DVCV 14 - "Candi" - by Dick Mays & Roxzane Mims

[Dick Mays]

My short doesn't screen till tomorrow, but I'll put the feedback thread up now. I might not be up to doing it tomorrow as I see to be coming down with a virus.

All shot with a handheld HV30, as I sold my Sony FX1 last spring with early Scarlett anticipation. Might have jumped the gun a bit on that one. My dear friend Rox gets directing credits on this one as I crossed to the dark side of the force and in front of the camera.

Not much to say about this one in advance, I'd like to get the viewers comments first. But I did get a question about the closing credits. My brother drove me to Alabama to shoot the entering Alabama sign and then wait thiry minutes until the sun came up to shoot the entering georgia sign. Damn road was so bumpy I thought I could use the footage, but I decided the jiggly thing was a director decision.

On the way to Alabama my brother and I relived some of our youth experience growing up in Germany on a military base. I had to thank him for the day that we didn't both die. We went to the top of a mountain on a chair lift, and the steep slope faced the sun for about 100 meters. All the snow was burned off the southern slope until it made a curve and got some protection from some trees. But at the top it was just gravel on the slope and boulders providing a small barrier to a steep cliff. However, the boulders provided enough shade for a thin strip of ice down the 30 degree slope. As all the Germans were taking their skis off to hike down the gravel slope I jokingly told Tom we should just ski down the ice strip. To my horror, Tom put his skis together and started down the mountain. I followed, because I could not let my kid brother show me up, and there was no sense in making down the mountain to Mom and Dad if Tom killed himself on the boulders.

With me yelling at him behind not to stop, we hit abou 100 km/hour down the slope to the screams of "PASS AUF!!!" hurled at us by the cautionary folks hiking there way down the mountain. We were both amazed to find ourself intact at the bottom of the slope, and so I am still grateful to my brother for not falling.

[Andris Krastins]

This is a very emotionally tense film, including the guy hitting the ordinary girl, then running after her, the kind stranger helping (the hero of the film), also meet up with the father - I liked each moment of it!

Except for the guys in the beginning - what is that scene?! It seems totally out of place. Also I couldn't make out, what the guys were saying.

Excellent hand held job, it fit the style and realism very well!

p.s. I wish you get well soon.

[Mugurel Dragusin]

Dick, this is a good piece, except for the sound, the dialog is hard to hear most times while the other sounds are loud (if one were to crank up the volume to hear the dialogue).

That's my only problem with this and I'm pretty sure you are aware of it anyway :)

[Chris Barcellos]

Dick:

Random comments:

1. I agree there is a problem with the first scene. There is not context for it, and by end of film, I forgot it had even been there. And the dialogue there is not understandable.

2. Since this seemed to be a piece on domestic violence, and running from it, I was half expecting that when she arrived at her parents, she would be slapped down suddenly by him.

3. I would like to have seen some dialogue and growth in relationship of the woman and the driver on the trip. I know, in a five minute film, really not enough time, but on other hand, you did spend a lot of time collaging the trip.

4. Not sure of the right word, but I notice an attempt to make the opening motel room scene edgy or seamy. Within a minute we have girl in bra and panties, guy peeing in toilet, porn on the tv, wife beating, and personal property destruction manifested. Now, I am not a prude by any means, but it seems like it was a little overdone or contrived to shock. For instance, the toilet scene... what purpose does it really serve, except to jar sensibilities ? Its not realistic, who really would ask his girl friend or wife to turn up the lousy sound on a porn flick while he was doing his thing in the other room ? To me it seemed like the director wanted to make a statement like "See I can show a guy relieving himself...." Also, since this site is frequented by minors, I think we have to be concerned about explicitness in that respect.

[Andris Krastins]

Also, since this site is frequented by minors, I think we have to be concerned about explicitness in that respect.

Aw, come on, minors are peeing too, besides you sometimes can see a lot worse in evening news.
The most offensive thing there was slapping the girl.

[Lorinda Norton]

My opinion? You've got a great message here, Dick. I wish more girls would see this and wake up.

The beginning violence was really difficult for me because I am so sheltered from such things, but I realize that it happens all the time. So distressing. But your film gives hope! I like that.

Cinematography was wonderful, even with the compression. I appreciated how the fall colors and sunshine coincided with them getting closer to a better life for the girl. The shots inside the pickup as the trip progressed worked really well. Looks to me like you and your director were of like mind, which is really cool.

You, the icky boyfriend, and Candi all did great jobs in your roles—incredibly believable. I marveled at the timing, especially the sequence with you and Candi when you go back to give her your shirt.

The dad’s smile at the end? Perfect.

This is an important and good film. Well done.

[Lorinda Norton]

Chris, I wanted to get my initial thoughts posted--the ones I had before reading your reply.

You express a valid point, in that minors may well do what I did after the third viewing, which is actually pay attention to a part that I had overlooked earlier. I'll admit that I was appalled.

Then I thought, so many kids are seeing this and worse on the Internet, that if the overriding message says, "This is wrong--stay away or get away," then perhaps it's okay.

Leave it to Dick to shake things up a bit... :)

[Chris Barcellos]

Originally Posted by Andris Krastins

Aw, come on, minors are peeing too, besides you sometimes can see a lot worse in evening news.
The most offensive thing there was slapping the girl.

So as long as its seen on the evening news, it okay ?? I don't buy that.

