Lance Around Orlando

Where Does Reality Begin and End?

My day was all planned out, after An Affair of the Heart I planned on going to see The Gruffalo’s Child, which looked super cute (opposite of my normal slasher film). While waiting for An Affair of the Heart to start, I run into LanceAround. I ask him where the Garden Theatre is located (so I don’t get lost again like last year), and he tells me an additional 45 minutes away. Since I already live about 2 hours from where the FFF is held, I changed my plans a bit.
 
I look at the schedule and decided upon Kumare, which I originally did not plan on seeing at all during this year’s festival. Before Kumare starts, Peggy announces that the short Maurice will precede the feature. She gives the audience a disclaimer that it has some nudity and that it’s about the last porn cinema in Paris. This short did not capture my attention, and the nudity that was shown was not needed or classy, since it just used as a backdrop behind the cinema owner. I couldn’t wait for it to end and for Kumare to start. 
 
Kumare is about a self appointed ‘guru.’ Vikram Gandhi (Kumare) grows out his hair, uses his grandmother’s accent and goes undercover to start a following. His point is to prove that no one is more spiritual that anyone else. He made up chants and taught nonsense rituals that people followed with no questions asked.
 
This ‘religious belief’ was reported to be the longest prank ever documented. The point behind the film is that you don’t need anyone outside yourself to make you happy.
 
I was actually shocked by this film as I didn’t really want to see it. It captured my attention and really made me think about people and society. What are people thinking? What makes someone follow a person or religion? As Vikram said, most gurus and spiritual leaders a full of it, and I completely agree. You shouldn’t need a religion or person telling you that you can have personal happiness; you just need to recognize the guru within yourself.

These People (with NumberOneEmber and ThatGuyRoberto) Willingly Follow a False Prophet. Why Would They Do That?

Upon entering the Film Festival, I notice three oddly dressed people. Two guys and one girl were all dressed as, what I assumed to be, hippies. They all had beards–even the girl! I approached them and just had to ask what they were doing here dressed like this.

“We’re promoting Kumare,” Shriyantha Wimalasekera explains.

I hadn’t heard of this particular movie, but Chelsea -adorning the lovely false beard- explains to me that it’s a movie about a man who wants to “teach people to be their own guru. He’s a false guru and teaches people his own teachings. His own techniques are called Kumare and he’s made his own website of the false teachings called Kumare.org.”

“It won the audience award at SXSW in California and this is the east coast premier,” adds Jeffrey Pennett.

Maybe it was my spiritual upbringing, but I have to admit I was rather intrigued. So, I ask Shriyantha what he thinks of the movie.

“Kumare’s way of life is a reflection of yourself. It has strong support and it won’t disappoint; it’s not possible.” He says.

After a quick picture, they inform me that the director and star of the movie is going to hold a Skyped Q and A at the Tuesday showing. “He’s a spectacle,” says Jeffrey, “and you can italicize that.” (So I did.) It’s too bad I have school that day.

With that, I bid them adieu and head to Shorts 1. I ask Stuart, the guy standing next to me, if he had seen the shorts and what he felt about them.

He said, “I like shorts. You see a lot of creative stuff and if it’s terrible, it only lasts a short time.”

I completely agree. Although, many of the shorts in this program weren’t short enough. I’ll admit I did love some shorts such as Queen, The Other Side and Jim & Frank. Otherwise, I’d like to just skip over that experience completely.

When those films were over, I took the “hippie” group’s advice and headed to Kumare instead of the second set of shorts (which I’ve lost all faith in). I’d like to block out the short documentary that premiered before this movie as well. However! Kumare has to be one the BEST films I’ve seen all year and was certainly the best documentary I’ve seen in my life time (as far as I can remember). I’ll save the details of the movie for you all to find out, but let me say: it’s true, this movie does not disappoint.

This is One of the Most Powerful Films at this Year's Florida Film Festival

Audience Reactions
As Day 2 of the FFF begins, I realize I’m getting older. Staying up till 4am to finish blog posts, then driving an hour to the FFF later in the morning takes a toll. I find that I’m not overly optimistic. I realize they probably chose the opening night film because it was a local production–and the fact that it sold out two theatres indicates it was the right choice. And while it certainly wasn’t a bad movie, neither did it leave me feeling hopeful for this year’s festival.

