"Something Unknown . . . "

Even while her award-winning documentary Something Unknown is Doing We Don't Know What is premiering in her native Holland today, director Renee Scheltema took time to respond to my request for the following email interview. I found Renee's movie through the Rhine Research Center's blogsite just this morning!

Something Unknown features Prof. Charles Tart, Dr. Dean Radin, Prof. Gary Schwartz, Dr. Roger Nelson, Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, Dr. Hall Puthoff, Dr. Larry Dossey, Dr. Edgar Mitchell, Dr. Jack Houck, and Dr. David Dosa. Also, Dr. Eric Pearl, author Arielle Ford, Therapeutic Touch healer Rebecca Good, psychic detective Nancy Meyer and intuitive Catherine Yunt.

The official website for Something Unknown is www.somethingunknown.com.

The interview:

Renee, what inspired you to make your documentary "Something Unknown is Doing We Don't Know What"? Did the inspiration come on suddenly or has this been a film that you have wanted to create for a long time?

I wanted to make a "spiritual" journey for a while, but when I spoke to Professor Tart who told me that there is scientific evidence for "the Big Five", I realized that this could be the backbone of my film.

The inspiration did not come suddenly. The first psychic experience I had was with my father, while I was studying. I guess in scientific terms you could call it "crisis telepathy." It happened during the day, while I was studying at the University of California, Berkeley. I would call my parents every three months. I had just phoned my parents a few days before. While I was with my nose in the books, there was this strong force that told me that I had to get up and phone them again. I remember walking down the street thinking: 'This is weird. Why am I walking to the phone booth? There's no reason for this. It's the wrong time of the day.'

Then when I phoned, my brother picked up the phone, which is very unusual because he had left home and would never even pick up the phone. Then he told me my father had had a stroke and was fighting for his life at the intensive care. So that seared into my mind because I just picked up something there that was real. Maybe these psychic experiences are part of our survival instinct . . .

How did you research and choose the people to be included in your film? Was anyone that you wanted to feature unavailable to participate?

I researched like everyone does. Reading, talking, googling on the internet, etc. It was really not easy to get access to these top-scientists. They are very busy, and need to protect themselves. It took me a long time to be able to interview them.

Did you have any preconceived notions about the psychic world that were confirmed or quashed as you delved ever-deeper into the subject?

No not really. Since I had a few psychic experiences myself, I was open to see what kind of evidence scientists had found during the past decades.

Have you created a personal set of guidelines that you adhere to when creating a film?

Yes, but that's too difficult to write about. But if you refer to the fact that I did not interview skeptics, then my answer can be simple: I did speak to a few, but decided not to include them as they all just refuse to have an in-depth look at the evidence for one emotional reason or the other.

The technology of film-making is ever-evolving, do you have any technological tips and techniques to share?

Not really. Just keeping informed of developments.

Essential can't-live-without equipment?

No.

How did the process of creating "Something Unknown is Doing We Don't Know What" compare to creating your previous films?

I used to make films with a crew as a Director - sometimes producer as well. But sometimes I have filmed controversial subjects, and could not get a producer on board, and so decided to do everything myself: production, sound, camera, line-producing, interview, editing for a year and a half. It's a crazy one woman's journey, and not easy to do. Still busy recuperating, and hoping to get my investments back.

What is your most recent 'Miracle Zone' experience, profound or subtle?

I have regular telepathic experiences with my kids.

What books are on your 'psychic' bookshelf for recommended reading?

I shot 100 hours. Spent a year editing this down to 6 hours, with more scientists, and other psychics as well. Then hired a good editor to help me get it down to 2 hours, ran out of money, and spent another 3 months editing the film as it is. I am seriously considering making the 6 hour version and other anecdotes into a book. Called: Something Unknown:)

An anagram of your name reveals your perfect passion for creating documentaries RENEE SCHELTEMA = REAL THEME SCENE. Have you chosen the subject of your next documentary or have you already begun production?

