Rooftop Films: October Country (Event Over)

Thurs., September 18

October Country
A beautifully filmed portrait of an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war, teen pregnancy, foster care and child abuse. This vibrant and intimate documentary examines the forces that unsettle the working poor and the violence that lurks beneath the surface of American life.

Venue: On the roof of the Open Road Rooftop
Address: 350 Grand Street @ Essex (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Directions: F/J/M/Z to Essex / Delancey
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music Phosphorescent
9:00PM: Films
11:00 PM: After Party co-presented by True/False Film Festival

Open Bar at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge St @ Grand), courtesy of Radeberger Pilsner
Admission: $9 on http://going.com
Preview: See short films from this and other programs at www.IFC.com
Presented in partnership with: IFC Films, The Independent Feature Project, IFC.com, New York magazine, Open Road New York and New Design High School

PROGRAM NOTES:
October Country (Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher | Mohawk Valley, NY | 1:20:00)
Work-In-Progress Sneak Preview

A beautifully filmed portrait of an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war, teen pregnancy, foster care and child abuse. This vibrant and intimate documentary examines the forces that unsettle the working poor and the violence that lurks beneath the surface of American life.

Every family is haunted by ghosts—some metaphorical, some literal. The Mosher family has more than most. Based on the essays and photographs of Donal Mosher (the family’s eldest son), and shot and edited by acclaimed director Michael Palmieri (Garry Trudeau's Duke2000; videos for Beck, Belle and Sebastian and The Strokes), the filmmakers have crafted a deeply personal documentary with broad social significance. Shot over a year from one Halloween to the next, October Country hums with rich visual metaphors—distinct but subtle motifs illuminate each character like a revealing costume. The film paints a realistic portrait of a unique family that is sadly representative of the struggles of America’s working class.

Dottie married Don when they were teenagers, but he was shipped off to Vietnam at age 19, and came back, in his own words, “an asshole,” plagued by visions of dead friends and nightmares he can’t bear to describe, which burst and linger like 4th of July fireworks, resonating through generations. Still, with his dry wit, strong moral character, and tough love, combined with Dottie’s caring advice and eternal hopefulness in the face of inevitable despair, the two of them form the precarious source of stability for the family. “Family is the one thing," Dottie says, "the government, or a bill collector, can’t come and take away from you.”

Don’s sister Denise, a practicing witch and lifelong outsider, has been painfully estranged from Don ever since he went to war. Her favorite place is the cemetery: “Some of my best friends are ghosts.” In this family, where the government and bill collectors are working to split the kin, relatives are sometimes eerily similar to distant and anxious spirits.

Don and Dottie’s child Donna also grew up too fast, and as a teenager she gave birth to Daneal, who was raised essentially without a father. Daneal weeps when she learns a sad new truth about her father, begging to be lied to. She’d rather live with her fantasy of a father than deal with the real thing. And so the cycle continues, as teenage Daneal is already a divorced mother, falling into yet another violent relationship with a man who thinks it’s funny when she’s mad. Still just a kid herself, Daneal wonders, “If you can’t take care of yourself, how can you take care of a baby?” She fights to keep her child from becoming yet another ghost, but you can see her drifting like the concrete river she stares at, sinking like the shots of liquor she downs all too often.

The last hope to break the cycle could be Donna’s whip-smart pre-teen daughter Desi. “Ain’t I a sweetheart,” she croons. “Not really. I wasn’t raised by the perfect family.” Standoffish but as sweet as Halloween candy, Desi seems poised to transcend the mistakes made by the older women in her family, despite a horrific revelation about her own history which has her ready to disappear at the count of one-two-three.

Struggling to hold it all together, Dottie organizes a Halloween party, because at least then folks can come in costume and pretend to be someone else. But everyone in the family knows you can only hide behind an apparition for so long. “Sometimes you wonder is this the real me, or is this something that’s been created,” Don says. “And you’ll never know.”

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Rooftop Films is proud to support independent filmmakers in a variety of ways. This Sneak Preview of a Work-In-Progress will connect the filmmakers with investors and funders to help them secure crucial finishing funds for the film.

View trailers at: http://www.wishbonefilms.com/
Get more info at: http://www.michaelpalmieri.com/ & http://dmoctobercountry.blogspot.com

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ABOUT THE PARTY CO-PRESENTERS: 

Called "The Telluride of documentaries" by IndieWIRE , The True/False Film Fest has wowed audiences, both local and international, with its cutting-edge programming and infectious spirit. Directors flock to this Midwest fest with films fresh from  Sundance, Toronto, and other major international festivals. Others movies appear mysteriously before their official premieres elsewhere. In between the nonstop movies, we'll eat, drink and dance, host parties, panels and  concerts, and challenge filmmakers to re-imagine the possibilities of nonfiction filmmaking.

FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 1, 2009