Tarnation, is a documentary where the film's director and star Jonathan Caouette, talks about his mother and life growing up. The film shows Jonathan's mother Renee, as a child living with her parents Adolph and Rosemary. As a child Renee was a model and was used in commercials and ads. When she was young Renee fell of the roof of her house and was hospitalized. The doctors soon discover a mental condition of Renee's and with her parents permission they give her shock treatment. Renee's life at home included abuse and living with her mental illness and being sent to many hospitals and having lots of shock treatment sessions. When Renee got older she met a door to door salesman named Steve and they got married. Just before Renee found out she was pregnant Steve left her and Renee had to take care of her son Jonathan alone. Jonathan goes to several foster homes and is later taken care of by his grandparents. As he gets older we find out that Jonathan is gay and experiments with drugs, goes to a gay club, has several boyfriends and gets into underground films and soon starts to make his own. When he grows up Jonathan moves to New York and finds a boyfriend. The film also shows Jonathan's relationship with his mentally ill mother Renee and the troubled life he lived as well as Renee's. The film is told using old home videos, photographs, audio recordings, video diaries clips of underground films, very unique visuals set to pop music and some documentary film-making. Winner of the BSFC Award for Best New Filmmaker at The Boston Society Of Film Critics Awards, The Chlotrudis Award for Best Documentary at The Chlotrudis Awards, The Glitter Award for Best Documentary at The Glitter Awards, The Sutherland Trophy at The London Film Festival, The Best Documentary Award at The Las Vegas IFP/West Film Festival, The NSFC Award for Best Non Fiction Film at The National Society Of Film Critics Awards and The SDFCS Award for Best Documentary Film at The San Diego Film Critics Society Awards. Tarnation, took a little while for me to get into it but once I got into it I loved it. The film is a fascinating look at mental illness and family dysfunction and while the film is not always an easy film to watch because of the subject matter the way it is told to us is fascinating as well. I loved the use of clips from several underground films as well as the director's own unique images and visuals which are set to a great soundtrack. The film is very well put together and while watching the film as we see clips of Jonathan's films we can tell he is a very creative and talented individual and by the end of the film he proves this as well. The film is fascinating, visually fascinating with images that will stay in your mind and perhaps haunt you and is a powerful and moving film that is sure to leave some kind of impact on you no matter what you think of the film. With some of it's grainy home videos to it's bizarre surrealistic images and disturbing subject matter this film will definitely not be for all viewers but those who are into experimental films and documentaries should love this film as well. Jonathan Caouette shows us his tremendous talent and this film is one of the best directorial debuts I have seen in quite awhile and I'm sure he has a great future ahead of him. This is one of the best films of 2004.