Making It Happen by Dan Dimancescu

Making It Happen: a snapshot of creating a historical documentary

Ronnie Otero

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The author filming the IAR aircraft complex in Brasov, Romania

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Foreword About the documentary: Knights of the Sky - Air War Over Romania In 1940, Romania joined in an uneasy alliance with Nazi Germany following a pro-fascist military coup that deposed King Carol II. An important Ally against Germany during World War One, Romania's joining of the axis a mere twenty years later was an unexpected shift which highlighted the political pressures the country endured. Hitler forcefully cultivated his ally in Eastern Europe, providing military advisors and top of the line German fighter aircraft to defend the most important resource in his strategic partnership with Romania. Oil. Romania's petroleum industry, the fifth largest in the world at that time, was capable of supplying a significant percentage of the fuel needed to keep Hitler's blitzkrieg rolling. From 1942 to 1944 the U.S Air Force marked the Romanian oil industry for destruction. The campaign began in 1942 with OPERATION HALPRO, a surprise raid launched from Egypt which showed off the long range capabilities of American air power. A year later, in 1943, OPERATION TIDAL WAVE - a daring daytime low-level raid launched from Libya on the petroleum refineries around the city of Ploesti - heightened the grinding campaign against the Romanian oil industry. The brutal air war pitted American fighter pilots tasked with protecting the bombers against Romanian aces who had sharpened their tactics during massive air battles against the Russians on the eastern front. These men fought and died following a code of honor that has all but been forgetting in the modern age of mechanized warfare. They were Knights of the Sky.

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Beginnings

n early 2007 my friend Nick Dimancescu told me he was starting a documentary film company out of his apartment in Boston. It was a big and exciting idea to say the least. The process of creating documentaries from scratch sounded like a great way to combine Nick's creative vision and our mutual passion for film and history. Other than student projects neither of us had been involved in any serious filmmaking, but we were well aware that technological advances of the last decade have changed the way films are made completely. With affordable high definition video cameras and sophisticated computer film-editing programs, enthusiastic young filmmakers can produce some incredibly professional results. I gave Nick's idea an enthusiastic green light, and pledged my support to help get the company up and running. A big history and mythology fan, Nick dubbed the new venture Kogainon Films, after the sacred mountain revered by the Dacian people of ancient Romania. Spiritual allusions aside, taking part in the filmmaking journey with Kogainon Films has been a rewarding baptism by fire for everyone involved. *** At the time of Kogainon Films founding I was fresh off my experience studying film in college, where I was first introduced to a discouraging mantra regarding "making it" in the mainstream movie business. As a student, you are constantly reminded that with talent and hard work it is possible to pursue film as a career. However, we couldn't help but notice the quiet resignation of most of our professors to the "it's not what you know, but who you know" attitude. Sadly, for many of my

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colleagues it was discouraging enough to lead them to abandon their dream of making films. Fortunately for me, at that point I was already more interested in figuring out a way to combine film and history into my ideal career, rather than working through the hierarchy of the Hollywood system my instructors alluded to. At the time I had no idea what the implications of my choice would be for the type of job I ended up in; I think I was just happy to break with the discouraging outlook of doing it the Hollywood way. *** For any subscribers or administrators of the aforementioned mantra, Kogainon Films' portfolio of films is an example of another way of doing things. In the two years since founding Kogainon Films, Nick has managed to pump out a series of short cultural films, as well as two 50-minute documentaries. The first brings to life his grandfather's World War One soldier's diary from 1916 to 1918 in Romania. Producing these films independently and entirely inhouse, Kogainon Films is off to a great start. Participating in the filmmaking process with Nick and the Kogainon team has allowed me to channel a personal passion for history that started as a childhood obsession.

