From: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com (aml-list-digest) To: aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: aml-list-digest V1 #860 Reply-To: aml-list Sender: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-aml-list-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk aml-list-digest Monday, October 14 2002 Volume 01 : Number 860 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 00:36:40 -0600 From: "Paul Pehrson" Subject: [AML] _My Turn on Earth_ at Center Street Theater (Orem, UT) Tonight (Thursday) I went and saw _My Turn on Earth_ at the Center Street Theater in Orem. I must be the only native-born Utahn to have never seen the play or heard the music (my girlfriend thought that was a good thing, probably because in musicals like _Joseph_ I tend to sing the entire musical WITH the characters). I give the show two thumbs up all the way around. I loved it! The music was great, the acting was wonderful; it was well directed, well cast, and I really, really enjoyed it. One of my favorite moments was during the song where the characters are explaining the conflict in the pre-mortal existence between Satan and Jesus. For the first time in my life, I really began to ponder what it must have been like to be there and listen to Satan and Jesus each present his plan. The play was technically well executed. They used the stage very well. They included the audience in the play in such a way that I found enrapturing. I can't say enough good things about it. If you haven't seen it yet, (and you are in the Wasatch Front area) you really should. It runs M, W-Sat at 7:30. Wednesdays are half-price day, so every ticket is only $5.00. This is a play your whole family really will enjoy. Thank you, Center Street Theater. I'll be back with my whole family for this show and we'll be at your future shows as well. N. Paul Pehrson - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 01:27:23 -0600 From: "D. Michael Martindale" Subject: Re: [AML] Lee Benson on _Charly_ Christopher Bigelow wrote: > > Here's some pretty strong words against _Charly_ in the Deseret News: > > 'Charly' will make you cry > By Lee Benson > Deseret News columnist Lee Benson is my kind of guy! Once I see the film (which ought to be cleansing penance for a multitude of my sins), I may not be able to write a review, because it would only be redundant after Benson's. - -- D. Michael Martindale dmichael@wwno.com ================================== Check out Worldsmiths, the new online LDS writers group, at http://www.wwno.com/worldsmiths Sponsored by Worlds Without Number http://www.wwno.com ================================== - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 00:20:58 -0700 From: JLTyner Subject: Re: [AML] Mary Whitmer Video Query I bought our copy at our local LDS book store. "The Fourth Witness" is the correct title, I believe. Kathy Tyner Orange County, CA jana wrote: >I'm looking for a video I saw a few years ago--perhaps on KBYU. It's = >the story of Mary Whitmer and her opportunity to view the gold plates. = >If I remember correctly, it's called "The Fourth Witness". If anyone = >knows what I'm remembering or where I could get a copy, I'd appreciate = >it--I'm teaching Chruch History in Seminary and am craving any stories = >about women that I can find! > >Thanks :) >Jana Remy >UCIrvine >www.enivri.com > > >-- >AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature > > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 10:57:12 -0600 From: Barbara Hume Subject: RE: [AML] Mormon Publishing Options At 11:30 PM 10/8/02 -0700, you wrote: >Maybe LDS "hopeful" endings don't work because we aren't willing >to create the real pain on the page to make it work. I think you've identified the source of the blandness that makes so much Mormon fiction unpalatable. You need that dark background to make the triumphant parts stand out. Shakespeare did this in his comedies, even a raucous one such as The Comedy of Errors, basically slapstick. When Dutcher's sheriff/bishop hero cried over what he'd had to do, it was moving - -- and cathartic. One thing I dislike about so much modern "entertainment" is that it shows killing people as just another thing to do. I like a story in which the characters get some resolution and some growth. BTW, no one has ever answered my question about how that character could be a bishop now that he's single. Am I wrong to think that bishops must be married? - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:05:25 -0600 From: Barbara Hume Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Villains in Movies At 04:57 PM 10/9/02 -0500, you wrote: >." And in the October 14th, 2002 >issue of Newsweek features a review that tells how Sandler >"will also make it to Utah to confront the extortionist >(Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has sent four menacing Mormon >brothers to threaten his life..." Gee, that sounds like the way Zane Grey portrayed Mormons all those years ago in Riders of the Purple Sage. barbara hume - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:15:59 -0600 From: margaret young Subject: Re: [AML] Loving _Brigham City_ I'm really curious about