So I begin the day with one of my favorite activities–interviewing theatre goers about their festival experiences…

“You can use my alias, Scott,” begins the first person I interview.  He has been attending the FFF since “the beginning.” His favorites are the docs and the shorts. He wants to tell everyone to “get off the computer and get down here to see some films.”  Meanwhile, his fellow theatre mate makes a disparaging comment about people who blog–pointedly looking in my direction–as he corrects my grammar. Then, suddenly, Scott recognizes that I’m the notorious LanceAround blogger. His eyes widen in obvious admiration.

Leonard Feinberg has been attending the FFF for 21 years. He’s looking forward to  some great films.  “All the films have been good,” he says, reminiscing about past FFFs. In the early years, he helped with the volunteer effort.

Someone who identifies herself as Gertrude is talking animatedly to her two friends. “Why did you pick me to interview?” she asks. “Because you looked like a  talker,” I respond. Her male companion nods emphatically. “You’re good!, says her female companion. (I admire her astute observations of my abilities.) “This is our first movie but we’ve come in years past,” her companion says. She goes on to point out, “They’re already primed with the beer,” as if that was not obvious!

A woman in a purple shirt wants to know if there is a line to be interviewed for the blog. “There was a line to get tickets, there’s a line to get into the movie, I’m wondering if there’s a line to be interviewed for the blog,” she laments. I tell her there’s no line and, just as she’s about to speak, the line into the theatre begins to move and I don’t have the opportunity to interview her.

Shorts 1
High Maintenance-Hilarious short about a man’s effort to impregnate his wife, despite his slutty mother-in-law’s interference.

L Train-A powerful film, beautifully shot, telling the story of an impoverished teen in Chicago helping someone even less fortunate than herself. It was only after it was over I realized there was zero dialogue. That’s high praise.

Christmas is Ruined-A cute script about a rogue Santa Elf being interrogated for the disappearance of the most famous person on earth. A clever production that might have worked if it had competent actors.

Queen-Wow! Ryan Eggold gives a tour de force performance that is incredible in his role as a male cross dressing nightclub performer who’s phenomenal act is countered by the tragedies in his/her life.

Mouthful-This would have been a hilarious, well written and superbly acted film if only I didn’t have to watch its x-ratedness while sitting beside my daughter and a friend of hers from school.

Jim & Frank-This one might feel a little slow and a little disjointed. You might be tempted to let your mind wander. But when you understand the unexpected surprise at the end of the film, you’ll wish you had paid close attention the entire time. Then, like the audience at the screening I attended, you will gasp. You will love this film.

The Other Side-This is the kind of film you go to film festivals to see.  Smart, well acted, beautifully directed, it tells the story of an Israeli child living beside the wall who is an outcast within his peer group. When he encounters someone on the other side of the wall, his tender, thoughtful and heartfelt interactions will have an impact on you.

The lights come up and I’m slightly dumbfounded. I realize that this was probably the most powerful and, frankly, the best set of shorts I have ever seen. Several filmmakers come up for the Q & A

#1Ember Interviews Tony Borden

Tony Borden is the writer, director and played a lead in the short Jim & Frank. Without giving away the surprise ending, I am shocked to discover that he did not get any permission to do the portrayals in the movie. Afterwards, the LanceAround blog team catches up with him. He admits that he’s a little nervous about possible legal ramifications. He’s a little shy and seems genuinely surprised by the enormous amount of positive feedback his film is receiving. He’s quick to dismiss it, surmising that people are just being polite. We assure him this is not the case. Everyone we speak with really loves his film. In fact, at the press preview night, his was the only film that was selected to be shown in full.  That’s high praise at the FFF.

Ellis Cahill, a principal actor in Mouthful, likewise seems a little dismissive when I tell her that her performance was one of the best I have ever seen. She is quick to credit the script and the director. I am equally quick to correct her. Yes, both script and director were good–but the role was extremely difficult to pull off and she did so with a lot of depth.

Khen Shalem

Yet nothing prepared me for the interview I had with Khen Shalem, filmmaker for The Other Side. The most amazing aspect of his film was his ability to even-handedly portray both sides of the Israeli, Palestinian conflict. His movie, as told through the innocence of childhood, was as deep and thought-provoking as any movie I have ever seen.

