Week in Review - End of April

This week was a busy week!

On Monday, I woke up at 4:30 AM to drive to D.C. I didn't have to be in the city until 9 AM but traffic on the beltway can be horrendous. It's a good thing I left when I did because it started slowing up after Fredricksburg and I didn't arrive until 8:30!
Long drives give me time to catch up on my podcasts. Filmspotting reigns supreme on my ipod but The Skeptics Guide to the Universe and The Creative Screenwriting podcasts are also staples. On the drive up, I listened to two Creative Screenwriting podcasts. The first was an interview with the writer of Eastern Promises, Stephen Knight and the second was with the writer of Rachel Getting Married, Jenny Lumet. Both are great writers and they gave great insights into the screenwriting process. They talked about their research and writing styles, whether they outline or let it flow, and what they do when they get writers block. When I got home, I immediately downloaded 20 or so podcasts with other writers.
I arrived around 8:30 and found a close parking spot. It was two hours max parking but with the office so close, I could easily add more when needed. Some parking meters now accept credit cards! What a country!
I got a job doing production work for The National Review. No pay but I'm making some great contacts and it keeps me busy doing what I love. Me and another PA are working for a guy named Will Cain who is doing a series of post-article interviews with National Review writers which are posted on their website.
After we wrapped, I drove out to Alexandria to meet with my documentary subject. It wasn't too formal and didn't last long but it was important to finally meet and voice some ideas. Hopefully we can start filming soon so I can start putting this film together.
After that I met up with Ben Giles and saw State of Play. It was great a second time.

This week was a busy week with Studio Center. I had paid gigs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. At 150 bucks a day, I'm starting to rake it in. I found out that they don't pay out for 60 days! It sucks when you have uses for the money but it also keeps you from spending it right away.
I had a talk with Heather, the producer who brought me on as an intern in January, about keeping me on but paid. She said we would take it week by week which is fine with me. Even if its only one day a week it keeps some money in my pocket and plenty of free time to learn the software I am getting.
On Thursday, they had me on as a grip on a shoot for ABNB Credit Union. I spent much of the afternoon with the talent for the commercial, Myra Obendorf. Myra is the former Mayor of Virginia Beach. She was voted out this election cycle but she held the office for over 20 years.
I did a short news feature for a class on the abuse she took from Bill O'reilly when two girls were killed by a drunk driver. The driver who killed them happened to be an illegal immigrant. Mr. O'reilly called for her resignation because Mrs. Obendorf didn't have him deported on a previous arrest.
Back to Myra. She was wonderful! It was so refreshing to meet an older person with such a great outlook on life. I have met other adults with whom I have seen eye-to-eye but never one in public office. Then again, my personal interactions with elected officials are few and far between. Evidently, there are good people who seek office though.
This week has been a good one. Busy but good. I hope my work with Studio Center continues with this amount of frequency. It's great experience and I get to meet alot of people in the industry.

My first documentary shoot

I got the call today. My first documentary shoot will not be starting this Saturday. After checking out gear and getting a small crew together, Vital called and said he will not be doing a full set at the SOJA show. He is just going to be a surprise guest during the SOJA set and John Brown's Body will be opening instead.

While it sucks there will be no filming, I still have a meeting with Vital before the show to discuss general thoughts about the film. I am glad that he wants to collaborate on this project rather than me just coming up with everything.

Also, the crew I was going to use for this Saturday will be available for the early part of the summer. Having four people, willing to help, is just as important as having gear to use.

Hopefully this meeting will bear alot of fruit and many great ideas will be developed. I need to make it clear to Vital that covering him at shows and in the studio is not enough to draw people in. I need drama. Whether it's really candid (weeping) interviews with the artist, or some event, we need to find a way to get the audience in the tent. As talented as Vital is, he doesnt have the recognition yet to gain publicity for the film.

I will write again after Saturday to update this blog on where the documentary is going.




Taylor Roesch

Francis Collins - A Cutlery Wizard with Occam's Razor

Interning in Virginia Beach twice a week requires a bit of a drive from my hometown of Williamsburg. The hour there and hour back are frequently interrupted by Hampton Roads' own bridge-and-tunnel crowd to make the drive that much more unpleasant. People close to me know that I enjoy driving. While this may be true, keeping my mind occupied is the only way to frequently do the same drive over and over again.
Today I started to listen to Francis Collins' book The Language of God in audiobook format. Francis Collins was the well-known head of the Human Genome Project but he is also a God-fearing/loving Christian. This book's subtitle, "A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" sums up well what this book is trying to do.
After the first third of the book completed, I can understand why Dr. Collins comes to the conclusions he does. By using Occam's Razor, Dr. Collins cuts down the ideas that make the least sense to him as a scientist and as a human being. What's so biting about his commentary is that Occam's Razor has to my knowledge been used mostly to rule out a theistic view of the world. He has taken this scientific intellectual tool and made it a double-edged sword.
But there are some major problems with the ideas Dr. Collins puts forth. The way Dr. Collins argues his points, I would be inclined to agree. Through properly formulated assertions, I am easily convinced of nearly anything. But something is missing from Dr. Collins book so far. Proof. He substitutes his ideas of "what sounds most likely" for corroboration through evidence. "Claims asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence," is a phrase I use to test claims such as these. Evidence can normally point you in the right direction.
I will hold final judgment until I am finished with the book but its prospects of personal persuasion look bleak right now.

