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08/02/2007
They said what!?Panelists say find comedy in dark situations
Actress Gretchen Mol laughs during the introduction of Wednesday morning's crowded panel discussion called "Humor in Dark Times" at the City Opera House in Traverse City. TRAVERSE CITY — Film Festival panelists Wednesday cited the Iraq War, suicide bombings and Sept. 11 as "taboo subjects” that ought to be illuminated through satire — from the right angle — now, rather than years in the future. "If you wait a hundred years to satirize those situations, it's toothless,” said panelist Larry Charles, a film festival board member known for his recent runaway hit comedy "Borat” and work on the sitcom "Seinfeld.” The panel stressed that folks should have a laugh despite some depressing current events. It was the first of five free daily discussions during this week's Traverse City Film Festival. Each takes place at the opera house at 11 a.m. Panelists included Charles, festival founder Michael Moore, actress Gretchen Mol, Leland-based screenwriter Rebecca Reynolds and "Trainwreck” director Tod Williams. "I think we have to risk offending or horrifying people in pursuit of that laugh,” said Charles. The City Opera House lights died completely for a minute before the panel began, leaving the crowd quite literally in the dark. "I guess this is what they meant by 'Humor in Dark Times,'” quipped Barbara Coye of Suttons Bay, as the crowd murmured. Mol, appearing in "The Ten” screening this week, said people find universal truth in comedy, but organized religion — skewered in her new film — is still dicey to go after. "But you have to have someone to say 'No! Don't say that,' in order to have fun saying it,” she said. Director Williams said he is writing a project about his experience in New York the day after Sept. 11. "It's not entirely comedic — I lost friends,” he said. "But there was a lot of farce going on down there.” Moore asked Charles: Is there a statute of limitations on that subject? "Virtually any subject can be mined for humor at any time, it just depends on how you approach it,” Charles said, quoting comedy legend Larry David. That sentiment struck a chord with Dr. Molly Coye, visiting from San Francisco and attending with her stepmother. "To be really powerful, humor has to cut close to the bone,” she said. Today's 11 a.m. panel will be moderated by director Terry George and will feature two film critics on the current state of cinema.
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