STRANGER THINGS TAKES THE 2011 SLAMDANCE GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE: AN INTERVIEW WITH WRITERS-DIRECTORS ELEANOR BURKE and RON EYAL

Ron Eyal and Eleanor Burke

Ashley Elaine York @ Slamdance 2011

In their feature film debut, writer-director Ron Eyal and writer-director-cinematographer Eleanor Burke, have created a strikingly shot and poignantly acted film about love, loss, and the power of reaching out to someone different from yourself.

Oona, a young British woman dealing with the loss of her mother, reaches out to a stranger:  Mani, a mysterious homeless man of Middle-Eastern origin, whom she invites to stay in her shed.  Despite the myriad differences in their backgrounds and lifestyles, Oona and Mani share a quiet understanding and gradually form a meaningful intimacy that changes them forever.

Burke's seemless, slow-paced, affecting cinematography is as much a character of the film as that of Oona (Bridget Collins) or Mani (Adeel Akhtar), and it captures the myriad truly intimate, humane moments between these two unlikely allies.

Illustrating that one's worldview is mostly about perception, in looking out over the rippling ocean waters, Mani comments to his fellow homeless friend named 'King of the Road,' "It's beautiful there."  King makes a face and quickly replies, "It's freezing."  But, after a beat and with a slight smile, with assurance Mani simply reaffirms his statement, "It's beautiful."

In another poignant scene, this time of simultaneous human devastation and joy, Oona finally gathers the necessary courage to sort through her mother's closet.  In a long, unhurried, quiet one-shot, the young woman's feelings of loss, but also love--and more so the rekindled memories brought forth by her actions--are displayed in her stance, in her wretched tears at one moment and joyous laugh and wide smile in the next, and in the simply way she breathes in the lingering scent of her mother captured between the woolen fibers of her clothing.

Though finely acted and smartly written, for me the cinematography proved the most striking feature upon first viewing.  Just as vulnerable as the characters, Burke's shooting style well represents the rolling tides and lush green meadows of the the seaside town of Hastings in East Sussez (UK) where the film was shot.  And her stylistic tendency to shoot straight on, close up, and over the shoulder (from front to back), with visual access to only a 1/4 of the character's face--maybe only an eye and a cheek, or even less--gives the camera as much a point-of-view as the characters themselves; and, moreover, acts as an intimate conduit to draw viewers into the storyworld to live alongside these well-drawn characters for 75 minutes, yet leaves Oona and Mani mysterious and detached:  to us, as well as to each other and even themselves.

No little cinematic detail is left unexplored in their feature film debut:  from the close-up of the spider crawling down a pan left abandoned by its owner who has died, or the the heavy, dirt-ridden ring swashing around the tub--and the leaves and other bits of debris--that slowly train out of the tub after Mani has taken his first bath in God only knows how long.

This may be Burke and Eyal's feature film debut, but they are anything but green.  Their specific and deep understanding of genre (the dramatic thriller), honed skills as narrative storytellers, and restrained and methodological pacing and precise framing left me utterly speechless.  Indeed, STRANGER THINGS was far and away my favorite film at Slamdane 2011.

I conducted an interview with Eleanor and Ron on January 24, 2011,  three days before their film won the Grand Jury Prize for best Narrative Feature at the 17th Annual Slamdance.

Ashley Elaine York (AEY):  What was it like to make your first feature?

Eleanor Burke (EB):  We actually had our first short at Slamdance in 2007, RUTH & MAGGIE.  When we made that film, we started working with the actors in a particular way.  We made the film work around them and their performances.  So we put their work at the center of what we’re doing. Specifically, we loved working with Bridget Collins [who played Maggie] on that short, and another actor Adeel Akhtar, so we wrote this feature for them.

Ron Eyal (RE):  Many film shoots can be taken over by the equipment.  So, we decided to minimize the amount of equipment we used.  And we only used available lighting.  We also shot with a much smaller crew.  It was a very intimate shoot.  There were only 6 on the set, including us.

AEY:  Besides wanting to work with Collins, who is flawless as Oona, and Akhtar, who has already received some critical acclaim for his comic work as a British Muslim extremeist in Christopher Morris' FOUR LIONS earlier this year, I'm curious:  Why this film and why now?

EB:  It started off as a discussion about "insiders" and "outsiders".  Oona, a young woman dealing with the loss of her mother, reaches out to a stranger, Mani, a homeless man.  And, gradually she lets him in--in the many senses of the word. We were interested in the idea of “inside” and “outside,” because both characters are outsiders isolated in a particular way.  Oona’s loss of her mother is part of that.  His homelessness is part of that.  But also I was specifically interested in my grandmother, who was itinerant at various points in her life, and I started thinking about her and her experiences.  She inspired Mannie, the homeless character.  We wanted to explore this outsider being let in.  That idea really excited us.

RE:  We had met in the NYU grad film program [The Tisch School of the Arts] while we were getting our MFAs there.  We were so hungho.  First, we decided to pull our resources and work on something together, so we made [RUTH & MAGGIE].  And after that experience we decided we were going to make this film and wouldn’t let anything stand in our way.

EB:  Even though we're based in New York, we shot STRANGER THINGS in the UK.

RE:  Because Eleanor has resources there--she is from London and had a lot of resources to make a film in the UK on a tight budget.  For example, the house we used to shoot STRANGER THINGS is owned by a friend of Eleanor's. So, we wrote the script with that house in mind.

EB:  I spent a lot of time in East Sussex during my childhood holidays.  I had always loved that area.  But the seaside town of Hastings, by the village where we filmed, is run-down and attracts a lot of down-and-outs. It’s a place where people from different walks of life live in very different worlds from each other.  So I was inspired by that.  But, after we shot in the UK, we found additional resources in the US during post-production.  And, then we found the IFP Independent Filmmakers Lab, which was enormous help.  They helped us tackle a lot of issues.

[NOTE:  STRANGER THINGS was one of only 10 films from across the US selected to participate in the 2009 IFP Independent Filmmaker Lab, where it won the lab's top award: the IFP Narrative Lab Finishing Grant]

RE:  We decided to think in the moment.  And only after it was shot did we think about where to send it.  So were are so surprised that we got into both Woodstock and Slamdance.

AEY:  Has your recent success--winning the Grand Jury prize at the Woodstock Festival (2010) or getting accepted to Slamdance 2011, among other accolades--affected you as filmmakers?  Have you or your approaches to filmmaking changed as a result?

RE:  They've obviously had an impact, these seals of approval and signs of support from the film community.

EB:  When we were making this film, we were excited about the process and the story, but even more excited about sharing this quiet drama.  People viewing this film seem very engaged and we hear people laughing [during screenings].  It’s just so nice to hear that response.  Doing Q&As--and getting that contact--has also been great.

RE:  For example, this film is about a mother dieing and her daughter going through the bereavement process.  One viewer said, "I just went through this.  I was cleaning out my father’s stuff after he died."  She, like others who've watched it, felt connected to the characters on an individual level--to their experiences with bereavement or to making connections with people.  It touched them personally, which is wonderful for us.