History Buff My fascination with history began as a little boy costumed in camouflage fatigues and green face paint, and armed with a backpack full of rock "grenades" and a rusty old pogo stick that doubled as a machine gun. I patrolled and ambushed for countless hours after school, fanatically practicing war hero moves learned from the Rambo and Arnold movies. I remember sprinting furiously from cover to cover before flopping

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onto the ground and unleashing a deadly hail of lead into charging hordes of enemies, screaming for air support into an old army radio my Granddad had found at the dump. Just as I was really getting into it my Grandmother would blast an air horn to call me home for dinner, no matter how deep into the woods the battle had taken me. Aside from popular action movies of the 1980's and 90's my childhood enthusiasm for heroics was somewhat encouraged by my Grandfather, who passed on history books and good stories he had collected over the years. Some of my Granddad's stories came from friends and colleagues, who in many ways were a perfect example of the generation that lived through World War Two. Veterans of the marines, army, navy, academics, engineers, teachers, and physicists; they were everyday American's who as young people joined in something we now know was incredible. I remember listening to our neighbors Lou Cunningham and Henry Outten - both veterans of aerial dogfights against the Japanese- recall both scary close calls and funny moments in the same winding story. Back then I didn't connect the brutality of war to reality until I witnessed the subtle emotions in Lou and Henry as they told their war stories. That was a big step in my early understanding of war. Even to a naĂŻve kid, emotions immediately indicated to me the powerful effect that stirring up intense memories can have. Years later when I studied history in college I realized that my growing fascination wasn't only with war, but with the power of the human element rising above periods of conflict. Since then I've looked for more and more stories, completely hooked on the honesty of their emotions.

Making Documentaries I've been traveling with Nick - whose grandparents emigrated from Romania to the U.S in 1956 - for over a decade. Our first trip together was a trek through the Carpathian

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Mountains of Romania. Following gorgeous trails that wound from lush rolling foothills to the top of knife-like ridges, we first felt a sense of independence and confidence that is inspiring for a 16 year-old.

Four years later we worked as interns on a National Geographic Magazine sponsored preservation project at a remote cave complex, digging for extinct cave-bear bones alongside professional archaeologists. During that trip Nick connected with Cristian Lascu, editor of the Romanian edition of the National Geographic and an indispensable supporter of Kogainon Films ever since. Nick's first business idea - an adventure sports touring company - also required an extended trip, this time to survey Romania's various recreational winter sports options. For a twenty five year old, these experiences represent a significant chunk of my life, and collectively contain some of my favorite memories. Since the start of Kogainon Films three years ago, our trips have taken on the added thrill of documentary filmmaking. After leaving the University of Massachusetts in 2008 with my history degree, a serious itch for documentary film, and no looming post-grad employment, I offered to help Nick with his film projects whenever possible. I had some experience with

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camera work and editing from a summer workshop with the New York Film Academy, and an internship with NPR had sharpened my editorial and research skills. Those practical learning experiences ended up coming in handy when I worked on my first project with Nick. The project, Hill 789: The Last Stronghold, was Kogainon Films first 50-minute documentary. It was broadcast on TVR1, Romanian national television, in December 2009. Nick and I taking a break from filming "Hill 789: The Last Stronghold" in 2008. I snapped this pic of our reflection in an open tank of crude oil.

From the conceptualization, research, storyboarding, all the way through to camera work and script editing, I've played a multipurpose role at Kogainon Films. It's been a stroke of luck and a huge opportunity to work in a field that I love; especially considering this is all happening in a time where many in our generation are in despair over a lack thereof.

Knights of the Sky The origins of the current Kogainon project - Knights of the Sky - traces back to December 2009, when Romanian history buff Alex Arma told Nick about an incredible World War Two dogfight between American pilot Barrie Davis and Romanian pilot Ion Dobran. On June 6, 1944, a date most remember for the D-Day landings in France, Dobran ambushed Lt. Davis and his wingman Wayne Lowry as they returned from escorting American bombers to oil industry targets in Romania. Sneaking up on the two Americans from behind, Dobran un-

