Marwencol (2010)

After a vicious attacks leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark Hogancamp seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard.

Director:

Jeff Malmberg

Stars:

Mark Hogancamp, Emmanuel Nneji, Edda Hogancamp

16 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Mark Hogancamp	...	Himself
Emmanuel Nneji	...	Himself
Edda Hogancamp	...	Herself
Tom Neubauer	...	Himself
Julie Swarthout	...	Herself
Janet Wikane	...	Herself
Mark Wikane	...	Himself
Bert	...	Himself
Lisa Bruck	...	Herrself
Colleen Vargo	...	Herself
David Naugle	...	Himself
Ruthie Hotaling	...	Herself
Tod Lippy	...	Himself

Storyline

"Marwencol" is a documentary about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp. After being beaten into a brain-damaging coma by five men outside a bar, Mark builds a 1/6th scale World War II-era town in his backyard. Mark populates the town he dubs "Marwencol" with dolls representing his friends and family and creates life-like photographs detailing the town's many relationships and dramas. Playing in the town and photographing the action helps Mark to recover his hand-eye coordination and deal with the psychic wounds of the attack. When Mark and his photographs are discovered, a prestigious New York gallery sets up an art show. Suddenly Mark's homemade therapy is deemed "art", forcing him to choose between the safety of his fantasy life in Marwencol and the real world that he's avoided since the attack.

---

Plot Keywords:

coma | one word title | 

---

Taglines:

When his world was stolen, Mark Hogancamp made a world of his own.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Fantasy

---

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Fan Page Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Village of the Dolls

Filming Locations:

Kingston, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$722 (USA) (29 October 2010)

Gross:

$112,036 (USA) (20 May 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Open Face

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the film's premiere Mark prepared a story line including the delivery by courier of a 1/6th scale press kit to the village of Marwencol.

---

Quotes

Mark Hogancamp: I was like an elephant left in charge of the peanuts.

---

Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.12 (2011)

User Reviews

Inspiring, beautiful, pair of stories lovingly made (by the director and the subject)

This is a beautiful, respectful, modest treatment of a delicate subject Mark H. -- the victim of a barroom attack by several youths who is left in a coma, forgets his past, and must gradually relearn how to walk, speak, and function. He remains damaged, but creates his own form of therapy in the form of creating an intricate world of action figures living out a detailed story of WWII action. He is an inspiring, creative, charismatic yet fragile protagonist.

The movie follows the parallel worlds of Mark's reality and his storytelling, which reflect each other and progress with effective pacing. It is an inspiring tale of self-initiated psychological rehabilitation, where a person who might be pitied reinvents himself and finds redemption and what appears to be a "better" version of himself.

There are also very interesting sub-currents of sexuality, sexual identity, justice, catharsis, normalcy, and power struggles in the dual narratives.

The movie makers lovingly capture Mark's meticulously created art (including his excellent photography) with beautiful cinematography.

Inspiring, beautiful movie.