Unbelievably, he spoke about his efforts to fund more films. When he showed potential financiers this movie, he found that he was often turned down because they felt the movie was too one-sided. But what made it weird is that each different financier would insist that one side–or the other–was shown in too favorable a light–each time it was a different side!

I sat and chewed on this insight for a long time. It was the perfect preparation for what I was about to experience in the next movie I would see–a documentary entitled, Kumare.

[NumberOneEmber’s Note: ThatGuyRoberto is a close friend of mine -the same age as myself- who joined LanceAround, SunnyStefani and I on our adventures at the FFF today. We watched Shorts 1 and Karame. Here is ThatGuyRoberto’s reviews of the films he saw]

ThatGuyRoberto

Shorts 1
I have a horrible memory and honestly can’t remember half of the shorts, but the one short that I do remember was The Other Side. It was moving, but in a different way than would be considered moving. The fact that no matter when the main character kicked the ball over the wall, it always came back even though the two towns were separated. The movie touches all the major problems that people face nowadays: bullying, wars, separation, loss, etc. I noticed they don’t say how he losses his brother; maybe to make the audience think. We hope that he was separated by the wall like in the boy’s dream. Perhaps he really was separated from his family when the wall went up.

As for the other shorts, like Mouthful, they may have had good acting. However, I didn’t like the subject. Otherwise, The Other Side was the only film I remember.

Then NumberOneEmber reminds me, “What about Queen?”

“Oh, Queen.” I reply.

What isn’t there to say about Queen? This was a moving story about the troubles of a -for lack of a better word- Drag Queen who sings at what seems to be a gay bar, a bouncer trying to find his way in the world, and the struggles that face them in the aftermath of Nikki’s (the main Queen) break up with ‘her’ partner. I loved it. I felt sorry for Nikki, but the bouncer really should have been more helpful.

On another note, the next movie I saw began with the short documentary, Maurice. It was beyond awkward because I was in the accompaniment of NumberOneEmber’s father, coworker and her. I’m glad I won’t be seeing anything like that again outside the Florida Film Festival. It’s not that it was bad, just awkward.

Next, Kumare. This was the best movie I’ve ever seen in the history of my life – second only to the Star Wars Saga. Why? Because it pointed out that people are ignorant, blind, and that the good in man is found within man and not in the words of another man. I find it interesting that Kumare managed to trick all those people into believe he was a guru when he blatantly told them that he was a fake and just a simple man. When he did truly reveal himself, I wasn’t angry so much as disappointed with the 4 people turned their backs on him after he had shown them that they can be anything they wanted to be as long as they believed in themselves and became their own guru. It’s disrespectful that they did this, especially when they don’t try to understand his motives; they just walked out. Yet, I loved this movie.

That’s my view of the festival.

The Filmmakers for An Affair of the Heart During the Q & A

I arrive at day two of the FFF at noon, just in time to view An Affair of the Heart. I’m not sure if the theatre is so packed because it’s the first film of day two, or because people are eager to see this film. Then I realize this film is about the legendary Rick Springfield, not to be confused with Bruce Springsteen.
 
This film is about people’s devotion and ‘obsession’ to Rick Springfield. I was clearly the youngest person in the audience. The majority of the audience seemed to be obsessed, middle aged women (and some with their husbands that were clearly drug along for the ride). As soon as Rick Springfield first appeared on the screen, the audience went crazy. I thought I was watching a Twilight movie when the audience would hoot and holler any time Jacob would appear with no shirt on. Although Rick Springfield is not my generation, I’ve heard, as I’m sure many people have heard as well, his hit ‘Jessie’s Girl.’
 

David Dean

The film was beautifully edited, especially considering it involved music. After the film I meet up with David Dean, the editor and writer of An Affair of the Heart. The first cut took him 6 months to edit, from January to June of 2011. “I’m thrilled with the final product,” he says. “This is my first feature film I’ve edited.” David has been a professional editor for 30 years, mainly working on cable TV. He’s worked with the Travel Channel, Discovery, Jack Hanna and so much more. He’s hoping this opens some doors for him as a feature film editor.
 
