"Death of a President" is set in Chicago, with the perfect performance and effect that attracts many fans.
November 6, 2006 (Press Release) --
Filming the controversial "Death of a President" in Chicago wasn't without incident. "When we did the sequences with the protesters abusing the presidential motorcade, a strange thing happened," director Gabriel Range says.
"An off-duty Chicago police officer came up to me, and he was angry. He said, 'No one told me the president was in town.'
"I couldn't convince him we were just shooting a movie. I even got a call from the real Secret Service, who wanted to know what we were doing. They wanted to confirm that we were indeed just shooting a movie," Range says.
What he was doing was filming one of the most talked-about movies of the year.
1. In the film, you have President Bush assassinated in Chicago. Why did you pick this city?
I think it's because I was struck with the resonance of the Vietnam era. I had those images of protesters outside the Hilton on Michigan Avenue in 1968. That was a turning point in American history. This was the first time the war had a very divisive effect that was recognized. So I was struck by the antiwar protests in Chicago, including the Iraq protest a few years ago. Chicago is a very political town. There is even a reference to your newspaper in the film.
2. Of course, you expected the film to be controversial.
I knew it would upset some people. I think what surprised some people is that they were prepared to condemn the film without seeing it. The initial wave of condemnation and wave of criticism were from people who hadn't seen the film and thought it was something else. For instance, I was surprised to hear Hillary Clinton describe a film she hadn't seen. Hillary's quote is on my Web site. I have a section of reviews from people who haven't ever seen the film. But now the people seeing the film have a different reaction. They're more introspective and the hysteria is over.
3. What did you want to say about President Bush?
I did the film about Bush because he's a good topic. He's a controversial president. The film is critical of the policies of the administration and the policies of the war on terror and the fallout of Iraq. It's not a personal attack on Bush as an individual. So I'd like to say to people that this film is not what you think -- no matter what you've heard of it.
4. What about reports that early audiences cheered when the president was shot in the film?
That's a total distortion. No one has ever cheered. I've been to screenings and I've never been to one where people clap and cheer when President Bush is shot. It's strange how these things get reported. This has never happened in a public screening. You can generally hear a pin drop at that moment. People are taking this film quite seriously. It's a horrific event with terrible consequences. People were very quiet, very serious, and the reality is the film doesn't take the assassination of President Bush as entertainment. It's not a cathartic experience.
5. Will there be a White House screening?
I haven't heard anything from the White House yet. It's pretty unlikely that the White House is interested in seeing my film. But the staff of the White House wasn't my target audience.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
Posted by Cindy Pearlman
"An off-duty Chicago police officer came up to me, and he was angry. He said, 'No one told me the president was in town.'
"I couldn't convince him we were just shooting a movie. I even got a call from the real Secret Service, who wanted to know what we were doing. They wanted to confirm that we were indeed just shooting a movie," Range says.
What he was doing was filming one of the most talked-about movies of the year.
1. In the film, you have President Bush assassinated in Chicago. Why did you pick this city?
I think it's because I was struck with the resonance of the Vietnam era. I had those images of protesters outside the Hilton on Michigan Avenue in 1968. That was a turning point in American history. This was the first time the war had a very divisive effect that was recognized. So I was struck by the antiwar protests in Chicago, including the Iraq protest a few years ago. Chicago is a very political town. There is even a reference to your newspaper in the film.
2. Of course, you expected the film to be controversial.
I knew it would upset some people. I think what surprised some people is that they were prepared to condemn the film without seeing it. The initial wave of condemnation and wave of criticism were from people who hadn't seen the film and thought it was something else. For instance, I was surprised to hear Hillary Clinton describe a film she hadn't seen. Hillary's quote is on my Web site. I have a section of reviews from people who haven't ever seen the film. But now the people seeing the film have a different reaction. They're more introspective and the hysteria is over.
3. What did you want to say about President Bush?
I did the film about Bush because he's a good topic. He's a controversial president. The film is critical of the policies of the administration and the policies of the war on terror and the fallout of Iraq. It's not a personal attack on Bush as an individual. So I'd like to say to people that this film is not what you think -- no matter what you've heard of it.
4. What about reports that early audiences cheered when the president was shot in the film?
That's a total distortion. No one has ever cheered. I've been to screenings and I've never been to one where people clap and cheer when President Bush is shot. It's strange how these things get reported. This has never happened in a public screening. You can generally hear a pin drop at that moment. People are taking this film quite seriously. It's a horrific event with terrible consequences. People were very quiet, very serious, and the reality is the film doesn't take the assassination of President Bush as entertainment. It's not a cathartic experience.
5. Will there be a White House screening?
I haven't heard anything from the White House yet. It's pretty unlikely that the White House is interested in seeing my film. But the staff of the White House wasn't my target audience.
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
Posted by Cindy Pearlman
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