EUROPEAN PREMIER: Kino Centre Skalvija, Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of the Dogme 95 Film Series.
Only the second American Dogme 95 movie, Chetzemoka's Curse is about a young, twenty-something woman, Maya (Maya Berthoud), who is haunted by the memory of her first love and her subsequent betrayal. She still feels the pain, works to exorcise it as she wiles away her life as a maid in a small town hotel. But her road to health seems to include passing the bad karma along. She encourages an older married man to run off with her and betray his wife and kids. Betrayal is in the air. Even an itinerant street musician sings about his infidelity. Bottom line, he says, is that he betrayed himself.
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A 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, Chris Tow and Marlon Schmidt. Produced by Morgan Schmidt-Feng and Rick Schmidt. Director of Photography -Morgan Schmidt-Feng/Filmsight Prouctions
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“Rick Schmidt’s Lucky Feature Workshop #7––CHETZEMOKA'S CURSE,” by Julie Schachter. (Excerpted from THE FILMS OF RICK SCHMIDT 1975-2015).
In 1970 Rick Schmidt put his hands on a video camera for the first time. He was a 26-year old graduate student in sculpture at the California College of Arts and Crafts when he almost casually signed up for the new video elective being offered. In fact, when another student asked Rick if he would consider giving up his reserved slot in the limited enrollment course, Rick offhandedly agreed. But then, for some reason, he changed his mind. And so it happened that at the end of that first day of class, Rick, armed with a loaded video camera, went to his recent ex-wife’s house, focused the lens on her and asked, “What went wrong?”
The resulting 20-minute take prompted strong reactions at the next class meeting. Rick must have seen very clearly right then, as his audience squirmed and blanched, the power of the camera as divining rod of true emotions and the inescapable impact of unrehearsed, straight from the heart story-telling. (It turned out most of Rick’s first audience, teacher included, had been divorced themselves in the not distant past).
Thirty years later (and one week before the 20th anniversary of his marriage to his second wife), Rick was about to shoot in video again, making his thirteenth feature. Among his films of the past three decades were several award-winners, including A Man, A Woman, and a Killer (with Wayne Wang), 1975, 1988 - The Remake (1978), Emerald Cities, (1983), and Morgan’s Cake (1988). Although his first five features were shot in 16mm all reflect the same innovative, fresh, immediate, “quirkiness” that has become his trademark.
Over the past eight years, workshops have boasted as many as ten paying participants or as few as two. This, the first FW of the year 2000 was set to begin with only one! Larry Pado, an electrical engineer from Missouri, would fly into Seattle, rent a van at the airport and drive himself some fifty miles, plus a 30-minute ferry ride across Puget Sound, to a place he’d never seen on the Olympic Peninsula, finally arriving in Port Townsend, Rick’s home for the past nine years. This new movie would be the seventh produced by the Feature Workshops, Rick’s own daring invention - a kind of traveling, bare bones filmmaking studio - based on his book, Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices (Viking Penguin, 1988, 1995, 2000). For $2500 if DV ($3000 if 16mm) any aspiring filmmaker, with or without experience in the medium, can become writer, director, editor and part-owner of a feature film.
As to exactly whom, what and where in town the small team would be shooting, up until a few weeks before they would all meet for the first time there existed only the barest notion in Rick’s mind. He could assure anyone who that asked that, in the few weeks before, he had lined up one or two possible locations and, of course, the tickets were bought to fly in experienced cameraman, Morgan Schmidt-Feng and soundman, Dave Nold, who would bring with them all necessary gear.
But what about on-screen talent? A few weeks before shooting would begin, a 23-year old woman named Maya Berthoud called Rick to say she’d seen the workshop flyer up in town. The tuition was beyond her means, but wasn’t there some way she could participate? Rick told her to submit an application - then they would talk.
Every FW applicant must send Rick a true-life story. Maya’s story was potent enough to convince this particular ‘casting director’ that she’d be an asset to the project. The two met for breakfast at Port Townsend’s Salal Cafe one morning in early January and Rick knew FW had a strong central character for the film. “She’s a heavy-weight,” he told his wife, Julie, when he arrived home. Rick was accustomed to trusting his intuition about these things. As always, he had no script and little else, but he wasn’t worried - with Maya’s strong presence on screen, the story would develop on its own.
When the group of five met for the first time, over dinner at one of Port Townsend more elegant restaurants, Rick carried with him a stack of legal papers with which he launches every Feature Workshop. “Signing documents makes everyone realize this is real; at the end of ten days here we’re going to have a serious product, a finished film that could actually go somewhere, get recognition, maybe even make money.” 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 the “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.
All agreed to take on the added challenge of the Dogme demands/bylaws. Morgan’s tripod and lights (forbidden by The Vow) would remain unpacked, and no props could be brought in to any set. The new restriction which was a significant departure for Rick and his crew was the prohibition of special editing effects, including laid-over music. All music/sound must be recorded only while scenes are being actually shot.
