Independent Streak Magazine--Dec./ Jan. 2021

In d ep en d en t

St r eak

M a g a zin e Dec./ Jan. 20 21

Spot light : "Fr ancesco" " A nci ent Cav es" FLIFF Awar ds " Beauti f ul Dreamer" "Fidelit y" " Di nner i n A meri ca" "32 Week s" " Some K i nd of Heav en" "Shiva Baby" " Gl i tch es" "Mank" Sundance goes v i rtual On cover : "Fr ancesco" dir ect or Evgeny Af ineevsky at Ft . Lauder dale Int l. Film Fest ival

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Sp o t l i g h t :

" Fr an cesco "

By Rachel Gal vin Director Evgeny Afineevsky received unprecedented access to the Pontiff to make the film "Francesco" possible. The film was not so much about the life of the Pope, but rather the condition of today's world as seen through the Pope Francis' eyes.

From the very first shot, the film is captivating. The Pope is in the courtyard of the Vatican and, instead of it being filled with throngs of those who love him and want to hear his message, it is eerily empty. It is night, and with metered steps the Pope crosses the Vatican square to an empty stage with the help of a priest. He sits alone to talk to a crowd that is not there.

Direct or Evgeny Af ineevsky The feeling of emptiness is echoed in frame after frame as the film shows cities around the world devoid of people with just the architecture standing silently with no sign of civilization even being there. The Pope's words are heard talking about now being a time of judgement, a time to get back on track with the Lord and with others while eliminating the superfluous. It is a time of COVID-19.

The film goes on to focus on other ills of the world -- poverty, war, genocide, climate change and more, The Pope goes to war-torn countries and meets with the downtrodden, the refugees, the prisioners, so many in need ... and talks to them, even washing their feet, kissing them and inviting them to the Vatican. Not even Typhoon Haiyan could stop him. He has reached out to embrace other cultures, classes and faiths. The film shows his compassion and love, in ways many may not have known before. It even addresses controversies within the church.

The process of making the film included many meetings with clergy and The Pope. Afineevsky said of The Pope, "He saw the movie not about him, but as a movie about us. That's what was important to me ... to have a role model to point us in the right direction in these times." The Pope wanted to go to the people and showcase them. "He is a person of action, not a person of the media," he added. "He is the true pro-life person."

Afineevsky said he was impressed with how The Pope went in front of the leaders of South Sudan and asked them to please stop the bloodshed of innocent people, and then knelt and kissed their feet [their shoes]. "It was a strongest statement I ever saw from any leader."

Since this film took years to film, it included a lot of footage, so cutting it down proved difficult. Afineevsky said the first cut came in at 6 hours and was finally wittled down to 1 hour and 56 minutes.

For more information on the film, visit www.francescofilm.com.

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Film Review : "Glit ches"

By Rachel Gal vin

As Kevin travels down the escalator at the airport, it is almost as if he is sinking into the depths of his soul. Something about him is about to be revealed. The revelation comes about, after he receives an ultimatum over the phone, when he meets by happenstance with a young girl, who reveals something deep about herself as well. She has done something horrible and now she must live with the consequences, and, for some reason, she tells all to this young stranger in her midst in the middle of an empty airport, as they await the boarding call to hop on a flight bound for Los Angeles. There, her future seems to await her, a grand opportunity? and for him an opportunity that could change his fate. But something occurs during their conversations that seems to change their lives forever.

First-time director Annie Chen does a masterful job at keeping the content interesting despite it being basically just dialogue. She said she used the Cooke anamorphic lenses to blur some of the background in the scenes, which helped to intensify the intimacy of the situation, as well as a sense of sadness and regret ? which both characters, in their own way, seem to feel.

It is a story, said Chen, about modern society. ?In America, there is the ideal of the American dream. COVID exposed how vulnerable we can be. As a society, there is a gap between the haves and have nots. Kevin did not help Lisa, but he feels connected. He didn't judge her. You feel some sort of redemption for Kevin.?

Both characters are busy in life, distracted by work, seemingly unable to connect to others in their day to day life, both dead inside. ?Everyone is living life, but living life on pause,? said Chen, who said she hopes the film will encourage people to ?embrace a stranger,? adding, ?You never know what you have in common.? ?I've always been drawn to stories about strangers,? she said, adding that she included twists and turns in the film with hope to grab and keep the attention of the audience.

