plaza man

 PRESSKIT PLAZA MAN IDFA Competition
for Mid-Length
Documentary
A documentary by Kasper Verkaik Zeppers Film in co-­‐production with IKON © 2014 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] PLAZA MAN PRODUCTIONAL CREDITS Original title: PLAZA MAN English title: PLAZA MAN Length: 59,40 minutes Language: English spoken Year: 2014 Genre: Documentary Format: DCP, HD Cam, Blu-­‐ray, Premiere: IDFA 2014 Broadcast IKON (NL): November 2015 CREW Director Kasper Verkaik Director of photography Tibor Dingelstad Sound recordist Diego van Uden Editor Patrick Schonewille Music Marc Lizier Sound design & mix Paul Gies, Marc Lizier Executive producer Judith Vreriks Commissioning editor IKON Margje de Koning & Barbara Wiessing Produced by Frank van den Engel A Zeppers Film production in co-­‐production with IKON TV. This documentary was made with the support from the Dutch Cultural Media Fund. Production: Zeppers Film & TV Judith Vreriks, Ruysdaelkade 223 bg, 1072 AW Amsterdam T: +31 (0)20-­‐6758594, E: [email protected], www.zeppers.nl International Sales for USA, Canada & Mexico Films Transit International, Jan Rofekamp T +1 (514) 844 3358, E: [email protected] International Sales for Europe and other territories NPO Sales, Kaisa Kriek T +31 (0)35 677 3760, E: [email protected] 2 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] PLAZA MAN LOGLINE For 50 years now Robert Groden has tried to find the truth about who killed President John F. Kennedy. In his private life, as a father and husband, Robert's obsessive quest for truth has come at a high price. SHORT SYNOPSIS On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, November 22 1963, it was Robert Groden's 18th birthday. Kennedy's death changed his life profoundly. In 1975 Robert shocked millions of Americans when he released the classified Zapruder film on national television. This amateur footage of Kennedy's brutal murder forced US Congress to reopen the case, inviting Robert to join the investigation. It was the start of an obsessive crusade that would make Robert Groden America's most famous JFK conspiracy theorist. But privately, as a father and husband, his obsession has come at a high price. Far-­‐
removed from his family in Pennsylvania, Robert sits at a small table on Dealey Plaza in Dallas almost every day, where the shots were fired at Kennedy's limousine, to tell people what he believes happened here. 3 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] SYNOPSIS Robert Groden was a schoolboy celebrating his 18th birthday when news broke President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in the streets of Dallas. It would profoundly change Robert's life. Some years later, through sheer luck, he got his hands on the Zapruder film, the now famous amateur footage capturing Kennedy's brutal murder. It was Robert who released the Zapruder Film on national television, when it was still officially classified. The release created such mass public outrage, particularly regarding the movement of the president's head, that it forced Congress to reopen the JFK murder case. Robert, just 28 years old and with no formal education in this field, was asked to become photographic consultant for what would become a 3-­‐year congressional investigation into America's most historic assassination. For Robert his new career marked the start of an obsessive crusade that made him America's most famous JFK conspiracy theorist. But in his private life, as a father and husband, his obsession came at a high price. In the mid 1990s, after writing multiple books on the assassination and working with Oliver Stone on his movie "JFK", Robert moved to Dallas, Texas. His wife and four children stayed behind in Pennsylvania, whom he would only see once or twice a year from then on. Far-­‐removed from his family Robert sits at a small table on Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas almost every day, just a few yards from where shots were fired at Kennedy's limousine. By selling his books and DVD's Robert tries to tell as many people as he can what he believes happened here. Plaza Man was filmed during the 50th anniversary-­‐year of Kennedy's death, an important year for Robert and the city of Dallas, with whom Robert has a strained relationship. While for