Cynematik • Cyndi Greening

A few years ago, several members of the Arquette family were in Sundance films. This year, it’s the Fanning family who will be in attendance. Certainly more well-known is elder sister DAKOTA because of such films as WAR OF THE WORLDS and MAN ON FIRE and NINE LIVES and I AM SAM. Younger sister, ELLE also appeared in I AM SAM, as well as THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR. Born in Conyers, Georgia, Hannah Dakota Fanning and Mary Elle Fanning have numerous fansites. Their projects at Sundance 2007 are …

THE UNTITLED DAKOTA FANNING PROJECT also known as HOUNDOG directed and written by Deborah Kampmeier — Set in late 1950s Alabama, a precocious, troubled girl finds her angel in the Blues. Set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl (Fanning) finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley. Also featuring Piper Laurie, David Morse and Robin Wright Penn.

THE NINES (Director and Screenwriter: John August) — A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways. Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis and Elle Fanning star.

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AN AMERICAN CRIME (Director: Tommy O’Haver; Screenwriters: Tommy O’Haver, Irene Turner) — A fictionalized account of the true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s. Indie fave Catherine Keener plays Gertrude.

AWAY FROM HER (Director and Screenwriter: Sarah Polley) — Married for almost 50 years, Grant and Fiona’s serenity is interrupted by Fiona’s increasingly frequent memory lapses. When it is no longer possible for either of them to ignore the fact that she is being consumed by Alzheimer’s disease, the limits of love and loyalty are wrenchingly redefined. Julie Christie stars.

BLACK SNAKE MOAN (Director and Screenwriter: Craig Brewer of HUSTLE AND FLOW fame) — Desire is a burning sickness for Rae, while making her the white-trash sexual target of every man and boy in her small Tennessee town. When her true love leaves for military service, Rae plunges into wild excess. Beaten and left for dead, she is taken in by a reformed bluesman, a private self-contained black man who nurses deep anger of his own and who is fiercely committed to his task of keeping her alive. Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci.

CHAPTER 27 (Director and Screenwriter: Jarrett Schaefer)— A terrifying glimpse into the deranged mind of Mark David Chapman during his days in NYC prior to the murder of John Lennon, which is played out through his obsession with JD Salinger’s classic novel The Catcher in the Rye.

CHICAGO 10 (Director Brett Morgen) — CHICAGO 10 presents contemporary history with a forced perspective, mixing bold and original animation with extraordinary archival footage that explores the build-up to and unraveling of the Chicago Conspiracy Trial and the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention.

CLUBLAND (Director: Cherie Nowlan; Screenwriter: Keith Thompson) — Tim has a new girlfriend. It should be the perfect romance but something is holding him back. He has a secret…his parents are “Entertainers”! There are never just two people in a family love story. With Brenda Blethyn.

THE GOOD NIGHT (Director and Screenwriter: Jake Paltrow) — A man finds he has more happiness and love with the woman in his dreams than in his miserable day to day reality. Featuring sister Gwyneth Paltrow, Penelope Cruz and Danny DeVito.

KING OF CALIFORNIA (Director and Screenwriter: Mike Cahill) — An unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there’s Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia. Starring Michael Douglas and the luminous Evan Rachel Wood.

LIFE SUPPORT (Director: Nelson George; Screenwriters: Nelson George, Jim McKay, Hannah Weyer) — LIFE SUPPORT views the African-American community’s HIV crisis through the eyes of a survivor who is a mother, a former addict and an AIDS activist. Queen Latifah is attached.

LONGFORD (Director: Tom Hooper; Screenwriter: Peter Morgan) — A portrait of Lord Longford, a tireless British campaigner whose controversial beliefs often resulted in furious political debate and personal conflict. Jim Broadbent appears as Lord Longford. The extremely talented Samantha Morton also stars.

THE NINES (Director and Screenwriter: John August) — A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways. Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis and Elle Fanning star.

RESURRECTING THE CHAMP (Director: Rod Lurie; Screenwriters: Allison Burnett, Michael Bortman, Chris Gerolmo, Rod Lurie) — A down on his luck sports reporter has his life and career upturned when he lands the story of his career: A former heavyweight boxing superstar, previously thought to be dead, is living his final years on the streets. Finally, he can earn the respect of his wife and editor—but the dark secret he finds may be too much for him to bear. Featuring Samuel Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Karthyn Morris, David Paymer and Teri Hatcher.

THE SAVAGES (Director and Screenwriter: Tamara Jenkins)— A comic-drama about a pair of adult siblings who are suddenly plucked from their self-absorbed lives when they are forced to care for their estranged and elderly father who never cared for them—an irreverent story about life, love and mortality. With Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.

