HOTEL DIARIES 1—8, Dir. John Smith, 2001—2007, UK, 82 mins

WHO

Highly regarded British filmmaker, master of sense-of-humour-as-mechanism-for-sly-question-posing and national treasure John Smith.

PROPOSAL

In simple, one-take videos, relate personal experiences to the current conflicts in the Middle East via the most basic of means (a hotel room, a camcorder, John’s personal thoughts, concerns and convictions).

WHY

Political yet very funny, seemingly intimate but in fact expansive in their outlook, Hotel Diaries are a perfect example of a kind of acting-at-the-minimum way of filmmaking, and proof that such an approach doesn’t have to yield minimal returns.

Go to John Smith’s Vimeo site to view excerpts from the films.