EB:  I personally love stories like that and I’m excited to see more of that, with less Hollywood, fast pacing, and more like the theatre or with an European influence.  I love it when people tell me that they have this personal connection [with STRANGER THINGS], and identify with this depiction of companionship, with one character reaching out to another from a different walk of life.  Hopefully these characters will open people up and otherwise touch people, which can lead to more human connections in real life.  

AEY:  Although it is going to be hard to top this fabulous first feature, what are you working on next?

EB:  It's an actor-driven piece about a woman looking for her father.  They're estranged.  Like STRANGER THINGS, it will be a character-driven drama.

AEY:  Are you shooting the new feature in the UK, as well?

RE:  We’re considereing whether it’s going to be shot in the UK or the USA.  There have been cuts to the arts in the UK, so maybe not.

EB:  We work in a pretty unvonventional way, whether in relation to the UK or here, so we'll have to see.

RE:  We want to step things up a notch, to see what kind of talent--actor-wise--we can bring to our next project, but still stay true to what we have been developing since RUTH & MAGGIE.

AEY:  Tell me about these stylistic acting techniques you've been developing?  And, how did you originally conceive of your personal directing style?

RE:  First, we had really great teachers at NYU.

EB:  In their MFA program, the directing students also have to take acting classes.  Our instructor Tom Noonan [the offbeat character actor who finely portrayed "Detective Victor Huntley" in FX's DAMAGES in 2010] opened our eyes to the possibilities of all you can do with actors, how to use freedom to get more out of them, and in general the different ways of working with actors.  While growing up in the UK, I watched a lot of Mike Leigh films.  These ideas gave us permission to discover a lot of other ways of working with actors, as well.  And we continue to develop our actor-centric methods from that.

RE:  When you watch a Mike Leigh film, it doesn’t feel like anyone else’s form.  It's a Mike Leigh film, period.  Same is the case with a [John] Cassavetes' film, the actors are doing something you don't find in other director's films.  There is something about their process of directing actors that translates to something that can be felt and heard on screen.

AEY:  So, what specific techniques of working with actors and directing make an "Eleanor Burke/Ron Eyal" film unique?

EB:  Mainly, we minimize distractions on the set

RE:  Yes, sometimes its only us two on a set, besides the actors.

EB:  Also, before the shoot, we workshop the characters and their backstories with the actors.  Then, during production, we give them the script in segments. This means that the actors only know as much as their characters would for any particular scene.  Revealing the plot to the actors in segments gives them the freedom to act spontaneously, and to feel the same things the character feels in any given moment.

AEY:  How do actors like Collins and Akhtar feel about your your process of holding material back--only sharing pages you're currently shooting--or granting them large amounts of freedom to go where they want to with a scene?

RE:  Bridget and Adeel were ready to play the game and wanted to go with it.

EB:  Yes, and as we moved through the film, like the night before we would show them a little bit more about what was coming up.  But, at the beginning, we revealed very little beyond the current scene we were shooting.  We know we were lucky to work with these actors, who are both brave and committed.  And they are responsible for creating many of the most touching moments you see in the film. 

AEY:   How do you feel about being named two of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine in the Summer of 2009?

EB:  Thilled.

RE:  Scott Macaulay, the editor of Filmmaker Magazine, contacted us.  We had met him when we were in the IFP narrative lab.  He’s been a big supporter of us and the film.

EB:  When you’re an emerging filmmaker, all of these little validations...they're like badges.  And they really make a difference.

AEY:  Many independent filmmakers do it all.  First feature end credits often reveal that the film was Directed by, Written by, Produced by, Shot by, Edited by, etc. the same person.  Do you similarly consider yourselves Renaissance Men, or do conceive of yourselves as masters of particular domains of filmmaking, whether it be directing, writing, shooting, or producing?

RE:  In the past, we've assembled the crew ourselves.  And, Eleanor shot the films, due to her background in cinematography.  But, in general, we see ourselves as writers-drirectors.  In the case of STRANGER THINGS, it was out of necessity that we produced.  But we're going to try not to do that again (laughs).

EB:  We see ourselves as filmmakers, foremost, with a slightly further reach that writers-directors normally have.

RE:  Just like most independent filmmakers, I guess.

EB:  Right.

Wrong!  There is nothing average, common, or general about these highly talented, yet humble and grounded, creative artists, each with a genuine gift for visual storytelling.  I'm sure that STRANGER THINGS will continue to play at film festivals around the country until (hopefully) it is sold.  So, if you ever have a chance to catch this brilliant first feature, don't hesitate.  Burke and Eyal's film is more than a movie:  it is a 75-minute journey that explores the benefits of living one's life as an open, humane, selfless, and glass-half-full kind of person, which is a great lesson for us all to learn.

STRANGER THINGS: The Film Official Site

NEWEST DOC TRENDS: DISTRIBUTORS REPURPOSING SUNDANCE DOCS AS REMAKES OR TELEVISION SERIES

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

February 3, 2011

Sundance is an influential film festival, there's no doubt about it.  Just like Festival Director John Cooper watches television with the intention of spotting trends to aid in his selection of films for the upcoming Sundance Fest, film and television distribution companies came to Sundance 2011 to create new trends by repurposing great doc films as either television series or remakes with an American cast.

HBO acuired Ian Palmer's KNUCKEL, a world cinema documentary competition film about Irish gypsy clans called "travelers" that traditionally have setlled their disputes through ritualized, bare-knuckle fighting.  In a strategic move, HBO intents to to repurpose this rare look at the brutal world where a cyle of bloody violence seems destined to continue unabated as a television series with partner Roughhouse Productions.  HBO didn't stop there; they also acquired rights to the Susan Saladoff-directed competition documentary, HOT COFFEE, for a mid to high six-figures that includes broadcast and Video On Demand (VOD) rights for two years, as well as a theatrical run before it premieres on the cable network.  The premiere cable giant also bought the rights to another competition doc, PROJECT NIM (which won the world cinema directing award for James Marsh last Saturday night) about one chimpanzee's extraordinary journey through human society.

Fox Searchlight was equally busy starting new trends and buying up some of the best films at the Fest.  First, they acquired the rights to BENGALI DETECTIVE, the Phillip Cox doc about police corruption and the private detective business in India, to remake it with an American cast for an American audience. Claudia Lewis, president of production at Fox Searchlight, didn't admit to this reasoning in her recent press release, only saying:  "We adored this film and are delighted to have the chance to work with such entertaining, funny material. We were charmed by this story of a dedicated husband and self-made detective who dreams big."  But, the original director, Cox, alluded to Searchlight's strategy by adding that the company has a good track record of “bringing stories set in India to a worldwide audience," austensibly referring to Searchlight's success with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, which has grossed $141,319,928 at the box office to date.

