A Child Called ‘It’

Survival – that’s his main goal. But is survival feasible when you are “no one” to your family and you are not considered a person but an “it” ?

The answer could be found in the book A Child Called ‘It’ written by Dave Pelzer. I doubt that anyone could read the book (or in my case listen to its audio version) without being moved by the story. It’s about a young boy who is being severely abused by his mother. The best thing about the book is that the story is told in the first person, which allows you to look at the world through the eyes of David, and feel his pain, hunger and desperation. The story is so well told that the reader can easily empathize with the young David and his experiences. This book made me appreciate my own family which, even if not perfect, gave me a chance to have a normal childhood.

The really horrifying thing about the book by Dave Pelzer is that the events in it are based on the memories of his own childhood. As I have learned from Wikipedia , there is a bit of controversy about that. But even if everything in his own childhood didn’t happen as he’s stated, it does not make the experiences portrayed in the book any less horrible. What happens behind closed doors often remains secret and many people are forced to fight for their lives and dignity in unbearable conditions.

The book is excellent and I would like to recommend it to all readers of the blog regardless of your age. Social workers and anyone interested in child psychology may also benefit from reading A Child Called ‘It’ . The book is a part of the curriculum of schools in the United States and Canada.

To finish this mini book review, I would like to provide you with few quotes from the book:

“”You are a nobody! An It! You are nonexistant! You are a bastard child! I hate you and I wish you were dead! Dead! Do you hear me? Dead!”

“My relationship with mom drastically changed from discipline to punishment that grew out of control. It became so bad at times, I had no strength to crawl away–even if it meant saving my life.”

To read the review of the second book in the series “The Lost boy ” – please click here

Interview with film director Frank Vitale

Two weeks ago I reviewed an interesting Canadian film called “ Montreal Main” . Since the time I published the review more than 400 people have read it – which prompted me to attempt contacting the film`s director for an exclusive interview for theskykid.com. With the valuable help of Michel from CVMC.net I was able to get a hold of Mr.Frank Vitale who agreed to answer some questions about his film.

” Montreal Main ” is considered to be a Canadian independent classics and I am honored that I had the chance to present you an interview with its director :

Hello Mr. Vitale and thank you for agreeing to be interviewed for TheSkyKid.com.

Your film ” Montreal Main ” focuses on the relationship between a 12 years old boy and an older photographer . The ending of the film is a rather sad one as they are forced to put an end of their friendship. During the years I have seen many films who deal with intergenerational relationships – to name a few : ” This Special Friendship ” , ” For a lost soldier ” , The fire that burns ” – and all of them end by disastrous separation – either forced of because of one of the characters dies. Do you think that those endings reflect the expectations of the society toward the relationship that is portrayed in them ?

FV: I haven’t seen any of those films but I suppose they encountered the same problem/question I had: where does this relationship go? One of the possibilities is a sexual relationship, which is taboo, illegal and scary. The other is an intergenerational buddy relationship. Based on the film it doesn’t appear that Frank wants to pursue either of those possibilities. But it also doesn’t appear that Frank knows what he wants.

I have read that the plot in ” Montreal main ” is based on evens in your life. Could you share with us the story that inspired you to write the script of your film ?

FV: Saying that it is based on events in my life is inaccurate. In fact it is more accurate to say that events in my life evolved from the film.

First, let me talk about the inspiration for the script. I wanted to make a movie and came up with this idea that a character, like me, becomes interested in a beautiful young boy. It seemed like an interesting idea. Was I interested in a beautiful young boy? Possibly. However, I think my motivation was more about working out my sexuality in a creative and unusually public way. It has taken me decades to see and accept that motivation for doing the film was an exploration of my sexual identity.

Second, my friends and I played ourselves in the film. In that way it is not based on real events but on real personalities and character. This adds a rich and novel layer to the film that was initially unintentional. Sometimes I describe that part of the film as the “style of necessity.” I decided that my friends and I would play ourselves and improvise the script because I had no money for actors. I felt that people playing themselves would give more authentic performances than the inexperienced actors, who may not even show up. That being said, I am sure a psychologist would find more to it than that.