Chen travels back and forth often between her home of Taiwan and certain places in the U.S., like Los Angeles; but screening her film at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Direct or Annie Chen Festival recently was the first time she had come to Florida. It was the premier in the state. ?It has been shown at other fests and I hope to attend many more,? she said.

For more information on Chen and the film, visit www.sffilms.com/glitches

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" A nci ent Cav es 3D" h as f i rst-ev er screeni ng at I M A X

By Rachel Gal vin Dr. Gina Moseley is on a quest. She and her team are searching for answers buried deep beneath the earth? answers to questions about changes to the earth's climate that happened hundreds of thousands of years ago. Her research, discoveries and exploration are all uncovered in the new 3-D documentary by Jonathan Bird called ?Ancient Caves,? which had its premier at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival on Nov. 22 at IMAX at the Museum of Discovery & Science in Ft. Lauderdale.

In the film, narrated by Bryan Cranston, the process of how they discover information from what they retrieve from caves all over the world is explained. She is able to take a look at stalagmites and stalagtites, drilling into them in some instances and examining the dust left behind, and analyzing their structure.

They are formed initially from the elements left behind by dripping water.

When the cave is not submerged during warmer periods, that is when they form. During colder periods, like an ice age, they stop growing. She can determine when massive temperature shifts occurred and how quickly.

Caves were originally formed by periods of flowing water. 15,000 years ago, oceans were 300 ft. lower and Florida was twice the size.

The director, who has always loved cave diving, loved this concept to not only showcase the beautiful caves, but also to get the chance to be a part of some pretty neat science. The film took them round the world to areas where there once was a Mayan civilization to the limestone mountains of the French Alps, from below the agricultural lands of Spring Valley, Minnesota to below the scorched earth of Death Valley, where Devil's Hole Cave is found-- a hole so deep its bottom has never been reached and whose waters are a balmy 92 degrees. The director's favorite cave, however, was Crystal Cave in Abacoa Island in the Bahamas; its beauty is unparalleled.

The diving can be quite dangerous. When they go at deep depths, they have to stop for long periods of time to decompress as they get closer to the surface to avoid getting a case of ?the bends.? They also must carry extra everything because if something fails it could prove fatal, so they have to have a backup ? of oxygen, flashlights, etc. All that equipment can be dangerous too because the diver can risk getting stuck in the smaller crevices, which did happen to one diver in the film ? and on camera.

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Filming was quite a feat, said the director, who said the Abacoa shots alone took three people 14 days.

They had to dive down, set up the lights, wait for the ?dust to settle? basically, then have the divers who would be on camera swim through for the shot several times before moving on.

Bird said he started diving in college. ?I needed a gym credit to graduate,? he said, adding that he had signed up for badmitton but found it was harder than he suspected when going against more expert players so he searched for "something easier" and came across diving. Little did he know it would change his career path.

The purpose for making the film originally was simply to put his favorite cave on film, specifically to show it at IMAX, which he felt would be the best way for viewers to really experience its beauty. ?When we started filming, everything was about 70 mm film. We ended up running tests with 6K cameras and bumped it to film and the look was comparable to film,? he said. Then, he added, 8K came along and he started testing with that and found the ?resolution exceeded film? so he decided to shoot the film 95% digital, something that he found was essential to maneuver Assist ant Cameraman Zach underwater in those smaller spaces. The Pet erson & Direct or Jonat han huge IMAX camera they might normally Bird at "Ancient Caves 3D" have used was just way too big. premier.

For more information on the film, including some videos, visit www.macgillivrayfreeman.com/project/ancient-caves

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P u b lis h e r 's No t e

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Sundance Fi l m Festi v al goes v i rtual Jan. 28- Feb . 3

By Rachel Gal vin Park City, Utah residents may breathe a sigh of relief this year. It certainly is bound to be more quiet. Then again, retail may suffer from the lack of visitors.

You see, this year, there will no be trekking across the world only to bundle up and be chilled by the winter weather in this popular locale. That is because the big yearly draw is the one and only Sundance Film Festival. But, due to COVID-19 (tired of hearing that yet?), the festival is... you guessed it... going online this year. They thought at first they would just have screenings in one spot there at the Ray Theater, but even that was canceled.

The benefit to this, of course, is that the audience could be greatly broadened as now people don't need to save their pennies to go west to the fest. They can see these great motion pictures from the privacy of their own homes.

