DOCUTAH: International, Independent, Unique
By Della Lowe
In 2010, Dixie State University took the leap to launch the DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival. It was a bold move in what appeared to be a crowded field of film festivals and the handful dedicated only to documentary and even less supported by and connected to a university. But bold moves are what Phil Tuckett, professor of digital film at DSU and executive director of the DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival, is known for. That gamble has paid off by making DOCUTAH a destination for filmmakers from all over the world and enthusiastic audiences. Now DOCUTAH prepares for its ninth season Sept. 3–8. This year, submissions poured in at a record rate from 42 countries with a remarkable span of subjects. The 2018 festival has 68 films from 14 countries.
This year’s opening film, “Dreams of the Black Echo,” is the story of the Vietnam War told through the reminiscences and experience of veterans from both sides of the conflict and the eight-month battle of Khe Sanh. It was envisioned as a true coproduction where film students at Duy Tan University would do half the film from the perspective of their veterans and DSU film students would do half the film at DSU using U.S. veterans as the storytellers. That is what makes the film unique.
“We always want DOCUTAH to offer our audience something unique, a window on the world, a global experience in the high desert, never sugarcoated or censored, allowing the filmmakers to express their vision of the people and topics they cover,” said Tuckett. “In that spirit, ‘Dreams of the Black Echo’ is a coproduction with Duy Tan University in Vietnam and DSU students, faculty, and staff. We did not want it to be this sweeping 14-year saga, so we picked one event — the battle of Khe Sanh — which took place from January to July 1968. Everyone in film talks about eyewitness testimony of what they witnessed in that battle. It comes down to a basic shared experience. We did not want to say to them, ‘Don’t talk about this or don’t talk about that.’ I think it is safe to say there was plenty of propaganda pumped out on both sides, and what we found when we interviewed these veterans was they were completely oblivious to the propaganda because they were living the reality on the ground. We wanted their perspective. I think that is what makes the film unique. This experience is not happening at Sundance, not happening in Cannes. If you want to understand how DOCUTAH is different from your garden variety film festival, this fill is a pretty good example.”
The judges’ choices have been validated over and over again with the awards included in DOCUTAH garnered from other festivals and, indeed, even nominations and Oscars from the Academy Awards.
Southern Utah has long been known for its outdoor activities and scenic beauty. For nine years, the DSU DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival has been part of the performing arts offerings available to the community. Now St. George is also a destination for the arts, and DOCUTAH is proud to have been a part of the evolution as it heads towards the 2018 DOCUTAH film festival, which runs Sept. 3–8. All information about the films, special events, and DOCTalks can be found at docutah.com. Tickets are available at online.
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