SON OF RAMBOW (Director and Screenwriter: Garth Jennings) — Will is the eldest son in a family with a strict moral and religious view and has never been allowed to mix with other people, listen to music or watch TV. That is until he finds himself caught up in the extraordinary world of Lee Carter, the school terror and maker of bizarre home movies.

SUMMER RAIN (EL CAMINO DE LOS INGLESES) (Director: Antonio Banderas; Screenwriter: Antonio Soler) — The film is adapted from an award-winning novel written by the director’s childhood friend, Antonio Soler, and is a deeply personal and poetic recreation of their generation growing up in Malaga in the late 1970s.

TRADE (Director: Marco Kreuzpaintner; Screenwriter: Jose Rivera) — Adriana is a 13-year-old girl from Mexico City whose kidnapping by sex traffickers sets in motion a desperate mission by her 17-year-old brother, Jorge, to save her. As Jorge dodges immigration officers and incredible obstacles to track the girls’ abductors, he meets Ray, a Texas cop whose own family loss to sex trafficking leads him to become an ally in the boy’s quest. Featuring Kevin Kline.

YEAR OF THE DOG (Director and Screenwriter: Mike White) — Peggy is a happy-go-lucky secretary - a great friend, employee, and sister who lives alone with her beloved dog. But when Pencil unexpectedly dies, Peggy must embark on a journey of personal transformation that is hilarious, poignant and suspenseful. Enormous cast including Laura Dern, John C. Reilly, Peter Sarsgaard and Molly Shannon.

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As is true most other years, there are performers who will have multiple films at Sundance 2007. This year, Vera Farmiga will appear in two films, NEVER FOREVER and JOSHUA. Personally, I’m more interested in NEVER FOREVER but I’m sure both films will be powerful. You may recall that Farmiga was in Debra Granik’s Sundance Award-Winning DOWN TO THE BONE. The film took Best Directing for Dramatic Narrative and a special Jury Prize for Acting to Farmiga. It was the last film I saw at Sundance 2004 and I loved it!

Also appearing in JOSHUA is another Sundance alum, Sam Rockwell. Rockwell will also appear in David Gordon Green’s SNOW ANGELS. I recall Rockwell most vividly in Tom DiCillo’s BOX OF MOONLIGHT. A few years later, Rockwell was at Sundance with JERRY AND TOM. Overall, Sundance has been good to Rockwell. My favorite DiCillio film is LIVING IN OBLIVION. It’s a great film with one of the ugliest web sites I’ve ever seen.

Sundance has long been a screening location for actor/director/producer Griffin Dunne. Dunne has been appearing in film since the very early 80’s. At Sundance 2007, Dunne will be starring in SNOW ANGELS with Sam Rockwell and BROKEN ENGLISH. I am very excited to see BROKEN ENGLISH because it is directed and written by Zoe Cassavetes. Daugther of the amazing John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, the film will feature Rowlands and Parker Posey. My very favorite Griffin Dunne film is RUNNING ON EMPTY which starred River Phoenix, Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti. Dunne produced.

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BY CYNDI GREENING, PHOENIX, USA — I’m in Los Angeles for the weekend, talking with editor Jason Behnke about the documentary he is working on and the FilmZambia projects. An editor for eight years, Jason offered some very encouraging words about the projects and made suggestions on getting them out there.

For excitement, he took me to a health food restaurant, LEAF CUISINE. On the way over, he told me that everything they made was raw. Nothing cooked. And, it was vegan and organic. Very healthy, he tells me. Good for my body. So, off we go for dinner. When we get there, I am a little chilly so I order the bowl of Apple Spice Oatmeal and a side of Hummus with Flax Seed Crackers. Imagine my shock after my first bite of oatmeal … it was cold. Uncooked. Raw. The flavor was good but I couldn’t get over the temperature. We won’t even talk about the hummus and crackers. He ate the curried wrap. The “wrap” is a big lettuce leaf. I told Jason that I had been planning on ordering the Miso Soup because I was chilly . I asked him if the soups were cold, too. Yep, he says.

So, we went back to his condo to work a while longer. (On the way home, I was able to stop for Diet Pepsi, so I was at least moderately appeased. I tried to buy ice cream but he wouldn’t let me. He agreed to take me for frozen yogurt later.) So, later, we went to PINKBERRY for a frozen treat. It’s real unsweeted frozen yogurt with fruit. Tangy. So, I’m freezing my fanny off and eating totally healthy in L.A. The sacrifices we make for our films!

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