Marwencol

In April 2000, Mark Hogancamp was attacked by five individuals outside a bar.  The damage was severe, both physically and mentally, with brain damage that left him unable to work, almost completely wiped of memories, forced to learn who he was again.  He found that he wasn't the same person any more, and while in some ways it wasn't bad - like his newly-found aversion to alcohol - his trauma left him unable to draw as he could before, cutting off his creative outlet.  He worried that they had taken his imagination, too.

After two years his publicly-funded therapy was cut off as well.  To compensate, he devised his own methods, centered around a 1/6th scale Belgian village called Marwencol.  Set in World War II, his village and its stories were his therapy, letting him calm himself, improve the dexterity of his shaking hand, and giving him an emotional escape.  He takes his work one step further, though, by intricately detailing his world and photographing the stories as they progress.  Years later his work is discovered, and his amazingly-genuine images are proclaimed as art.  Is he ready for this step in his recovery?  Is it recovery at all?

I found this documentary enthralling.  The thematic style of the documentary portions are woven with the narrative of Marwencol, leading up to his debut as a artist at a New York gallery.  The story was solid from start to finish, with solid editing, and it never dips into pity in any way.  I was truly inspired.  Check this one out.

Marwencol
2010, 83 minutes, directed by Jeff Malmberg

The director left a secret film showing Mark's reactions to the movie and the pros and cons of traveling to SXSW to see it.  While it's still available check it out at http://www.marwencol.com/sxsw.