In the past, Rick had relied on the spontaneous genius of Paul Baker, whose original music had magically enhanced each FW film. As luck, or Rick’s muse, would have it - and there does seem to be a FW ‘Clarence’ - Paul was visiting Rick and family just the week before the shoot was to begin. Rick, always ready with his Walkman when Paul was around, captured a Baker original as Paul improvised on Julie’s guitar. Less than a week later, this one- take cassette made its way into the boom-box in the hotel room for the final scene of Chetzemoka’s Curse. With faith that other incidental music could be readily supplied by various local musicians - Port Townsend is full of them! - FW could proceed, undaunted by fear of Dogme. (Rick’s fourteen-year old son, pianist Marlon Schmidt, and 16-year old drummer, Joey Gillard were put on call, as was bass player John Sanders.)
Rick left his house on the morning of the first day of shooting after giving his wife/production assistant a short list of people to call. These were local people who knew Rick and might have appeared in a previous workshop, or newcomers who may once have expressed interest in participating in a future one. “See if Patrick and Tess (Barr) can bring Otis over to the Lighthouse Cafe at two o’clock. Then get in touch with Steve and tell him to meet us at the Palace Hotel this morning at eleven. And if Jessica wants to help out, that’s where she can find us.”
This Feature Workshop, while perhaps more spartan and less planned than previous ones, must have had lucky number 7 in its favor. It seemed to flow magically from scene to scene, player to player. Each character’s real-life tale seemed to dictate the next step in the bigger story. Maybe being free of the artifice of props and elaborate lighting (both off-limits to Chastity Vow-takers) allowed everyone involved to focus more acutely on the immediate, essential need: to propel the narrative along.
At dinner after the second day of shooting, I joined Rick, Morgan, Dave, and Larry at one of the pricier old waterfront restaurants right across Water Street from base camp at the Palace Hotel. Larry wanted seafood and, after another intense workday everyone needed a good meal. As we arrived at The Belmont, the collaborators were sharing their impressions of the material shot so far. All were particularly pleased with the strength of their female lead, Maya, and had confidence in the other supporting players enlisted so far. (Maya brought in her friend, Adam Kelly-Karagas to play the role of her boyfriend, twelve-year old Otis Barr had performed his ‘stunt’ flawlessly, and Rick’s friends Steve, Sue, and daughter Jessica Gillard were all delivering true grit for the camera.) But the tone had become distinctly dark, if not brooding, despite the fact that the weather, often gray and stormy this time of year, had been consistently sunny and crystal clear - the Northwest at its best. Everyone seemed to agree a little levity was called for. Dave expressed his feeling that perhaps the film needed a second actress, a simple force of nature, someone to counterbalance the weightiness of the Marie character. As we were shown to our table, Dave pointed the young waitress across the room. “Like her,” he said.
High school thespian Alta Gonzales responded to the invitation to be in a feature film with all the bright-eyed enthusiasm of an aspiring ingenue. She left the party of five with instructions to come to the Palace the tomorrow and to bring a “boyfriend.” Rick handed her a copy of his FW flyer and two release forms. Before she walked away, beaming delightfully, he impressed on her the importance of bringing the releases back the next day, complete with parents’ signatures. Then the group relaxed back and enjoyed fine dining, confident their film would now have the romantic infusion they needed.
(There was no way their waitress/actress was going to miss this opportunity after she got home and showed Rick’s flyer about FW to her family. Alta must have been shocked to discover that her sister, also an actress, had been given Rick’s book to read by the director of the last feature she’d worked on. The coincidence is not so surprising really, considering Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices has sold over 100,000 copies to date.)
It quickly becomes obvious to an observer of a FW just how much serendipity plays a part in the success of the finished product. With the constraints of Dogme 95 added to those implicit in so limited a schedule (four days to shoot, five to edit) and the pinch of their shoestring budget ($2500), Rick and his troupe would certainly need all the lucky breaks they could get. After witnessing more than one FW over the years, I have learned a good deal about the technique of Used-Car Prices movie-making, and even more about human nature. In all that time, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone turn Rick down when asked to help out in some way, grant the use of a location, appear in a scene, or even tell a true-life story close-up and personal, right to the camera. Maybe he just has an honest face (he says he always did very well selling Raleigh products door-to-door during his early college years in Tucson.) And if anyone, upon hearing a request to help on a movie, makes the mistake of thinking “Hollywood” and how to exploit the situation - or fears being taken advantage of themselves - they usually relax and take a chance when Rick explains he is doing this crazy thing, taking the illogical, against the odds, physically demanding risks not for money at all, but for sheer love of the artform.
