Chetzemoka's Curse-Dogme #10 (81 min., ©2000) at Film Noir Cinema (TONIGHT ONLY, 9PM): Brooklyn, NY Premiere. (for U 'spur-of-the-moment movie-goers!')

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chetzemokas-curse-dogme-10-screening-at-film-noir-cinema-w-qa-tickets-918638351037

Lead actors Maya Berthoud and Steve Gillard.

SPECIAL NY PREMIERE, Chetzemoka’s Curse (Dogme #10). FILM NOIR THEATRE (Brooklyn, NY). TICKETS here:

Feature Workshops Production ©2000. A movie created according to the rules of Dogme 95 by Maya Berthoud, Morgan Schmidt-Feng, Dave Nold, Lawrence E. Pado, Rick Schmidt, Marlon Schmidt, Chris Tow. Produced by Morgan Schmidt-Feng and Rick Schmidt. Director of Photography -Morgan Schmidt-Feng.
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A LESSON IN SERENDIPITY by Julie Schachter (©2000)

Just two weeks before shooting was set to commence, a 23-year old woman named Maya Berthoud called Rick, leaving a message to say that she'd heard about the upcoming production and wanted to participate in any way possible (Production Assistant?). The two met for breakfast at a Port Townsend, Washington, cafe one morning in early January after Rick had received 11-pages of her "real-life story" (he’d asked her for “1/2 page”—prerequisite for workshop participants). Rick says it only took a few seconds after seeing Maya in person after reading her story to realize that FW productions had a strong, central character for the movie.

When the Feature Workshops production group, made up of five on-location writer/director collaborators (including Maya Berthoud, Morgan Schmidt-Feng, Dave Nold, Lawrence E. Pado, Marlon Schmidt and Rick), met for the first time over dinner, Rick carried with him a stack of legal papers with which he launches every FW production. But besides the usual contracts, Rick now brought out a new agreement for everyone to consider. He asked the group to decide whether or not they wanted to sign a "Vow of Chastity" and make their feature in accordance with the implicit rules of DV filmmaking as laid down by the Danish group known as Dogme 95.

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THE VOW OF CHASTITY

I swear to submit to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by DOGMA 95:

• Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).

• The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being shot.)

• The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted.

• The film must be in color. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera.)

• Optical work and filters are forbidden.

• The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)

• Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)

• Genre movies are not acceptable.

• The film format must be Academy 35 mm.

• The director must not be credited.

Furthermore I swear as a director to refrain from personal taste! I am no longer an artist. I swear to refrain from creating a “work”, as I regard the instant as more important than the whole. My supreme goal is to force the truth out of my characters and settings. I swear to do so by all the means available and at the cost of any good taste and any aesthetic considerations.

Thus I make my VOW OF CHASTITY.

Copenhagen, Monday 13 March 1995

On behalf of DOGMA 95

Lars von Trier Thomas Vinterberg

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All agreed to take on the added challenge of the Dogme demands, hoping that perhaps their movie could receive official certification from Denmark. (And indeed it has-- Chetzemoka's Curse has become only the second American "Dogme" movie in history, after Julien Donkey Boy, certified as "DOGME NO. 10").

Not only would they have the youngest Dogme director with Rick’s second son, Marlon Schmidt, then age 15 (after co-Producer, Morgan Schmidt-Feng), but in the Sunday January 27, 2002 edition of The New York Times it would be determined that co-director Maya Berthoud was THE FIRST WOMAN DOGME DIRECTOR (see ). Little did Rick and his gang realize that their fortuitous decision would send Maya into the history books!

If you're wondering about the dynamics of making an IMPROV feature-length movie start-to-finish in 10-days, here's an example of how it feels to be in the middle of Rick's filmmaking process:

When Sue Gillard, a nurse at the local Jefferson County hospital in Port Townsend, who had already told her real life story to the camera for "Curse," heard her husband Steve's report about being in additional scenes (he'd acted in several the previous day), she was unsurprisingly envious. Sue had become increasingly active in theatrical productions around town and wanted to be more involved in anything regarding performance. "Why Steve (not really the theatrical type...) and not me," she wondered aloud. She didn't know that the scenes shot had established a direct link between Steve and Marie, and that the whole production was moving inexorably toward her, the "wife" character.

At some point in the afternoon on Day-3, Rick asked his production assistant to call Sue and tell her they were coming to shoot at her house. "When are they getting here?" Sue asked. When she was told, "They're on their way now," she flew into a panic. Her house was a mess. She wanted to straighten up, do the dishes. and... Luckily, their daughter, Jessica, along with husband Steve Gillard, was also present in the house, which was crucial in getting to some high emotions. As it turned out, the climactic scene at the Gillards' house became a tour de force.

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Here’s a taste of movie in TRAILER .

Interesting PODCAST about Chetzemoka's Curse Ian Simmon’s KICKING THE SEAT movie reviews.

If you want to attend movie in Brooklyn (TONIGHT) CLICK HERE

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“A correction was made on Jan. 27, 2002” (from The New York Times): 

An article on Jan. 13 about the Danish director Lone Scherfig credited her erroneously with a first in the Dogma 95 filmmakers collective. Her current film, ''Italian for Beginners,'' is not the first by a woman in Dogma. Maya Berthoud was a co-director of an earlier Dogma film, ''Chetzemoka's Curse,'' which has not been released theatrically.

When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more

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