Jan Sharp's circle of friends includes some of the most interesting, creative, and unique people on earth. Her raw, intimate, even intrusive documentaries on these friends engross the viewer with observations on their lives. This release includes a trio of films on three completely different people who open-up for Sharp's camera precisely because she knows them. Shot on location in East Timor, Chasing the President (51 mins.) follows President Jose Ramos Horta on a peace-building mission into the remote border districts of Asia's newest nation. Sharp joins a presidential convoy of 15 four-wheel-drive vehicles as it winds its way through isolated mountain villages to Balibo and beyond. In Rick, Michele, and Scarlett (48 mins.), Sharp focuses on three unlikely friends and their creative endeavors: Michele and her daughter Scarlett open Les Deux Cafe in a gang-infested part of L.A.; fashion designer Rick Owens prepares for a Paris showing in his studio across the street. Beard: Pecking Order (58 mins.) was shot at the invitation of the film's subject, Peter Beard, who asked Sharp to record his last professional assignment--shooting the legendary Pirelli Calendar--in his beloved Africa. The filmmaker and her subject are lifelong friends, and the film captures the intimacy and pleasure of what it's like to be part of their inner circle.

Jan Sharp---USA---2010---157 mins.

• Facets
• Release Date: 02/28/2012