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"Before you know it as the years go by, you're just like other people you have seen, with all those peculiar human ailments. Just another vehicle for temper and vanity and rashness and all the rest. Who wants it? Who needs it? These things occupy the place where a man's soul should be." -- Henderson the Rain King

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling

Tonight we saw Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling as part of the Seattle International Film Festival. The film was created by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, who've previously worked together on the acclaimed HBO documentaries Jockey and Southern Comfort.

Pucker Up follows a handful of competitive whistlers as they prepare to to compete at the 31st annual National Whistling Competition in Louisburg, North Carolina. The competitors include "Whistling" Tom Bryant, Dutch social worker and first time competitor Geert Chatrou, ex-champ and Joe Torre look-alike Steve Herbst, and four-time champ/Carlyle Group employee Chris Ullman.

In addition to following the actual competition, the film dives into the history of whistling from its hey days in the early 20th century to its subsequent decline as people turned to other entertainment options such as radio and TV. I found it very interesting to learn just how popular whistling was back in the day and how at the time whistlers were highly respected as musicians. In the 1920's there was even a school, founded by Agnes Woodward, where students would go to study whistling much like you would study any other musical instrument. In the film one of the whistlers (I believe it was Chris Ullman) alludes to the fact that a whistler today is more likely to be on David Letterman's Stupid Human Tricks than he is to be invited as a musical guest.

Steve Herbst, one of the stars of the film and America's only full-time professional whistler, flew in from New York and was present to introduce the film and answer questions at the end. Herbst's goal is to bring whistling back into the main stream culture saying 'Whistling is an idea whose time has returned'. At the end of the Q&A period, Herbst provides us with a special treat by performing a piece called "Whistler's Blues" for us.

While Pucker Up definitely has its faults (the lighting during the competition is weird and some of the musical pieces drag a bit), I found it quite educational and entertaining and would definitely recommend it.

posted by Jamie at 12:37 AM