There was 200 hours of film shot that David took down to just 93 minutes. He “loves working with music.” Producer and director, Sylvia Caminer, has been a filmmaker for 20 years, she even won an Emmy. During the Q & A she told us Rick’s wife, Barbara, was “off limits”, and his two kids. “He’s very protective of his family,” she said.
 
Melanie Lentz-Janney, who was also the producer and director, said the film “was 30 years in the making.” She was clearly the inspiration for this film as both David and Sylvia stated they were not fans going into it. “At 15 my whole room was decorated with Rick. I know I might sound psychotic but I went to college in his hometown,” said Melanie. For her, the main point she wanted to get across was “if you have something in your heart, pursue it.” 
 
Audience Reactions
After the film I ran into Jonathan and Natasha Chisdes. They were waiting to see the second set of short films. Natasha was quick to state her husband is a fan of the shorts. “I just love shorts,” says Jonathan, “they’re like little gems.” He goes on to say, “They’re very creative and great for a short attention span.” Jonathan says he has been coming to the FFF “every year since it opened in 1992, except for 3 years.” When I asked how many films he’s seen throughout the years, he paused for a while, couldn’t give me an exact number and stated, “I really don’t know.”  They’re looking forward to seeing Liberty Heights because it was the movie they saw on their very first date.

Renee Spends Some Time Chatting With LanceAround and NumberOneEmber

My eyes droop and my fingers get slower with every typed word. It’s 12:15 in the morning and Day 1 of the FFF was exhausting both emotionally and physically. Regardless, on with the show!

The outside of the theatre was crowded with people and inside was no different. Several volunteers were trying to steer people into the two theaters showing Renee. We were lucky to get 3 seats together in the front row. As I sat through the introduction of the film, playing a game on my phone (much to my father’s disapproval), the spoken intro felt as though it ran the same length as the film.

The opening animated film, Fresh Guacamole,was great for a precursor to the depressing and emotionally unnerving topics of the opening night feature film; it was fun-spirited and made everyone laugh which is just the mood to be in to endure such raw emotions that the following movie would bring.

Renee is a fictionalized account based on the life of a real young woman addicted to strong drugs, alcohol and self-harm; in this case, cutting her arms with a razor blade. I got the opportunity to sit down with Renee herself and discuss the movie. She hadn’t actually known about the premier until several days beforehand. However, she had seen the movie before with her family: which she revealed to me as being quite awkward.

 “The film is intense and surreal,” she tells me. “Fantasies are fantasies for a reason. What really happened would have been more graphic.”

Most movies about drug abuse advocate against it, but this film is much more real than that. This film told the story of a girl who was ‘to write love on her arms’. This story, about one person’s experiences, highlights, bolds and italicizes that we have flaws. We’ll fall rock-bottom sometimes. And sometimes hope seems intangible.

Renee tells me, “Maybe your scars aren’t on your arms: maybe they’re internal; we’re human and that’s okay.”

When her story was released to the public, Renee developed into a kind of role model for others who are experiencing similar “chemical unbalancing” – not disorders: a word Renee doesn’t use for people with “everything under the sun” as she describes her own unbalancing.

“Life is a balancing act,” she says. “I’ve come to accept the pressure and responsibility of being a role model, but I still have to be Renee; I never asked to become this.”

Renee herself has been to rehabilitation 3 times –the movie being set during the second. She was sober for 3 years after relapsing that final time and almost lost her life.

“I’ve let down all those people.” She explains. However, Renee still hopes to be able to smash the chemical unbalances.

If this movie and speaking to Renee has taught me anything, it’s that people make mistakes and we have to except that failing is a major part of life. The most important thing is that we are honest with each other and ourselves. The word “secrets” play a major role in the film.

“You have to be transparent and honest,” Renee confides, “especially in relationships with parents, a significant other, and friends.”

And I mean to.

Both Theatres Were PACKED For The Opening Night Film

I couldn’t make this stuff up. Really I couldn’t. And I don’t know how it always seems to happen to me…

Today is the opening film of the 2012 FFF.  It is so popular they are showing the movie on two screens at the Regal Theatre in Winter Park. Both theatres are packed. As members of the press, I’m worried there won’t be enough room for SunnyStefani, NumberOneEmber and myself in the theatre. It’s already 20 minutes past the film’s scheduled start time.