Fox Searchlight also acquired most worldwide rights to the dramatic film HOMEWORK, a sharply written and subtle coming-of-age drama about teens of troubled parental relationships written and directed by Gavin Wiesen in his directorial debut, which stars Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Elizabeth Reaser (the truly gifted actress from the TWILIGHT Saga, as well as CBS's THE GOOD WIFE), Rita Wilson, Sam Robards, and Blair Underwood.  Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley announced that they also picked up the worldwide rights to the suspensful drama MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, written and directed by the super-talented Sean Durkin in his stunning follow up to his 2010 Cannes award-winning short, MARY LAST SEEN.  MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE stars Elizabeth Olsen (sister of the famous Olsen twins) in her breakthrough performance, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes and Hugh Dancy.  Both film are scheduled to be released later this year.

IT'S OUT OF THE BAG)! COOPER AND GOTH SHARE STORIES ABOUT STARS BEHAVING BADLY AT THE 'CHURCH' OF SUNDANCE ON SUNDAY

John Cooper

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

The 'Church of Sundance' is a tradition.  Every year, Sundance Director John Cooper and Director of Programming Trevor Goth lead a discussion with a mixed audience of press and Sundance passholders to dish about the best and worst of Sundance offerings and happenings before the slate of award-winning films play for the last time on the final day of the Festival in Park City, Utah.

Indeed, this event is an annual rite of passage for many Sundancers.  "I have to go to 'Church' before I can go home, or it wasn't Sundance," the woman sitting next to me said.

Many of John and Trevor's tales are new to passholders, but the press may have been told or heard the scuttlebutt around town.  Other stories are new even to the press corps.  So, in this venue everyone gets to dish about the films they liked or hated, and the outlandish (or wonderful) things that stars or filmmakers did or said during the Festival that made them stop...and take pause!

Trevor Goth

The most savory tidbits of gossip, of course, come from insiders like Cooper and Goth who, more so than even Robert Redford today, are privy to the comings and goings of every participant in Sundance.  Goth said his personal favorite was the behind-the-scenes fallout over the Michael Rapaport's BEATS, RHYMES, & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST documentary, which premiered on Saturday, January 22, 2011.

The band had told director Rapaport (a self-described mega-fan of the group) that he could shoot them at all times.  Nothing was "off-camera," so to speak.  But as the project wore on, and they saw dailies of their most private moments forever captured on film, most of the members started to panic.  How would spectators judge their boozing and outlandish behavior?  What about their infighting?  Ultimately, they worried the documentary would "reveal too much" about themselves and their real lives.  That it would cross over the line from documentary film to real life.

Three of the four band members pulled their support and didn't accompany the film to Sundance.  But, even though the remaining member, Malik "Phife" Taylor, didn't know what to expect from the screening, the spectators, or the press, he nevertheless followed through on his commitment to Rapaport and to the project and showed up to support the film.

Seeing the completed film for the very first time (a common occurrence with low budget films in post up until the final days before the premiere), Phife wasn't on the defensive after the screening, but rather genuinely touched.  So much so that he cried in front of the crowd, and told them if the rest of his band would have seen the final project and their reaction to to the story of their lives, they too would have been moved and supported the release of the film.

What neither Cooper nor Goth mentioned during the talk was that this type of portrayal is the aim of good non-fiction films.  Great docs get too personal, too messy, and too real.  So personal, in fact, that it’s often impossible for the spectators viewing the created/crafted/often scripted documentary to distinguish between the real people and real events that inspired the story, and those which they morphed into the creator's narrative.  But also such reenactments are often uncomfortable to watch for those who inspired the story.  Their depiction on screen is too close to, or different from, the real thing.  Plus, in our contemporary media-saturated world, documentary films now often 'inform' history, or even rewrite it, rather than relaying history as everyone already knows it.

Although Rapaport came up as an actor playing side characters in many Spike Lee Joint productions, or took his turn guest-starring in several primetime television series, including:  PRISON BREAK, MY NAME IS EARL,  THE WAR AT HOME, and BOSTON PUBLIC, the prolific actor has showcased his expansive talent in his portrayal of the lead character Zack in ZEBRAHEAD, an interracial love story based on the Romeo and Juliet storyline, that garnered its writer-director Anthony Drazan a Filmmaker's Trophy (Dramatic) from Sundance in 1992 and Rapaport an Independent Spirit Award Nomination for his performance the following year.

In BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, Rapaport's directorial debut, the man who took his turn behind the camera pays homage to a band he dearly loves and admires.  His work which is channeled through his fandom, as well as a deep understanding of how to convey empathetic characters on screen, well relates to its audience.  And, in the end, achieves what every good documentary film must:  that is to capture a kernel of truth--a slice of real life and humanity--on celluloid for all to witness, and for posterity.  Sans apology, regret, and explanation.  The way that Rapaport did by exposing the behind-the-scenes drama that led to the seminal bands tumultuous breakup.

John Cooper had some funnier stories to tell.  For example, he let the cat out of the bag on " The Lou Reed Story."  This former Andy Warhol crooner who, nearly six decades on, is still singing Rock 'n' Roll caught Sundancers by surprise when he made an 'impromptu' appearance at the Kimball Art Center on Sunday, January 23, 2011.

In route to the venue, Reed realized he had left his jacket behind in his suitcase.  He told his Sundance handlers that he simply couldn't (or rather wouldn't) perform without the jacket, so they turned the van around and headed back to his hotel.

But the situation got even more complicated when Reed knocked a glass of water over when reaching into his luggage, leaving his bag and his jacket drenched.  He nevertheless remained adamant about wearing his jacket when he performed later on stage; so the Sundance PA had to run up and down Main Street, and in and out of shops, looking for someone to lend out their hairdryer.

Finally, the young PA found a taker, but only because the star himself held sway with the proprietor. "You know Lou Reed?" the woman asked the PA?  "Of couse," he said.  In fact Lou Reed REALLY needs that hairdryer to dry his jacket so he can get ready to go onstage and perform at the Kimball Art Center.  Hint, hint!

Well, if she could meet Lou Reed, then she said she would be happy to loan out her hairdryer.  Her wish was granted; however, the PA spent the better part of the next hour hand drying the finicky rocker's jacket until, finally satisfied, Reed threw it on, went onstage, and gave the crowd the "spontaneous" performance they expected from a "surprise" guest.

'Church' Audience

The Festival director and programmer also threw in some stories about the true power of film before their 'Church' discussion ended; and, specifically, how it influences (and is influenced by) real events on the ground.

Fest Director Connor, for example, shared his point of view that, ten years ago, when filmmakers wanted to expand the representation of non-Whites on screen, they used the character of the next-door neighbor to do it.  First, that neighbor was Black.  Then he was gay.  Now, he's a religious person, illustrating a socio-temporal theme that runs through a large crop of the films at Sundance 2011, including three films I'll review over the next 10 days:  George Ratliff's SALVATION BOULEVARD, Vera Farmiga's HIGHER GROUND, and Maryam Keshavarz' CIRCUMSTANCE, about young Iranian women who are of two minds when it comes to falling in line with the traditional tenets of their Muslim faith.  'Next-door' characters are positioned in the narrative to push beyond the historical boundaries of those traditionally represented on screen, so as to seep into the spectators' "consciousness," to use Connor's word, and thus have the potential to change how people feel, how they see others, and how they make meaning of zeitgeist topics, such as religion, that are affecting (and changing) the world as we know it today.

