Roma Downey book signing event held last Sunday at Malibu Country Mart’s Bleusalt store Pandemic spawns creative movie filmed

In an interview last week with Maria Shriver on the “Today” morning show, Downey described her book as a “Call to action to be kind … It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being kind.” e book has already received kind and thoughtful reviews from a number of other authors and spiritual leaders. Singer-songwriter and New York Times bestselling author Jewel wrote that she likes how Roma” Invites us to enact the love that lives within each of us by nding simple ways to show up for one another as everyday angels.”

Roma’s friend Kathie Lee Gifford, TV personality and New York Times bestselling author, writes that throughout their friendship, Roma “has lived out the embodiment of the loving,

When the COVID-19 pandemic stole lives, upended education, destroyed businesses, and robbed us of precious time with friends and family, it did spark creativity for many with a newfound abundance of time.

For Dave Knapp, of Café Habana at the Malibu Lumber Yard, he found creativity but didn’t have much downtime. e general manager was working six days a week with a couple of kitchen sta , fullling takeout orders at the popular Malibu restaurant.

“ e phone was non-stop because we wanted to serve the public, which is great, but it became almost mind-numbing,” he said.

Knapp wanted to do “something creative to o set what was happening.” So, he dreamed up the idea for his movie “Life Between the Seconds” while bombarded with work. “If I could stop time and live between the seconds to do something else, it would be amazing, and then I could resume what I was doing” was his theme.

“During COVID, when we’re all put on lockdown, and there’s social distancing, you cannot express yourself in an outward manner,” he said. “Because we’re wearing masks you have to go internal and you have to create things from imagination. is is the theme of the lm along with taking on a false identity to nd yourself because when everyone’s wearing masks they have a di erent identity. You don’t know who you’re talking to until they remove the mask.

Metaphorically and allegorically I incorporate that in the lm,” Knapp said who cites inspiration by writer/directors David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman, Rod Ser- ling, and most of all the original “Star Trek” series.

In between taking orders for sh tacos, the writer, producer, and director said he would “literally write the script in between seconds.” After the script was completed he had to nd a way to shoot the lm in the middle of a pandemic without funding or a crew. He worked in steps, scene by scene “with whoever I could get, whatever locations I could grab” the lmmaker said. ree years of hard work have paid o with Knapp’s lm previewing March 9 at the Malibu Lumber Yard, where much of it was shot. With a colorful background pri-

Book Signing

Continued from B1 committed follower of Jesus. Although she’s not an angel; she acts like one every day.”

“’ Be an Angel’ is a blessing for all of us, for our world today, and would be a treasured gift for family and friends,” wrote Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, archbishop of Boston.

All of Downey’s books fall into the category of “Christian” and/ or “inspirational.” A native of Northern Ireland, the 62-year-old has been married for the past 15 years to television producer Mark Burnett — former chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group and creator/ producer of reality shows “ e Apprentice,” “Survivor,” “The Voice,” and “Shark Tank.” Roma has one daughter and two stepsons.

Pandemic Spawns

Continued from B1 or to working in Malibu, Knapp ran nightclubs in Manhattan and was the assistant to the infamous Steve Rubell who co-owned the notorious disco Studio 54 before Knapp’s association. Knapp had only produced one lm prior to “Life Between the Seconds.”

“Really, I was a restaurant manager,” he said. “ is is my big breakthrough.”

Knapp praised his lmmaking partner Denis Sobolev as a “very brilliant editor.” Originally from Ukraine “he’s a well-known director who now lives in Southern California whose mother still lives in Ukraine. Without his help I would not have been able to get it done. One of the themes ties into Ukraine as a place that is on lockdown. It all ties into the COVID thing. e movie was conceived during COVID. Many of the themes deal with that.”

Knapp’s two sons, who also work at the restaurant, were instrumental in helping him get the lm o the ground. Reid Knapp acts in a lead role.

“I asked people who worked in the nearby stores if they would be in the lm, including the night watchmen from the shopping center,” Dave Knapp said. “Everybody was close by and accessible.”

Along with his employer Café Habana, Knapp received tremendous support from Strange Wines. Many scenes were shot in the tasting room and even at its vineyard in Lompoc.

“ ey were very accommodating,” he said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.” Incredibly, Knapp pulled o the whole lm for the implausible sum of only $8,000.

“Don’t expect Jerry Bruckheimer,” he stated. “I did the best I could and I’m very thankful for the people at Strange Wines, Café Habana and at Starlight

Cinemas who have helped me. When you see it, it looks pretty good. It’s an art lm. You have to think about it. It’s a bit of a puzzle.”

“Life Between the Seconds” will be screened free of charge March 9 at 7 p.m. at the Malibu Lumber Yard. A party is scheduled at 5:30. e lmmaker encouraged everyone to dress warmly for the outdoor event. After the screening in Malibu, the lm will hit the festival circuit.

Knapp summed up his endeavor by saying, “When we have nowhere else to turn to all we have is imagination.”