some Robert has become a heroic figure, Dallas authorities see him as a controversial nuisance who has no place during the official 50th commemoration ceremony. Plaza Man is not a documentary about the JFK assassination itself, nor does it go out on a quest to explore new conspiracy theories about who is responsible for the death of the 35th president of the United States. Instead, it explores the personal story of Robert Groden, whose life became deeply interconnected with the death of a man he never knew... 4 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Kasper Verkaik Explaining his obsessive interest in the assassination of President Kennedy a former FBI analyst once said to me: "it is like a tunnel you want to get deeper and deeper into, even though you know that once you are inside there is no way back". To me this statement became a huge trigger for my curiosity into the subject of obsession. Having read many books on the Kennedy assassination myself I could certainly imagine the appeal of getting into that "tunnel". But my own interest never went further than reading various books on either side of the debate, with some arguing for and others against a conspiracy. My own opinion with regard to who may or may not have killed President Kennedy has often changed depending on the latest book I was reading. So much so, that I feel it doesn't make my own convictions in the JFK case of much value. This is why I decided that, should I ever make a documentary about this subject, it should not be about the assassination itself. I was much more interested in the obsessive interest others develop for this dark moment in contemporary US history. Many thousands of documentaries have been and will be made that present new evidence or theories in what still is one of the world's most historic and controversial murder cases. Plaza Man is not that type of documentary, which perhaps makes it a film that can be seen by people regardless of which side they are on. I wanted to make this film because, when I started to get to know Robert Groden, I became fascinated about what motivates one man to devote his entire life to a quest for truth that many say might never be resolved. When I first heard from friends in Dallas that there was an elderly gentleman who sits at a small table with books on Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy died, I became immediately intrigued. In Plaza Man I try to capture the process of getting to know Robert and his obsessive crusade, in an attempt to tell the personal story behind what in Dallas has become a very public figure. A man who is both hated and loved. A man who has gone deep inside that tunnel, wherein he found his life's mission, a sense of purpose and pride, but also ended up losing a lot along the way... Kasper Verkaik, October 2014 5 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] BIOGRAPHY OF THE DIRECTOR While studying Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam, Kasper Verkaik started working as a freelance journalist. He made several radio documentaries for Dutch Public Radio. In 2007 he switched to television and made documentaries for Dutch Public Television, specifically for VPRO's Backlight and Holland Doc. In 2012 Kasper finalized his Master at the Dutch Film Academy. Since 2009 Kasper has worked on various documentary-­‐ as well as fiction projects. FILMOGRAPHY 2014 -­‐ Plaza Man (59 mins) Research & director, IKON TV. Produced by Zeppers Film. 2013 -­‐ Daddy Doll (25 mins) Research & director, VPRO, Doc25. Produced by Zeppers Film. Sold to VRT Belgium. 2013 -­‐ TransitionNL : Germs of the New Netherlands (54 mins) Director, VPRO , VPRO Backlight. 2010 -­‐ Survival of the Biggest (50 mins) Research & director, VPRO Backlight. 2009 -­‐ The Voice of Generation Obama (50 mins) Research & director, VPRO Backlight. Also broadcast in Europe and USA. 2008 -­‐ Dear Oprah (54 mins) Research & director, VPRO, Holland Doc. Produced by Submarine. Selected for Dutch Film Festival and Visions du Reel, Switzerland. 