Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling
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Directed by award winning filmmakers Kate Davis (Southern Comfort and Jockey) and David Heilbroner
2005, USA, 78 minutes
All Rights Available
Qball Productions
By turns joyous, wistful, and astonishing, PUCKER UP: The Fine Art of Whistling takes us on a romp through one of the most universal (and now endangered) musical art forms. The 31st Louisburg International Whistling Competition forms the core of this film as a Washington D.C. investment banker, a Dutch social worker, a turkey hauler and others descend on North Carolina to battle for the whistling world's top prize.
Throughout the film, moments of high comedy modulate into virtuoso performances of Vivaldi, Mozart and pulsing Texas Swing. While the competition narrows, heading toward a tie-breaking "whistle-off," PUCKER UP pays homage to the glories of whistling's past. Clips from Al Jolson and Harpo Marx to Elvis and Monty Python, reveal how whistling is firmly imprinted in our cultural memory. And commentary by sound-effects legend Fred Newman harkens back to a simpler era when the world had time to pucker up and blow.
As Louisburg judges crown the world's top whistler, a larger question remains. In an age of hand-held technology, will whistling become a lost art, or can it still thrill, soothe, fascinate, and remind us of our natural selves?
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[edit] Press Highlights
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN: SXSW FILMS MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED "My favorite of this year's oddball documentaries, "Pucker Up" combines the esoteric-competition aspect of "Spellbound" with an anthropological history of an inherently joyous pasttime: whistling. Viewers will be astounded…" -- Chris Garcia
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN (4 stars) "Few documentarians would discourage comparisons to "Spellbound," but "Pucker Up" is particularly inviting of them... "Pucker" boasts a fascinating look at something many of us do and few of us think about...jaw-dropping!" -- John DeFore
THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE "Not since Lauren Bacall offered her simple instructions has the art of whistling been so bracingly watchable and engaging…Featuring astonishing performances and some unforgettable whistlers, PUCKER UP offers numerous pleasures, and yet, the challenge to keep your own lips pursed throughout the entire film may trump them all." -- Kristen Grant
VARIETY "Filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner strike a deft balance between bemused whimsy and respectful curiosity throughout "Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling,"…entertaining study of dead-serious contenders in the 31st annual Louisburg Intl. Whistling Competition in North Carolina. Well-crafted documentary should find appreciative audiences in…theatrical run before pubcast playoff." -- Joe Leydon
» FILM main ORLANDO SENTINEL (4 stars) "(A) delightfully musical peek into the world of competitive whistling… Yeah, it's as wacky as it sounds…" -- Roger Moore
THE STRANGER (Seattle Int'l FF Review) "Go see this! Seriously! It's a documentary about whistling, and while I know it's hard to believe that I'm not being a sarcastic asshole when I say that it's rad, I promise you, I'm totally sincere. Pucker Up follows contestants entered in the international whistling competition, and it's so well done and quirky you'll feel like you're watching the latest Christopher Guest flick. But it's the real thing, which makes it all the more hilarious." -- Megan Seling
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (Seattle Int'l FF Review) "Anyone can whistle, but these devotees push the ultimate solo instrument beyond the workman's cheerful amusement. At the annual competition in Louisburg, N.C., men and women from around the globe convene to "puckulate" and twitter with crystal tone and baroque ornamentation. Few obsessions cross class boundaries so widely " -- G.T.
ONE HAUTE MAMA (SXSW Review) “Tight from start to finish…the tension was great…But that's just the icing on the cake--the dazzlers in this film are the whistlers themselves. I do not have words to describe how amazing these folks are."
MONKI AND EDISON (SXSW Reviews) "(A) gem of a documentary…this is a real life Christopher Guest movie. Great characters..." - Monki, Monki and Edison
"Imagine if Frank Capra had made a documentary about whistling. Even if you don’t particularly like whistling, there’s a palpable small town charm to Pucker Up." - Edison, Monki and Edison
THE SEATTLE TIMES (Seattle Int'l FF Review) "…resembles the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest…impressive…there's an agreeable absurdity to it all." -- Moira Macdonald
[edit] Awards
Florida Film Festival -- Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary
Florida Film Festival -- Special Jury Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking
[edit] Film Festivals
Official Selection: SXSW (world premiere)
Florida Film festival
Museum and TV & Radio Documentary Film Festival (non-competitive fest)
Seattle International Film Festival
Official Selection: Newport Film Festival
AFI / Discovery Silver Docs Film Festival
Melbourne Int'l Film festival
Edinborough Int'l Film Festival
Woods Hole Film Festival
Atlanta Film Festival
Martha's Vineyard Film Festival
[edit] External Links
Represented by:
Films Transit International, Inc.
Diana Holtzberg - USA
Tel: (212) 614-2808, Cell: (917) 757-1444
Email:diana@filmstransit.com
Territories outside USA: Jan Rofekamp
Tel: (514) 844-3358, Cell: (514) 862-0054
jan@filmstransit.com