this DVD business. I am decidedly behind the times, but when I went to buy _Brigham City_ at Media Play, it was ONLY on DVD. I had already looked for it in some LDS bookstores without success. What's the deal here? Are those of us who still have 8-track tapes hidden away going to have to move from VHS to DVD's in order to see the movies we want? Who's in charge of that conspiracy? And Richard, I'm sort of assuming that LDS bookstores would include any store that sells LDS products--which should include WalMart (in Utah), K-Mart, and Media Play. Hoping to get the movie before November 3, Bruce's birthday. I'm not sure if there's a hidden message in my getting him a movie about the serial murders of redheaded women, or if I should be disturbed that he enjoyed it so much when he saw it on the big screen, but that's what he's getting. RichardDutcher@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 10/8/02 9:45:42 PM Mountain Daylight Time, > barbara@techvoice.com writes: > > << I can't wait until Brigham > City comes out on VHS >> > > The VHS should hit the shelves (at LDS bookstores only) within the next few > weeks. Finally! > > Richard - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:19:40 -0600 From: "Thom Duncan" Subject: RE: [AML] Doug Thayer Interview Questions? I already know what he thinks of it, having been in attendance when Gregg Peck premiered the video at his home. He was very pleased with the production and had nothing but good things to say. Lisa Peck adapted the book to the screen. Thom Duncan >-----Original Message----- >From: owner-aml-list@lists.xmission.com > >Ask him what he thinks about "Only Once," the Peck/DeVilliers >adaptation of his book _Greg & Kellie_. - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 12:18:41 -0700 From: "Bill Willson" Subject: Re: [AML] Hear, hear Hear, hear: Meaning A shout of support or agreement. Origin Originated in the British parliament in the 18th century as a contraction of 'hear him, hear him'. It is still often heard there although sometimes used ironically these days. Regards, Bill Willson - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Needle" To: Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 12:08 AM Subject: Re: [AML] Lost Mormon Literary Classics > Hear, hear! > > (Or here, here, I'm not clear which one is right, and why. I await > enlightenment.) > - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 13:15:53 -0600 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] Sam Taylor Inquiry Hey y'all Does anyone on the list know who holds the rights to Sam Taylor's works, = or do you know who might know? We (that is to say BYU Theatre) are = interested in pursuing a stage adaptation of Heaven Only Knows. If you = do, pass it on, wouldya? Eric Samuelsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 15:04:11 -0600 From: "Eric R. Samuelsen" Subject: [AML] _Peculiarities_ (Performance) Just a little heads up. My new play Peculiarities is going to be performed at the Villa Playhouse = Theatre in Springville Oct. 17-19, 24-26. The Villa is at 254 S Main. = Performances will begin at 7:30, and tickets are 7 dollars for students = and seniors, 8 for general admission. Peculiarities is a tragi-comedy about, well, sex. Mormonism and sexuality = is probably more accurate. It tells four stories, weaves in and out of = them, each about a young couple involved in things that maybe aren't such = a great idea. I don't want to give too much away: one of the stories, = NCMO, is about a couple who get together to make out, even though they're = both officially dating other people. There are three other stories sort of = like that one. If the play works, it should be pretty funny in some = places, hopefully kinda thought-provoking, and pretty sad in conclusion. = That's what I'm aiming for, anyway. Tony Gunn is directing, and we have a wonderful cast, including Jess = Harward, Jeremy Selim and Susanna Florence. =20 It's being produced by VIP Arts, the Villa, and Under the Radar Productions= , which is a little production company I started a couple years ago to do = shows that are Mormon in theme, but not really produceable at BYU or other = mainstream venues. Nauvoo Theatrical Society might be interested in a few = years, but they've got to establish their audience base first. I thank = heaven there's a Bill Brown on this earth, so that shows like this can = indeed find a space. I hope you're able to make it. It's a play I'm proud of, and I think the = production is going to be a strong one. Eric Samuelsen - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 18:37:33 -0600 From: "Scott Parkin" Subject: Re: [AML] Mormon Culture: Good & Bad Christopher Bigelow wrote: > So why don't I feel that spirit any more that supposedly compensates for all > the cultural shortcomings and emptiness? I've been trying to figure out why my own viewpoint seems so fundamentally different from yours despite our overwhelming agreement on most of the specifics, and I think I've stumbled on an idea. It seems that you see these itches for "other" cultural stimuli as what you do *instead* of being Mormon, where I see the search for these other artistic/cultural stimuli