AmDocs Festival - Broken Palace
A nostalgic and bittersweet reflection on the loss of heritage movie palaces.
Interview with Writer/Director Ross Munro
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I grew up as a movie theater rat hanging out heritage movie palaces all weekend long in my native Winnipeg and have been saddened over the years at the subsequent closing of these elegant architectural wonders and wanted to make a film that relayed the strong memories and feelings for these wondrous places.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because we’ve all shared the transforming communal experience of viewing a movie in a cherished movie theater at one time or another and it’s a feeling we can all relate to.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Losing our heritage movie palaces (or any wonderful piece of architecture from the past) teaches us that we can never understand the present or move towards the future without preserving our past.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
The script evolved from my original idea of the visual exploration of the interiors and exteriors of existing heritage theaters to that of creating the ghost-like character of the nostalgic Usherette who serves as a guide for the audience’s journey into the haunting travelogue into the past.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive as the film really strikes an emotional chord with audiences as everyone seems to relate to sharing strong memories about their early movie theater experiences and a burning sensation of bittersweet nostalgia.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has been surprising as I was burrowed so deep in exploring my own memories and feelings about the topic of heritage cinemas being torn down that it ended up being extremely gratifying to see audiences really empathizing with our film’s message and journey.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We wanted to achieve a personal sense of awareness about the sacredness and importance of holding onto the cultural touchstones that are heritage movie palaces.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for any person or company to come aboard and join our team in being to help us give Broken Palace much needed continuing exposure worldwide with film festivals as well as in finding an online home that allows movie lovers to access our film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
The message of Broken Palace is that we need to appreciate the past if we are to move successfully into the future.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How important is the culture of the past important and valued to our society today?
Would you like to add anything else?
Broken Palace was made with love and respect for the sacred memories of the golden era of movie going but also to serve as a clarion call to preserve the remaining historically resonant architecture and culture from our past.
What are you working on next?
Filmmaker/Producer team Ross & Maria Munro are working on a new documentary about family memories as well as developing several feature films maintaining their commitment to character-driven stories and strong indie spirit.
Interview: March 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Broken Palace
Length: 6 minutes
A nostalgic and bittersweet reflection on the loss of heritage movie palaces.
Director: Ross Munro
Producer: Maria Munro, Ross Munro, Ron Heaps
Writer: Ross Munro
About the Writer/Director: Ross Munro was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and has written and directed two indie features – Brewster McGee (2000) and most recently the homage to 1970s era American buddy films A Legacy of Whining which he also acted in one of the principal roles.
About the Producer: Maria Munro, married to filmmaker Ross Munro, was born in Venezuela and was an established graphic designer before turning her talents towards film producing with Broken Palace and the new feature A Legacy of Whining also serving as Art Director and Costume Designer.
Key Cast: Kristin Brown (Usherette), Simon Webb (Narrator).
Looking For: Film festival directors, buyers, distributors (theatrical/online).
Funders: Self funded.
Where can I see it next?
Broken Palace has been invited to be screened as part of the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, USA on April 3/2017.