Third, the only real incident was the break up of Bozo and Frank as friends. It became part of the story as it was actually happening at the time. Bozo (Allan Moyle) and I had a very close friendship for a number of years before the film. During the film we began drifting apart. It was a beautiful friendship and I loved him very much, though I wasn’t aware of it at the time. I eventually got married and raised two terrific children. Bozo went on to write and direct some high profile films. The most successful (a coming of age film, I believe) was Pump Up the Volume with Christian Slater. When I saw that film, I saw Bozo’s heart and mind on the screen. Bozo lives in LA and I in NY, and we had not seen each other in years, until recently. We had a great reunion a couple of years ago at the digital re-mastering of Montreal Main (available at montrealmain.com) and at a Canadian Legends screening in Calgary, Alberta of his film The Rubber Gun and of Montreal Main.

How did you cast the boy (John Sutherland) for the role of Johnny ? What set him apart from the rest of kids that were auditioned for the film ?

FV: I conceived the film with a friend’s little brother in mind, another beautiful young boy with long black hair. When I approached his parents, they said no. I never had a real casting session. I put the word out and a friend of a friend suggested Johnny. Anne and Dave, Johnny’s parents, are very nice people and open. They said yes.

On the re-mastered DVD Johnny sat in with Bozo, Steve Lack and I on director’s commentary. It was great to be able to ask him as an adult what he was thinking while we were shooting the film. It was very interesting and gratifying in some ways. You’ll have to listen to him in the commentary to see what I mean.

Montreal Main is also about a very short lived unique time period in Montreal… this area is not like the 70’s anymore…What made the Main street so unique in the 70’s. And how has it changed since your made the film ?

FV: Like many marginal ghettos where artists move for cheap rent and interesting environments, The Main has gone upscale with boutiques, high end restaurants and long lines at places like Schwartz’s Delicatessen and Cookie’s Main Lunch, the greasy spoon below my loft, which has become a fashionable breakfast and lunch spot. (Leonard Cohen lived, and still does, across the street.)

In the 70’s the Main was populated with Greek and Portuguese immigrants. The shops were owned by former immigrants, the Jews, who had moved to the suburbs. To the East the predominate French culture insulated us from the real world. For a group of us Anglophone artists, who lived on practically no income, the Main was a timeless backwater of communal dinners, art openings and parties. It was a post 60s stagnation that I eventually found boring and moved on. As I look back I see how special it was.

As theskykid.com mainly focuses on coming of age films it would be interesting to know if you have a favorite coming of age film that you can recommend to the people reading this interview ?

FV: I love coming of age films. My favorite classic film is forgotten gem, Captians Couragous with Freddie Bartholomew. It was made by Victor Flemming the same year as The Wizard of OZ, which is also a coming of age film. There are scores of others and I won’t start making a list. I just took a look at the Wiki list and noticed that Whale Rider wasn’t on it. I liked that film. There they had people playing themselves and made a great commercial film. I am jealous.

I have heard that you are working on a voluntary basis on a project called “the March of Dimes” – can you share with us more details about it and the films you are currently working on ?

I have a long list of film and TV credits on IMDB.com under Vitale I and on my website: vitaleproductions.com. On my site you can see my recent documentary A Perfect Stranger (a documentary on a stranger I met in Starbucks) and some pieces I made for Shining Time Station (the PBS children’s series) and for The March of Dimes Foundation, where I am currently director of the Audio Visual division. The March of Dimes does research and education to make sure that all babies are born healthy. It is a large not for profit organization and I am on staff.

Currently I am looking for a publisher for my nonfiction manuscript, The Metropolis Organism (http://themetropolisorganism.blogspot.com/), an exploration of the idea that a city is a biological organism, and always looking to make another movie that is a beautiful as Montreal Main.

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I would want to Thank Mr.Vitale once again for taking time to participate in this interview and encourage all of you to express your opinion about it and /or the film Montreal Main in the comments section below.

James-a coming of age film by Connor Clements

James is a short narrative drama written and directed by Connor Clements. What sets the film apart is its stunning visuals and for some, the controversial topic it deals with. Fans of the coming of age genre would recognize Niall Wright( Mickybo and me) in the leading role of James.