Huddl ed masses await a screening at The Egypt ian Viewers can catch the films and action from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3. They announced Š 2015 Sundance Inst it ut e | Phot o by Jemal Count ess this year's lineup, which includes 72 films from 29 countries.

On their website, they said, "In 2021, we will offer an online platform featuring seven days of premieres, events, artist talks and cutting-edge XR exhibitions. We will also be partnering with independent cinema communities across the U.S. and 2016 Sundance beyond to safely host in-person events." (That means Fil m Fest ival Day there will be some face to face interaction after all...

One Press Keep an eye out on their website for more info.)

Conf erence They added, "From Jan. 28 through Feb 3, adventurous (L t o R): Fest ival audiences and indie film lovers everywhere will come Direct or John Cooper, together to be the first to discover and celebrate the Sundance Inst it ut e Execut ive Direct or bold, creative visions and exciting new talent that Keri Put nam, and people will be talking about all year."

President and Ready f or t his year's f est ?

Founder of Sundance Visit www.f est ival .sundance.org.

Inst it ut e Robert Redf ord Š2016 Phot o by Cal vin Knight

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The Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival took place Nov. 5 -22.

After the fest was complete, they announced all of the award-winners, shown here. Congrats to all.

2020 FLIFF Award Winners -

St ar on t he Horizon: Kate Katzman Lif et ime Achievement : Pierce Brosnan Best Foreign Fil m: UNDER THE STARS OF PARIS, France 2020 directed by Claus Drexl Best American Indie: DINNER IN AMERICA, USA 2020, directed by Adam Rehmeier Best Document ary: FRANCESCO, Italy-USA 2020, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky Int repid Award: ANCIENT CAVES 3D, USA 2020, directed by Jonathan Bird Best Comedy: I HATE SUMMER, Italy 2020, directed by Massimo Venier Best Drama: THE RED COLLAR, France 2020, directed by Jean Becker Best Short : Officer Down, UK 2020, directed by Simon Pearce Best Short Doc: Son of A Street Sweeper, USA 2020, directed by Dr. Lisa Mills Best Animat ion: Pile, France 2020, directed by Tony Auberg Best Fl orida Short : Miss Florida, USA 2020, directed by Patrick Alexander Best Broward Doc: Open Dialogues: Stories From the LGBTQ Community, USA 2020, directed by Freddy Rodriguez Audience Award, Best Fil m: UNDER THE STARS OF PARIS, France 2020, directed by Claus Drexl Audience Award, Best Drama: ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN, Poland-Germany-UK, directed by Thor Klein Audience Award, Best Doc: STOP THE BLEED, USA 2020, directed by Emily Evan Rae Audience Award, Best Comedy: DINNER IN AMERICA, USA 2020, directed by Adam Rehmeier Audience Award, Best Short : The Honey Makers, UK 2020, directed by Jeneffa Soldatic

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President ?s Award, Best Fil m: ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN, Poland-Germany-UK, directed by Thor Klein President ?s Award, Humanit arian: FRANCESCO, Italy-USA 2020, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky President ?s Award, Best Direct or: Massimo Venier, I HATE SUMMER, Italy 2020 President ?s Award, Best Act or: (tie) Francois Cluzet, THE RED COLLAR, France 2020 President ?s Award, Best Act or: (tie) Luke Oparah, VAGRANT, USA 2020 President ?s Award, Best Act ress: (tie) Catherine Frot, UNDER THE STARS OF PARIS, France 2020 President ?s Award Best Act ress: (tie) Emily Skeggs, DINNER IN AMERICA, USA 2020 Spirit of Independent s: BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, USA 2020, directed by Amy Glazer Spirit of Independent s: THE DOG SNATCH, Italy 2020, directed by Fulveo Risuleo Spirit of Independent s: THE LUNCHROOM, Argentina-Uruguay 2020, directed by Ezequiel Radusky Spirit of Independent s: NIGHT OF THE BEAST, Colombia 2020, directed by Maurizio Levia Cock Spirit of Independent s: PUPPY LOVE, USA 2020, directed by Michael Maxxis Spirit of Independent s: PUREZA, Brazil 2020, directed by Renato Barbieri Best Col l ege Short : Nuovo Cinema Para-Virus, Italy 2020, directed by Danielle Pignatelli Best Col l ege Long Narrat ive: How To Care For Strangers, USA 2020, directed by Rebecca Penner & Carver Bain Best Col l ege Doc: Inside Out The Doc, USA 2020, directed by Rocio Sullivan Best Col l ege Animat ion: Rocky Road, USA, directed by Madison Crisp & Victoria Sosa Best High School Video: Wreathless, Greece 2020, directed by George Sef er

Ready for next year? Visit www.fliff.com for more info. when it becomes available.

