Filmmakers Kareem Tabsch and Rob Lewis from Dolphin Lover and Stella Walsh
The 8 X Very, Very Real Shorts Documentary program is one of the best selection of shorts we’ve had at the FFF for a long time! If you enjoy seeing films about interesting, unusual and downright quirky people, you will love this shorts program. Mrs. LanceAround insisted on seeing it because she was interested in the story of Stella Walsh; a famous Olympian whose sexuality came into question. While that movie lived up to our expectations, the film that really got us thinking was Dolphin Love. The description of the subject matter would turn most people away. But having seen the film, we were both stunned by the reality of someone who is, shall we say, very different from most people. But a quick Google search highlights that he is not alone in his sexual choices.
The EBay Pickup
A man travels far from home to purchase a homemade grizzly-proof suit for only $3000. He has visions of selling the technology, perhaps to the military. The audience just laughed. So will you.
Luchadora
A single mother’s life can be tough. After work, she has to do the housework, feed the children and run the household. Of course, work might be even tougher if you’re one of the few female pro wrestling champions in Mexico.
Unmappable
An admitted registered sex offender considers himself an artful and poetic cartographer. His maps can be very unorthodox; such as mapping the jack o’laterns on Halloween or the streetlights as they come on in the city. He’s been featured on This American Life. He also spent many months in prison for a sexual relationship with a 16 year old boy. He says he knew it was illegal yet the police report confirms both insist it was consensual.
Crooked Candy
Kinder Eggs are illegal in the U.S. primarily because they feature small parts that can be swallowed by children. But this obsessed collector has found a way to smuggled thousands into the country. Like a small boy with candy, he proudly displays his collection of…well…candy!
Stella Walsh
Stella Walsh
She was one of the greatest track stars of all time. She won the gold medal in the 1932 Olympics. Then, in 1980, she was tragically killed during a botched robbery attempt in a Cleveland area parking lot. Because it was murder, an autopsy was performed. Now, the world is wondering if she really was a woman.
Hotel 22
What’s the least amount of money you’ve ever spent for a hotel room? What if you’re homeless and need someplace warm to sleep? Silicon Valley features only one 24 hours bus line: Route 22. You’re not allowed to put your feet on a chair or lay down. But if you prop your head against the window, for the price of a bus fare you could have a sheltered place to sleep for a few hours. And when the regular customers come on the bus in the morning, they can think, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
Final Draft
Final Draft
Back in the day when the threat of nuclear annihilation was on everyone’s mind, the BBC attempted to pre-record a message to be read in the event of a holocaust. Just, exactly, how does one write a script for that? Watch this movie to find out.
Dolphin Lover
Do you know the difference between bestiality and zoophilia. If not, watching this documentary will be quite the education. A man admits to having a sexual affair…no…he insists that it is a love affair…with a dolphin; including graphic details of the sexual act. If, like me, you find that description to be disturbing, I can only tell you that the movie is surprising. The man appears so honest…and so normal…that it’s difficult to know exactly what to make of him. But we do know this, both Mrs. LanceAround and I highly recommend this film. It may repulse you or it may educate you in a way you wouldn’t expect.
After the program, filmmakers Kareem Tabsch from Dolphin Lover and Rob Lucas of Stella Walsh took questions from the audience.
Rob spoke about things that weren’t in his movie. Such as the time Stella got married, ostensibly so she could try out for the American track team rather than the Polish team, and then divorced immediately after she failed to make the team.
Kareem shared that the protagonist in his movie came from a family that used to practice Orgone Therapy. Unfortunately, the therapist they selected for their children wound up sexually abusing the dolphin lover.
Mrs. LanceAround thanked both filmmakers for their excellent work and their willingness to share uncomfortable stories. Stories that help us better understand the people we live with on this earth.
Lance Around Orlando 
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