~CHRIS SMITH/’THE POOL’ opens to acclaim in NYC !!!
‘THE POOL’ – WINNER – SPECIAL DRAMATIC JURY PRIZE – SUNDANCE 2007
from the DIRECTOR of AMERICAN MOVIE & THE YES MEN – CHRIS SMITH
Bluemark Presents: ‘THE POOL’ – 2 WEEKS ONLY – SEPT 3-16 , 2008 – FILM FORUM
see: FILM FORUM/THE POOL !!
also opening nationally !! in 30+ theaters – so, check your local listings !!
see: HIT – SCREENINGS !!
. . . the film has an excellent website, check it out: ‘THE POOL’/OFFICIAL WEBSITE !!
where you can check out, all the rave reviews – and, they are all – right on !!
and, where you can also view the trailer & hear some of the film’s lovely music: ‘THE POOL’/THE TRAILER !!
‘THE POOL’ had its NYC launch screening at the FILM FORUM, this past WED SEPT 3, 2008
The after party was at STEAK FRITES.
on the way in, we meet B.J. of the Brooklyn band – Parts & Labor
you can check out Parts & Labor on: myspace !!
JOHN RIEPENHOFF greets guests. John was a Production Assistant on ‘The Pool’ – he did post production work. He said he started working on the project, right when they got back from India.
He is wearing a MILWAUKEE INTERNATIONAL (art fair) T Shirt.
the film’s poster was designed by SCOTT CLARIDGE & it also looks like he did the graphic art embellishments on the film’s official website, with simple, yet striking effects.
see: ‘THE POOL’/OFFICIAL WEBSITE
detail, ‘THE POOL’ – poster by SCOTT CLARIDGE.
The use of what looks to be cut-out paper elements – seamlessly integrated into the hi-resolution film still – is not only visually striking, yet downplayed just right – but also an excellent metaphor for the film itself – with combines a moving fictional narrative with the accuracy of a documentary.
a theater lobby photo of ‘THE POOL’ Director – CHRIS SMITH
Photo by ROBIN HOLLAND.
CHRIS SMITH in a candid moment – at the FILM FORUM, just before his newest feature, a fictional narrative – vividly shot on location in Goa, India – ‘THE POOL’ – screened.
at ‘THE POOL’ after party: CHRIS SMITH, the film’s director, co-writer & cinematographer !!; KATE NOBLE, the film’s producer; JOE WONG who co-wrote the film’s enchanting musical score; and graphic designer, SCOTT CLARIDGE who did the film’s poster and website design elements.
. . . . producer – KATE NOBLE.
BARRY POLTERMANN – the film’s editor.
RANDY RUSSELL – the film’s co-writer.
A short story of his, set in IOWA !! – was the original inspiration for Chris Smith’s cinematic tale, ‘The Pool’ – filmed and set in Goa, India.
JOE WONG. He said that a Bombay orchestra – an “old Bollywood orchestra” – made up of “mostly 70 and 80 year-old musicians” – performed the musical score, which he and DIDIER LEPLAE wrote for ‘THE POOL’ . A lot of the sound track has an authentic sound from the Goa region. It has a lot of Portuguese influence as well as regional Panjim elements.
on the right – DIDIER LEPLAE – co-author of the musical score – ‘THE POOL’.
and yep, that’s local artist – well known to many of the downtown crew here – JAMES FRANKLIN – on the left.
CHRIS THOMPSON – he went to India with ‘THE POOL’ crew – where he was assistant editor & production co-ordinator.
at left, CHRIS SMITH !! his camera work on the film – which he also directed and co-wrote – was intense and really infused the film with a vividness of place – and – yet let the story reveal itself – very lyrically.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
. . . some stills from the film – ‘THE POOL’ – directed by CHRIS SMITH & produced by KATE NOBLE.
NOTE: ALL IMAGES COURTESY: ‘THE POOL’/OFFICIAL WEBSITE
JHANGIR BHADSHAH, AYESHA MOHAN and VENKATESH CHAVAN – ‘THE POOL’.
(one of film’s crew at the after party told us – the youngest actor – JHANGIR BHADSHAH – really did use – the money he earned from the film – to go to school, when the production ended.)
meeting up in the park – 2 boys & a girl – from very different classes. ‘THE POOL’
VEKATESH CHAVAN, as the pool admirer, and NANA PATEKAR, as the pool’s owner – who never uses the pool.
(we were also told NANA PATEKAR is a major actor in his native India, a fact – of which we have no doubt – and that, the reason the film plays out with such authenticity is that many of the details, that the actors, in passing conversation – revealed to the filmmakers about their own true lives – was incorporated into the screenplay. . thus VEKATESH CHAVAN really was kidnapped by a stranger, and held captive for 3 days, before he managed to escape – and NANA PATEKAR – had a son who tragically drowned, when he was just 2 years old.