And speaking of the lighting-rod topic of religion at Sundance 2011, Kevin Smith (director of CLERKS), encountered Pastor Fred Phelps (the inspiration for his new horror film RED STATE) and 8 of his right-wing Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) parishioners when he arrived at Eccles Theatre in Park City before his screening.  Phelps' anti-gay rhetoric and protests at funerals of American military personnel are currently front and center in a First-Amendment lawsuit before the US Supreme Court.  The infamous Reverend and his disciples began protesting three hours before the start of the Sunday, January 23, 2011 world premiere, carrying the quintessential signs that broadcast the three-word slogan they're famous for, like: "God hates fags," which is also the name of the group's main website.

But Smith had some people fighting on his side of 'right', as well.  About 250 local Park City high school students (who outnumbered the WBC by some 30-1) carried signs with their own quirky slogans, like: "I eat with a spoon;"  "I love my mother;" and, "Hell is fabulous;" while belting out Katy Perry's fun take on female homosexuality, "I KISSED A GIRL."

"Smith is a master of social media," remarked Director Cooper to the 'Church' crowd.  Thus he wasn't surprised at Smith's behavior in his post-premiere Q&A.  Although, in the weeks leading up to Sundance, the director had suggested that he would hawk his film from the stage; but, instead of taking questions from the spectators, he lambasted Hollywood for 30 minutes, and announced that he had already bought the rights to his own film for a token $20, and had plans to take his film on the road through its' scheduled Oct. 19th theater release, in order to recoup as much of the film's $4M budget as he could.

"What we need to prove is that anyone can release a movie," Smith said.  "Indie film isn't dead.  It just grew up.  It is just Indie Film 2.0 now.  [And] in Indie Film 2.0, we don't let them sell our movie; we sell out movie ourselves."

Cooper reacted to Smith's remarks in this way:  "Well, we'll know if Kevin succeeded by next year.  We'll talk about it at Sundance 2012, whether or not his strategy worked."

That seems to be what Sundance is all about; giving independent cinephiles the opportunity to try on myriad different films (and flmmakers) for size.  Not liking everyone they meet or everything they see, but having access to movies and characters and ideas that aren't valued (or marketable) in Hollywood today.

Robert Redford

Sundance Founder Robert Redford hit upon the importance of having just such an independent film outlet during his opening day remarks, when he said:  “Some films are not going to be liked at all, and some films will be very much liked. That’s okay,” he said. “The point is to show what’s out there. And create opportunities for the filmmakers, and for audiences to find that work.  Wherever it goes [after that] is really some other people’s business.”

Over the course of the next four weeks, I'll take a look at many of the most talked about films at this year's Sundance and Slamdance, and discuss the making of these features with the writers, directors, producers, and cast members who shed further light on their importance, as well as the trends taking place in independent film today.

BREAKING NEWS: ROBERT REDFORD ANNOUNCES SUNDANCE SALES UP 220 PER CENT FROM LAST YEAR

JANUARY 31, 2011

In breaking news, Robert Redford announced yesterday that, to date, 45 SUNDANCE 2011 ENTIRES HAVE BEEN SOLD, which is up about 220 per cent from 2010, when only 14 films were sold.  For the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected, representing 29 countries by 40 first-time filmmakers, including 25 in competition.

SOME SHOE-INS AND SOME SURPRISES AMONG SUNDANCE: 2011 FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

January 30, 2011

Drake Doremus

Drake Doremus' LIKE CRAZY was awarded the grand jury prize for U.S. dramatic film last night at the Sundance 2011 Festival Awards hosted by Tim Blake Nelson.  In a bidding war that “went on for eight hours, and all through the night,” Doremus divulged at the 'Sundance Church' this morning, Paramount and Indian Paintbrush paid $4 million to release the film worldwide.  Doremus co-wrote the script with Ben York Jones, the THANK YOU FOR SMOKING writer-director.  The young British sensation Felicity Jones also received a special jury award for her performance which "crackled," according to UGLY BETTY star and jury member America Ferrera, who handed out the award.

The grand jury prize for U.S. documentary film was awarded to Peter D. Richardson's HOW TO DIE IN OREGON, a film about the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia is a hot topic at the moment; Al Pacino (starring in SON OF NO ONE at Sundance 2011) took home the 2011 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Mini-Series for his portrayal of Jack Kevorkian in HBO's YOU DON'T KNOW JACK, just two weeks ago.

The world cinema dramatic grand jury prize was awarded to the Norwegian film HAPPY, HAPPY, from director Anne Sewitsky and screenwriter Ragnhild Tronvoll.  The directing award in the world cinema dramatic category went to Paddy Considine for TYRANNOSAUR, who also received a special jury prize along with his co-star Olivia Colman.

The grand jury prize for world cinema documentary went to HELL AND BACK AGAIN director Danfung Dennis, whose picture about the 2009 U.S. Marines helicopter assault on a Taliban stronghold also won the world cinematography award. In a very touching moment for all, in his acceptance speech, Dennis said:  "This [film] is for the ones who didn't come back.”

Ray Liotta, who starred in two 2011 Sundance entries THE DETAILS and SON OF NO ONE, presented the U.S. audience awards: for documentary to Cindy Meehl's BUCK—a resounding crowd favorite about the man who was the inspiration for Robert Redford's THE HORSE WHISPERER, and for dramatic to writer-director Maryam Keshavarz for her hugely courage effort, CIRCUMSTANCE, a contemporary look at the underground life of young women in Iran today. A special bravo goes out to Keshavarz who is both affable and brilliant. CIRCUMSTANCE is my personal pick of Sundance 2011.

The world cinema documentary audience award was awarded to SENNA from director Asif Kapadia, while the world cinema dramatic audience award went to Alrick Brown's KINYARWANDA, the first dramatic feature film conceived and produced by Rwandans about the 1994 genocide.

Vera Farmiga, the director and star of HIGHER GROUND, presented the Best of NEXT audience award to director-screenwriter Erica Dunton's TO.GET.HER.  And, the Alfred P. Sloan award went to ANOTHER EARTH director-screenwriter Mike Cahill and his screenwriting partner, Brit Marling.

The U.S. dramatic directing award went to Sean Durkin for MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, which Fox Searchlight bought earlier this week; and the directing award for U.S. documentary was awarded to Jon Foy, who made RESURRECT DEAD: THE MYSTERY OF THE TOYNBEE TILES, about the cryptic message found embedded in the asphalt of city streets as far apart as New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Santiago, and Buenos Aires.

Sam Levinson, the writer and director of the U.S. dramatic competition film ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, was awarded the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, while the world cinema dramatic screenwriting award went to Erez Kav-El of RESTORATION.

Editors Matthew Hamachek and Marshall Curry were awarded the U.S. documentary editing prize for IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT (ELF) about Oregon-based activist Daniel McGowan and the political action and environmental beliefs at loggerheads in the ELF movement.