We finally get into the theatre and manage to nab the last three seats all the way down in the front row. We’re just in time as the President of the FFF, Henry Maldonado, is beginning his introductions.

I glance over at NumberOneEmber. She’s playing a video game on her phone! I glare at her.

“You’re here to work for the LanceAroundOrlando Blog,” I remind her. (Using a voice an editor can only use if he is also the blogger’s father!) “Put away your phone and find someone to interview.  Get a good angle on the story. Make it personal. Make it real,” I continue, “The theatre is filled with people who have worked on this movie. Why don’t you try talking to the people sitting behind you. They might have been involved in making this film.”

NumberOneEmber rolls her eyes (as only a blogger can do if she is also the daughter of the editor!) and puts away her phone. She does not speak to the person behind her. I shrug my shoulders and turn back to Henry’s introductions.

Henry's Introductions

By this time Henry Maldonado is, as he likes to say, “going on and on” with his introductions at the front of the theatre. He is introducing the opening night film. It’s entitled, Renee and is the true story of Renee Yohe who has struggled with addiction and self mutilation.

The film is a powerful story, masterfully directed and acted. It was filmed entirely in Central Florida where all of the action actually took place. The cast and crew include many locals, often associated with nearby Full Sail University, The Dave School, the University of Central Florida and/or Valencia College. Although there are times when it drags, it is an impressive work, if also very depressing.

But for the moment, Henry continues his introductions. He is now pointing out people from the production who are in the audience. He acknowledges the director, producers, writer and several others. Finally he concludes by saying, “Oh, and Renee herself is here in the audience as well. Where are you Renee?”

Renee Was Sitting Right Behind Them

Suddenly, a meek little voice comes from the seat directly behind NumberOneEmber and SunnyStefani, “I’m right here,” says Renee.

SunnyStefani and NumberOneEmber shoot me a “how did you know that” glance. I just shrug my shoulders.

Honestly, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

The Cast, Crew and Even Subjects of the Opening Film During the Q & A

After a 16 hour day of work and the FFF, I finally make it home. I must admit I was not overly pleased to see this years’ opening film, Renee. NumberOneEmber and I arrive just in the nick of time for tonight’s film. We meet up with LanceAround who is waiting in the Press line. To our surprise, Renee is showing on not one, but two screens. After all the standbys are let in, the LanceAround team flocks to the only seats left available in the front row.

Filmed in Orlando, Renee is the true story of a troubled teenage girl addicted to cocaine. The film focuses mainly on her 5 days of detox before rehab. Nothing like starting off this years FFF with a depressed, drug obsessed movie.

Kat Dennings as Renee

After the film we wait for the Q & A session with the people involved in the making. There were a lot of them, including the actual Renee and Jamie Tworkowski, who was a central character in the film and a big supporter of Renee. Jamie founded the non-profit organization, To Write Love on Her Arms, which helps people, like Renee, who cut themselves. It became a viral sensation after Jamie posted a story about Renee on MySpace.

The script for the movie was 3 years in the making. It took 6 months for the re-writes, 6 months for the editing and just 25 short days of filming. During the credits a disclaimer appears saying despite the fact the film was based on a true story, it is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. So LanceAround asks the real Renee, who was in theatre, what aspects of the film were true and which portions were “everything else.” She replies, “people being people and being flawed was true. This recovery thing is a process and not perfect.” At the end she states, “Usually people are dead when they make movies about them, but I’m still alive so it’s pretty cool.” The audience laughs.

During the Q & A someone from the audience asks what the main point they wanted to get across to people watching. Jamie stated it was to inform and educate people, but “on a bigger level, save lives.”

This comment really caught me off guard because at no point during the Q & A did anyone from the production of the film state anything about where to get help or the fact that Renee was, in fact, clean and sober. For those of you who struggle with addiction, depression, self-injury, or even attempted suicide, there are many organizations out there that can help. How can you “save lives” without giving people information that will help save them?

So I would like to provide the following information:  If you don’t have family or friends to talk to, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at (800) 273 – TALK [8255]. If you are in need of drug rehab or treatment, please call the 24 hour addiction line at (877) 530 – 6575.

If you’re going to touch on a serious subject that’s based on a true story, I recommend showing people how to get help.