the residents of Glot filed against Borat's filmmakers for their negative portrayals and defamations. The residents there speak no English and had no awareness of Fox's intentions to portray them as prostitutes and sexual deviants.

Because we get to know and develop an affinity for the people of Glod long before Fox rolls into town, we can't help but sympathize with these folks when the big Hollywood studio crew shows up to exploit their innocence and naiveté. The film mixes cinema verité with a narrative style, as the residents occasionally address the camera directly with an eagerness to show the viewer just how full of life they really are. That said, the film can be uncomfortable to watch at times since these country folk can be viewed as "backwards" to some extent when compared to many in more developed areas, although nothing like what Borat depicts.

The soundtrack is similar to that used in Borat, helping to illustrate the stark contrast between the reality of this peaceful village with the fictionalized town presented in the Fox movie. Carmen Meets Borat is as humorous and awkward as the residents of Glod. It may not be the best place to live, but it's nice to have visited.

UPDATE 7:00 PM:

The World Premiere of Dear Lemon Lima, another US entry in the Narrative Competition, was one of the highly anticipated "buzz films" I'd written about prior to the festival. Although this was my 15th screening here, it was only the second English-speaking film (and candidate for my "sweet little American indie" title) I saw.

Written and directed by Suzi Yoonessi, this classic coming-of-age story is told through the diary writings of 13-year-old Vanessa (the brilliant Savanah Wiltfong). As a young woman's world is bigger-than-life, the widescreen (2.35:1) format serves to enhance the "no boundaries" view that one experiences as a child. Cleverly quirky snippets of animation add humor where appropriate and were an audience favorite.

Set in Alaska, where her high school's Snowstorm Survivor competition reenacts rich Eskimo traditions, Vanessa and her unlikely band of teammates will battle against all odds to achieve greatness -- think a female "Revenge of the Nerds."

Dear Lemon Lima, (yes, there's a comma in the title) has the look of a big budget film, with surprisingly high production values and top-notch art direction capturing perfectly the lush landscape and palette of nature's colors which few ever experience in this outlying region of America.

Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo (Frozen River) is a delight as a teammate's mother and Shayne Topp is just this side of obnoxious as Vanessa's would-be boyfriend (he just took home the jury award for Outstanding Performance at the festival). Watch for Beth Grant as the over-the-top conservative school principal -- you'll swear she's reprising her role as Kitty Farmer in the classic Donnie Darko (a fact which she unashamedly admitted to me after the screening). Writer/director Yoonessi explained in the Q&A that Seattle subbed for Alaska due to budget constraints and beneficial tax credits, but it was important to cast a half-Eskimo actor to portray the character, and she was lucky to find young Wiltfong to fit the bill.

True family movies have become a rarity, and Dear Lemon Lima, is good, clean fun for all ages. It's clear that this movie was a labor of love for cast and crew.

UPDATE 9:00 PM:

Next up was the US Premiere of Rehje, another Mexican entry in the International Spotlight section. This was actually the second documentary from Mexico on my schedule and, much like Those Who Remain, tells the colorful story of migration from poverty-stricken towns in the outlying regions of Mexico to the hope of prosperity in the north. The difference here is that, while Those Who Remain focuses on those staying behind as family members leave Mexico for the promise of riches and a better life in the United States, Rehje follows one amazing woman as she decides to leave the bustling metropolis of Mexico City and head back to her hometown in the bucolic countryside.

Directors Anais Huerta and Raul Cuesta employ a solitary voiceover technique -- Rehje narrates the film herself. There are no talking heads here, although there is a cursory examination of one of the deeper issues surrounding the loss of culture in the Mexican countryside -- the lack of water. In fact, as the filmmakers noted in the Q&A following the screening, the project actually began as a case study of the drought conditions brought on by the diversion of water to more populated areas. But Rehje's story was so compelling that it overshadowed the political implications of the water management issues and declining conditions in these now-dusty small villages. Ultimately, the point does get across, and Rehje finds out that "you can't go home again."

UPDATE 1:00 AM:

Attending the Special Screening of Bananas!* was a freaky, surreal experience. This controversial documentary from Sweden almost didn't get shown at all.

For the first time in my moviegoing history, I bore witness to an odd set of "rules" which needed to be complied with in order for the film to be exhibited. An agreement between Film Independent (sponsors of the Los Angeles Film Festival) and Dole, a corporation featured in the film, forced the Festival to do three things:

1) The movie was removed from the prestigious Documentary Competition;
2) A lengthy disclaimer was handed out to all patrons as they entered the theater;
3) Said disclaimer had to be read aloud to the audience prior to the screening.

It was made clear by the LA Film Festival representative that they "are not eager to be sued." In fact, Dole went to court to file an injunction to stop the film from being shown. The judge threw it out, saying that she "will not consider any request for prior restraint on free speech." Director Fredrik Gertten immediately declared in his impassioned introduction to the screening that he did not endorse the statement of the Festival. This elicited a huge cheer from the audience, even though nobody had yet seen the film.

So why the controversy? Bananas!* documents the history of a lawsuit brought by several Nicaraguan banana plantation workers who were allegedly made sterile by Dole's use of the pesticide DBCP. The Tellez v. Dole Food trial is considered to be a landmark case in the history of workers' rights. The lawyer representing the men, colorful Los Angeles-based attorney Juan Dominguez, was later accused of helping the plaintiffs commit fraud by lying to the jury. But that finding was made after the film had been shot, submitted, accepted, and scheduled by the Festival. Therefore, the larger question is not whether or not the farm workers were telling the truth -- but to what extent does a documentary filmmaker have a responsibility to ensure the veracity of his subjects? Is it even required? Or is simply telling the story itself worthy of documenting? There is no question that the workers' stories are moving and poignant, nor that some did tell the truth, according to the judge who made the decision that fraud had been committed (which actually emerged out of a later case).

There is no denying that Dole used the chemical in question -- their own President and CEO admitted as much in court -- even after it had been banned in many countries, and even after being taken off the market by Dow, its manufacturer, for causing sterility. The deplorable working conditions the men endured are vividly captured by Gertten. And the allegations made against Dole by the plaintiffs are truly frightening. But this Erin Brockovitch/David vs. Goliath tale is rife with issues surrounding the burden of proof.

Is it the job of a documentarian to tell the truth? Or to simply observe? That became the subject of a panel discussion after the film's screening, not whether or not the case itself was important. And that's a shame.