"The Flickering Light" news and updates

[Jan]

JMS posted this to his Facebook page recently:
I just got back from two weeks of meetings in Berlin recently. Things are still very much in flux, but there's a chance -- a good one -- that come next January I might be directing my first major film there. (Also wrote the script and I'm producing it.) Fingers crossed....
While he doesn't mention the film by name, IMDb shows the location for "The Flickering Light" to be Berlin and lists JMS as writer, producer and director.

The plot outline on the IMDb page says:

Prisoners at a Gypsy concentration camp are pulled out for a task they could never have anticipated. Based on a true story.

Jan

[babylonlurker]

JMS posted this to his Facebook page recently:

While he doesn't mention the film by name, IMDb shows the location for "The Flickering Light" to be Berlin and lists JMS as writer, producer and director.

The plot outline on the IMDb page says:



Jan

Sounds like this could be interesting, possibly in two ways. the film itself - and JMS being in Europe

Thanks Jan

[Jan]

I'm looking forward to seeing a film that's 'all JMS' from writing to production to direction. BTW, the IMDb page for this film is here. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1248880/)

Jan

[vakie]

Not directly FL news, but this article caught my eye about the Babelsberg Film Studio, where The Flickering Light will be filmed, and also where Ninja Assassin came to be.

http://www.slate.com/id/2252365/entry/2252367/

[Jan]

Interesting. Thanks for posting that, Vakie!

Jan

[JoeD80]

Just noticed that the entry on IMDB now says "shooting pushed back until 2012."

[Jan]

Maybe he'll give us an update at NYCC next week.

Jan

[JoeD80]

This one was just updated to pre-production on imdb a few days ago.

[Jan]

Hot off the press (JMS just posted the link):

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118065553/

Reliance Entertainment's Motion Picture Capital has come on board to produce and finance J. Michael Straczynski's World War II drama "The Flickering Light," with lensing starting in November.
"The Flickering Light" is set in 1942 and centers on a group of prisoners from the Marzahn Concentration Camp -- exclusively for Gypsies -- who were pressed into work as actors, bit players and extras during the filming of Tiefland, a movie directed by and starring Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl. In addition to Riefenstahl, the main characters are prisoners who meet during filming and whose love awakens on the film set.

Casting is currently underway in Los Angeles, London and Berlin.

Straczynski is directing from his own script and producing through his Studio JMS banner alongside Grant Hill and Norman Golightly. Exec producers are Leon Clarance and Deepak Nayar together with creative collaboration from their Georgeville colleague and exec producer Marc Rosen; Patricia Tallman will also exec produce.

Jan

[DaveNarn]

Really looking forward to this film's release.
I believe it will be a work of art and once again confirm JMS's talents.

In preparing a podcast covering Starship Troopers, I learned quit a bit about Leni Riefenstahl.
http://www.treksinscifi.com/forum/index.php?topic=10582.0
- shameless plug


Good or bad, she led an interesting life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Riefenstahl

[Jan]

I asked how he came to be interested in telling this story.

I was doing research into another project quite a while back, and saw a one-line reference to this story. I was surprised to see it and had never heard of this before, so I began winnowing out as many details as could be found, which weren't many, since most of the records from the were were lost or destroyed. But I was able to put together enough information to make the script work, and have spent the last several years looking for someone who believed in it enough to back it financially. We finally got that....

Jan

[Dr Maturin]

I am a fan of period pieces that don't focus directly on the defining events of those periods (check out Foyle's War), so this looks like a good watch for me.

[Ubik]

This strikes me as a fascinating subject for a film. I too had no prior awareness of Leni Riefenstahl, or her work as a film maker. Generally speaking, I find propaganda films to be very interesting cultural artefacts, primarily because they’re made with such singular vision. They can be both beautiful and disturbing.

A few years back I had the pleasure of attending a Q&A and screening with film maker Kenneth Anger in Newcastle as part of the AV Festival. Amongst others, he screened his film ‘Ich Will’ which was made up of Nazi propaganda footage of the Hitler Youth (all unearthed from the Washington National Archives). It was fascinating, because you could see how people could be seduced by it all, the tribalism and the sense of belonging that came with that... but at the same you were also experiencing the uncomfortable awareness of what resulted from such extreme national socialism. Visually incredibly beguiling, and very thought provoking. It’s that kind of one sidedness vs. the big picture that made it such interesting viewing.

I’ll be very interesting to see how ‘The Flickering Light’ portrays Riefenstahl; as an artist caught up in politics, the implications of which she didn’t fully grasp; or as someone more knowing and complicit. I’d love to see something that gives you all the available facts and lets you make up your own mind.

Will be very interested to see this one. Best of luck to JMS and crew!

[DaveNarn]

Her camera placement techniques - common today, were way ahead of their time and very bold. In a time where most shots where stationary she was using low-angles and cranes even running one up the a flag pole on the parade grounds.
I imagine it would be like selling an avant-garde style to do a rigid, stuffy corporate documentary.
Maybe she was the Steve Jobs of her time?

[Ubik]

I'm now very curious to see some of her earlier films. There's a good documentary 'The wonderful horrible life of Leni Riefenstahl', that I'm trying to find online to stream, but thus far it's a bit elusive!