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Film Review : "Fidelit y"

By Rachel Gal vin Like a cat in heat, Lena (Evgeniya Gromova) is on the prowl. Not only is she looking for passion, but she is looking for spiteful revenge. Her husband, Sergey (Aleksandr Pal), an actor, she believes is having an affair with his leading lady. And she figures what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If he is sowing his wild oats, so to speak, well,

By Rachel Gal vin then, she can too. She spends part of her time reading his text messages, Secrets threaten to tear apart a modern family in this film, which was following him and engaging in other behaviors to try to prove his infidelity. The shown at this year's Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. other part of her time is engaging in acts of hedonism, unbridled passion, with whomever seems most convenient. Unfortunately for her, her actions catch up to When Sara (Jennifer Mudge) and Billy (Louis Ozawa Changchien) announce to their friends that they are having a baby and that the baby is her and, as she discovers an inconvenient truth, her whole life spins out of control. already 8 months along, the friends are shocked, because Sara has zero baby bump. But it turns out that they have hired a surrogate to fulfill their The film is pretty visual in nature (meaning: it shows plenty of nudity and sex, own little miracle. done artistically, of course). The acting is on point and it is beautifully shot.

The problem is that they did not tell Sara's mother (Wendie Malick), who Director Nigina Sayfullaeva shows sympathy for the woman in the film. The thinks it is a natural pregnancy. When they ask her for money, she thinks it scenario is very familiar-- a woman getting back at her husband for suspected is to redo their kitchen. The lie would be simple to maintain, until she infidelity, but the consequence becomes much more serious than the ordinary. It reveals that she will be coming into town. Now, they have to scramble to does not just affect her marriage, but affects her career as obstetrician and start renovations themselves while dealing with their own struggles, gynecologist as well. In the end, you wonder what will become of this woman, but including the now live-in surrogate mother, an attractive young blonde don't feel too sorry for her...feel as if, much like a cat, she will land on her feet. surfer girl that Billy seems to have noticed perhaps a bit too much.

Evidently, this erotic drama is quite revolutionary in Russia, where women who But he is not the only one noticing her though. She also catches the eye cheat are seen more as being prostitutes than real human beings with needs of of Billy's best friend Margaret (Erin Daniels) and that leads to problems their own, and so it has achieved a lot of press. M Appeal has taken it on for with her girlfriend, Jen (Kathryn Marie Smith). distribution. They seem to handle more female-driven films, arthouse and genre These are just a few of the struggles this group deals with during this film pictures, as well as LGBTQ. that deals with a lot of social issues.

This film was recently screened at the Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival.

For more info., visit www.beautifuldreamermovie.com.

Find more info. on the film at www.m-appeal.com/ catalogue/ fidelity.

Film Review : "Beaut if ul Dr eamer "

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Film Review: "Shiva Baby"

By Rachel Gal vin

Danielle (Rachel Sennott) is living a double life, and as worlds collide and secrets spill, that life is slowly unraveling. She is in quite the mess.

Her parents think their bi-sexual daughter is a feminist college student who babysits for extra money and seems to be lost in life. But, actually, she is a woman with a plan. We are not sure exactly what the plan is but she is squirreling away money for something in the future.

The issue comes with how she is making that money. She is having sex and getting paid for it. Things are working just great until everyone around her picks at her every move. Is she eating? Does she have a boyfriend? Does she have a job? The gossipy hens around her can't stop pecking.

The ?sugar daddy,? Max (played by Danny Deferrari) shows up at a shiva Daniella was forced to go to by her parents. Surrounded by family and older friends, she was already feeling uncomfortable, but seeing him with his golden-haired wife and cherub-like daughter is too much to bear. Max was not only her meal ticket but she appears to have feelings for him as well. And, as he discovers the lies she has told, plus the pressure of having her meet his wife and daughter, he, too, is feeling the stress.