I did not know that the distribution side of things would be so complicated and time consuming. The film is having its theatrical premiere today in my birth country, Holland. And I won that award last year April. So you can see that it takes a while before people discover the film.

Renee, what words of wisdom can you share to encourage current and aspiring film-makers?

You need a loooong breath in order to make Something interesting:)

A Bewildering Encounter

"Mr. Leger! Mr. Leger! Could I trouble you for a few minutes of your time?"
"Not now, I'm already running late. Sorry."
"Please, sir. I'm with MPF Quarterly and I just have a few questions."
"I've never even heard of MPF Quarterly. Now if you don't mind, I've really got to get going."
"I'd like to talk to you about Treasure Chest."
"What did you say?"
"Treasure Chest."
"How do you know about Treasure Chest?"
"I'm not at liberty to reveal my sources, sir."
"Alright then, I suppose I can answer a few questions."

That's how their conversation started. The young man escorted Mr. Leger to a picnic table in the park and began conducting his interview.

MPF: What was it that started your love of film making?
Mr.L: I wouldn't necessarily call it a love of film making; it's more of a simple pleasure. I guess it all started when my cousins and I did a short film for our club A.B.L.E. using an old camcorder. It turned out remarkably well, and we had so much fun that we wanted to continue making more films. So, my cousins Eva and Katie along with my sister and I started saving all our money in order to buy our own camcorder. Then, Eva and Katie received a camcorder for Christmas one year, and their parents let us use it as much as we wanted. We ended up using the money we saved to buy most of the materials for a clubhouse my Uncle Marc built for us.

MPF: What kind of films did you start out making?
Mr.L: Well, we mainly did satires of commercials we saw on television. We also would do 'QVC' segments or just film ourselves hanging out or playing. We would also do the evening news, human interest stories, and another A.B.L.E. video. We really made all kinds of videos.

MPF: What led you to do lengthier projects such as Treasure Chest?
Mr.L: Eva and I used to talk on the phone all the time and we would write scripts to these movies. I don't remember exactly how Treasure Chest was conceptualized, but I do remember countless nights talking to Eva on the phone working on the script. We would each type the script as we came up with the lines, so we really had two versions once we were done, they were almost exactly the same, though. Mine always had more spelling errors.

MPF: What was it like filming Treasure Chest?
Mr.L: One word really sums it up: "Fun". I remember after finishing the script we planned a day to get together at Eva and Katie's house to film it. My parents had an old jewelry box that looked like a treasure chest and we filled with a bunch of silver and gold items. It was so much fun, and we had never worked on a project so big before. We used make-up, lots of different wardrobes, music, and some of us even played multiple characters. We did our best to follow the script and it turned out really well. I remember such a feeling of accomplishment and pride when we showed it to our family. The four of us worked so hard on it, it was so rewarding to see it come to fruition.

MPF: So it only took one day?
Mr.L: I think we actually filmed it over a two day period, but I'm not sure.

MPF: Any plans for a sequel?
Mr.L: Funny you should ask. Eva and I started working on a sequel years ago, but the script was never completed. We pretty much wrapped everything up in the original; we didn't leave much room for anything else to develop. Because if that, I think we just couldn't find a clear direction for the plot, and it just went to the wayside. I think I still have the partial script at home, though, so anything is possible.

MPF: You all had such great chemistry on the screen. Any chance of getting back together for any new film projects?
Mr.L: I've thought about that, but it's just a matter of getting everyone together at the right time. It's not as easy as it used to be. In fact, I was just talking to Eva a few months ago about making some new films. She liked the idea and seemed pretty excited, so something may be coming down the pike.

MPF: I can't wait to see what happens! Well, I won't take up any more of time. Thanks for the interview, Mr. Leger.

Mr.L: It was my pleasure, really. Your questions brought back a lot of fond memories, so I should be thanking you. Those were some of the best times of my life.

