~CHRIS SMITH/’THE POOL’ opens to acclaim in NYC !!!

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‘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.

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on the way in, we meet B.J. of the Brooklyn band – Parts & Labor
you can check out Parts & Labor on: myspace !!

John at the Film Forum
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.

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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

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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.

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a theater lobby photo of ‘THE POOL’ Director – CHRIS SMITH
Photo by ROBIN HOLLAND.

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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.

Pool -crew
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.

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. . . . producer – KATE NOBLE.

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BARRY POLTERMANN – the film’s editor.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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CHRIS THOMPSON – he went to India with ‘THE POOL’ crew – where he was assistant editor & production co-ordinator.

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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

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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.)

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meeting up in the park – 2 boys & a girl – from very different classes. ‘THE POOL’

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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.

FILM FORUM