Danielle tries her best to engage in niceties but her head is spinning

and she really is focused on him. Meanwhile, her ex-girlfriend is also there in the mix to further complicate the situation.

The way the film, directed by Emma Seligman, is shot, including the music, makes the viewer feel anxious throughout, much like the character in the film.

Sennott seems like an odd choice for the character. It is opposite of the stereotype. She is a pretty girl but a bit sloppy and with wild frizzed hair and untrimmed eyebrows.

Then again, Max seems a bit emasculated by his wife. Usually, the mistress is the beautiful vision, not the wife. Danielle is a bit unkempt and crazed, dressed prim and proper, while the wife is a super woman, gorgeous, a mom and holding down three jobs as an entrepreneur while he remains at home. Helping a vulnerable young girl go through law school, which is what he was told, makes him feel powerful and altruistic. It seems to be the power boost he needs to stay on an even keel.

The film with all of its high anxiety can be a bit tough to watch, keeping the viewer on edge but it also throws sarcastic humor in the mix, and anyone who is Jewish especially will enjoy the reality of the neurotic women (yentas) who can't leave poor Danielle alone.

This film was recently shown at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. For more info. on the director and all her projects, visit her website at www.emmaseligman.com.

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"Di nner in Amer i ca"

By Rachel Gal vin This punk-tastic motion picture is filled with grit and stirred with angst, anger and mixed forcefully with plenty of dark humor. Fresh and bold, the film is awkward, irreverent and a fun watch. Simon, (Kyle Gallner) a greasy-headed punk rocker who hides his famous face, much like Sia, by covering it up? in his case with a ski mask, is in need of some dough to keep his band afloat. He, also, like any proper bad boy, is in trouble with the law. While on the lam, he goes a bit helter skelter causing destruction in his wake. One of his money-making schemes involves being a lab rat and, although that doesn't work out for him, he meets a girl in the process, who takes him home with her to her unusual family. He ends up making out with her hot mom and angering her dad.

But he doesn't leave quietly? chaos ensues in a more explosive way than you can imagine.

But his reign of terror doesn't end there. The most awkward encounter is with Patty (Emily Skeggs). Naive and a bit slow, Patty also feels trapped in an awkward family. In sharp contrast to her mild mannered and innocent appearance, she is madly in love with punk and secretly sends her affections to her favorite rocker.

Won't she be surprised when she discovers who he really is? Talk about the odd couple, Simon and Patty become a bit of a Bonnie and Clyde.

This anti-hero adventure is out of the box and it looks like the actors had plenty of fun in its making, including Lea Thompson, who plays her most surprising role since being in "Howard the Duck" as she makes out with a young Simon as the hot mom.

Kudos to director Adam Rehmeier on creating this gem. The film has been shown all over the circuit including Sundance and right here at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.

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Fil m Review: "32 W eek s"

By Rachel Gal vin When Cole (Nicole Souza) drives to Josh's (KiDane Kelati) birthday party, wine in hand driving past palm trees in Santa Monica, she has a close call. She almost gets into an accident on the way. But it is another incident that ends her up in the hospital. From that one, unfortunately, she cannot remember much. In fact, she has lost memory of a lot of recent things in her life, including her boyfriend Simon (Scott Bender). Flashbacks show how they met at a carnival, how they spent time holding hands on the beach, how they go to an old movie theater, etc. She remembers her old roommate, Hannah (Nicole Rainteau), and confides in her, as well as in her therapist. The progression of memories slowly are coming back to her. The therapist recommends she play her violin or listen to music, as that seems to be the avenue that prompts memories to return.

She backtracks her steps, meets with people she was friends with to see who she remembers and who she does not, and maybe who she would rather forget. One of the people she discovers is an ex, Warren (Cameron Tagge), and finds their relationship ended in a mysterious way. Something about him doesn't compute. What is she not remembering? Could he be a stalker? Are people hiding things from her? In the end, the twist is quite jarring.

Directed by Brian Cavallaro, the film was shown at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.

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Film R e vie w : "M a n k "

By Rachel Gal vin Have you seen "Mank?" It is now on Netflix. Directed by David Fincher, known for films like "Se7en," "Gone Girl," "Zodiac," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," this film is already being discussed as potentially being award-worthy. Filmed in lush black and white, the story is set in the '40s and told through flashbacks of the '30s. It follows alcoholic Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he is laid up in bed working on writing "Citizen Kane" for Orson Wells.