The world editing award was awarded to Goran Hugo Olsson and Hanna Lejonqvist from THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975, co-produced by Danny Glover; and the world cinema directing award went to James Marsh for his PROJECT NIM, about one chimpanzee's extraordinary journey through human society.

The excellence in cinematography award for U.S. documentary was given to Eric Strauss, Ryan Hill and Peter Hutchens of THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED, and for U.S. dramatic to Bradford Young, who shot Dee Rees' PARIAH. Rees, in a crowd-pleasing move, called Young from the stage to convey the good news of his win.

A special world cinema jury prize for documentary was awarded to the Netherlands documentary POSITION AMONG THE STARS directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich, who co-wrote the movie with Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich. 

Jury member Jess Search presented a special jury prize "for creating a documentary for all ages," to BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY from Constance Marks and co-director Philip Shane.

SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2011 AWARD WINNERS

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

JANUARY 28, 2011

It was a good time for all last night at the Slamdance 2011 Awards Party when the jury announced the winning films.

Ron Eyal and Eleanor Burke

 The Slamdance GRAND JURY "Sparky" Awards went to STRANGER THINGS, written and directed by Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal, for Best Narrative Film, and BHOPALI, directed by Van Maximilian "Max" Carlson, for Best Documentary Film
.

Van Maximillian "Max" Carlson

In addition, BHOPALI won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film.

I interviewed the directors of both of these films earlier in the week.  CHECK BACK ON MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011 FOR MY INTERVIEWS WITH THE WINNERS.

Other GRAND JURY "Sparky" Awards include:

BOTTLE, written and directed by Kirsten Lepore (Best Animated Short);
BIRD, written and directed by Petr Stupin (Best Narrative Short
); and,
OAKS, directed by Charles Wittenmeier (Best Documentary Short
).

The Slamdance 2001 AUDIENCE "Sparky" Awards went to:

SILVER TONGUES, written and directed by Simon Arthur (Best Narrative Film) and SHUNKA, directed by CJ Gardella (Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award), which also won the Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography.

Finally, Kevin Brennan and Doug Manley's THE ROAD TO PARK CITY IS PAVED WITH ARTISTS won the Panasonic AF100 Award for Best “Road To Park City” Short Film Award.

The Slamdance/Adobe Re-cut Competition Award went to SUPERHEROES, directed by Michael Barnett; written by Michael Barnett & Theodore Jamesinner (for Best Feature) and HELLO CALLER, directed by Andrew Putschoegl; written by Tom Lenk (for Best Short).

ON A LIGHTER NOTE: THE WOMEN OF THE VIEW TALK ROBERT REDFORD AND PLASTIC SURGERY

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

January 28, 2011

Today the women of THE VIEW compared before (THE WAY WE WERE) and after (Sundance 2011) pictures of Robert Redford (74) and suggested that he may have had plastic surgery.

Joy Behar jumped to his defense, reading aloud a statement Redford allegedly made in January 2002 about how ridiculous the run on plastic surgery in Hollywood had become.

He said:

"So what if my face is falling apart? I don't give a damn. It gives me character. Everyone in Tinseltown is getting pinched, lifted and pulled; it's an obsession."

There has been much speculation that, at a minimum, he's had an eye lift and a mole removed from his cheek.  As the affable commentator's colleagues noted, however, in the current picture of the Sundance Founder he looks not only older, but also "different" than he once did.

Followers of THE VIEW's message board @ < http://theview.abc.go.com/forum/robert-redford > clearly didn't care one way or another about the matter illustrating his huge popularity still today.

Whoopi Goldberg, in particular, gave a shout-out to the man, saying, "Come on Bob, let's do a movie together.  We could call it, 'The Way Things Might Have Been.'"

So don't worry, Sundance kid, age isn't going to hold you back. Whoopi's waiting for your call to do a follow-up to your much-beloved 1973 Classic. Besides which, it's time for you to admit that you never really liked Barbra Streisand that much anyway:)!

83rd ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS, MANY 2010 SUNDANCE FILMS AMONG THEM

ASHLEY ELAINE YORK @ SUNDANCE 2011


Yesterday was a big day for the film industry, as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 83rd Annual Academy Award Nominations List.  I had a conversation about those nomination with the hosts of the Colombian National Public Radio (Radio Nacional de Colombia) Morning Show.  Scroll down to see an article (in Spanish) about that interview, or link to the article and an mp3 of the bilingual interview in English and Spanish here, by first linking to the site, and then selecting the left-hand audio link labled, "La crítico de cine y televisión, Ashley Elaine York" to hear the broadcast:

http://www.radionacionaldecolombia.gov.co/index.php?option=com_topcontent&view=article&id=13652:qthe-kings-speechq-reina-en-las-nominaciones-a-los-oscar-con-12-candidaturas-&catid=40:cine

(or simply link here for just the audio broadcast
http://www.radionacionaldecolombia.gov.co/images/stories/audios/2011/ene%2025%20-%20ashley%20york.mp3 ).


Many films that premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival (and all which came to the Festival without distribution) garnered Oscar nominations this year, including four of the five Best Documentary Feature Nominees:

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Released by: Producers Distribution Agency

GASLAND (U.S. Documentary Competition, Special Jury Prize)
Released by: HBO Documentary Films/International WOW Company

RESTREPO (Documentary Competition, U.S Documentary Award)
Released by: National Geographic Films

WASTE LAND (U.S. Documentary Competition, Special Jury Prize)
Released by: Arthouse Films

In addition, MADAGASCAR, CARNET DE VOYAGE (MADAGASCAR, A JOURNEY DIARY)” (short film competition)  was nominated for Best Animated Short.   And four Sundance 2010 Dramatic premieres also made the 83rd Oscar's shortlist:

WINTER'S BONE (U.S. Dramatic Competition, Sundance Grand Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award)
Released by: Roadside Attractions
John Hawkes, Best Supporting Actor
Jennifer Lawrence, Best Actress
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Picture

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (Premieres)
Released by: Focus Features
Mark Ruffalo, Best Supporting Actor
Annette Bening, Best Actress
Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg, Best Original Screenplay
Best Picture

BLUE VALENTINE (U.S. Dramatic Competition)
Released by: The Weinstein Company
Michelle Williams, Best Actress

ANIMAL KINGDOM (World Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Jury Prize: Drama)
Released by: Sony Pictures Classics
Jackie Weaver, Best Actress

As mentioned in the interview, this year, the Oscars seemed to dote on films driven by story, rather than visual effects.  Although the Best Picture nomination list includes TOY STORY 3, which illustrates that Hollywood is still taken with films that drive up the box office by targeting all "four quadrants" of the audience--adult men, adult women, girls, and boys, in today's world climate, spectators (including Academy voters) more and more care about stories like BLACK SWAN, THE FIGHTER, 127 HOURS, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, TRUE GRIT, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, and WINTER'S BONE that convey personal triumphs, losses, power, and destruction, small stories produced on a grand scale that resonate with humans during turbulent times.

