Cannes Short Film Corner 2018 - PATIRI in the promised land
When an immigrant's right to stay in the United States is revoked, she stops at nothing to remain in the country.
Interview with Writer/Director Page Cooper Anderson
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! PATIRI in the promised land was handed to me as a neatly wrapped gift. It was the last day on the set of my Web Series, The Real Page Turner. There was an extra there that day that went out of her way to thank me. She was vibrant and had a lovely British accent. She told me she was from Zimbabwe and was in the middle of a challenging year as she attempted, alone for 20+ years, to get a work visa in the United States. This was during the last year of the Obama administration. I followed her personal story which only grew more precarious as Trump came into office. A compelling story was born. I cast the young woman not knowing if she could even act! The story was more important to me.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This sweet little tale is a subtle call to action, for anyone who decides to accept the challenge. It is easy to become pre-occupied in our own lives and turn a blind eye to the social issues at our very doorstep. This is a love story between two unlikely people searching for a safe haven and my love story to all the immigrants in the world.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We all hunger for love, a safe place and the knowing that we belong with someone or someplace. Without such an anchor, we are each lost at sea.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Patiri was made as a part of a film challenge. It was made in 4 days. The script came easily to me. The story broke my heart even before the words were on the page. I sat at The Society Library with my laptop and let the story tell itself. When it came to the actual shoot days, I sat behind the monitor on set and found myself dabbing away more than a few tears. It's cathartic to see your ideas spring forth from the actors on film, but it was how it looked that also amazed me. I could see something bigger than a "film challenge" short, before my eyes. Patiri has been nominated for half a dozen awards, from London and Nice to Austria. The surprise that we were given a nod from The Cannes Film Festival was something I could not have predicted. It's outgrown my vision.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Many say that it feels like they have seen a full length feature. Some say the character development is a part of why that is so. A lot takes place in a short time. Some see things they wish were in it that they feel are missing. I agree! 22 minutes is already long for a short. We had to edit out many of those little details to come in at the right length.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
My greatest challenge is that I know important components are missing that were filmed. No one has taken issue with the story itself.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I made Patiri because I was burning to tell one young person's story of hardship. I must have an audience in order to tell that story. This is a story that must be heard. Knowing someone is sitting somewhere, watching... listening, gives me great satisfaction. It's enough, in the end.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
In the end, what I need most are three things. I need an agent, as my projects are attracting a great deal of attention, and frankly, I just want to write and direct, not manage a business. Film festivals are always a welcome pat on the back. I'd love to be in a mid-level or above festival in the United States. I'd love to find a woman who wants to be the wind beneath my wings and assist a woman who cannot help but create. I literally cannot stop. I have funded almost 90% of all my projects. No-one wants to support the arts in the way they support other non-profit groups. Watch one episode of The Handmaid's Tale. There is urgency in assisting women to have a voice in the world. Film is the best and most effective way to do that. More people see films than read books. So, yes, I would love a female producer at my back.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I have received more accolades and laurels than I could have imagined. I feel more than satisfied in that arena. I wish PATIRI could be seen by more people. We Are Moving Stories is a dream come true in that it gives the story a platform from which to spring.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What would you be willing to risk to keep your freedom?
Would you like to add anything else?
20 years ago I was a woman who never left her small town in PA, I was scared of the world, so kept mine very small. 15 years ago I was a realtor in PA, just off of a divorce and scared I couldn't make my way without a man supporting me. I built a multi-million dollar Real Estate business, sold it, moved to NYC and reinvented my entire life and at 57, began a new career as a writer, director and actor. I'd never written a word or directed a soul. I tell you this not to say, "hey look at me, I'm amazing." I tell you this because I am living proof that we are all capable of amazing things if we dare to do, what we dare to dream. To any woman reading this and then watching my small contribution to the film world... There is a seat right next to me, that is empty. I'm waiting for you.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I have a project in post production that I am so in love with. The footage makes me giggle, and that's saying a lot. I have a Swedish background and can be a bit stoic when it comes to comedy. It's a sit-com with ghosts! Think Arrested Development meets Beetlejuice with a pinch of Faulty Towers! It's called, EXIT ZERO. Backstory on the title: the last exit on the New Jersey Garden State Parkway is actually Exit 0! It's also considered one of the most haunted towns in the US! I have spent 35 years vacationing in this sea side town at this very exit and recently got married there. After taking a picture of my wedding church, just as a storm was approaching, a new script shot through my body, like 100 volts of electricity! I never struggle for content. Lastly, thank you to, Carmela and to We Are Moving Stories, for lifting me out of a catalog of over 1,900 film entries. I am deeply honored.
Interview: May 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
PATIRI in the promised land
When an immigrant's right to stay in the United States is revoked, she stops at nothing to remain in the country.
Length: 22 min
Director: Page Cooper Anderson/Dana Marisa Schoenfeld
Producer: Dana Marisa Schoenfeld
Writer: Page Cooper Anderson
Page Cooper Anderson is a New York City-based actor, writer, director and executive producer.
After 18 months in NYC, studying with various coaches, auditioning and appearing in several TV series and commercials, Page was bitten by the bug to create her own content. In 2016 she began writing an autobiographical screenplay that led her to a new career. She has written and executive produced a 12 episode web series called The Real Page Turner, as well as the indie film, PATIRI in the promised land, where she made her directorial debut. Her newest project, EXIT Zero- The last stop, A hauntingly funny sit-com, is currently in post-production.
Dana Marisa Schoenfeld (Co-Director/Editor/Producer of Patiri in the Promised Land) is an
award-winning filmmaker and actor. She founded Main Sequence Entertainment in 2010 and
has written, directed, produced, starred, and edited numerous projects. Her television pilot,
EAST, won Best TV Pilot at the Hoboken International Film Festival, The Big Apple Film
Festival, and the Los Angeles Independent Film Awards. Her Short Film, SASHA, won Best
Director at the Nice International Filmmakers Festival, Best Cinematography at the London
International Filmmakers Festival, and an Award of Distinction at the CanadaShorts Festival.
Her short film, SWIPED RIGHT, (which she penned, directed, edited, and co-produced with Lydia Fiore), won the Audience Choice Awards at the Williamsburg Film Festival, and PATIRI IN THE PROMISED LAND, which she co-directed with Page Cooper Anderson, won Best
Directors at the London International Filmmakers Festival. Dana recently finished production as the lead actress and co-director/producer with Page Cooper Anderson on another project called EXIT ZERO.
For more info on Dana please visit: www.MainSequenceEntertainment.com
Key cast: Clyde Baldo, Vongai Shava, Page Cooper Anderson
Looking for film festival directors and journalists for Patiri. Looking for producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, for Exit Zero, (in post) a Haunted Sitcom!