As the Seattle International Film Festival rolls into its final week, a number of edgy new American films take the spotlight, including Paul Todisco's "One Day Like Rain."
"The script came out my interest in mysticism and metaphysical studies combined with my love of cinema," said the director, whose first feature "Freak Talks About Sex" played in the 1999 SIFF.
Obviously, selling a film that Todisco describes as teen's metaphysical experiment to save the world was not easy.
"I knew from the start that there was no use in trying to raise the money in a conventional way," said Todisco. Instead he approached friends and friends of friends, telling them as much as he could about the project's oddities as well as its potential.
"I really wanted to take the audience on a journey and to show visually the concepts in the film," he said. "One of the most complicated scenes to shoot, and probably most expensive, was a scene at night on a lake shore with a bonfire. But we needed to bring together the elements of fire, water, the stars above-it was tough to do but it really came off!"
In Todisco's script, a teenager Gina (played by Samantha Figura) leads her friend Jennifer (Marina Resa) through a "plan" to save the world.
"My sister has a doctorate in East/West psychology, and she would send me all these books or invite me to lectures," said Todisco of his inspirations to many of the concepts that Gina explores as she tries to save the world.
Setting these metaphysical ideas against the stark suburban landscape that opens the film was one of Todisco's first ideas for the script. "I started with this scene of the two girls in this bleak house," he said.
The house in the movie turned out to be a rental that Todisco's parents had taken in Laguna Niguel, Calif., to escape winter in his native Syracuse, N.Y. California-based Todisco was able to claim the house for the final two weeks of the rental (after his parents returned home) to film the first part of his movie.
"We ended up using every room except the bathroom," recalled Todisco. "It was a small house, with about six rooms. We all slept there. We had 10 air mattresses scattered about. We'd wake up, move all the equipment where it needed to go, and then start shooting."
While the whole thing sounds very off-the-cuff, Todisco said that they had a definite plan every day to maximize their time in the location. "We knew it was going to be chaos from the start, but that was part of the plan!" said Todisco with remarkably Zen-like attitude towards the hazards of independent film-making.
Given California's heavy regulations, especially concerning the potential fire hazards of outdoor shooting, the wilderness scenes of the movie proved to the hardest part of the shoot-with Fire Marshall costs, water trucks, police security and all kinds of permits. By this time, Todisco was able to screen "Part A," shot at the house to interest more backers, all of whom came to the film as "a passion project," he said.
One thing that Todisco did not have to worry about was finding actors. A simple casting call, in which he admitted he couldn't pay but was serious about making this feature, elicited hundreds of applications. "I did let people know about my other credits in the industry," said Todisco, who has written scripts for Bryan Singer, Guy Ritchie and Todd Field as well as a television pilot for ABC.
One of the first people that Todisco saw during auditions was his leading lady. "I think Samantha was the second or third person through the door on the first day of casting," he said, "and we saw hundreds of people after her." But Figura just fit his idea of Gina, he said, and eventually she won the part.
Director of photography Douglas W. Shannon, who had shot "Freak Talks About Sex," joined up with Todisco to create what the director describes as a completely wonderful visual look to the movie. "I'm just very happy with the look of the whole thing," said Todisco.
Filming was complete in June 2006 and editing on the film wrapped up in the fall. The SIFF presentation will be the world premiere.
As hard as making a film on limited time and money is, getting to an audience can be even harder, Todisco admitted.
"Coming to SIFF is exactly what this film needs to build word-of-mouth," said Todisco. "Seattle seems like a city that embraces a film like this."
While Todisco doesn't seem to expect his metaphysical teen movie to become a big popcorn blockbuster, he's definitely happy with what he has created. "I love showing people a new perspective on life-that's what cinema is for!" he said.
"One Day Like Rain" is entered in SIFF's New America Cinema Competition, which focuses on films that have yet to receive distribution. The movie opens at the Harvard Exit, 807 E. Roy St., on Friday, June 15, 9:30 p.m., and repeats on Sunday, June 17, at 11 a.m.
Todisco plans to be at both showings, ready to answer questions and discuss the ideas in his movie.
"This film needs people to talk about it, to think about the ideas that can't be stuffed down people's throats," he said. "If you're ready for an experience that could completely change your whole perspective of reality, come and see this film!"
For other new American films and other features of the final week of SIFF, check the festival's website at www.seattlefilm.org. SIFF closes June 17 with a gala showing of the French historical feature "Moliere."
Rosemary Jones writes about arts and entertainment for the Capitol Hill Times. She can be reached at editor@capitolhilltimes.com.[[In-content Ad]]