James can be seen as both, a coming of age and a coming out film

Continue

“Muchacho Del Flamenco” – a feature coming of age film

Coming of age films which deals with youthful talent and inspiration have achieved a classic standing . We all remember the huge success of films such as ” Love and Dance ” and ” Billy Elliot ” – which is why the news about a new ground-breaking feature film about a boy passionate about music and dance really rose the interest in me. What`s more – the screenwriter of the new film with a working title “Muchacho Del Flamenco” is the legendary American screenwriter and producer Stephen Ryder. ( whom I recently interviewed for another film of his – ” The Last days of April ” )

According to a press release of Metropolis Films Inc ,”Muchacho Del Flamenco” would tell the story of a 13 year-old boy being raised by a single mom in Barcelona’s suburbs. “Pablo” aspires to be the greatest Flamenco dancer in all of Spain, much like his hero Rafael Amargo( Who signed on as the film`s choreographer). Pablo’s grandmother, a faded dancer herself, seeing his spectacular ability, secretly encourages the boy. This causes conflict with the boys’ mother, who is pragmatic and hard-working, and a strict mother to the boy. She has no love of the dance. A 9 to 5 job is her ideal.

Sounds interesting , doesn`t it ?

From the same press release we also learn that Metropolis Films has commenced a nation-wide search in Spain for the right boy to play the role of Pablo. Marianne Nilson-Nygaard of Casting Marbella said “This is a starring role which requires excellent dancing ability, and a very handsome face, much like a young Farruquito. Candidates must be no taller than 157 cm. No singing is involved and no acting experience is required, but the boy selected will be athletic, statuesque and able to take direction.”

If you know boy who fits in that description ( yes I throught of Antonio Jose ) and would like to be auditioned for the leading role in the film , mention the web site of the casting agency where their contact e-mail can be obtained . Note that Ryder and his co-producer Rick Lancaster decided on Barcelona and its environs for filming locations after conversations with Jorge Sobredo, Spain’s cultural attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Washington D.C.

An interview with screenwriter Stephen Ryder

An update – an exclusive review of the film at theskykid.com

The last days of April is the title of a new coming of age film to be released in September( USA) . I found out about it thanks to Stephen Ryder who is its script writer and producer . He is also the screenwriter of the masterpiece L.I.E and was kind enough to answer to some questions about his new production. Before proceeding with the exclusive interview with Mr. Ryder I would like to quote the film`s synopsis which so far is the only publicly available information about it :

“A beautiful young woman who is a murderous sexual psychopath returns from combat as a mercenary in Iraq and abducts a 14 yr-old boy, holding him prisoner as a bizarre relationship develops “

It is definitely not your average plot and my expectations for this production fueled by the official trailer (which can be seen below) are quite high.The last days of April seems to be a combination of thriller and a drama with a coming of age overtone . The young lead TJ Plunkett seems to be a very talented actor even if I only had the short trailer to form my opinion on that.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClAxw08F4Ws

“The last days of April” – Official web site

TheSkyKid.com interviews Stephen Ryder – the screenwriter of L.I.E and The last days of April

Me : What inspired you do write the story behind ” The last days of April ” ?

Stephen Ryder : The director came to me with an idea for a movie in march of 2008 – he proposed that a man abduct a teen-aged girl and hold her captive. I felt that was too ordinary and that it had been done many times. When I rejected that suggestion – Rick Lancaster came up with the idea that the victim could be a boy.I said “Now that has not been done before!” and wrote the script . In 90 days or so we were in production.

Me : Did you have to make any changes of the script during the film`s production ?

Stephen Ryder : Since I wrote the script, I own Metropolis Films, and I produced the movie – who would have the authority to have me make any changes? Although – because George Bush was still President at the time – we deliberately didn’t film any sex scenes (you can’t take a chance with a radical right-wing Christian government) like we would have in a free country like Spain or Denmark or The Netherlands.

Me : How did you cast TJ Plunkett – and what made him stand out for the role from the rest kids who were auditioned ?

Stephen Ryder : We had a nation-wide casting call out in the industry. He responded. Talent, guts and personality. We interviewed over 480 kids, there wasn’t even a close second-place. Everything about him was head and shoulders above the rest – and he was the former U.S. National Junior Karate Champion at 14. We needed that skill for the fight scenes (our actress was an expert in Thai kick-boxing.) He was highly intelligent, serious, professional and his dad was no problem – he stayed out of the way.

