International Premiere / Best Documentary Nominee

Watch on Tiscali (coming soon)

Winner: Best Documentary

Short Synopsis: A deeply personal documentary about Frank Garcia, an 80's one-hit wonder musician and his blonde bombshell wife Cindy, who makes him live in the basement.

Review

Whoever said not to wash your dirty linen in public? GJ Echternkamp makes his cinematic debut with a fascinating exposé of homebound delusions. 23 years ago Cindy Brown married pop star Frank Garcia, then lead vocalist and guitarist of the short lived pop band OXO. Today Cindy maintains her has-been husband in far less glamourous attire. Unable to keep a job, or even to leave the basement that Cindy converted into a studio for him, she has had to put food on the table and beers in the fridge as Frank sank. When Cindy’s son, turns his camera onto the daily life and quarrels of the couple, it’s hard not to think that Jessica Simpson might have had to compete for airtime with this nightmare version of what could be called ‘Not so newly wed’.

However after a year of filming, director GJ takes us on an introspective journey into the life of two failed characters desperately striving for happiness. Finding out as much about himself as his parents this film is something of a comic tragedy; and yet neither Frank nor Cindy seem to lose hope, so why should we? With a score by Frank Garcia, this is an entirely home-made movie: harshly honest despite the lies and deceit that riddle the house. Whether this film inspires you to laugh or cry it will certainly move you. And only Frank and Cindy are reserved the right to make excuses as to why they missed the screening of this film.

Yinka Graves