as what I do *while* being Mormon. To me being Mormon not only allows the search for a wide variety of different cultural/artistic inputs, but actively demands it. That I find more artistic sustenance in _Pulp Fiction_ than I do in _Charly_ only means that I am, in fact, an individual who sees and feels and experiences differently than other people do. But it never occurs to me to condemn Mormon culture as bereft for not producing _Pulp Fiction_ because I don't see works produced under the aegis of "Mormonism" as either inherently more or less valuable--either in spiritual or artistic terms--than those produced outside of it. A thing has value as it impacts me; part of what I am is a (reasonably ordinary) Mormon. If there is *anything* virtuous, lovely, *or* of good report *or* praiseworthy, I see it as part of my Mormonism--an aspect of my Mormon culture--that I seek after those things. It's what I do as a Mormon, not instead of being a Mormon. I have some of the same frustrations you do. I've experienced a certain amount of violence in my life and a fair amount of personal sorrow. I've seen some of the ugliness that the modern world has to offer. For years it drove me absolutely nuts to listen to breathy, teenage Mormon girls sing about redemption from dark experience--then have the gall to weep as though they knew anything about dark experience. It drove me nuts to listen to some old lady weep about the great tragedy of her life when a bus ran over her cat, when I've watched people overdose and die from drugs. Who cares about dead cats when people have lost so much hope that they'd rather die from an excess of chemical euphoria than live in the world as they've experienced it? And yet... What right do I have to question the real pain that a breathy teenage Mormon girl feels when her boyfriend dumps her or she gives in to a tempation to get more physical than she thinks she ought? What right do I have to question the injury to that old woman's soul when she loses a friend to senseless, pointless random violence? As it turns out, I do have a right to make those kinds of comparisons--it's part and parcel with the whole agency thing. And I have a right to feel cheated when the other guy seems to get spiritual enlightenment that I believe I've earned. Why is it that the trivial old lady with her dead cat seems to experience such a rich spiritual feast at the temple when I spend the whole time in a sort of terrified performance anxiety because despite my age I still can't seem to remember my lines at the critical moment? Why does she deserve spiritual uplift where I only earn abject humiliation? I know. It's all about my own mindset. I have to learn to be less angry, less defiant, to expect less from others and more from myself. The Lord blesses every gathering with his spirit; it's my job to be in tune with Him so I can feel it, to reach through the veil by my own will and desire and take the gifts that are sitting there waiting for me. I know that; I've heard it for years. And I even believe it most of the time. But that doesn't reduce my frustration of the moment. The problem is that it's a basic existential question that has very little to do with the culture surrounding my religious community. I don't think that I'm an empty vessel that "the culture" is responsible to fill with all the ingredients I need to earn salvation--it's my job to learn and seek and choose and discover, not someone else's job to prepackage and deliver. Ultimately, it's my job to take whatever experiences I have and distill them into understanding--and perhaps even testimony. Thus if I feel unfulfilled it's my job to seek fulfillment. Still, I can know that fact without being comforted by it. I can hope that God loves me, but sometimes his rewards seem awfully random when viewed from inside my head. I'm not an evil person (despite what you may have heard...). I try very hard every day to be a better person that I have been. Yet I still forget my lines in the temple while the inactive construction worker three blocks over drives around town in his new Corvette. The only suggestion I can offer is that statis is a bad thing. We should always be seeking deeper understanding or better behavior or more profound art. If we find it outside our culture, then we have both a right and a responsibility to bring the best parts of our worldly pursuits back into our culture. If the culture is bland or bereft, then we have a calling to extend and expand it, create more pockets of belonging for more and different kinds of people. Despite what you may have heard, it's not a sin to find spiritual uplift from sources outside the semi-official outlets of the Church. In my mind the gospel practically demands it. I would suggest that you seek without guilt, and once you find something of value to you try to bring it back into the culture by your own effort rather than waiting for someone else to come up with it. Things often change with time, and where there once was a closed door it may be worth taking a second look because you never know who else may be trying to create more and better cultural outlets and opportunities for Mormons. I read _The Decameron_ during