Dialogue heavy, the story can get a little tedious at times and takes much concentration to follow, and can easily get dull if you don't really force yourself to pay attention. Having a knowledge of "Citizen Kane" and about its making will probably help make the film more interesting.

Seeing old movie making with more homemade effects and old movie lots, as well as the politics in the Golden Era of Holywood makes this worth watching... pointing out the dark side of Tinsel Town.

Oldman is always top notch, but Amanda Seyfried, allowed to shine in this film, really was a gem, maneuvering deftly over colloquialisms of the time with a coy sensibility and a playful diva-esque fortitude. Oldman spends most of his time bumbling and stumbling as an alcoholic.

The storyline includes current events at the time, many of which are topics similar to some that are talked about today. They include the economy (which at the time was the Great depression), including the loss of salaries and jobs; the war, Nazis and Hitler; socialism and communism; the social commentary and campaign of Upton Sinclair, and more.

The film was set up more like a play and included screenplay directions to punctuate the day, time and location of each scene.

Next time you are on Netflix, give it a look.

St . August ine Film Fest ival-- Jan. 14-24 The 11th Annual St. Augustine Film Festival (SAFF) will take place Jan. 14-24, 2021 online this year due to COVID-19.

In an announcement on Dec. 14, 2020 from the fest's president & CEO, Gregory von Hausch, he said, "Well, we gave it our best shot. Outdoor screenings on the grounds surrounding Castillo San Marco, Nightly Drive-Ins on Francis Field. Screenings at Oglethorpe Park, Coquina Park, Culinary Outfitters, Pena Peck House, Corazon and other locations. But over the last couple of days, we received final word from the city and National Park Service that, due to COVID, those plans are now dust. Hey, we understand completely ... We thought if everything was outside, then it could be safe ... But, this plague did not miraculously disappear...and the next two months could be worse of all. With all of that in mind, especially the safety of our audience and staff, and not wanting to be socially irresponsible, we announce SAFF2021 will be a totally virtual event."

For more info., visit www.staugfilmfest.com.

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Paradi se found?

Di rector Lance Oppenhei m on "Some Ki nd of Heaven"

By Rachel Gal vin Ph ot os cou r t esy of M agn olia Pict u r es

Is it possible to create a heaven on Earth? At The Villages, they are giving it their best shot.

Florida's Friendliest Hometown, this retirement community, which is America's largest and has about 120,000 residents, is bustling with activity. It boasts 42 executive golf courses and over 3000 activities and clubs. There is so much to do and see that you would never have to leave.

Director Lance Oppenheim had heard of The Villages when he was 12. At the time, he looked at it as a "hedonistic playground," hearing about the high incidents of STDs among seniors. But it wasn't until college, when he was researching about a utopian community that he decided to take a closer look.

He went in without preconceived notions, noticing how the community was like a "real life 'Truman Show,'" with everything retro, reflecting the childhoods of those who lived there. The music on the radio was from the '40s, '50s, '60s, for example. The newspaper there, he said, "only reports good news."

But Oppenheim did not want to just make a film about The Villages.

He was looking for a unique angle. He started with the institutions in place and branched out from there. And his story morphed into something he could not have imagined as he discovered some individuals on the periphery of the community that had interesting stories of their own.

He found that the human struggle could be found even in a place where the goal is to distract people from life's struggles.

11 "Who are on the margins of the community and what does that

look like?" wondered Oppenheim. "I wanted to make something that was not judgmental or political."

He added, "The stories that came about grew naturally," adding that he spent a long time questioning and talking to people in the community -- 2 1/ 2 years -- renting an Airbnb so that every time he was ready to shoot, he could go there with his cinematographer, sound guy and producers. Of course, he had an editor involved as well.

One of the people featured in the documentary was Barbara, a widow who struggled to find a place of her own within the community. Lonely and longing, she seemed to sulk as footage showed her going from activity to activity and nothing seeming to fit quite right. Oppenheim met her in the Acting Club. "She was one of the few who were not participating," he said, adding that afterward she "laid on me her whole life story." Is everyone, he wondered, as open? No, he found her to be the anomaly. "She was open, expressive... with deep psychological and emotional pain. She wanted a life where she wouldn't be [in pain]." Lucky for her, there is a bit of a surprise that develops within her story that gives hope her life will have a happy ending.

