Exclusive Interview with D-LOVE Director, Elena Beuca

With her debut feature film, D-Love winning ten consecutive film festivals, Elena Beuca is a star on the rise.

The Romanian born filmmaker is one of the great female storytellers on the circuit at the moment. Her film is a love letter to the power of saying yes to the opportunities that are presented to us in everyday life. Beuca and her husband, Dave Rogers (who also wrote D-Love) both star in the simple, but inspirational and relatable film that is based on a true story. 

With The Big Sick being released earlier this year, film watchers are enjoying watching true stories being played up on the big screen by those who's lives the stories are based on. D-Love presents a different type of true story. It brings to us a situation any of us could find ourselves in and does it with stunning acting, cinematography and a superb score by Billy Howerdel. There is nothing better than being inspired by something that you know could happen to you.

We were lucky to be able to sit down with Elena Beuca to have a chat about her film, which is currently showing at Laemmle 7 North Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Firstly, congratulations on all the success you are experiencing with D-Love! What has been the best part of your journey so far?
Thank you so much, I appreciate it. I think the best part of this journey was the people that I have met during this process, and then things that I have learned about myself that I didn’t know before. I want to believe that I have grown much more in the last few years, because I had to work with a film that challenges people to examine their own life and inevitably it made me examine mine to a much deeper level

What inspired you to make a film about D-love and your experience?
When I met Ditlev a few years back, I was fascinated by the way he lived and that he seemed to live so well in the present without too many worries and that is a beautiful skill. One of my favourite authors, Paulo Coehlo said this:
“…A pilgrimage implies in meeting different people, in talking to
strangers, in paying attention to the omens, and basically being
open to life. And we leave our home to go to work, to go to school,
and we have every single day this possibility,
this chance of discovering something new. So the pilgrimage is not
for the privileged… but for people who are open to life”
With D-Love, I wanted to implement mentality, and to show how much people can affect other people... how each one of us is so connected and has the opportunity to touch others if we are open to life.

It's my understanding that the film is semi-autobiographical. What parts of the story are fictional?
Yes, D-love is inspired by the fact that we met Ditlev at the airport and how we met at LAX is pretty similar to how it happened in real life. In real life, both Dave and I were very happy to help him with whatever we could and to give him shelter for a few days. But we knew that the real story would not make a good film and we needed to add conflict to the story, so we decided to make my character Stefania a very damaged , guarded person who doesn’t let strangers in and sometimes not even close friends, and the sad part is that she doesn’t even realize it. Also, because Dave has been always my best friend, we have a very good relationship and we are good at communicating with each other. Our characters in the film, based on the pain that they have gone through and unresolved issues, are in very dark place and they are definitely not communicating or being open with what’s going on in their lives.

The film is one which many people will find relatable. While the change this couple needed arrived in the form of a human, would you say a D-Love could be any type of thing that can inspire you to say yes to life?
Yes absolutely. We chose to show D-Love as the catalyst who awakens them both to life but that is just one way that can inspire you to say "Yes" to life. I think opportunity to change comes in many forms, not just through people, could be through things, events, miracles.. there are many ways and I truly believe that we are always guided towards change for better. Of course, we have the option to either say "Yes" or completely ignoring it .

D-Love really is so inspirational and uplifting. Does this come from the person you are yourself? Is inspiration a love of yours?
Thank you so much for that... its very kind of you. I grew up in a family surrounded by love. My parents have been married for almost 54 years and they have always been in love. We used to call them” love birds” because they always looked like just got back from their honeymoon. Growing up with that kind of love, I knew that when I’ll grow up , I can’t settle for anything less than that and thank God I have found my soulmate in Dave. My dad, who is a preacher, has always had such a desire for growth, for truth, for love in general and he is my mentor. He instilled in me the same desire of seeing the beauty in people, of loving and learning...always aiming to be a better person and I’m extremely grateful to him for that.

You and your husband, Dave not only star together in the film, but you are the director and he the writer. How has this experience strengthened your relationship?
Working on this film, it made us learn a lot about each other and about ourselves, but overall I think it made us even closer. Definitely it was not easy at times, cause we had to learn new ways to communicate with other professionally and to learn not to take things personally, which is not easy at all at times.