INTERVIEW WITH EDMONTON's TREVOR ANDERSON, DIRECTOR OF HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE

ASHLEY ELAINE YORK @ SUNDANCE 2011

Edmontonian Trevor Anderson is excited that his short, HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE, is one of eighty-one shorts playing at Sundance 2011.  He should be since over 6400 competed for the privilege.

But, as Trevor tells it, he's even prouder of the fact this his film is one of the twelve past and present Sundance shorts selected for the “Screening Room,” a joint project between the Sundance Film Institute and YouTube, which offers these films free to the public as part of the kickoff of Sundance 2011.

What he has accomplished really struck him when he saw that his short got 50,000 hits on the opening day of the Festival:  ”as many people as the population of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada,” he said, “where I grew up.  When I realized [that], it made the moment quite real for me.”

I interviewed Trevor two hours before his short premiered at Holiday Village Cinema IV in Park City and was impressed by how calm he appeared: excited about the possibilities attached to the accolades he has earned, undoubtedly, but far more invested in the “process” that got him to this place.

His relationship with Sundance started when Kim Yutani, a Sundance programmer, saw his earlier shorts which played at Outfest (The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival).  HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE is Trevor's ninth short film to date.  He submitted some of those to Sundance over the years; however, it was only after his current film was accepted that Yutani told him his earlier films were close, in terms of getting into prior Sundance Festivals, as well.

Trevor has also worked closely with Todd Luoto, another Sundance programmer, who saw HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE take honorable mention at last year's AFI Film Festival. “When Todd saw me get the award, I was hopeful that I would finally get into Sundance."  Indeed, it wasn’t long after that when Anderson found out that his film set in Edmonton, Canada would play at one of the preeminent film festival in the world.

When Robert Redford addressed Anderson and his colleagues at the annual Filmmakers’ Luncheon earlier in the week, he said:  “You are now Sundance filmmakers, so we’re going to follow you.  We’re going to be emailing you. You can’t get away from us, so just get used to it."  Reflecting back on this, Trevor said, “That moment seemed unreal to me.  That I would be sitting twenty feet away from Redford when he said that to me is amazing."

Towards the end of the interview, I asked the young filmmaker, “Why this film? And, why now?”  To which he answered, “The whole reason I do my films is to explore topics that are on my mind—to try to understand things better. It’s a method of inquiry for me. That’s how I chose my topics. And this topic was on my mind.”

Specifically, Trevor started off making this film because he wanted to win the $15,000 award that came with placing first in the the short film competition funded by the Talent Lab of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).  “Boy, I needed that money,” he quipped.  But, even so, the subject of the film was never in doubt.

The subject had to be about Edmonton's High Level Bridge because two of his friends had jumped off that bridge the year before.  And, since that is what was on his mind at the time, that was the subject of his film.

TIFF gave every contestant an inexpensive camera with which to shoot their films--a $100 variety used frequently by teenagers who want to upload photos and video to their blogs.  Trevor remarked that it wouldn't have been such a loss if he had to sacrifice the camera to get the 'money shot' that would pay adequate tribute to his lost friends, and also relay what they saw when they took their final steps.

So, Anderson threw the camera off the bridge. He figured he could at least retrieve the memory card, and get "the shot."  But, because Edmonton had just had a fresh snowfall, the lightly packed snow on the water broke the fall of the camera and left it undamaged--and, moreover, still recording when Trevor retrieved it moments later.

He got the shot he was searching for:  the view of his friends in absentia.  For some time to follow, it was difficult for Anderson to cross that bridge.  For, walking across it, “you’re thinking about how easy it would be to jump," he said.  "You have time to contemplate just how easy it would be to step over that railing” and end it all.

It therefore comes as no surprise that spectators of the film from all walks of life, from within Edmonton and from without, have similarly been moved to reflect on their own losses after seeing it.

Trevor told me, “People have been opening up to me with their own stories of people they [have] lost to suicide, which is very healthy.  Because one of the things I want to do with [my] film is to contribute to an effort to remove the stigma around...mental health and suicide.”  He further shared that, “One of the most heartbreaking things about those I lost was no one had any idea they were thinking of killing themselves until after they were gone.” Anderson, therefore, believes, if mental health issue were less of a taboo, maybe his friends would still be alive today.

Local spectators of HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE have also shared stories of their personal relationship with the Bridge.  “They say, 'My short puts words to something they have felt or thought.'  [Furthermore,] they tell me [their own] stories of walking across that bridge; what they think about when they cross it; the stories [of people] they know who have jumped off it; and even little architectural stories about the [construction of the] bridge.”  One man remarked that his father worked on building the bridge; and another said his depressed roommate once slept walked, and awakened to find herself standing on its' ledge.

Trevor, a musician as well as a filmmaker, is interested in the cacophony of these combined anecdotes; and moreover how they bump up against one another, one as different, yet as similar, as the next.

"I want people to relate my film to their own lives in whatever way they see fit," he said.  “It reminds me of when people come and put their little tributes, flowers, stuffed animals, and cards [where they lost a friend]. It almost feels like that because [these people are] bringing me their little stories, and setting them down near me. [They] are collaging my film by [adding] their own stories to my own.  And I feel quite honored to be at the center of [that].” 

It’s understandable that after such an emotional filmmaking experience, Anderson is changing gears entirely with his next project.  Soon he will commence production on a twenty-minute musical documentary, a true-life story of his great uncle Jimmy in six consecutive acts.  Reflecting on his great uncle, Anderson said, “Jimmy had an amazing life. And my family almost forgot to tell me about him!” It goes without saying that they share a love of music, and of loss, in common.

Bryce Kulak, also from Edmonton, is composing the film.  “Whereas HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE was minimal, my next film will be maximal. I’m planning for 50 dancers, rehearsals for 3 weeks, a studio orchestra, costumes made of sequins and feathers, and a full studio orchestra.  I'm going in the opposite direction aesthetically, but I'm still telling 'the truth' of a real story. Trying to approach it from an angle the audience might not expect at first. Because Uncle Jimmy had a hard life. So, I hope I can treat it respectfully, yet with a light heart.”

Anyone who knows Trevor has no doubt he'll succeed in his quest.

Watch HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE Here

The WRITERS-DIRECTORS OF THE MAID (LA NANA) RETURN TO SUNDANCE WITH OLD CATS (LOS GATOS VIEJOS)

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

January 21, 2011

The return of Chilean writers-directors Pedro Peirano and Sebastian Silva to Sundance was much anticipated after their previous film, THE MAID, won the World Cinema Jury Prize in 2009.

Both a chamber drama and a character study, OLD CATS centers around a female protagonist who tries to change her life by healing her damaged relationship with her eldest daughter, Rosario, before she dies.

Peirano and Silva are fond of testing the abilities of their characters to change their lives. Indeed, they explored the same theme in THE MAID, when Raquel (Catalina Saavedra, who plays Hugo, Rosario's lesbian lover, in this film), changed her life by changing her attitude, in finally accepting her social role as a part of her employer's 'household,' rather than--as she had so yearned--a member of her family.