Sacrament meeting. Not the kind of book that one normally thinks of as uplifting, but it got me thinking about a lot of things and led me to some conclusions that could only be described as orthodox Mormon. I also read _Crime and Punishment_ and Plutarch's _Lives_ and three of the Harry Potter books instead of listening to the talks (along with a fairly extensive list of other books whose titles aren't leaping to mind at the moment). Maybe I'll smoke a turd in hell for reading instead of listening, but if I found some value in those books that led me to think more about who and what I am, and what I hope to become, then maybe reading was a fit activity after all. Theoretically the Lord will tell me for sure one of these days... Culture is just one of many kinds of inputs. Culture is not gospel, though varied experience is. If the culture you find here is unsatisfying, then I think there's nothing wrong with looking over there for ideas or expressions or images that provoke us to think and to feel and to hope. That's FWIW. Scott Parkin - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 01:39:14 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] GOODMAN, _Handcart_ (Newspaper Reviews) Below are reviews from the Tribune, Deseret News, and Daily Herald. 'Handcart' Rolls Along, Despite Meager Provisions Friday, October 11, 2002 BY SEAN P. MEANS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE 2.5 stars (out of four) Not rated, but probably PG for scenes of hardship; 115 minutes. Opening today at area theaters. The story of the Martin Handcart Company -- Mormon pioneers who nearly perished in the Wyoming snows in 1856, rescued by settlers sent by Brigham Young himself -- would make a great Hollywood epic, if the budget were big enough. Without a budget, Orem filmmaker Kels Goodman tried anyway with "Handcart." Though the results ultimately suffer for Goodman's financial constraints and his cast's sometimes limited talent, the movie manages to be a rousing and sometimes soul- stirring ride. "Handcart" shows us the Martin party through the eyes of Samuel Hunter (Jaelan Petrie), a young Iowan who dislikes the Mormons for converting his brother Tanner (Lincoln Hoppe) and luring him to "the land of milk and honey" in Utah. But then he takes a fancy to Abigail Shipe (Stephanie Albach), an English LDS convert, and decides to join the church -- and the exodus west -- mostly to get close to her. On the trail, Samuel discovers his faith as he contends with the hardships of sun, snow and pulling a fully laden handcart across the plains. Goodman, who is both director and cinematographer, and screenwriter Mark von Bowers do a solid job of humanizing the Mormon pioneers, though some may dislike the notion of Utah's white settlers whining so much. The script makes strides toward exploring its characters' faith and their wrestling with LDS doctrine -- small strides, to be sure, but more than such timid LDS films as "Charly" or "The Singles Ward" attempted. Among the stronger characterizations is Edward Martin himself (Joel Bishop), trying to maintain good spirits and his faith as members of his party die. Other quietly powerful performances come from Chris Kendrick and Shannon Skinner, as a burly Mormon convert and the unwed mother-to-be who befriends him. "Handcart" has its share of low-budget cheesiness, from some amateur acting to the anchorman hair on a member of Brigham Young's inner circle. But Goodman demonstrates a sure handling of his material, a sharp eye for panoramic outdoor scenes, and a knack for stretching his film's meager resources. Copyright 2002, The Salt Lake Tribune Deseret News Episodic 2nd half carries 'Handcart' By Jeff Vice Deseret News movie critic 2.5 stars (out of four) HANDCART Jaelan Petrie, Stephanie Albach, Chris Kendrick, Shannon Skinner, Gretchen Condie, Joel Bishop, Lincoln Hoppe, Scott Christopher; rated PG (brief violence, mild profanity) "Handcart" does a better job than might be expected of telling a story within one of the more tragic episodes in the history of the Mormon pioneers. True, the film is often betrayed by its ultra-ultra-low budget and is bogged down with a mediocre-at-best first half and a tacked-on ending, which blunt the film's overall impact. Yet, unlike some of the more recent LDS film productions, "Handcart" seems to have a lot of heart. And the film's considerably more involving second half helps make it quite watchable. The story is a heavily fictionalized version of the Martin Handcart Company's 1,200-mile exodus from Iowa City to the Salt Lake Valley in 1856. Front and center is Samuel Hunter (Jaelan Petrie), a recent convert to the LDS Church. Samuel did so mainly to get closer to Abigail Shipe (Stephanie Albach), a British church member making the trek to fulfill her family's wishes. Now, as a family outcast, he decides to join Abby, her younger sister Sarah (Gretchen Condie) and 500 other would-be settlers, including the physically imposing but gentle Moose (Chris Kendrick) and Patricia (Stephanie Skinner), a single mother-to-be. Still, Samuel has doubts about the journey, and there's evidence to back him up. By leaving late in the season, the party is already