Bull Durham

I came home the other night to find my stepbrother asleep with the TV on and the beginning of Bull Durham playing out. I had never seen this baseball movie and knew it was about time. So I fought back sleep and watched the movie.
I think bad ass aptly sums it up. Bull Durham makes it clear that men can make a living and still never grow up. This is mostly a kids movie for balding 40-year-olds.
Tim Robbins plays Nuke, the character that progresses most throughout the film with the help of the team catcher, Crash (Kevin Costner) and a local lady, Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon). Nuke is a new pitcher who just joined the roster for the Durham Bulls. The Bulls are one step below the major leagues or "The Show" as it is nick-named. Crash takes the new pitcher under his wing to try and hone in his strong arm. Annie does much of the same off the diamond and in the bedroom. Between the two of them, they teach him the rituals, superstitions, and mannerisms of professional baseball.
I understand why my dad has pushed me to watch this movie since I was 7. The words of wisdom my father has bestowed on me since I had comprehension are, "You're only young once but you can be immature for the rest of your life." It all comes together now. Baseball is his childhood relived. That is the attitude around the game. Men can be boys.
I was skeptical when I heard Bull Durham was voted best baseball film of all time. I figured it would be a more epic portrayal of the game like Field of Dreams. But the heart and soul of this film best represents baseball on and off the field.

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

Playing at the Kimball Theatre this week is Harvard Beats Yale 29-29. This documentary tells the story of an infamous November 1968 matchup between the two schools’ football teams. Through interviews and an old copy of the game, filmmaker Kevin Rafferty lets the players tell what they went through on the field as well as off the field.

Rafferty was able to interview most of the players on both the Harvard and Yale teams. He interviewed the stars, key players, and Tommy Lee Jones; who played on the Harvard squad that year. Also on the Crimson squad was George Bush’s roommate while he was at Harvard. These interviews give you an insight into familiar characters as well as the players who made this game such a memorable one.

The simplicity of this film is noticeable right away. As shown in the credits, Kevin Rafferty directed, produced, filmed, and edited the film by himself. While there aren’t any graphics or sound effects, the film doesn’t require any. Rafferty lets the material stand by itself. Giving us this film with no frills tells the audience the director is confident with his material and he thinks the story is strong enough naked.

Although this film’s outcome it apparent upon seeing the trailer, it doesn’t detract from the tension. You saw this recently in Slumdog Millionaire. In the end, Harvard and Yale end up tied at 29. This detail helps build suspense because with 42 seconds left, the game wasn’t close. While the director drags out those 42 seconds, you are thinking, “No this is impossible!” As the seconds count off, the tension grows wondering how they are going to do it. I won’t spoil it but the score ends up 29-29.

Also in the film was Dr. George Bass, an Associate professor of Education at William and Mary played left tackle for Yale at the time. Even though he was injured early in the game, Bass remembers the experience fondly and thought the film was a great representation of what happened that day. Since he was on crutches the coach told him to head towards the locker room with only a minute left and Yale up by 16. By the time he had made it to the other end zone, Harvard had scored and recovered their onside kick. He remembers being dumbfounded that they did not win. But like other players on the Yale squad, he knows the game would not be remembered today if it had not ended in a tie.

Taylor Roesch

Mal Vincent Review of Making Peace with Viet Nam - Published in The Virginian-Pilot

Film seeks peace but may get controversy

Director: Steven Emmanuel.

Cinematography: Matt Ryan and Steven Emmanuel.

By Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 19, 2008

More than 30 years have passed since Vietnam and Americans still have not come to terms with the war that was waged there.

A rare and probing movie directed by a Virginia Wesleyan College philosophy professor and made by a team of about five local students seeks passionately to make some sense of the conflict - and to bring it to a close. "Making Peace With Vietnam," produced with no budget and a lot of commitment, gets three showings on Virginia Wesleyan's campus tonight and Saturday. It seeks peace but may well get controversy.

The results of Agent Orange and napalm are shown via deformed children and grave sites. Yet, the film shows us a Vietnamese people who do not hate Americans. They have moved on; can Americans do the same?

Dr. Steven Emmanuel, who teaches philosophy, not film- making, said the friendly Vietnamese presented in his film are not the result of pandering or editing.

"I never encountered anyone who had anything negative to say. They don't like to talk about the war, but they are not bitter about it either. I went there with no agenda. This is what I found. It, apparently, is a cultural thing. They are a culture that tends to live in the present."

Emmanuel went to Vietnam in 2006 with research and illumination as his goal. He had never been to Asia and wanted to examine the possibility of students going there to experience a culture in a developing nation.

He returned with cameraman Matt Ryan and five students for three months in summer 2007, with brief revisits in January and May. The result is the beautifully photographed film "Making Peace With Vietnam."