Me : Does your background as a law enforcement officer influence your writing( I am no expert – but I am guessing that the Stockholm syndrome would play some role in your new film ) ?

Stephen Ryder : All of my colorful experiences inform my writing to an extent, of course. But 99% of all my script are strictly imagination. Although I actually wound up playing the part of the Sheriff in this film because the actor we cast dropped out 24 hours before we were scheduled to shoot the scenes with the Sheriff in them. Since the Sheriff’s character was old, fat, bald and stupid, I felt I was perfect for the part. And my experience as a Deputy Sheriff lent an air of authenticity to that role. “The Stockholm Syndrome” question will be answered for you when you see the movie.

Me : Thank you for your time Mr.Ryder.

Little brother

“Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor”

“When you have government always spying to the people is bad “

In the last few days I have been listening to an amazing coming of age tech novel which is all about privacy , human rights and abuse of authority. I have always had an affinity towards the fundamental human rights; such as freedom of thinking and expression . I have spent countless hours discussing privacy issues , encryption , spyware avoidance, etc.

What I found in those discussions is that some people seem to be oblivious to the abolition of their rights. I think that awareness should be raised amongst those people so we can all remain free avoiding all those traps set by the huge corporations and corrupt organizations such as RIAA, BRAIN and sometimes even our own governments .

The book I can’t wait to tell you about is ” Little brother ” – written by Cory Doctorow and I loved it! The story line follows the adventures of a 17 year old high school kid in the US; Marcus (also known as w1n5t0n). He is a smart kid who knows a lot about technology (these days many young people do and I think that this is great) and tries to avoid the surveillance systems in his school in order to do what most people his age want; Having a saying about what goes in their lives and of course having fun.

Things get complicated for him when, after a major terrorist attack, he is detained by US Department of Homeland Security. His beliefs cause him to be suspicious in appearance and he is sent to a secret prison for interrogation and an attempt at brain washing. When he is finally released he finds out that the world has changed. That his country became a police state and every citizen is being watched and monitored “for his own safety and for the safety of society “. Knowing that he does not have many chances he decides to fight that system – with one goal in mind, Freedom !

I would not want to spoil the novel for you – so I will stop here with the plot description. Guaranteed you will find many familiar gadgets and tools in it – The Tor router , the Xbox , the Wifi finders , the plausible deniability techniques used and adversarial forces used to make you reveal the passwords you are using. Even the new and rapidly gaining popularity – Pirate Party is mentioned.

Even if the novel is sci-fi fiction, the things that are shown in it have their equivalent in the world around you which makes it quite realistic. “Little Brother” is a well written and intense novel and I do not have any hesitations in recommending it highly.

Cory Doctorow provides his book for free download licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license, which lets you share it, remix it, and share your remixes, provided that you do so on a noncommercial basis. You can download it in variety of formats from his web site

Quote

Paranoid Linux is an operating system that assumes that its operator is under assault from the government (it was intended for use by Chinese and Syrian dissidents), and it does everything it can to keep your communications and documents a secret. It even throws up a bunch of “chaff” communications that are supposed to disguise the fact that you’re doing anything covert. So while you’re receiving a political message one character at a time, ParanoidLinux is pretending to surf the Web and fill in questionnaires and flirt in chat-rooms. Meanwhile, one in every five hundred characters you receive is your real message, a needle buried in a huge haystack.

~Cory Doctorow (Little Brother, 2008)

The winners of the 2009 COA Blogs Movie Awards

The winners of the 2009 Coming of Age blogs movie awards are ready to be announced. I must admit that I hoped that most people would participate in the nominating and voting process – which to my surprise did not happen. However the Awards are fact and I own a big ” Thank you ” to everyone who voted or by other means helped in this project.

The winners are :

Acting award nominations

Piotr Jagielski for his role in Jestem

Soundtrack nominations

En Tu Ausencia

Best cinematography nominations

Wild Tigers I Have Known

Best Coming-Of-Age Value Nomination

Perl Oder Pica

Short film nominations

2 Minites

Sueños

Sueños is a Spanish short film released directed by Daniel Guzmán. It was filmed in Madrid and released in 2003 and a year later won the Goya award for the best short film.

