Final day of Festival - From Austin to Boston and closing ceremony

It is the final day of the Visions du Réel festival today, the closing ceremony will be this evening and prizes will be awarded to the winning films in the different categories of the festival. If you haven't had the chance to see any films over the festival period, five of the winning films will be shown tomorrow, Saturday 25th April from 10:30 until 20:00 at the Salle Communale in Nyon. See here. Meanwhile, away from the festival, other week-end activities include music by local band The Exiles at the Artist's Pub in Versoix, Cabaret (in English) in Carouge, performed by the Geneva Amateur Operatic Society, and on Sunday 26th it's the monthly flea market along the lake side in Nyon. Back to Visions du Réel -  Films are still being screened today across the festival venues, including the film "Austin to Boston" by James Marcus Haney at the Théâtre de Grand Champ in Gland at 17:30 This film features four groups, mainly British, who criss cross America from Texas to Massachusetts in old Volkswagen camper vans. This film was first shown last night at the Théàtre de Marens in Nyon. Coming on the back of the previously screened, mammoth five and a half hour film "Homeland" (Iraq Year Zero) by Abbas Fahdel, "Austin to Boston" must have come as a light relief for film goers. If you like the music of The Staves, Ben Howard, Nathaniel Rateliffe, Bear's Den and Gill Landry, (also featuring Ben Lovett from Mumford and Sons), then you will like this film.  Aside from that, the film is simply a light hearted romp, full of seemingly endless high fives and endless hugs between band members and plenty of mumbling while singing (apart from The Staves who are the only ones who sing clearly and enunciate).  As the vans move around from State to State we get to see the country in different landscapes and in different weathers, and band members either in contemplative or party mood.

Unfortunately the viewer is left feeling that they are not part of the party themselves and this is simply one big self promotional tool for the bands, it is one of many road movies out there, but in this one you don't really discover anything new about the areas they travel to. The issue of gun ownership in the U.S.A is briefly addressed, but only briefly. Still, there are some lovely musical moments in the film, and if you like the bands featured, then watching the film tonight might not be a bad way to end a working week.