encountering colder weather. And as party members start dropping, he's not the only one whose faith is wavering. Actually, you have to give some credit to director Kels Goodman for making the film as successful as it is, considering what he had to work with. And even though the first half is badly paced, the rather episodic second half is miles better. A lot rides on the cast, which is inconsistent at best. The toothy Albach has trouble maintaining her tricky British accent, but Petrie does make Samuel's internal struggles convincing. Also, Skinner, Kendrick and Joel Bishop (who plays Edward Martin, the party's leader) merit more screen time. And if only they could somehow have excised the awful and not-nearly-brief- enough supporting turn by local comedian Johnny Biscuit. "Handcart" is rated PG for a brief scene of violence (a scuffle) and scattered use of mild profanity (religious in nature). Running time: 115 minutes. Copyright 2002 Deseret News Publishing Company 'Handcart' fails to deliver believable script, plot ERIC D. SNIDER The Daily Herald on Friday, October 11 "Handcart" is the seventh entry in the 2 1/2-year-old Mormon cinema genre that began with "God's Army," and it is the most ambitious in terms of scope and subject matter. It is also, sadly, one of the worst. I can think of few films that were made by nicer people, and with nobler intentions, than this one. The story of the Mormon pioneers has great dramatic potential, but it is squandered here with a rickety script and some terrible acting. Writer/director Kels Goodman sets his film within the ill-fated Martin handcart company that left too late in the season in 1856 and subsequently lost 150 of its 500 members to cold and starvation. But first we meet Sam Hunter (Jaelan Petrie), a 20-ish man in Iowa City who has been taught to hate the Mormons by his snively shopowner uncle (Johnny Biscuit, delivering perhaps the worst performance of the year). Fate intervenes, however, and Sam falls in love with Abigail (Stephanie Albach), a British immigrant and new Mormon convert who has stopped in town with her fellow saints before heading to Salt Lake City. Sam is baptized a Mormon -- not because he believes it, he assures his uncle, but because he wants to get close enough to Abigail to convince her Mormonism is false. Why someone who has joined a church solely to expose its fraudulency would then follow that church across harsh terrain toward Utah is beyond me -- it seems like a lot of work just to prove a point -- but that's what Sam does. Along the way, he apparently becomes truly converted, but darned if we're shown why, how or by whom. There is more than sufficient tragedy on the trek -- by the end, people are literally tripping over dead bodies -- but only in the sense of "tragedy" that includes all deaths of all nice people. Even when major characters die, it is hard to feel more than mild sadness, because even the major characters are dull ciphers. Almost without exception, the acting is flat and unconvincing. You rarely believe any of these folks are 19th- century pioneers instead of 21st-century amateur actors in uncomfortable costumes. (The all-you-can-eat buffet of bad accents doesn't help, either.) Among the decent performances are: Chris Kendrick as "Moose," a rough-and-tumble figure with a heart of gold, or something like that; Gretchen Condie as Abigail's younger sister Sarah; and Joel Bishop as company leader Edward Martin. Among the bad performances are: just about everyone else, though some of them, like Jaelan Petrie as Sam and Lincoln Hoppe as his brother, seem to be good actors trapped in underwritten roles. But the film's most egregious sin is that it's boring. The character arcs, when they exist, don't flow; characters just wind up different, with no examination of what caused the change. The film asks excellent questions about faith -- like why God would drop a snowstorm on a group of people who were only trying to do his will -- but doesn't answer them. The survivors seem to emerge with stronger faith, but again, the movie doesn't show us why or how. The film is unsure what it wants to say, and what it does say, it does it clumsily. Grade: C- Rated PG for pioneer deaths Copyright 2002 by HarkTheHerald.com _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 21:01:22 -0500 From: "webmaster" Subject: [AML] Daniel M. Skaf Interview (Brazilian LDS Filmmaker) http://www.ldsfilm.com/docu/Iosepa.html LDSFilm.com interviews Daniel M. Skaf about his documentary "The Birthing of Iosepa" INTRODUCTION 9 October 2002 - Daniel Skaf is such a strikingly handsome young man that h= e looks like he should be in front of a camera. But this native of Brazil is not an actor. He's a serious young filmmaker, currently studying in the prestigious MFA program in Film and Television Production at Chapman University. Skaf's first feature-length film is "The Birthing of Iosepa," and if you have a chance to see it while it makes the festival rounds and plays on public television, I'm sure you won't forget it. As a director, Skaf uses a remarkably light touch in this documentary. You probably won't come away from it with his name at the tip of your tongue or his "style" indelibly printed on your brain. It isn't difficult to see that this is the work of relatively inexperienced filmmaker, working with little or no budget. But "The Birthing of Iosepa" is clearly a labor of love that presents a story so fresh and compelling that it speaks for itself if allowed to, which is exactly what the director has done. After an incredible amount of time went into collecting raw footage, the most telling moments have been chosen to represent a story of surprising depth and grandeur. "The Birthing of Iosepa" opened up a whole world for me= . Through the lens of this focused story -- the creation of a traditional double-hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoe -- the viewer is provided an intimate introduction to a number of Polynesian cultures. Hawaiian culture is given the most time, but Fijians, Maoris, Tongans and others are are seen as well= . Occasionally the camera work is amateurish. The lighting could be improved upon. The introduction is slow and is bogged down by a number of less-than-attractive static visuals. Sometimes the screen was cluttered by an overly large temporary logo graphic and a caption identifying an interviewee and oddly-placed subtitles. But this is nitpicking about what is, over all, an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable film. There is so much here that is fascinating, I hardly know where to start. Skaf let the Polynesians speak for themselves, in their own language with subtitles or in English. He doesn't shy away from including lengthy but engrossing shots of prayers, public rituals and blessings, and other steps in the canoe-building process. No preconceived ideology is imposed on this film. What emerges is a surprising blend of Latter-day Saint Christian and traditional Polynesian belief and practice. It's all very uncorrelated. Man= y moments in the film would probably never have been there had it been produced by the Church itself, and many other moments would never have been there if it had been produced by a person with a purely secular outlook. Skaf was an outsider-insider. A non-Polynesian, but also a Latter-day Saint= , as are the people who made the canoe. Skaf was a student at BYU-Hawaii, but also an employee at a Hawaiian public television station. As a result, the documentary is both insightful and authentic. Although the filmmaker clearl= y admires the Polynesians, the documentary provides a window rather than commentary. Occasionally, interviewees, speaking naturally and from the heart as well a= s from their area of expertise, seem to contradict each other as they explain various aspects of Polynesian culture. This was a welcome development, underscoring the fact that these are real people and the story portrayed is real life. Much about the Polynesian cultures in the film seems admirable and wonderful, but nothing is idealized or "touched up" to make it "more native" than it really is. I loved seeing the eloquent native Hawaiian expert who was never seen without a pair of dark sunglasses perched on the top of his head -- whether he was outdoors or inside. I loved the part when one of the traditional canoe builders, surrounded by beaches and palm trees and centuries-old technology, talks about coming to a difficult step in the process, and searching the Internet for information. The tension between maintaining old ways and being overwhelmed by the modern world is palpable, yet the people in the film give the viewer hope that if anybody can preserve and even revive their culture, they can. Daniel Skaf is now a full-time film student, but he graciously took time to talk to us about "The Birthing of Iosepa" and other topics. Q. "The Birthing of Iosepa" is about traditional Polynesian canoe building and navigation. Why did you choose to make a film about this topic? Skaf: The Hawaiian culture has always fascinated me. The intelligence required to memorize 150 stars, their various positions in different times of the year and use them as a map is amazing. When I saw the huge logs whic= h were just brought to the building site, I could not resist but make a documentary about the building process. As the canoe would take at least a year to be completed, I knew I would be able to learn more about their culture. Q. You're not Polynesian, but nearly everybody in the documentary is Polynesian. Were you concerned about your ability to portray Polynesian cultures accurately? Skaf: Yes, I was. That is the reason why I worked very closely with the executive producer [William Kauaiwi'ulaokalani Wallace III], who is the director for the Hawaiian Studies Department at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and also the main person behind the building of the canoe. I knew I had to tell the story from a Hawaiian point of view. I spen= t a lot of time researching the history of voyaging canoes and also a lot of time talking to the people involved. For a while, I had to deny my own culture and beliefs, and immerse myself in that new experience. Although I am not a Pacific Islander, I tried to think and act as a Hawaiian. It was a great learning experience which increased my respect for this great people.