Festival Spotlight: SLAMDANCE 2023 Ep 5 w/filmmaker Zash Kashkett & Star Hip Hop Maverick L'Orange of the feature Documentary The Mad Writer

 THE MAD WRITER  

70 mins | United States | 2023

Director: Zach Kashkett

Producer: Jon Webb,Zach Kashkett,Trevor Metscher,Katherine LeBlond,James Haygood,Michael Raimondi,Michael Tolle

Premiere Status: World Premiere

Screenwriter: Zach Kashkett

Editor: Zach Kashkett

Cinematographer: Trevor Metscher

Cast: Austin Hart, Leah Lawson, Mr. Lif, Dylan Green, Seiji Inouye, Zach Kashkett, Ian Mauldin

Genre Tags: Documentary, Music, Depression, Medical, Romance

Release Year: 2023

Language: English (United States)

Subtitle: English (United States)

Country: United States

Genre: Documentary

Rising hip hop phenom L'Orange, is a recluse. Clinically depressed, he rarely leaves the comfort of his Nashville home or his faithful dog Scraps' side. But when he develops mysterious tumors in his ear's canals, his world is thrown into chaos. With his career on the line, he will need to undergo several risky surgeries if he wants a hope of retaining his hearing.

WHAT THIS DOCUMENTARY DOES WELL: As much as he might try or not care, trying to be as much the unrelatable protagonist as he the unreliable narrator L'Orange is the kind of interesting subject that wins you over or pushes you away. I absolutely am convinced after talking with him and the director he hopes its the later but here's the thing he doesn't get to decide that. The audience does and too much of Zach's credit he does an incredible job giving us the opportunity to do just that. This documentary's power and poise comes from the love of something that only a mad genius can fully understand and a touch of the human spirit that is the whole reason those of who do like documentaries, like documentaries! This isn't falshy this isn't even a deep dive into the creative process, this is one friend taking us into another friend's journey. It's the absolute most truthful escapade there is, and it done very, very well here. 

WHY CHAMPION THIS DOCUMENTARY: If you are a lover of music, especially hip hop I don't know how you can't appreciate a look at creativity like this.  As for cinephiles, there are some nice Cinema Verte moments, some nice documentary set ups that are staples of this type of doc, and they are done well, but ultimately there is nothing that can replace how you feel about friendship, having love and passion for something, and having it taken away from you or at least pushed out of arm's reach. You will have to watch the movie to find out which way it turns out.