6 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] Zeppers Film & TV is an independent documentary production company based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Zeppers has (co-­‐)produced more than 150 documentaries of which many have been screened at prestigious festivals around the world. IN PRODUCTION (2014): NADA’S REVOLUTION – A film about Nada Ahmed, a 28-­‐year old Egyptian woman who took part in the February Revolution in her country. A film about the current position of women in general, and the position of Nada in particular, two years after the first revolution in Egypt. Director: Claudia Lisboa. In co-­‐production with IKON, SVT, NRK. 0,8 AMPS OF HAPPINESS -­‐ Documentary about a controversial medical treatment, the electroshock. Adored by many psychiatrists and maligned by the general public. This film shows the two faces of the electroshock. Director: Saskia Gubbels. In co-­‐production with NCRV. 6 SQUARE METERS -­‐ Filmmaker Aliona van der Horst is entitled to a room of six square meters in a Russian Datsja, as part of a family inheritance. While trying to arrange this inheritance, she also tries to unfold the history of her Russian family. A history that is shaped by and suffered under the cruel Soviet regime of the 20th century. Director: Aliona van der Horst. In co-­‐
production with VPRO. PLAZA MAN -­‐ Documentary about Robert Groden, a man who has been searching obsessively for the truth behind John F. Kennedy’s assassination, 60 years ago. Director: Kasper Verkaik. In co-­‐production with IKON. Premiere at IDFA (Dutch and International Mid-­‐Length Competition) JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER -­‐ Cinematographic and investigative documentary that wants to unveil the Dutch role in the international development and purchase of the new fighter plane, the Joint Strike Fighter. Director: Robert Oey. In co-­‐production with NCRV. THE FINAL YEAR -­‐ Documentary about the stressful, decisive last year at two elementary schools and the effect it has on the kids from different backgrounds, their parents and their teachers. Director: Ingeborg Jansen. In co-­‐production with NCRV. RECENTLY PRODUCED (a selection): THE NEXT BIG THING, 2014 -­‐ Despite the financial crisis, prices for contemporary art are soaring. The auctions at Christie’s and Sotheby’s are breaking record after record. The Internet, the growing number of (mega) rich people and globalisation are the main reasons why the art world has changed dramatically over the last decennium. Director: Frank van den Engel. In co-­‐production with NTR. World premiere at ArtFIFA Montreal. In competition at Dutch Film Festival 2014. 7 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] PUTIN'S OLYMPIC DREAM, 2014 – Putin's Dream is a filmic portrait of a city in rapid transition through the eyes of our characters who are deeply involved in the Olympic Winter Games 2014. From a Soviet holiday resort, Sochi has to transform rapidly into the showpiece of the new Russia. Director: Hans Pool. In co-­‐production with VPRO, sold to VRT, NRK. OLEG KLIMOV: LETTERS TO MYSELF, 2013 -­‐ Documentary about war photographer Oleg Klimov, who is being confronted with PTSD after twelve years. Director: Masha Novikova. In co-­‐production with IKON. Nominated for Best Dutch Documentary, NFF 2014. Sold to SVT. DADDY DOLL, 2013 -­‐ Daddy Doll is a portrait of children growing up on a U.S. military base. They say goodbye to their father who is deployed to Afghanistan. A doll in army uniform keeps the kids company during the long wait for daddy's return to the base. A safe world behind high fences, where war is always present. Director: Kasper Verkaik. In co-­‐production with VPRO. KILL YOUR DARLING, 2012 -­‐ Documentary about the attempts to reconstruct the past on the basis of the unsolved murder in 1990 fashion model / photographer Melissa Halstead. Director: Jaap van Hoewijk. In co-­‐production with NCRV. In competition at IDFA 2012. WHEN I WAS DEAD, 2011 -­‐ In this documentary we see three very different people’s exceptional report of what they experienced in the no-­‐man’s land between life and death. Director: Maasja Ooms and Ingrid Wender. In co-­‐production with IKON. In competition IDFA 2011. PARADISO, AN AMSTERDAM STAGE AFFAIR, 2011 -­‐ In Paradiso, Jeroen Berkvens highlights, as in an exhilarating rollercoaster ride, all aspects of the Amsterdam pop temple. With Paul Weller, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, Johnny Rotten, Tom Barman, Martha Wainwright, Faithless, Patrick Watson, Daniel Johnston, Tim Knol, The Sonics, Public Enemy and many others..Director: Jeroen Berkvens. In co-­‐production with NTR. Play IDFA Competition 2011. Grand Prize for Best Film, Music & Film Festival Jecheon, South Korea. 