Raquel was comparatively young, 41, and had worked for twenty-three years as a housemaid before coming to terms with her reality.  Isadora, at 92, has simply run out of time. "Sometimes, life doesn't really allow you to redeem yourself,” Silva said. “You no longer have enough time to change your life.”  Thus, the filmmakers' chamber drama/character study  “embraces mediocrity, and the fact that you won't be able to 'right' all of the wrongs of your life before you die."

OLD CATS is shot almost entirely in the house (as was the case with THE MAID), and centers around Isadora, played by Chilean theatre star Belgica Castro, and her husband Enrique (Alejandro Sieveking).  The film turns when her daughter Rosario (Claudia Celedon) calls to say she will be dropping by later in the day for a chat about her recent vacation to the Caribbean.  In reality, Isadora very well knows that her daughter has a more sinister motive up her sleeve.

After Rosario arrives, it takes little time for her plan to become clear.  She wants her mother to sign over her apartment; and, in exchange, she and her lover will promise to take care of Isadora in her old age.

As Rosario, Hugo, Enrique and Isadora are confined within the house, their discussions grow more heated, and their facades grow thinner.  Rosario refuses to leave before the paperwork is signed; and, of course, Isadora at her age can't “get away” from her crazy, coke-snorting daughter and her partner-in-crime.  She has the legs of a ninety-two year old woman and lives on the eighth-floor of a building in which the elevator is broken down more often than it is working.  Thus, the themes of old age and changing one's life are layered with that of confinement to create a compelling narrative about these characters and their delimited choices.

The old couple isn't without strategy, however.  So, before he leaves to pick up pastries to accompany tea, Enrique writes a note on a napkin and hands it to Isadora.  He instructs her to hold onto it, so she can remind herself of the situation in case she 'loses time.'  But, later when the old woman drops the tissue, Rosario sees what is written on it when she retrieves it, and loses her temper.  Already wired from her numerous visits to the bathroom to beef up her buzz, she is unable to cope with the tension, the stress, and the embarrassment of the situation and, instead, flees the scene.

"If Isadora had been younger,” Silva said, “she'd have been able to simply walk down the stairs, go after her daughter, and make her understand. But, because Isadora is forced to remain upstairs, her daughter—and the hope of reconciling with her—is lost to her forever."

These and other mundane, day-to-day realities of old age are brilliantly captured with luxuriously long one-takes, a slowly moving hand-held camera, and lengthy periods of relative quiet and little movement among the actors that serve as the foundational production techniques of many European films, but are considered indulgent (or even boring) by Hollywood standards.

In OLD CATS, Silva and Peirano expertly use their art house filmmaking roots to shoot a movie that brilliantly illustrates the comedies and horrors of being 92 and confined to your eighth-floor Santiago flat because your body simply doesn't allow you to make that long, hard descent on foot when the elevator is broken down, which is most of the time. And, therefore, this film, above all else, is about acceptance. As in the character of 'the maid' Raquel, who finally frees herself from the torture of not “belonging” to—or being a true member of—the family for which she works, Isadora the 'old cat' finally accepts that her possibilities are delimited by her age.

Peirano and Silva were so intrigued with the Chilean theatre stars, Belgica Castro and Alejandro Sieveking, that they based the film on the difficulties (and surroundings) they faced in real life. “To us, it didn't matter if our film was fiction or documentary, as long as it represented them and the realities of their life as they grow older," said Silva.

Besides working the real-life elevator fiasco into the script, the neorealist writers-directors also used Belgica's fear of water to drive the drama of the narrative. After Claudia fled the apartment in anger and shame, Isadora painstakingly worked her way down eight flights, one step at a time. But, once again, she 'loses time' along the way, and comes to to find herself standing in a water fountain across the street from her building, frightened and alone.

"Belgica was traumatized by water as a girl,” Silva said, “so it was very difficult for her to get through that scene. We knew going in we could only shoot it once,” said Silva. “And, thank God, we got it on the first take," Pierano added, laughing.

The filmmakers heretofore in their career have used a minimalist approach to writing and directing, in order to draw out great acting performances, and let the quiet, reflective moments on screen speak for themselves.

“We didn't change Belgica and Alejandro 's apartment, where we shot; they had two old cats who lived with them, so we used them in the film,” said Silva. “They became part of the environment.  And we didn't wish to change that environment. This screenplay very much came out of their real lives," added Peirano.

Although their story-driven techniques of using long takes and a drawn-out narrative work well for the first two-thirds of OLD CATS, their decision to slap on a Hollywood ending left a bad taste in my mouth. After eighty-five minutes of fighting her daughter on signing over her flat, when Isadora gains her full faculties after being rescued from the water fountain, she tells Eugene to print another copy of the power-of-attorney form for, all of a sudden, she is ready to hand over her flat. That this change of heart comes too fast and too quick is only one problem with the script; the filmmakers' decision to go this route also finely illustrates Hollywood's power over even the most independent of filmmaker's narrative styles today.

As jarring and unbelievable as her sudden change in attitude is, Isadora's decision to give into Rosario, without first making peace or amends with her, also serves to efficiently drive home the 'take-away' of OLD CATS:  that, sometimes, it's simply too late to change your life.

The forced ending notwithstanding, Silva and Peirano's film is beautifully shot and offers non-Chilean audiences the opportunity to see two great theatre actors at work on the big screen, tackling a story about aging (un)gracefully, a theme rarely addressed in Hollywood movies today.

DEE REES' PARIAH and SUNDANCE: ALL ABOUT 'FREEDOM'

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

Today at 6 p.m., Sundance Institute President and Founder Robert Redford opened the 2011 Festival with these words: We’re always asking, ‘What are we doing, why are we here, what’s the point of all of this?’” he said. “The point simply has been to do whatever we can to create opportunities for new artists.”

Beginning with Sundance 2010, Festival directors and programmers returned to their core mission statement:  to turn away from the pomp and circumstance of more recent Festivals, and return to a focus on great films, important, up-and-coming filmmakers, and cutting-edge content.

Besides the Kenneth Cole-designed royal blue ski vests that "Festival Insiders" (no longer called Festival volunteers) don, Sundance 2011 offers a lower key, rougher around the edges feel; and, with fewer stars about town, puts the emphasis back on independent filmmakers and their wide range of films which Redford feels is critical to audiences today.

“Some films are not going to be liked at all, and some films will be very much liked. That’s okay,” said Redford. “The point is to show what’s out there. And create opportunities for the filmmakers, and for audiences to find that work.  Wherever it goes is really some other people’s business.”

In line with Redford's efforts to use Sundance to help turn worthy filmic ideas into extraordinary finished films, a record six of the sixteen films in the U.S. Dramatic Competition this year were developed through the Sundance Institute Labs.  PARIAH, the opening-night film at Eccles Theatre was among them.

