Marwencol (2010)

After a night of drinking at a bar in his hometown of Kingston, NY, Mark Hogancamp got in a fistfight and was beaten so badly he went into a coma. When Hogancamp regained consciousness, he was diagnosed with brain damage and struggled to return to a normal life. As he tried to put his life back together, Hogancamp came up with an unusual hobby – using G.I. Joe action figures and Barbie dolls, Hogancamp created an elaborate scale model community in his backyard that he calls Marwencol (named for three characters he's dubbed Mark, Wendy, and Colleen). Marwencol is supposed to be a village in Belgium during World War II, and the scene is full of intrigue and military violence; several of the characters also represent his friends and relatives, and one is based on a married neighbor with whom he's infatuated. Marwencol provides Hogancamp with a fantasy world he can retreat into as he deals with the realities of his life following the beating, but the parallels into his real life are troubling to some people he knows, and when a gallery in New York City offers to present Hogancamp's project as an art installation, he has to decide if he's really willing to share Marwencol with the world at large. Filmmaker Jeff Malmberg profiles Mark Hogancamp and the world he created from toys and his imagination in the documentary Marwencol, which received its world premiere at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival.

IMDB

As I've mentioned, when the Cleveland International Film Festival catalog comes out. I read all the summaries and mark the movies I want to see. Marwencol jumped out at me for a few reasons. I had a boyfriend in college who lived near Kingston, NY, where this takes place. It's about a man who recovers from a head injury by building a world of miniatures in his backyard, it becomes therapy. My husband and son are into gaming and miniatures. I thought it sounded very interesting.

Turns out the miniatures are more like dolls. And, the therapy was much more like fantasy and art. Mark Hogancamp was attacked in the parking lot of a bar by five guys he'd been drinking with. Head injuries forced him to learn to speak, write, walk and completely function, all over again. Before the accident, he was married, an alcoholic and a gifted artist. After the accident, he was a completely different person, because he had no memory of his previous life. Working with his figures, he's able to practice small motor function, develop his rich imagination and role play some of his anger and aggression. Because he couldn't draw anymore, he captured scenes on film, with his camera. Now, friends and admirers of his work are urging him to share his town, Marwencol, with the world, with a gallery showing, a book and this film. Mark Hogancamp is a sympathetic and interesting guy. Marwencol is definitely an interesting place. Just when you think, "Okay, I get it, but this is weird," it gets weirder! But then, the pieces start to fit together. Fascinating story, well told, amazing imagery. It's an unforgettable place. Marwencol gets a 10 out of 10.

IMDB Reviewer
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