The story is about two friends who spent a hot summer day on a rooftop in the neighborhood of Aluche – sunbathing, listening to music, and talking about their desires and dreams. They know little of life and make plans, each in its own way, without knowing what awaits them across the corner. The young protagonists in the film (Adrián Gordilloy and Adam Jeziersky ) deliver a very good and credible performance. A bit of leisure in early childhood becomes an important dialogue that makes strong trends in life.

As with most successful films, the personality of the director is reflected in his creation which makes it so appealing to the audience. When asked to describe what inspired him to direct Sueños, Daniels Guzmán said :

“Dreams is the story of my adolescence, my past. I have my concerns, my desires, my fears and my dreams that I had at that stage of my life by mixing it with a bet, and a game as a backdrop. I wanted to share my concerns and experiences of that time.” (source)

Montreal Main

I found out about ” Montreal main ” in one of the “Coming of age books ” I have. I was intrigued by its summary and the screen shot of it that was published in the book. Thanks to CVMC I now have seen the film and even trough it turned out to be a bit different than my expectations were I found it quite moody and interesting . I am getting a taste towards films produced in Canada as the directors there seem always ready to work on topics many others would prefer to avoid ( Jet Boy for example is another example of a good Canadian movie )

The story in Monreal Main revolves about Frank Vitale – a photographer and his circle of friends in Monreal in the 1960’s. The films turn-point is when Franc befriends the 12 years old Johnny after doing a photo session of him with the permission of his parents . Johhny and Franch buddy up rapidly and their friendship flourish as each other teaches the other a lot of things about life – from how to take photos to how to repair broken bulbs and work with electrical gadgets . However their age difference causes suspicion amongst Johhny`s parents and the friend of Franc. Carlos Martinez Escalona who reviewed the film in its IMDB page excellently described the overall tone of the film by writing : ” It goes deep into the relentless fixations of a tightly knit society, where truths are told and lies are kept. Where the closeness of some people is sometimes unbearable and distance is painful.” And that is indeed the case – especially those days when the paranoia seems to be everywhere and many people are willing to doubt such a wonderful thing as the real friendship.

The film has its contrasts – contrast of feelings ,social classes and perceptions. Some of them are out there for everyone to see – while others are to be found in the dialogues and visuals trough out it . Speaking of dialogues Monreal Main is full of an intriguing ones , sometimes metaphoric – other times abstract or full of wisdom. Generally speaking they as well as the film`s photography and editing are quite good , but one has to really concentrate to be able to understand or at least interpreted the director`s ideas – such as the parallel plots we observe trough the film which while distinct focus the attention to the central issues of the film – humans interaction , relationships and friendships.

As you know my review are usually focused on movies which are partially or fully focused on the coming of age phenomena and “Montreal Main ” is no exception. More than one of its characters goes trough the coming of age process as the story revolves – and as it is often the case one`s age doesn`t make that process more or less difficult nor less unique for either one.

I enjoyed the film and do not hesitate it to anyone who may found my review of it at least a bit intriguing. Admittingly I am not found of the ending of ” Montreal main ” – but that is not because its is detached from reality – on the contrary – its just that once in a while I would like to see such good independent films with an ending as abstract and metaphoric as the scenes in them.

httpv://youtu.be/G5InRCGGR2c

“Montreal Main is an extraordinary film. Naturalistic in appearance, it has the air of making itself up as it goes along. Yet every image in the film and every element of its style possess the resonance of metaphor. Everything is what it is and yet, like the classic NFB documentaries of the 1950s, suggests other things.”

Take One -Montreal Main: uncertain identities ( source )

Official site of Montreal Main

The film “Montreal Main” celebrated its 31st birthday in Montreal – photo reportage

Apology to Josh Fleischman

Continuing the series of short films reviews at theskykid.com – the 6th title in it is an American film directed by Danny Goldfield called “Apology to Josh Fleischman”. The film is 8 minutes and during them there is only one spoken phrase related to its title. Like most short films I have seen the director relied strongly on visuals and the music score – as well as the acting talent of the actors to convey his message. Sometimes as is the case with “Apology to Josh Fleiscman ” the message of the story is challenging to discover. That is why I would first quote the films tag line taken from its IMDB page :

” A boy believes that anything that ever goes wrong must be all is his fault – it usually is.”

