Line #26 Film/Marwencol


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/marwencol.jpg]]
2	''Marwencol'' is a 2010 independent {{documentary}} film that explores the life and work of photographer Mark Hogancamp. It is the debut feature of director-editor Jeff Malmberg.
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4	On April 8, 2000, Mark Hogancamp was attacked outside of a bar by five men who nearly beat him to death. After nine days in a coma and forty days in the hospital, Mark was discharged with brain damage that left him little memory of his previous life.
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6	Unable to afford therapy, Mark creates his own by building a 1/6-scale UsefulNotes/WorldWarII-era town in his yard and populating it with dolls representing [[AuthorAvatar himself]], [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed his friends]], and even his attackers. He rehabilitates his physical wounds by manipulating the small dolls and props — and his mental ones by having the figures act out various battles and stories.
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8	When Mark begins documenting his miniature dramas with his camera, his photos are discovered and published by Esopus magazine and even shown in a New York art gallery. But having the label of "art" applied to his intensely personal work forces Mark to make a choice between the safety of his fictional town and the real world he's avoided since his attack.
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10	The documentary inspired the film ''Film/WelcomeToMarwen'' starring Creator/SteveCarell as Hogancamp.
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13	!!Trope Examples
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15	* CopeByCreating: Mark deals with his trauma through the models and photographs.
16	%%* EscapistCharacter
17	* IronicEcho: Once Mark had worked out the attack by letting his AuthorAvatar relive an equally traumatic event, he went on letting his avatar working out his trauma [[{{Metaphorgotten}} by also building a miniature town himself.]]
18	* KarmaHoudini: Considering the viciousness of the attack and the permanent injuries Hogancamp suffered his attackers got off pretty lightly. Two got probation and two others only got five years, though the ringleader did go down for nine.
19	%%* MuseAbuse
20	* [[PlayingwithaTrope Played Straight]]: One of the noted strength of his photographs is the total realism, whereas many other artist - when working with acting figures & dolls - do so with at least [[LampshadeHanging a little wink]] or [[ParodiedTrope sense of parody.]]
21	* TakeThat: The SS officers representing his attackers [[spoiler: get brutally slaughtered.]]
22	* WholesomeCrossdresser: Mark, apparently the reason he was attacked.
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24	[[folder:In Universe Tropes]]
25	%%* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:The 3 woman rescuing Mark.]]
26	%%* KilledOffForReal: Ruth
27	* LadyLand: Marwencol starts out as one, until the Author arrives and opens a [[AuthorAppeal catfight bar]].
28	* PutOnABusToHell: Colleen gets just erased from reality by the witch, after her real life counterpart (who is already married) said Mark couldn't marry off her Expy to his Expy.
29	* ThoseWackyNazis: SS Officers invade the town in search of booze and woman (representing his past [[TheAlcoholic alcohol problem]]), they then capture the author avatar and [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique torture him.]]
30	* WeirdnessCensor: The existence of a witch with a time machine doesn't seem to disturb the every day life in the 1940s Belgium town.
31	[[/folder]]

Context Film / Marwencol