Nekisa Cooper

PARIAH's producer, Nekisa Cooper, spoke about the effect the Sundance Institute had on bringing their film to market.  "It takes a village, " she said, "and Sundance really supported our work.  But so did Sundial Pictures and IFP, which also has a great lab, and the Tribeca Film Institute.  It really takes a village to get an independent film produced."

Dee Rees

The film's director, Dee Rees, admitted the content of PARIAH had a lot to do with the difficulty Cooper and she faced in convincing backers that the feature film version of their successful 2007 short would draw audiences, acclaim, and the all-important bottom line:  profit.

"Never use these three words in a pitch if you want to get funding:  Black, gay, or coming-of-age.  Never.  Not if you want to get your movie funded," she said.

Despite their initial difficulty, the production team's tenacious efforts have paid off.  Rees said they now have 95% backing for the film, from more than a half-dozen sponsors.

Adepero Oduye, "Alike," in PARIAH

But, like the the 2009 Sundance Grand July Prize-Winning PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE, a film by Lee Daniels, PARIAH is about a Black teenager, Alike, played by Adepero Oduye, coming to terms with herself in the midst of her dysfunctional family and a socio-cultural reality which neither reflects how she sees the world, nor herself within it.

PRECIOUS, like PARIAH, struggled to get financial backing until Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry joined the filmmaker as co-producers and helped to promote the film after its successful showing at Sundance 2009.

Dee Rees credits executive producer Spike Lee for doing for PARIAH what Lee Daniels said Oprah and Perry did for his award-winning film.

"[Spike] has been great to me all along--all the way through film school [at NYU's Tisch School] until now.  He read draft after draft when I was originally writing it--and he was honest.  He'd say--'awful, too obvious, too on-the-nose.'  Then, after it was shot, he looked at cut after cut with us.  And, now that we're going into the distribution phase, he is helping us navigator those waters, as well--to help us figure out how to go about finding a distributor, and what to look out for."

But, if you ask Rees, Spike Lee and her producer Nekisa Cooper, meant far more to her than just the producing experience they brought to PARIAH.  In fact, they helped her to have the courage to tell her semi-autobiographical tale.

Kim Wayans, "Audrey," in PARIAH

Like the mother of the title character, Audrey, played by Kim Wayans, Rees' mother turned her back on the filmmaker after she came out, and that's where Spike Lee and Cooper, as well as others among the cast, stepped in.   They acted as caring, accepting friends, who gave Rees the strength to relate honestly the pain of coming out to parents who disapprove of who you are, while you are still uncertain exactly who that is or how you fit within society.

Also like the title character, Rees said she had difficulty defining her sexuality, because she "wasn't butch, but also wasn't femme."  Rather, she was "just" herself.  And that didn't fit into any specified social role, either within mainstream society, or the lesbian community of friends of which she was a part.  Ultimately, Rees said the theme of the movie PARIAH came from this realization.

In the latter part of the shoot, the production experienced unceasing inclement weather.  As frustrating as it was, it gave Rees some time to think about a suggestion a crew member had made about adding some emotional or dramatic weight to the ending of the film.  Rees had already written the final scene in which Alike leaves both her disapproving mother and her loving best friend, her Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn, for California and early entrance into UC Berkeley.  

Charles Parnall, "Arthur"

The visuals of Alike leaving her father, Arthur, played by Charles Parnall, her sister, and friend and boarding a bus to California may not have been enough to drive home the theme of the movie.  So, during this long rain delay, Rees had extra time to sit down and write a poem, which Alike ultimately recites in voice-over to draw the film to a riveting and affecting close.

With perfect pacing and fine iteration, Alike speaks to the freedom that comes in the "cracks" of her life, in those spaces, places, and times that she is unquestionably angry and lonely, but also undeniably free.  Free to be different, to be herself--to be unlike anyone else, either in the ranks of mainstream society or within her self-identified social group.

Aasha Davis, "Bina,"

For Rees, the title of the film is based on how others see Alike, or any other person classified as "going against the grain" in society...as 'pariahs.'  Ironically, though, it is in this liminal social space that teens like Alike are given the greatest gift of all:  the opportunity to be free.  Because, as Alike tells her father just before her bus bound from California pulls away, "God doesn't make mistakes."

DAY ONE, SUNDANCE, Thursday, Janurary 20, 2011

Ashley Elaine York @ Sundance 2011

January 20, 2011

After much anticipation, the 2011 Sundance Film Festival commences today from Park City, Utah.

DAY ONE at Sundance is a celebration of Festival films in competition and the New Frontier program, including: 

Dee Rees' PARIAH, executive produced by Spike Lee
< http://sundance.bside.com/2011/films/pariah_sundance2011 >.

PARIAH is a coming-of-age drama about 17-year-old Alike (played by Adepero Oduye from Law and Order and Wifey) who struggles to negotiate her multiple and competing social identities.

By day, Alike is a proud, black, feminist butch living for the city and the cause, along with her "outted" friends in their middle class Brooklyn milieu.  But, at night, to meet the expectations of her parents and her religious community, this torn teenager reverts to her role as the good feminine Christian girl.  Along with Alike's search for sexual identity, PARIAH asks the timeless and thought-provoking question: "Who do you become when you can't be yourself?"

Among those films in competition for the 2011 Sundance US Dramatic feature film prize, PARIAH is based on the audacious short of the same name that premiered at Sundance 2008, before taking the top prize at seven other film festivals, including the Palm Springs Intl Short Festival and the Los Angles Film Festival (Audience Award).  

Lisa Kennedy of the Denver Post calls the short form PARIAH, "reminiscent of the smart urban cinema of Jim McKay ('Everyday People'), Nelson George ('Life Support') and 'Half Nelson' [by] director Ryan Fleck."  The work of a "promising young Black filmmaker," professor of Feminist Studies, Jacqueline Bobo, adds, "PARIAH is an engaging, thoughtful, must-see film about a young Black lesbian confronting the complexities of family, high school and her awareness of her sexual milieu."

PARIAH is a film to follow, based on past reviews and awards for its short form version, as well as its A-list backer in Spike Lee.  Dee Rees' feature film debut (which she scripted while interning on Lee's INSIDE MAN) may set the standard for films to come during Sundance 2011.


COMING UP NEXT:
CHECK BACK after the screening concludes at midnight PST for a complete review of the film and the breakout performances of its cast, including lead actress Adepero Oduye (from Nigeria by way of Brooklyn) who also starred in Bill T. Jones' FELA! and the TV movie Wifey (directed by past-BET Chief Reginald Hudlin), as welll as her guest-staring turns in episodes of Law and Order ("Birthright," NBC, 2005), Law and Order: Criminal Intent ("The War at Home," NBC, 2006), The Unusuals ("The Circle Line," ABC, 2009), and Louie ("Dentist/Tarese," FX, 2010).

Also, tomorrow afternoon, look for commentary on Sundance founder Robert Redford's opening address, a post-screening conversation with Director/Producer Dee Rees, Producer Nekisa Cooper, and cast members Kim Wayans, Aasha Davis, Charles Parnell, Pernell Walker, and star Adepero Oduye, plus an overview of Day Two at Sundance 2011.