Why do you believe people should go and see your film?
I would love for everyone to go see this film, but the reality is that I don’t think this movie is for everyone. I believe it’s for the people who are not afraid to be challenged to examine their own lives, who are open and who can be inspired by something bigger than themselves. Those who have hope and want to change for the better because the D-Love is vast in its universal themes.

What do you hope people take away from D-Love?
I think at one point in our lives we all encounter a D-Love. Maybe he could be a person, a situation or a thing. I think we are always guided towards change and towards making life better. It’s just a matter of listening and paying attention. Sometimes we have to leave our preconceptions at the door and be open to the unknown and just embrace it. Having the right perspective is what life is all about and believe that sometimes the things we need most show up exactly when they should and sometimes are not necessarily the way we want- but its what we need!

Electrick Children (2012)

Year: 2012

Director: Rebecca Thomas

Cast: Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, Liam Aiken, Billy Zane, Cynthia Watros

Before I begin my review…

                I have the very great pleasure of being able to review the enchanting and sweet, with a dash of quirkiness, coming of age film, Electrick Children.

                Electrick Children was the official selection at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2012 and has received wide acclaim since its first screening. Rebecca Thomas’ film has since had screenings at several film festivals including the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, AFI Fest and Sydney’s Cockatoo Island Film Festival. It is just about to have its opening at the IFC Theater in New York City on the 8^th of March, which will be followed by a national roll out at a later date.

                This is Rebecca Thomas’ first feature film, after directing the short, Ivan Sings and writing the screenplay for and starring in the Sundance short, Nobody Knows You, Nobody Gives A Damn. She has been named by Variety as one of the 10 directors to watch in 2013. We are very excited to see what Thomas has in store for us in the future, because Electrick Children is an absolute treat.

Review

Electrick Children is an absolute indie gem.

Director Rebecca Thomas’ feature film debut is orchestrated perfectly with beautiful cinematography and perfect casting choices, particularly that of Julia Garner. Electrick Children seems almost magical, but has the uncanny ability to take a situation some may see as completely bizarre and make it flow so smoothly that it seems like it is completely natural.

Fifteen year old Rachel (Julia Garner) lives and was raised in a fundamentalist Mormon community completely sheltered by the outside world, but utterly enthralled by anything to do with it. She becomes captivated by a cassette player, as she has never seen one before and finds a song on it, which she has never heard before and seems to be forbidden. It is a few months after this she finds out she is pregnant and is convinced that it was the song that impregnated her. Her parents (Cynthia Watros and Billy Zane) decide that she must marry, causing Rachel to flee to Las Vegas in order to find out where the song came from. It is here that she and her brother, Mr Will (Liam Aiken) meet a group of young adults, including Clyde (Rory Culkin), who change the way they see and understand the world.

The concept of immaculate conception by cassette player sounds completely strange and unusual when written down, but when it is played out on screen and paired with the innocence of Garner’s Rachel, it feels like it may just be natural. It is an absolute talent that Thomas has taken a concept like this and made it feel believable.

One of the best things about Electrick Children is that it is captivating from the very first scene and does not waste time in getting into the story. At no time during the film do you foresee where it is going and you crave knowledge of how it is going to end. It isn’t really an intense film, but it is intriguing and enthralling enough to get you captivated to the very end.

The film is shot beautifully, and every shot could be paused and looked at as fine photography. The beauty in the Mormon community and its surroundings are captured well on screen. It is very well contrasted to the bright lights of Vegas, but the film’s magical quality makes all locations seem just so pretty.

Julia Garner is absolutely perfect as Rachel. Her innocence and naivety is just so believable. It is portrayed perfectly particularly in the scene where she finds out for sure that she is pregnant and is in absolute wonder, while her mother is terrified. It is a beautiful moment as it shows pure innocence about what has happened and what is to come. Another beautiful moment is when she discovers what the world of rock n’ roll really is, and she is shocked by it. Garner carries the film like she was born to do it, when this is actually her first leading role.

