WEED Press

Kentucky Kernel
December 4, 1997

Documentary 'Weed' plays at Kentucky By Luke Saladin, Asst. Entertainment Editor

Remember that scene in Pulp Fiction when Vincent Vega informed Jules about hash bars in Amsterdam? Remember how hash is legal there? Fans of the "loco weed" begin dropping their hackey sacks when you so much as mention taking a trip to Holland.

If Amsterdam doesn't pertain to your immediate future, fear not. Filmmaker Doug Wolens has given you the next best thing. He enjoyed the Amsterdam experience so much, he made a movie on the subject.

Weed should give Americans a whole new perspective on the marijuana controversy. While Americans debate, the Dutch compete.

The film tells the story of Amsterdam's eighth annual "Cannabis Cup and Hemp Expo." The event, sponsored by High Times magazine, draws an estimated 1,500 American participants.

Here is how the Cup works: You pay a $100 fee to be a judge, which gets you into the opening and closing ceremonies. You're then responsible to visit the different coffee shops and decide which has the best weed.

Wolens, who filmed, edited and produced the film, practiced law for eight years before deciding to become a filmmaker.

"I was never really sure what I wanted to do, so I decided to study law," Wolens said. "I practiced law in New York and San Francisco, but I quit because I hated it. I didn't like the way people were treated."

A screenwriting course at San Francisco State made Wolens decide to become a filmmaker. While working on the script for his third project, Wolens took a vacation to Amsterdam with his wife. As luck would have it, their trip coincided with the Cannabis Cup.

"We couldn't get a room due to this thing called the Cannabis Cup."

Some time later he decided the Cannabis Cup would make a great documentary film. After attempting to fund the project through High Times magazine (and being denied), Wolens decided to shoot the documentary on video.

"I really wanted to shoot the movie on film , but I started seeing a lot of movies that were shot on video and transferred to film," he said. "They all looked pretty good."

Wolens rented a Hi-8 video camera and shot the movie without a budget. "I did it mainly for fun. I smoke pot and I'm for legalization, but I didn't intend to send any kind of political message."

Wolens found that the hand-held camera was better suited for this project than a large crew. The Hi-8 gave him freedom to move around the intricate labyrinth of coffee shops, capturing the extra ordinary patrons and judges of the Cannabis Cup.

"Most people only go to about 4 or 5 coffee shops, and they stick to those. So I decided to go to as many as I could. it was fairly easy using the hand-held camera." Wolens said.

The film's scope deals mainly with the Americans involved with the Cannabis Cup. Wolens found the locals friendly, but not anxious interview subjects.

"I went into a coffee shop called the Blue Bird which contained mostly Dutch people. They didn't want to be interviewed or filmed. I found them to be a very private people who appreciate their freedom. To them it's not even an issue. Still, everyone was really friendly."

Wolens said the movie is about individual and spiritual choices.

"I'm not trying to make a 'pot saves world' statement, but my film really shows a diverse group of people coming together through this event."

Weed will play at the Kentucky Theatre Dec. 5 - 9.