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leashed a burst of canon and machine gun fire that left Davis unconscious and his P-51 Mustang badly damaged. Lowry chased after Dobran and eventually forced him to crash land, ending the brief but violent encounter with both sides questioning the fate of their adversary. By the end of World War Two both Davis and Dobran had both earned the coveted "ace" status by shooting down five or more enemy aircraft, cementing their air-battle in the collective war history of both countries. The story was intriguing enough to get Nick thinking about making a film drawing together all the amazing history surrounding the massive air war over Romania during WWII. The idea gained serious momentum in January of 2010; 66 years after Ion Dobran and Barrie Davis met in combat. With the help of the Romanian Air Force, Nick arranged their reunion in Bucharest. Though I didn't get to witness the event in person, watching the footage Nick brought home of the two elderly warriors embracing felt like nothing less than history in the making. Drawing a sense of purpose from our intimate involvement in the historic reunion, we began the daunting process of constructing the new film from scratch. *** In May of 2010, Nick, his father Dan, and I traveled to Romania for the production phase of Knights of the Sky, the World War Two installment of Kogainon's series on "Romania At War." Our ambitious goal for the trip was to shoot the majority of the footage needed for the film, and to follow up on leads we had identified during the research stage. Working as primary camera operator, I also tackled the daunting secondary responsibility of managing the huge pile of extraneous film equipment we travel with. My first trip with Kogainon Films - filming for Hill 789 back in 2008 - was a historical treasure hunt that turned up lots of battlefield artifacts, but unfortunately no living witnesses. Arriving in Bucha-

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rest in May, our hopes were high knowing there are literally thousands of people still living who witnessed and participated in the events featured in the film. In historical documentary films first person testimonials are a crucial element because they provide a captivating core of perspective and emotion that viewers can really connect with. Highlights of the May '10 trip play back in my memory as a series of colorful vignettes, echoing key moments in the chapters of the film were putting together.

Ronnie and Nick schlepping camera gear during the May 2010 "Knights of the Sky" shoot. A frequent sweat-equity pastime of Kogainon Films.

The first stop on the day's shooting schedule was Galateni, a rural village about an hour and a half south of Bucharest. Sixty-six years earlier residents of the small farming village watched as several American bombers crashed flaming into the fields around their community; shot down as they returned from missions over Bucharest and the oil facilities around Ploesti. Filming in the small village was supposed to be cut and

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dry; background scenery for the bigger story of the 1942-44 air war. We had heard that the Galateni church maintained a burial register that supposedly held the names of several American airmen who were buried in the small village graveyard. As we filmed the modest exterior of the Orthodox chapel the priest appeared carrying a large leather-bound book. Placing the book on a small table inside the sanctuary, the priest began flipping through the book, using his finger to scan for the American names we were looking for. Our small group huddled closely around the table, eyes glued to the yellowed pages of the old book. Viewing the names scrolling by in the sharp high definition of the camera, my senses were completely tuned in to the unfolding drama. The priest stopped his finger on a set of eight American names, dated under August of 1944. The tiny chapel was silenced by the weight of the moment. Written in faded blue ink, the eight names brought to mind a sad comparison. A group of American men younger than Nick and I had been buried here almost seven decades years ago. As I filmed the names I began to think about those young men as individuals, their background stories tragically brought together by the common denominator of their last few moments together. We wrapped up the shoot and prepared to head back to Bucharest, completely satisfied with the amazing material we had gathered at the church. As we packed up our gear a local man told us that a nearby house had once served as a jail for two American airmen who survived crashes in Galateni. Not wanting to pass on the opportunity we took the quick drive to the jailhouse, completely unprepared for what we were about to find. The homeowner and his wife were happy to show us around their property, which they confirmed had indeed been the Galateni Gendarme (Police) station during World War Two. Through an interpreter they repeated a story that Nick and I had first heard while interviewing William Giambrone,

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the sole survivor of the crash that killed the eight men we found in the death register. The farmhouse cellar where two American airmen were hidden from a German patrol by their Romanian captors.