Another person featured was Dennis. Living in a van camped out at The Villages property, he hopes to cash in by finding a woman he can shack up with and have some better digs. But, being a vagabond and a bit of a player finds him in some difficulty. Oppenheim, of course, met him at a singles club. "When he gave me his business card, it said, 'Celebrity handyman and personal companion.'" He found him a bit of an enigma, not sure if he was genuine. He seemed like a pervert on the prowl and was not very forthcoming. But, over time, he revealed his vulnerability, and, in a surprise twist, once he found what he said he was looking for, he found it may not be what he wanted after all.

Married couple Ann and Reggie were probably the most intriguing to watch. Ann was the most standoffish of the group, said Oppenheim, more hesitant to talk, but even she opened up. Reggie, on the other

hand, felt he should really be the focus. Oppenheim said, "We met Reggie dancing at a singles bar for some reason. He kept making his way into my shot, doing Tai Chi with strobe gloves. I went up to him and asked if he could go somewhere else. He said I should be making the film about him. He is the star of the show. After, I learned he was married to someone who enjoys The Villages [rather than Reggie who seemed to want a different life, I was interested]."

Oppenheim wanted to know how they make that marriage work. It turned out, it wasn't so easy. Reggie explored all sorts of interesting out-there ways of being, including Lance Oppenheim using drugs, which landed him in trouble with the law. Oppenheim found it intriguing how their relationship shifted over time.

Each of the characters featured, said Oppenheim, "had something unique. All were seeking something, in some ways at odds with the design of the community." He added that he has become like family with them all over the years.

"I think it is important to say that I don't see this as the 'official story of The Villages.' It is not representative of every villager. I was interested in the contradiction of the place," he said, saying he wanted to speak to something he felt was universal --"something that every person will experience-- that the human struggle never ends" His film got the attention of writer, director and producer Darren Aronfsky (known for movies like "The Wrestler" and "Black Swan" and many Two of t he charact ers others). But getting the attention was not easy. Oppenheim, who was a huge f eat ured in t he f il m: fan of his work, sought him out, sending (Lef t ) Dennis Dean him emails for years before. He called hopes f or a bet t er t omorrow next t o his him his 'great white whale.' He said, "I like to unsolicited send emails. I spent a mobil e domicil e. year trying to find his email. I wanted to (Right ) Barbara tell him he meant a lot to me. I was very Lochiat t o, a widow, t ries t o f it int o her persistent. Eventually, one of his communit y. creative executives said, 'Hey, these emails are not going to anyone. No one is reading them. They are going straight to spam. But, I'm happy to take a coffee

and see what you're working on. I came very prepared ... showed everything to the executive. He was very excited. He showed it to Darren. I met him. He said, 'Let me help you'. He gave me guidance. He is a great collaborator. We are now working on other stuff."

Oppenheim's love of film came at an early age, inspired by filmmakers like Aronofsky and Paul Thomas Anderson. " I was horrible at sports. I didn't want to be bullied. And I watched a lot of movies," he said, explaining how he ended up choosing filmmaking as a career.

He started out making short documentary films, working with the New York Times, which is producing documentaries these days. He had one film about a man living on a cruise ship for the past 20 years, "The Happiest Guy in the World," another about an airline employee living in an LAX parking lot, called "Long Term Parking," and others. He realized that working on documentaries meant less upfront costs and thought that people would be more forgiving of any little mistakes in production.

This latest project was his college thesis. Next, he is working on a top secret project in Los Angeles.

He studied filmmaking at an unusual place -- Harvard. "People don't realize that Harvard has a fantastic film program. The director of 'La La Land' and 'Whiplash' went there," he said, rattling off other directors who attended as well.

Florida born, Oppenheim grew up in Weston, Florida and went to high school at Pine Crest in Boca Raton. After he graduated college, he went back and forth from Miami to New York. Now, with the pandemic, he moved back, but is currently in Los Angeles working on this new top secret for now film about a different, more insular community.

"Some Kind of Heaven" wil l be opening Jan. 8 in cert ain t heat ers in Fl orida and t hen, on Jan. 15, wil l expand it s t heat rical rel ease and be on VOD. He said t hat event ual l y it wil l be st reaming on Hul u.

For more information on the film and Oppenheim, visit www.

LanceOppenheim.com.

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