At first blush, this film appears to be about an obsessive artist. The idiosyncrasy of his art (carving Gaudi-like chambers below the parched New Mexico desert) makes the subject matter seem even more obscure, even as you're drawn to its eerie beauty. But, like all the best documentaries, this movie is about much more.
The stark land has drawn a cast of characters, each of whom is pursuing their life according to their own rules. These are not desert rats or misfits; you will likely recognize them as your more cerebrally- and spiritually-inclined neighbors. The director, Jeffrey Karoff, lets them describe the contours of their lives and interactions without the kind of editorial judgment too often imposed on arcane material like this.
As a result, the viewer comes away with a gratifying bit of dislocation, seeing enigmatic depths to what at first seemed familiar territory. Ra Paulette's sprawling "caves" (an inadequate descriptor) become a metaphor for his own life and for the community that surrounds him: a strange and immersive experience, driven by dreams, hidden away in a sun-blasted vastness.
The stark land has drawn a cast of characters, each of whom is pursuing their life according to their own rules. These are not desert rats or misfits; you will likely recognize them as your more cerebrally- and spiritually-inclined neighbors. The director, Jeffrey Karoff, lets them describe the contours of their lives and interactions without the kind of editorial judgment too often imposed on arcane material like this.
As a result, the viewer comes away with a gratifying bit of dislocation, seeing enigmatic depths to what at first seemed familiar territory. Ra Paulette's sprawling "caves" (an inadequate descriptor) become a metaphor for his own life and for the community that surrounds him: a strange and immersive experience, driven by dreams, hidden away in a sun-blasted vastness.