[DaveNarn]

I'm now very curious to see some of her earlier films. There's a good documentary 'The wonderful horrible life of Leni Riefenstahl', that I'm trying to find online to stream, but thus far it's a bit elusive!

That documentary got a very high rating of 95 percent on the rotten tomatoes review.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wonderful_horrible_life_of_leni_riefenstahl/

Now I'd like to see it too.

In the 1930s, Leni Riefenstahl was arguably the most important and accomplished female filmmaker of her generation; however, since her primary sponsor was Adolf Hitler, and her best-known work was a hagiographic documentary on the 1934 Nazi Party congress entitled Triumph of the Will, a long and unending debate has raged whether Riefenstahl was a fascist propagandist or a talented artist whose crime was merely doing a job too well. Macht der Bilder: Leni Riefenstahl is an exhaustive two-part look at Riefenstahl's life and work, exploring her early careers as a dancer and actress, reconstructing the making of Triumph of the Will and Olympia (an elaborate and visually striking record of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games), and her later success as a still photographer, cultural anthropologist, and underwater filmmaker. While the film was made with Riefenstahl's participation, director Ray Muller does not shrink from exploring both sides of the issues of her work with the Nazi regime (she claims to have never been a member of the party and to have been unaware of the genocide of Jews and other "undesirables," while Muller presents evidence that strongly suggests the contrary) even as it celebrates her accomplishments and fierce determination (as a girl she could climb mountains in her bare feet, and in her nineties she was still an avid scuba diver). Macht der Bilder: Leni Riefenstahl was released in the United States under the title The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl.

[Belbo]

Hollywood heads to Germany (http://www.screendaily.com/news/hollywood-heads-to-germany/5051984.article?blocktitle=Latest-European-news&contentID=399)

No new information as such, but it's mildly amusing to see Joe described as "Hollywood Royalty". :)

[Ubik]

Hollywood heads to Germany (http://www.screendaily.com/news/hollywood-heads-to-germany/5051984.article?blocktitle=Latest-European-news&contentID=399)

No new information as such, but it's mildly amusing to see Joe described as "Hollywood Royalty". :)

When did that happen? It was the cameo role in Thor wasn't it! :D

[Jan]

Thanks, Belbo!

I'm probably a dead woman. Couldn't resist posting that to JMS' Facebook page. :D

And...I deleted it. Cause really, they're talking about likely stars for the movie, not JMS himself. Which really puts me on the look-out for any casting news.

Jan

[Ubik]

Thanks, Belbo!

I'm probably a dead woman. Couldn't resist posting that to JMS' Facebook page. :D

And...I deleted it. Cause really, they're talking about likely stars for the movie, not JMS himself. Which really puts me on the look-out for any casting news.

Jan

I'm sure Joe would have gotten a laugh out of it!

[Jan]

Reposted it as a question. Who knows, he might give us a smidgeon of info and at least it won't cause him to chase me around the next con we're both attending. Anyway, questions are kind of my specialty. ;)

Jan

[Ubik]

Reposted it as a question. Who knows, he might give us a smidgeon of info and at least it won't cause him to chase me around the next con we're both attending. Anyway, questions are kind of my specialty. ;)

Jan

So I gather! Would love to attend a B5 related con at some point, more for the panels than getting things signed. Air fare isn't too unreasonable to the USA these days. I might visit NY this year.

[DaveNarn]

Hollywood heads to Germany (http://www.screendaily.com/news/hollywood-heads-to-germany/5051984.article?blocktitle=Latest-European-news&contentID=399)

No new information as such, but it's mildly amusing to see Joe described as "Hollywood Royalty". :)

Kind of an ironic name - JMS shooting his film at the 'Babelsberg Studios'

[Andrew_Swallow]

JMS and Patricia Tallman are in London for the next few days.

[Ubik]

Hmm, interesting. Shame he's not doing any signings or anything.

[Jan]

Stay tuned or follow him on Twitter. Last night he tweete:


JMichael Straczynski‏@straczynski

As it happens @lukeogroves I'm in London right now for a week or so and thinking of popping in for a signing somewhere or other if I can.

5:53 PM - 16 Feb 13

Jan

[Chipmunk]

I'm now very curious to see some of her earlier films. There's a good documentary 'The wonderful horrible life of Leni Riefenstahl', that I'm trying to find online to stream, but thus far it's a bit elusive!

Ohhhhh, for once, being a PBS Geek makes me ;) kewl...

I've seen that docu, and definitely recommend it.
It was methodical and respectful of her talent, without glazing over the bad stuff.

If you both contact your local PBS stations, they may be willing to dig it up.
I also have the vague sense that it pops up from time to time, on PBS.


Crazy/sane casting suggestion:
Jennifer Lawrence as Leni.

Not only does she have the intensity of Riefenstah, but she'd raise the profile of the film, and bring in a broader audience (maybe even some accidental Muggles).

I'm definitely looking forward to this.
B5 always had a superb sense of the balancing game we all play between the shadows and the light.

[Ubik]

Cheers Chipmunk, but I'm not in the USA... So am looking to find a digital copy for download or streaming.

[Jan]

Found on Twitter:


Working overtime to finalize casting on The Flickering Light before Cannes. Much to do but we'll get there.

Cannes is the 15th to 26th of May.

Jan