Giambrone and another captured American airman where brought to this farmhouse after their capture by the village police. Instead of handing the men over to the local German unit - who they feared would abuse the airmen prisoners the Romanians decided to hide Giambrone and the other prisoner in the basement of the Gendarme station for the night. As they lay silently in the cramped basement, Giambrone and the other American must have been aware of the risk his captors were taking. Romanians were sticking their necks out to spare the American prisoners from the brutal treatment they would receive if discovered by the German patrol. When the Americans were transferred to a P.O.W camp in Bucharest the next day, the villagers used the yard of the jailhouse as a scrap metal collection point during the clean-up of the crash sites around Galateni. Nick and I listened intently to the homeowners, mentally connecting the dots of the research we had done before the trip. And then it happened. Ten minutes into our time at the farmhouse Romanian aviation historian Dan Melinte spotted an unusual piece of shiny metal in the chicken fence surrounding the property. My eyes remained glued to the camera monitor as Melinte explained that the piece of aluminum patching the dilapidated fence was most likely a piece of the skin of an American B-24 bomber, one of the last remnants of the wreckage brought to the farmhouse after the crashes.

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With B-24 fragments recovered from Galateni. Taken at the Athenee Palace Hotel in Bucharest.

It was a huge moment for everyone present. Never before had I been in a position to physically connect with something so historically charged. With the help of the homeowner we ended up recovering several other small pieces of aluminum that were buried in the yard. Completely worn out from the events of the day, I dozed off during the drive back to Bucharest. I slept almost the entire way, undisturbed by the clatter of metal artifacts rattling around in the back of our truck. *** A whirlwind eight months after the historic reunion of Barrie Davis and Ion Dobran, the production of Knights of the Sky has built an impressive international network of people connected by mutual experiences involving WWII in Romania.

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Despite the speed at which the production has moved since January, it isn't always smooth sailing. In order to make this film happen on short time and limited funding, Nick and Dan have brought together a team of international people to fulfill one simple goal: produce a unique film which tells an amazing true story. As a member of that team and a witness to the last eight months of collaboration, I can definitively say that the process of assembling a quality documentary film takes serious work. Creating Knights of the Sky with serious history buffs in mind, while also making it accessible to a more general audience is a problem we've been chewing over since the early days of the project. The solution by Nick and editor/digital effects guru Kyle Brandse has been putting in the extra work and travel necessary to create an original story-telling concept that keeps the films on pace with the technology available today. Combined with Kyle's progressive visual design of the film, Nick's approach to filmmaking adds a genuine sincerity that is palpable when viewing his films. Instead of acting as a detached director and narrator, Nick has taken part in every interview, research trip, and film shoot conducted by Kogainon films. Knights of the Sky channels the 1940's war stories of Romanian, American, and German's through the unique perspective of a young Romanian-American revisiting the scene 66 years later. Using that modern perspective to move the film along, this project is an encouraging example of where history storytelling should be in 2010. Knights of the Sky is a serious history film which focuses on the stuff I have always valued most: the amazing stories of people who were there.

Filmmaking The journey from inception to where we are today on the production of this film has seriously reinforced my faith in the power of historical story telling. My personal journey from childhood afternoons spent playing war to the travel and film-

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making experiences I've had with Kogainon Films has far exceeded my expectations for what I thought I would be doing at this stage in my life. I firmly believe that going about it the Kogainon way cultivates the creative focus needed to complete a project as tedious as getting a film made. Imagine visiting the same room periodically for over a year and seeing the team of people sitting in front of computers, reviewing footage, editing sequences, and adjusting color and sound levels; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the type of daily grind this process is. For aspiring young filmmakers: if you think your passion could create that type of a work ethic, I hope I've provided one example of how current technology is changing the game for people willing to take their project from idea to finished product. For myself, Nick, Dan, Kyle, and all the other people who have contributed to Knights of the Sky, the last year has been about one thing. Making it happen.

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Shooting Scenes - Romania 2010