Rory Culkin is very good in the film, although it is a role which we feel like we have seen him in before. His character shows growth and development right throughout his time on screen. Billy Zane is also very good as Rachel’s father, as he doesn’t do anything threatening, yet remains very intimidating. Cynthia Watros is perfect as Rachel’s mother. She’s a nurturing mother, but struggles to hold herself together in the circumstances.

Electrick Children is a beautiful coming of age film, which intrigues as well as entertains. The type of film you think about later and smile.

9/10

For show times at the IFC, please see here. Otherwise, please see the Electrick Children Official     Website for more release dates. 

Foreverland (2011) Review and Max McGuire Interview

Foreverland

Year: 2011

Director: Max McGuire

Cast: Max Thieriot, Laurence LeBoeuf, Demian Bichir, Juliette Lewis, Thomas Dekker

                Once in a while, a film comes along which is evidently made with an avalanche of passion and is truly a joy to watch as a result of this. Foreverland is one of these rare films.

                Currently making its way around the film festival circuit in North America, Foreverland is intriguing, compelling and takes you on a journey filled with emotion through the eyes of a unsung hero.

                Will Rankin (Max Thieriot) is not your typical twenty-one year old, he has cystic fibrosis. Will lives every day looking into a bleak future where all he can see is death, which is amplified by watching those who have gone through the same thing die around him. When one particular friend, Bobby (Thomas Dekker) passes away, his sister, Hannah (Laurence LeBoeuf) visits Will with her brother’s last wish. With that, Will and Hannah embark on a road trip of discovery to a healing shrine in Baja, Mexico. Will’s first trip away from home brings discovery and the realisation that death isn’t all that awaits him.

                Foreverland is captivating from the beginning to end. Not only is it entertaining, but also informative. It deals with a disease that is not spoken about in great detail in the media, especially in film. The film gives the audience a renewed admiration for the victims and survivors of cystic fibrosis and their families, who feel the impact of the disease almost as much as the sufferers. Director, Max McGuire has bought his own experiences and that of those around him to the film to build a highly realistic and accurate picture of what life is like for those affected by cystic fibrosis.

                The journey of the Will and Hannah down the Pacific Coast Highway is particularly memorable. McGuire captures the beauty that America has to offer and shows that you don’t need a Hollywood blockbuster budget in order to capture true beauty on screen. His choice of locations along the way put parts of America into focus one would not normally pick as highlights of a road trip, but they fit perfectly into the film.

                Max Thieriot is the perfect choice for the lead of Will. His performance leaves nothing to be desired as he puts his all into his portrayal of a young man who goes on a journey of self-discovery, while still feeling restrained by his condition. He is believable and a heroic in his role.

                Laurence LeBoeuf gives a wonderful portrayal of a beautiful character who is strong, yet fragile from what she has seen and endured through her brother. LeBoeuf is extremely likable in her role and very real. Demian Bichir, Academy Award nominee for A Better Life, is an absolute treat to watch, as is Juliette Lewis.

                Foreverland is one of a kind. The type of film you want to see every time you walk into a cinema. The type of film that keeps you entertained and pulls at your heart strings, but at the same time doesn’t let you get lost in misery by letting you see how beautiful life is.

8.5/10

Foreverland premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on the 12^th of January and screened to two sold out performances. Following our viewing of Foreverland, Movie Critical was lucky enough to be able to interview director, Max McGuire.

Hi Max! Thankyou so much for agreeing to answer some questions about your movie, Foreverland. Congratulations on making such a beautiful film! These must be very exciting times for you with Foreverland making its way around the film festival circuit, especially with two sold out showings at the Palm Springs Film Festival! What’s next for the film?

Hi Nicki! Thanks for the opportunity to talk to you! I'm glad you enjoyed the movie. It truly is a passion project, and it's so flattering to see it being so well received.

 

After Palm Springs, Foreverland is screening at the Victoria Film Festival back in Canada on February 5, where Matt Frewer who plays Mr Steadman, and I will be in attendance. I'm very, very excited to attend that festival as we shot a large part of the movie on Vancouver Island, where the festival is taking place.