= Q. In making "The Birthing of Iosepa", what equipment did you use during filming and post-production? Skaf: I used both mini and regular format digital cameras. The Sony cameras were DSR-300, DXC 327 with DVCAM deck and PD-100. For post, I used Final Cu= t Pro and Panasonic DVCPRO tapes. For graphics, Compix. Q. How much did "The Birthing of Iosepa" cost to make? Skaf: That is a hard question. I didn't receive a budget to make the documentary. It was one of my assignments at the Olelo Community Television station I worked for. BYU-H paid for the tapes and the TV station paid for my time during the filming and post. I spent 400 hours editing and used 60 tapes during a year. Q. When you had finished "The Birthing of Iosepa," what was the biggest difference in the film from how you originally planned it? Skaf: During pre-production, I wanted to do a documentary style known as verit=E9, which is like the ones made in the sixties. A documentary without much editing, which allows the actions and situations during the construction process tell the story by itself. That is the way that I videotaped, filming almost every action, every conversation. However, durin= g the writing of the script, I decided to change that. I wanted to blend both time periods, during and after the carving. Having the people involved looking back and reflecting upon the carving of Iosepa and also talking about their feelings during the carving period. Q. Some of the interviewees in the documentary speak Hawaiian, which I'm sure some mainlanders think is an extinct or nearly-dead language. Is Hawaiian the native language of these people, or did they learn it as a second language in the Hawaiian language immersion school? Skaf: There are people who grew up speaking Hawaiian in their homes and others who learned at school. Since Captain Cook arrived on the Hawaiian Islands in the end of the eighteen century, Hawaiians started to be deprive= d of their own identity. In the nineteen seventies, they built the voyaging canoe Hokulea, and traveled to Tahiti without modern navigational instruments. That was one of the events that marked the renaissance of the Hawaiian culture. Today, the Hawaiian language is becoming more and more widely spoken. Q. Have you had a chance to receive feedback from audiences about "The Birthing of Iosepa"? What are some of the things that regular viewers liked= ? Skaf: So far, I received many positive feedbacks from both Pacific Islander= s and people who don't know anything about Hawaiian culture. Some of the Hawaiian audience came to me and expressed their gratitude through tears. That was the best feedback I could ever receive. The people who don't know much about Hawaiian culture told me they now have more respect for these great people. The goal was accomplished. Q. The documentary often features a remarkable -- and apparently very authentic -- blending of traditional Polynesian religion and Latter-day Saint practice, sometimes most noticable in the wording of prayers, blessings and chants. In making or showing the documentary, did you receive any resistance or criticism about the religious content? Skaf: No, I didn't receive any criticism about the religious content. It wa= s great to see how both Polynesian and LDS beliefs blended. As the canoe project was created by the Hawaiian department of BYU-H, the religious beliefs were already mixed. One day a friend told me that the deeper you go into a culture, more universal characteristics you will find. Q. How can people have a chance to see "The Birthing of Iosepa"? Skaf: The documentary will be shown at the Hawaii International Film festival during the first week of November, 2002. It will also air on DirecTV, through the BYUTV channel. I don't have the airdates yet but it will probably be shown in December or January. People can email me to get the airdates (skaf100@chapman.edu). Q. You previously made the documentary "Keepers of Culture." What was that about? Skaf: It is about the 2000 Culture Night of BYU-H, in which 30 student club= s from various parts of the world present their traditional culture through dance and music. We chose two groups, the Maori (New Zealand) and the African clubs and did a documentary about their preparation for the event. One of the interests was in the people who were not Maori or African, but joined the clubs to learn more about them. We also focused on the ways thes= e two groups of people maintain their culture while studying in an American university. Q. Imagine you have the opportunity to make a big budget film. It can be a documentary, a narrative feature, anything. (Up to $40 million for production.) What's the topic? Who's in it? Skaf: I would choose one of the many great stories of the Book of Mormon. This is one of my goals. I would like to do it in Hawaii or Brazil, since both have tropical forests. I would choose actors who are in the beginning of their careers and make them read the Book of Mormon at least one time. I am amazed by the amount of LDS filmmakers who are sprouting up everywhere. = I know in the next 30 years we will see amazing epic LDS movies such as Ben Hur. I want to be a part of it. Q. What is your next project? Skaf: For now, I am