The truth is that, as sometimes happens, this FW will end up costing Rick money - an amount nearly equal to that of a paying participant. Besides paying modest but respectable salaries to Morgan and Dave and covering all their expenses, Rick buys the crew and actors lunch each day and is continually handing out those much appreciated and unexpected checks for $10, $25, $50 or more to just about everyone involved, though most would have happily volunteered their services. But Rick will tell you that it’s worth whatever he has to charge on those credit cards of his. The thrill of FW is that compelling for him. And when it’s working like this latest one - the first of the year 2000 - you can see what he means. Rick’s guardian angel has been handing down gift after gift on this one, and Rick has made an art of recognizing such opportunities and knowing how to use them. His signing on of Maya Berthoud as a FW ‘scholarship’ participant is clear evidence of this.
If asked, Rick will say that he’s seen every workshop he’s done benefit from lucky breaks like the many big and small ones that happened on this latest shoot. He obviously takes great pleasure in celebrating all the little blessings that come his way. “On Day 1 we were gathered in one of the rooms we’d rented (the two rooms served at sets, as well as providing accommodations for Larry, Dave, and all the equipment). We wanted to introduce ‘Marie’ at work in the hotel and decided to show her cleaning rooms. We opened the door to the hallway and there was the cart with all the cleaning stuff. The two real hotel housekeepers were glad to let our lead actress vacuum carpets and do whatever tidying she wanted.”
On Day 3 the camera followed Marie along the main street in town and recorded as she passed a blues singer playing his guitar for change. Marie tossed a coin into his open guitar case as she walked by. At the end of the shot the musician, Robert Rutledge, received a more respectable payment for performing a bit more music and for sharing his own personal story with the camera.
John Sanders, another local musician Rick’s wife knew, had readily agreed the week before to be on-screen. How appropriate that John’s naturally gentle presence provided just the right contrast to the Adam character’s relentless peskiness.
When Sue Gillard heard her husband Steve’s report on the scenes he’d been in on the previous day, she was jealous. Sue had become increasingly active in theatrical productions in town and she wanted to be more involved in her friend Rick’s workshop film. Sue didn’t realize that the scenes already shot had established a link between Steve and Marie, and the whole production was moving inexorably toward her. 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.
Told, “They’re on their way now,” Sue flew into a panic. Her house was a mess, she wanted to straighten up, do the dishes...
As it turned out, the climactic scene at the Gillards’ house is a tour de force of spontaneity. Sue and her daughter Jessica were caught completely off guard by the arrival of Marie, who, in front of a chagrined Steve, confronts them with the fact of his deception.
“It’s always safer to let actors know as little as possible beforehand,” Rick asserts.
All the performers in Chetzemoka’s Curse displayed an amazing ability to improvise on the barest suggestion and without knowing the direction a scene will take them. Rick and Morgan must have the gift of making people feel safe enough in front of the camera that they are able to accept its presence and reveal their innermost feelings before it and a group of strangers. As a director, Rick has an uncanny sense of what to say to prompt them to reach deeper and when its appropriate to take this step. A gifted cinematographer himself, Rick has gradually turned over the shooting to son Morgan. A wise move - Morgan’s intuitive camerawork makes it look simple to shoot on the fly these unrehearsed scenes which are, to say the least, unpredictable.
There probably would not have been a FW in January, 2000 at all were it not for the single application Rick received back in November of last year. Larry Pado, the only paying participant, immediately became a much valued member of the group and a significant artistic contributor to the project. From day one Larry seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the free-flowing style of the endeavor and he jumped right in to the uninhibited sharing of ideas all along the way. He took still photographs every day, including the five days in Morgan’s editing facility in Berkeley where Larry, Dave, Rick, and Morgan were joined by Chris Tow, the editor who helped assemble their footage in only five days. Like so many others, Chris graciously gave his time and talents to the project in exchange for a percentage in the film and much less than his usual rate of pay.
Call it luck, serendipity, or just plain coincidence...given the squeeze of FW, one wonders how a strong film like Chetzemoka’s Curse could possibly come about without all the good faith surrounding it. But then, other FWs must have been charmed as well, to have produced Blues for the Avatar (1995), Loneliness is Soul (1998), Maisy’s Garden (1998), Crash My Funeral (1999), and some of the other gems which have resulted from Rick’s collaborative process. Several have won prizes or been shown at an international festival. Loneliness is Soul, is the first digital features ever shown in the Main Feature Competition at Figueira da Foz International (1998). The mainly-Portuguese international jury selected Loneliness for the top prize of Best Script (unaware that the feature was completely improvised!), from a group of thirty other, mostly 35mm features.
WATCH FULL MOVIE here:
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“One of the coolist back-door genre films (Chetzemoka's Curse) I've ever seen. I was flat- out blown away by this movie.”
––Ian Simmons, Movie Reviewer, "KICKING THE SEAT"/PODCAST: IndieSeen: CHETZEMOKA'S CURSE / Dogme 95 Discussion.
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