 

Also we're currently exploring and entertaining American distribution deals at the moment, we're trying to figure out how best to get the film out to as many people as we can!

 

Where did the inspiration for Foreverland come from?

 

I myself, like Will the lead character have Cystic Fibrosis (CF). So naturally it's infused with many personal elements.

 

The story itself stemmed from a few darkly serendipitous occurrences. I grew up with a group of peers with CF, back in 2005 the last remaining survivor of my sister and I's “generation” passed away (one of my two sisters has CF as well). I then had an appointment where my lung function test over time showed I was dropping, for a brief moment I wondered if it was the beginning of the end – turns out I just needed to work a little harder, but I was left with some darkly comedic ideas about planning my own funeral. This was eventually massaged into the Steadman funeral home scenes by Shawn Riopelle my co-writer!

 

 How much research was involved in the initial stages?

 

As I mentioned above, most of our CF information and relative research were mined from my lifetime of living with the illness. Between my life in and out of hospitals as a child, my parents experiences raising my sister and I, and my lifetime of dealing with our medical team, we were well equipped to tell this story.

 

I also have a sister who doesn’t have CF, we wanted to address the idea that an illness doesn't only affect the sick child, as the whole family's existence is controlled by the health regimen of the one with CF.  Regular hospital visits instead of playing with your friends, physiotherapy treatments that control the TV remote control, family trips planned around insurance and accessibility of care... Everything, so in our story Hannah truly understands Will, she's been there, done that, and doesn't accept his cop out attitude that nothing matters.

 

Rather than be strictly informative about Cystic Fibrosis, my writer Shawn and I wanted to explore what it's like to have a mid life crisis at 21, and the effects of learning to hope and the consequences that come with it.

 

How long did it take you to film Foreverland? Was the process gruelling, or fulfilling?

 

We had 22 days of actual principal photography, but the film took 6 years to make from conception. So many highs and lows along the road, ultimately ending in the high of watching the film with extremely gracious audiences at film festivals, and eventually the general public. It's very fulfilling to watch people laugh and sometimes even cry at scenes or sequences that were once just ideas Shawn and I talked about in my parent’s basement. Every day on set was truly inspirational, to wake up early arrive to work and see so many people already working to help make my vision a reality is quite a trip, and responsibility I didn't take lightly.

 

What would you like audiences to take away from Foreverland?

 

If people are entertained I'm happy, if they feel touched by the story I'm ecstatic, if they feel inspired to try to squeeze more out of their life, I'm humbled - there's not much more one could ask for when they try to tell a story that means something to them.

What has been the highlight of your journey with Foreverland so far?

 

Every milestone was a highlight worthy of a celebratory family dinner, sometimes prematurely (false starts are big time bummers).

 

Getting green lit for production, and our world premiere both stand out, so far.

 

I'm truly impressed and ecstatic every time we get a chance to show the movie, we've been lucky that we've been so well received at all of our screenings. Seeing people line up for  our picture is surreal every time, especially considering at one point I thought was going to make it on credit again.

 

This is only your second film. How was making Foreverland different from making Crossing The Wake?

 

I'd venture to call Foreverland my first feature with a budget, though Crossing the Wake was an awesome learning experience, it was really my version of film school. It was shot over 9 days on a credit card, it sold somewhere in Eastern Europe... The biggest difference in making Foreverland was having a budget that enabled us to secure essential elements like a super talented crew, fantastic locations,  pedigreed actors (like our Oscar nominees Juliette Lewis and Demian Bichir and Max Thieriot and Laurence Leboeuf), and more days of shooting. Not to mention catering was way better when you had amazing cooks taking care of your dietary needs every day.

 

The extra money also came with some restrictions such as the inability to improvise a day if the opportunity arose, for instance, packing up and moving locations with 40 people in tow is not that easy! Or the fact that dozens of people were on email chains associated with creative elements, whereas on a five person nine day shoot, you do what you want... There's a lot more compromising when you start to play with other people's credit cards.