"It is not intended to be an anti-war film. It was what we found there," Emmanuel said.

Aided in editing by Stu Minnis and the location translator, Lan Tran, both associated with Virginia Weslyan, the filmmakers captured a picture that is both encouraging and threatening to Americans in 2008. Most central is the question posed by one Vietnamese to the camera: "You can be a compassionate winner, but can you be a compassionate loser?"

We hear the story of Vietnamese veterans who approach returning American vets with the comment: "You were the enemy. It's OK. You did your duty."

An American veteran who went back to find closure comments that "the Vietnamese people have left the war behind. I never met one Vietnamese who expressed anger or hatred. They don't blame the American people for what happened here."

Can this be believed? Emmanuel says that "it is what we found. If we had found otherwise, we would have recorded it."

But America comes out as looking unsettled on the topic. A monk claims that "America has learned nothing from Vietnam," referring directly to another, current war. "You cannot make peace with Vietnam because you have not made peace with yourself."

Emmanuel said the film is entirely a personal, private research project independent of the college or of any particular school. A grant from Asian Network defrayed the costs, but the film has no budget for distribution. It is being sent to film festivals in hopes of finding a distributor. Tonight's 8 p.m. screening is largely sold out.

The Saturday screening will be followed by a discussion. It is likely to be a lively one. In spite of general efforts to have this war recede from our consciousness, this locally produced film treads where Hollywood fears to go.

Mal Vincent, (757) 446-2347, mal.vincent@pilotonline.com

Portfolio Weekly Review of Making Peace with Viet Nam

Making Peace With Vietnam
Locally-made film explores lingering consequences of war
D. D. Delaney

MAKING PEACE WITH WAR: Dr. Steve Emmanuel will host post-screening discussion.

A philosophy professor at Virginia Wesleyan College with no budget, no experience as a film-maker, and a skeletal crew of four has written, directed, and in large part shot and edited a powerful, feature-length documentary which examines the "lingering consequences" of the Vietnam War—on Vietnamese and Americans alike—more than 30 years after the U.S. withdrawal.

Dr. Steve Emmanuel’s Making Peace with Vietnam premiered last month at VWC and, in association with the Naro Cinema, will be shown again Wed., Oct. 22, at Norfolk’s Studio for the Healing Arts (1611-D Colley Ave.) at 7 p.m. Emmanuel will host the evening, which includes a post-screening discussion. Admission is $5.

The film is thoughtful, informative, non-judgmental, compassionate, and, frankly, hard to watch in its unflinching examination of the continuing suffering from the war, especially among Vietnamese children but also among American veterans haunted by acts they participated in.

Taken as a whole, it adds up to a moral indictment of warfare, though Emmanuel, who also narrates, avoids uttering a single anti-war syllable. The facts, combined with the testimony of people interviewed, speak for themselves.

Thus, we learn, the U.S. dropped eight million tons of bombs on Vietnam—more than all the bombs combined in World War II. We sprayed nineteen million gallons of herbicide on the countryside, spread twelve million tons of Agent Orange (containing the highly toxic chemical

dioxin), and unleashed 400,000 tons of napalm. Unexploded land mines and cluster bombs have killed 35,000 Vietnamese and wounded 65,000 since the war ended in 1975, while an estimated several hundred thousand tons of ordnance remain unaccounted for.

As the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. attests, 58,195 Americans were killed in the conflict. But, as is nowhere memorialized, more than two million Vietnamese died.

"We spend a lot of time preparing for war and waging war," says Emmanuel, but very little "for the consequences of war," including help for our own traumatized veterans.

Those consequences may include abnormally high incidents of cancer and birth defects, including Downs Syndrome and congenital heart disease among Vietnamese children, as a result of dioxin pollution from Agent Orange. The U.S. has never acknowledged such a link, and scientific evidence for it is only "suggestive," says Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhan, director of the Office for Genetic Counselling and Disabled Children in Hue Province in central Vietnam. But fierce fighting there during the 1968 Tet Offensive left high concentrations of dioxin pollution behind.

Emmanuel interviews Nhan extensively in the film, a meeting facilitated through Allen Sandler, Norfolk founder of the Mindfulness Community of Hampton Roads, one of several non-profit organizations supporting Nhan’s work, which, among other health services, performs corrective heart surgery for children.

Other charitable interventions are also active in Vietnam, including some initiated by veterans like Ken Herrmann, whose organization provides services to a Vietnamese leper colony, which Emmanuel visits.

As Sandler notes in the film, outside of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam remains a deeply impoverished country, in no small part because of the war.

Yet oddly, perhaps, Emmanuel could find no resentment against Americans during his four visits there, beginning in 2006. The Vietnamese, he found, have moved on. But have we?

Not according to Buddhist teacher and Vietnamese native Thich Nhat Hanh, who Emmanuel interviewed during the monk’s first return home to Hue since his exile for pacifist activities during the war.

"If you don’t understand your own suffering," says Hanh, "you will continue to produce suffering for yourself and others. While you still follow the old pattern with another partner—like Iraq, like Iran—you have not learned anything from Vietnam."