I could not relate the scenes I saw with that tag-line. To me the film was about a boy who hangs out at the school ground , throws a rock – which accidentally brakes the palm of the school bully. This creates an awkward situation to our hero – who thinks out a way to express his apology without reveling too much so he could avoid any possible revenge.

Overall I think that the young protagonist did a good job in portraying his confusion caused by the result of his actions. The camera work was decent and the director used slow motion throughout the film to emphasize on the world surrounding the protagonist.

If you have seen this short film , do not hesitate to let me know what did you make out of the story portrayed in it.

The film is included in the DVD titled ” Sandman and other shorts ” available at CVMC.

The Little Traitor (2007)

“My enemy was much more friend of mine, than my friends”

The Little Traitor is a coming of age film from Israel that is based on the novel Panther in the Basement by Amos Oz . Before seeing it I only knew of Ido Port (who plays the boy in the film) because a friend of mine recommended his acting in the film. For some reason the film did not get the publicity it deserves and this could be because of some of the sensitive issues it touches. Even if the action in it takes places back in 1947 (right before Israel become a state), in my reviews I try to avoid politics even if I have formed an opinion on the Middle Eastern conflicts) .

The film focuses on the relationship between a British soldier (Alfred Molina) and a young Jewish boy (Ido Port). Their friendship is not looked upon as good. At the time, many Jewish people thought of the British armed forces as occupiers and the British suspected the Jews of being terrorists. The Jewish boy, Proffy Liebowitz, is a sensible young boy who recently discovered an interest in girls and the friendship of someone who is interested in what he has to say, Sgt. Dunlop. The British soldier treats the boy as an equal. They discuss various topics – from the Jewish culture and their holy books to Western political ideology. Proffy’s friends (the ones with whom he plotted plans against the British) follow him and, seeing him talking with the “enemy”, decide to report him as a traitor. He is even sent to trail despite his young age. The film portrays the adolescent view of the possibilities and pitfalls of befriending the enemy (if there is an enemy) . You can get more insights of the movie’s plot by watching its trailer below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw0DXRvI-js

“It is both a coming of age story of young Proffy, exploring his interest in girls; bonding with male role models; as well as a semi-documentary with genuine footage of historic events at the time, when Israel was declared an independent state in 1948”( Associated content )

The Little Traitor fits the drama genre and even though I was not impressed by its cinematography, soundtrack or acting – its story made it fun to watch. It’s a charming film – and if you have a chance to see it, you won’t be disappointed.

Baklava

I have always blamed the movies produced in the US for their lack of realism. And on the contrary, I have been praising European production for its depiction of events and people as they are. A recent conversation with a friend on Skype prompted me to reconsider my stance on liberalism in European cinema after discovering a coming-of-age film called Baklava. I did my research, and was amazed by the things I found. The film was produced in Bulgaria and among other things shows the reality there – the corrupt politics related to the mafia, the bought media ( both TV and newspapers ), the horrible conditions in a Bulgarian home for children. Due to these factors, the film was banned in the country where it was produced – the government’s political influence over the media led to the prohibition of its release on their territory. However, Baklava was shown on several festivals in US, UK and Netherlands and received raving reviews from the audience – it is currently called ” The Most Wanted Bulgarian film ” and is gaining popularity day by day .

I haven`t seen the film, which is why I am going to quote its plot summary published at IMDB:

“A country in the heart of the Peninsula. Two brothers, separated by the timelessness of the Transition. A collage of an end neighborhood with a slew of funny characters, child’s fantasies and dark dreams – a quest through the intimate secrets of Bulgaria. Djore is 26, dresses in black, listens to drum & bass and does graffiti. Kotze is 9, wears a silver chain, steals, fights and loves pop-folk. Despite their differences, the brothers hit the road in search of a buried treasure, which their grandmother had willed to them. On the way they will encounter unbelievable adventures, unexpected characters and undiscovered truths.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ShUQNvwwA

The film`s page at IMDB

An article about the film in Sofia Echo

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com

Survival – that’s his main goal. But is survival feasible when you are “no one” to your family and you are not considered a person but an “it” ?

TheSkyKid.com interviews Stephen Ryder – the screenwriter of L.I.E and The last days of April

“My enemy was much more friend of mine, than my friends”