By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Haskell Wexler
Country: united_states
Year: 2006
Running time: 78
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493079/
Bruce says: “Haskell Wexler has quite a reputation. He has won two Oscars for BOUND FOR GLORY and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? He achieved cult status with MEDIUM COOL, a feature film using the 1968 Democratic Convention riots in Chicago as a backdrop. Last year he featured prominently in his son Mark Wexler’s film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE. He is listed as a back-up cameraman for that film but it is clear that he was essentially making two films at once. Some of the interviews -Julia Roberts and Conrad Hall the most noticeable examples – use the same settings in both films. So when Mark Wexler was filming Julia Roberts at her Taos ranch, dad Haskell was also getting clips for WHO NEEDS SLEEP?
“Since the decline of the studio system, business in Hollywood is strictly freelance. In some ways that is good for most everyone involved in making a film. It gives workers downtime between gigs, time to spend with their families and catch up on all the things they missed when working incredibly long hours on the last film. One of the greatest problems is the demands placed on film workers to put in long days. It’s not just a matter of an hour or two overtime. Production companies often demand the crew
put in 14-20 hour days, day after day after day. Some crew members work so intensely they don’t have time to eat meals. There have been many accidents on sets and on the road that many attribute to inexorable fatigue.
“One example is Brent Hershman, a thirty five year old assistant cameraman working on PLEASANTVILLE in 1997, who after putting in a 19 hour day fell asleep at the wheel while driving home on the freeway. When Brent died a petition was circulated at the Photographers Union to limit the workdays to 14 hours. That was known as ‘Brent’s Rule’ and for a while it seemed that Brent’s death might have a positive side – preventing other deaths like his. But the efforts fizzled out. As one person says, ‘unions no longer are interested in protecting workers.’ Lately workers are lobbying for a ’12 on 12 off’ rule to be the industry standard.
“WHO NEEDS SLEEP? is earnest and sincere. In an attempt to make the topic more interesting, Wexler tends to veer off course and ramble. WHO NEEDS SLEEP? looks at the shorter work hours of production hours in other countries, examines many statistics on sleep deprivation and educates the viewer on the relationship between sleep debt and disease. Wexler needs a narrative line to pull his thoughts together rather than rely solely on interviews. Yes, lots of big names lend their testimony, but that does not improve the overall quality of the film. 3 cats
WHO NEEDS SLEEP? was shown at the 2006 Woodstock Film Festival”