Garrett Scott, director of Occupation: Dreamland died while swimming in a municipal pool in California near where he lived yesterday. He was only 37 years old. I had the pleasure of working with Garrett when we brought his film to Concordia for Cinema Politica last year and screened it along with Let Them Stay – a film about US war resisters. Some of the war resisters featured in the film are seeking asylum in Canada and were at the screening to speak. Garrett’s film added to the event with a beautifully dreamy and haunting portrait of Iraq under occupation by the new world imperialists, the USA.
In booking the film I had some difficulty and so tracked down Garrett’s email and contacted him directly. He was exceptionally helpful, and very greatful that we were organizing a grassroots screening of his film, which tomorrow will be up for the Independent Spirit Award in Santa Monica, California. It is most unfortunate Garrett won’t be here to accept that award. He will be missed by many of us in the doc community, as you can see by the postings at Indiewire…even those of us who only knew him through a handful of emails and by his exceptional talent. A fund has been set up at Working Films which honours him, for those interested.