devoting 100% to my graduate program in Film and Television Production at Chapman University, which is a 3 year program. I a= m still deciding if I will choose a documentary or a narrative film for my thesis project. But definitely I'll try to make it educational and upliftin= g - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 01:57:09 +0000 From: "Andrew Hall" Subject: [AML] GOODMAN, _Handcart_ (Deseret News) Desret News Friday, October 11, 2002 Making history: The latest LDS film, 'Handcart', is the genre's frst historical epic By Jeff Vice Deseret News movie critic There were a lot of things working against "Handcart" filmmaker Kels Goodman, including budget constraints, unpredictable weather . . . and the 2002 Winter Olympics. "Handcart" is a fictionalization of the struggles of the Martin Handcart Company during its ill-fated journey from Iowa to Wyoming during a harsh and early winter as some 500 settlers tried to reach the Salt Lake Valley in 1856. Earlier this year, Goodman was filming the full-blown period drama along the Wasatch Front using a meager budget of approximately= =20 $300,000, less than 5 percent of the average modest-budget Hollywood film. And in order to meet his rigid production schedule, Goodman also had to shoot around the Winter Games. "We tried to make it simple and let the costumes, the handcarts, the plains and the snow do the talking," said Goodman, the film's director, producer and director of photography. "The one thing I had going for me was that most of the film took place out in the middle of nowhere." Still, he concedes that the process was "very hard, especially on a budget. Since we didn't have the money to go out of state, I had to really search for places that look like Nebraska and Wyoming. Doing that during the Olympics was a nightmare." The local filmmaker and his crew did have one thing going for them, though =97 January's icy temperatures. "When it got cold, it was like the breath was a prop. It served us well." The results can be seen beginning today as "Handcart" is released in 18 theaters between Utah and Canada, seven of those in the Salt Lake Valley. Goodman has been making films since he was 11. "After I saw 'Star Wars,' of course," he said. After graduating from Brigham Young University, he found work as a cameraman on LDS Church productions, and he has worked on the locally filmed CBS TV series "Touched by an Angel." His feature-directing debut came with "Yankee 2 Kilo," a Y2K comedy released=20 straight to video last year. But for its follow-up, Goodman was looking for something a little deeper. He found it while working as a crew member on the multipart 1997 PBS documentary series "The Legacy West," about the Mormon Trail wagon-train re-enactment. "I learned that there were stories worthy to be on film," he said. "We have seemed to be afraid to tell the stories of Mormons who have suffered." He received added inspiration when "God's Army" became an independent film success story two years ago. "I had always seen this day of LDS filmmaking but just never knew when or how. Then 'God's Army' simply made it possible." So perhaps it's appropriate that "Handcart" was made for the same amount as Richard Dutcher's film. "I started shooting the film with $30,000 in my pocket, knowing it was hard to get investors to commit unless I had something to see," Goodman said. Then he had to cast the film. "(It) went pretty fast. I knew a lot of people already from my work in the industry, so except for a few roles, I basically hand-picked the people I wanted." Local actor Jaelan Petrie stars as Samuel Hunter, a convert to the LDS faith through whose eyes the audience witnesses the struggles of the Martin Handcart Company. Goodman said that while he knew he could not afford more expensive,=20 out-of-state actors, "I was looking for people that weren't in every LDS film. Then, after I finished the picture, I noticed some had been in others." But he did know that possibility existed as long as the current flood of LDS-themed and made films continues. "(It) is a good thing, but it will not last too long. When I started 'Handcart,' the only thing going was 'God's Army,' and 'Brigham=20 City' was only talked about. By the time I finished, all of a sudden, there were all these LDS films. "So I get lodged into this 'There are too many LDS films' situation.= =20 However, I think the quality of the films needs to go up in order for people to want to see them." And though he has yet to see whether an audience wants to see=20 "Handcart," Goodman already has a concept for his next feature: He's planning to make an action-adventure film about the Boy Scouts of America. "That will help me have one foot in the LDS market and one branching out." He confesses, however, that he sometimes feels "the need to blow something up =97 a car chase; something to liven up the cinema." Copyright 2002 Deseret News Publishing Company _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:=20 http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx - -- AML-List, a mailing list for the discussion of Mormon literature ------------------------------ End of aml-list-digest V1 #860 ******************************