I wasn't just talking about the peeing... but this is a very subjective issue, so my comments are my concerns about what I would be able to show my grandkids as the competition to the film they were involved in. Other films also had children in them.

So, anyway, my philosophical film making question is what is message of the film, and does particular scene serve it ? The toilet scene seemed gratuitious to me, and not serving it...and that is all my comment was meant to elicit comment from Dick on. I feel the same way about showing of what was on the tv.

[Chris Barcellos]

Lorinda:

I will defend Dick's right to make a film as he sees fit. In looking at my original comments, I note I only dwelled on what I saw as negative aspects of a good film. My pardons to Dick for that. I should be called on the carpet for that.

Other than what I saw as concerns, it is a well shot, and nicely done film, with a great message, as we have come to expect from Dick Mays.

At the same time, I will also defend my right to comment on the work, and concerns about appropriateness of aspects of it. I would hope others will do the same for me.

[Lorinda Norton]

Umm...I wasn't getting after you for expressing your opinions, Chris.

[Chris Barcellos]

Originally Posted by Lorinda Norton

Umm...I wasn't getting after you for expressing your opinions, Chris.

I know your weren't. Just trying to lay out my general stance, so there wasn't a misunderstanding.

[Dick Mays]

Originally Posted by Chris Barcellos

Its not realistic, who really would ask his girl friend or wife to turn up the lousy sound on a porn flick while he was doing his thing in the other room ?

Chris,

Thanks for the feedback. I think we come from different backgrounds as I see the opening scene as very realistic.

The suddeness of the slap is jarring. Maybe it's not what people want to watch, but there are many young women out there in abusive relationships who know the the feeling of having no place to turn. As a donor to a woman's shelter I share an abhorence for domestic violence, However, I believe illustrating the truth of the situation in a film is not an endorsement of the violence. The movie is about turning the leaf, starting over, and the fall folliage montage reenforces that. I see the movie as spirtually uplifting, a young woman getting the strength to make a change and remove herself from an ugly situation. Roxzane Mims, the director of the movie thought it was important to illustrate that this wasn't an isolated incident, and added the "NO MORE" line to the script.

The TV image was more gratuitous than needed. Unfortunately the first take, the beer bottle broke without breaking the TV screen and the second take the DVD wasn't reset to the planned position. It was either use the image or or cut it from the short as I didn't have another TV to break. I thought it was a pretty powerful moment so I left it in.

As for peeing, it is pretty sad commentary on society that we can see a man choked to death or a man shot to death and it is nothing to comment on, but we get hinky hearing someone use the toliet. To me, the toliet scene propells the viewer into an intimate moment in the couples life in a much less gratuitous manner than an implied sex scene.

I am very proud of the acting and realism of the opening motel scene. However, I don't want to force my point of view on any community where it is not welcomed. It does seem that the dvchallenge is more oriented to a family friendly fare, and I will accept your critique that perhaps this is not the sort of short that should be submitted to this contest.

Kind regards,

Dick

[Eric Gan]

Good message, well acted (and directed), and the motel scene was totally necessary to setup the tone of the story. I especially liked the part where you came back to give her the jacket. Did you power that light by the side of the road with a battery?

[Jeremy Doyle]

Originally Posted by Chris Barcellos

1. I agree there is a problem with the first scene. There is not context for it, and by end of film, I forgot it had even been there. And the dialogue there is not understandable.

Dick can correct me if I'm wrong, but here is my take on the first scene. It's the girls father showing off a beautifully restored classic car. When the daughter goes to him at the end we feel because of her abuse that she is beaten and the father is there to restore her the way he did the car.

At least that's what I got out of it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by Dick Mays

As for peeing, it is pretty sad commentary on society that we can see a man choked to death or a man shot to death and it is nothing to comment on, but we get hinky hearing someone use the toliet. To me, the toliet scene propells the viewer into an intimate moment in the couples life in a much less gratuitous manner than an implied sex scene.

I agree the toilet scene does disclose a great deal of intimacy. It really connects me to the couple in a much stronger way than any implied sex scene. And yes, my film was indeed much more violent. I think yours just hits closer to home because there's a connection with the characters and violence against women is taboo.

Originally Posted by Lorinda Norton

You express a valid point, in that minors may well do what I did after the third viewing, which is actually pay attention to a part that I had overlooked earlier. I'll admit that I was appalled.

Then I thought, so many kids are seeing this and worse on the Internet, that if the overriding message says, "This is wrong--stay away or get away," then perhaps it's okay.

This is just a scene from an R rated movie. Basic Instinct, I believe. Yes it's gratuitous, but there's lots of people that let there children watch R rated movies. Plus I thought that was a perfect clip that helped illustrate the relationship.

So really my only question about this would be one of copyright use.

Originally Posted by Lorinda Norton

The beginning violence was really difficult for me because I am so sheltered from such things, but I realize that it happens all the time. So distressing. But your film gives hope! I like that.

This is an important and good film. Well done.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I think this was a very strong film with a very important message.

The drive montage got a little long for me, but it didn't distract me from the message one bit.

[Chris Barcellos]

Again, I respect Dick's right to make his film as he sees fit, and my daughter will decide if her kids can watch the film. My criticism is of the perception that it was needed for that scene.


As to message, my guess is that a lot of women's rights and battered women advocates would cringe at the message that a woman's only choice is to rely on two other men, one a complete stranger, for protection.... but that is a whole other discussion....