900 DAYS, 2011 -­‐ Documentary about the Blockade of Leningrad during World War II. Director: Jessica Gorter. In co-­‐production with IKON. IDFA 2011; Winner Dutch Documentary Competition. ART DOKfest 2011: Special Jury Prize. Visions du Réel 2012: Prix Interrelieux and Special Mention Grand Prix. Planete Doc 2012: Special Mention Magic Hour Award. Nominated for Best long Documentary at Dutch Film Festival 2012. Sold to ARTE. WATER CHILDREN, 2011 -­‐ A poetic, sensuous and visual film about fertility and thereby an ode to women and their body. Director: Aliona van der Horst. In coproduction with VPRO. Netherlands Film Festival 2011-­‐ Nomination Best Dutch Documentary. DOK Leipzig 2011 -­‐ Honorary Mention Feauture Length Documentary. IDFA 2011; Helsinki FF 2012; Stranger than Fiction 2012; Planete Doc 2012; DOXA Vancouver FF2012. SCENA DEL CRIMINE, 2010 -­‐ Seven views of Naples, the Italian coastal city that has been dominated by the mafia for decades. Soberly, the film creates an oppressive image of an underworld that is as elusive as it is nearby. Director: Walter Stokman. In co-­‐production with VPRO. World premiere at the Venice Film Festival, ‘Giornate degli Autori’. 8 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected] SOME PRIZE WINNERS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS: PHOTO EN COPYRIGHT BY G.P.FIERET, 2009 -­‐ Portrait of the quirky and brilliant artist GP Fieret (1925-­‐2009) which makes us share his life through his self-­‐portraits and gritty pictures of women. Director: Frank van den Engel. In co-­‐production with NPS. Premiered at IDFA 2009. Winner Audience Award TIDF (Taiwan). BORIS RYZHY, 2008 -­‐ A portrait of the young 21st-­‐century poet for whom life in the post Glasnost era became too much to bear. Director: Aliona van der Horst. In co-­‐production with VPRO. Winner Best Doc at Edinburgh Int. Film Festival 2009; Winner Jury Award at the Festival International du Film sur l'Art in Montreal; Winner Silver Wolf for Best Mid-­‐Length Documentary at IDFA 2008; Winner Dutch Film Critics Award. BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, 2007 -­‐ In Uzbekistan, currently under dictatorship, the circus is as alive as it was in the days of Genghis Khan. Two circus artists are forced to choose between their friendship and politics. Directors: Frank van den Engel and Masha Novikova. In co-­‐production with IKON. Official selection at Rotterdam FF, Vancouver FF, Melbourne FF, Tribeca FF and many others. Winner grand jury prize in Lisbon. VOICES OF BAM, 2006 -­‐ A contemplative film about memories, mourning and the zest for life a year after the devastating earthquake in Bam, Iran. Director: Aliona van der Horst. In co-­‐
production with NPS. Official selection at Rotterdam FF, Prix interreligieux -­‐ Vision du Reel/Nyon, Special Jury Prize -­‐ Tribeca Film Festival. HOW MANY ROADS, 2005 -­‐ How Many Roads is a road movie through the poetic landscape of Bob Dylan’s songs and through today’s America. The film presents twelve portraits of followers of Dylan, each portrait associated with a line from a song. Those portrayed are of different ages, backgrounds, and convictions; what they have in common is that without Bob Dylan they would not be who they are. Director: Jos de Putter. In co-­‐production with Human. Joris Ivens comp. IDFA ‘05, Sao Paolo Film Fest., Visions du Reel/Nyon, Hotdocs. THE DAMNED AND THE SACRED, 2004 -­‐ The Chechen children dance group Daymokhk from Grozny is filmed on tour in Europe. Director: Jos de Putter. In co-­‐production with IKON. Doc Grand Prix -­‐ Chicago Doc Film Festival, Prix Centaur -­‐ Message to Man Festival St. Petersburg, CPH Dox Award -­‐ Copenhagen, Grand Prize at Festival du Film sur l’Art in Montreal. ANDRE HAZES – SHE BELIEVES IN ME, 1999 -­‐ Director: John Appel. In co-­‐production with NPS. Opening film and winner of the VPRO Joris Ivens Award IDFA 1999. For more productions: http://www.zeppers.nl 9 Ruysdaelkade 223hs, 1072 AW Amsterdam, The Netherlands. T +31 (0)20 675 85 94. [email protected]