 

Have you started to think about your next film after Foreverland?

 

I'm currently in LA promoting Foreverland at festivals and abroad (thank you!), as I take meetings with agencies and managers in search of the right team that'll help me find my next project. I humbly announce here that I'd happily settle for something between American Beauty and Swingers... haha. For now I'm just trying my best to enjoy the ride that is Foreverland!

 

Any chance of bringing Foreverland to Australia as of yet? Would love to see the film released here!

 

We have a small but strong contingent of CF supporters in Australia, we'd love to show the movie there! Hopefully our international sales agent can make it happen, I'd love to come check it out, as I also have some family there, who'd love to see it!

Thank you to both Michelle Czernin Von Chudenitz-Morzin and Jessica Kill of Popular Press Media Group (PPMG) and to Max McGuire for the opportunity for Movie Critical to be part of Foreverland’s journey.

Just About Famous

Just About Famous
Year: 2010
Director: Matt Mamula and Jason Kovacsev
Cast: Joe Manuella, Charlie Franks, Dale Leigh, John Morgan

In My Own Words
At Movie Critical, we are always happy to give help to those who deserve it. As well as review the latest in cinema releases, we also take pride in reviewing independant film gems. It's a great feeling to know that you are helping out the independant film makers who have worked so hard to make a great film by posting a positive review. Making a film is no easy task and requires a huge amount of commitment and creative talent. It is such a credit to these film makers, who don't earn anywhere near the same amount of money as the Hollywood film makers, when they make a film that could easily compete in the mainstream world.

I have had the great pleasure of helping out some brilliant independant film makers in the past and it is something I look forward to doing more of in the future. This time round Movie Critical will be reviwing "Just About Famous", a short documentary about the lives of celebrity impersonators. Sound funny? It is! "Just About Famous" has played in 15 film festivals to date including DC Shorts, Orlando Film Festival and will be shown at the upcoming Cleveland International Film Festival. We wish Matt Mamula and Jason Kovacsev the best of luck in the upcoming festivals!

These are my own words and here is my review

Review
When are you lucky enough to get Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama and Sarah Palin in the room together? Sound like just a political gathering? Well, add to the equation Elvis Presley, Jay Leno, Brittney Spears and Robin Williams and what do you have? The Sunburst Convention of Celebrity Tribute Artists! "Just About Famous" is the short documentary which allows you to go behind the scenes of the convention in the best and most hilarious way possible. This short feature finds out the stories behind several of the best celebrity impersonators and how they came to do what they do. They clear up the misconception that celebrity impersonators are people who are such big fans that they come to believe they are these people. As Jay Leno impersonator, Gary Alan says "All I have to do to know I am not Jay Leno is to walk out to my car!" "Just About Famous" is filled with funny one-liners just like this and you would have to have a very dull sense of humour not to find a duet between Bill Clinton and George Bush tribute artists, Dale Leigh and John Morgan hilarious.

A good documentary must always have a subject which is of interest to a number of people, but must have a factor which sets it apart from all other documentaries. Celebrities are celebrities because of public interest. People want to know about celebrities and their lifestyles. So creating a documentary about people who are almost celebrities is genius, and the setting of the convention is the perfect place for it to be undertaken. Film makers, Matt Mamula and Jason Kovacsev have pieced this short documentary together perfectly. The short is clean cut and explores the questions about impersonators that people want answered. It is just a fun piece of work and an absolute joy to watch. Although "Just About Famous" is only a short documentary, it leaves you wanting more. There is definately room for at least another hour of footage before the interest wears off, if the interest wears off at all. "Just About Famous" is more intriguing being about the celebrity tribute artists of Jay Leno, Robin Williams and Dr Phil than it would be watching documentaries on the celebrities themselves.

It is a credit to Matt Mamula and Jason Kovansev as to how good "Just About Famous" really is. It is not often you finish watching a short only to realise how much you really wished it had gone longer. Maybe a sequel is in the works for after it has done the festival rounds? These two directors have a long career ahead of them in film making.
9/10

Just About Famous - Trailer from Blue Collar Films on Vimeo.