With that, the two men got up from the picnic table. As Mr. Leger was putting on his bike helmet, he looked at the young man and said, "Sorry I was so rude to you at first. I thought I may have taken your claim and you had some questions about it or something." The young man simply replied, "No hard feelings Mr. Leger. Thanks again for your time. I'm glad I was able to help you."

With that, Mr. Leger got on his bike and rode back to work; bewildered by a lunch encounter he won't soon forget.

Fantastigraphical!

Fabulous? For sure! Awesome? Always! Incredible? Indeed! We've all used these adjectives time and time again because they are superb! But recently, I was mulling over the perplexity of running short on positive adjectives, especially when leaving comments. I'm thinking, "I need more adjectives!" Then a Miracle Zone moment occurred when I caught a segment of American Idol in which Ellen DeGeneres declared "I need more adjectives!" as she judged an "absolutely amazing" American Idol contestant's performance. Then serendipitously, Leo of Postcardiness alerted me by quick email of a 1914 book by Gelett Burgess titled Burgess Unabridged: A New Dictionary of Words You Have Always Needed.

03/18/2010
Dear Susan,
Here is the link to Burgess Unabridged by Gelett Burgess:
http://www.archive.org/stream/burgeesunabridg00burgrich/burgeesunabridg00burgrich_djvu.txt
What you will see is the text view, which is hard to read, but quite useful for doing a Find (Ctrl-F) for a word or phrase.
Once you are at the text view, click the "See other formats" button on the left side. I usually select the first option "Read Online".
I noticed one word that has gained some traction with roughly the same meaning as Mr. Burgess assigned to it, "blurb".
Love,
-- Lee

So, how about an ongoing challenge to create adjectives with positive vibes? Mash a couple or more currently-in-use adjectives, or create completely new ones. Just tag 'em Fantastigraphical!

NEWS!!!

"Shine the Belly-O!" is in the final stages. The recording process was a breeze. I wish I'd had a little more time to explore sounds and what not, but I'm very pleased with what came out. I tracked all four songs in eight hours due largely to the professionalism of engineer Mike Bridavsky (Push/Pull-Holiday Band-Russian Recording owner), Pete Schreiner (Magnolia Electric Co.-Thousand Arrows-The Coke Dares) & Mike Dixon (Holiday Band). The songs were mixed the following day.
I have just submitted the album to iTunes, Amazonmp3, Pandora and the like and it will be available for download on May 4. By then I should have a physical product that I will sell through reverbnation.com/#/snakehorn.

Exaggerate! call for written works to Old Forge...

'Humongous' ribbons and monetary prizes to be won at this year's Adirondack Theme Exhibition 2010: “Exaggerate!” Because we've already had 'Tall Tales' as a dP topic, why not consider submitting?
Written submissions should not exceed 1000 words.
Tall tale and poetry submissions will be integrated into the exhibition in a visual manner as well as displayed in readers copy books within the Arts Center. $30.00 entry fee. Deadline: April 26, 2010.
Read more and print out entry form here.
Exhibition held in Old Forge, NY, starting May 9.

CINEMA TODAY interviews Lazare Leersørn

I sit uneasily in a shabby bistro across from former lead singer of the Finnish new wave band 'The Coppertubs' and producer of the British television series, 'Wee Lil' Fontelroy,' Lazare Leersørn.
I pretend it's Spring allergies and not his cigarette smoke that's bothering my eyes. I'm curious to know what attracted him to experimental filmmaking and how he felt having become the visionary pacesetter, avant-garde golden boy director of the cultish underground film world.
CT: Why experimental films?
LL: Why not? (laughs) No, split the word experimental up, experi-mental, and you've got your answer.
CT: Your first film "Papa Caught a Cottontail" breaks one of those old rules of filmmaking: 'don't work with animals.' Did you find this to be true?
LL: Well, yeah, I mean, I'm not going to tell you it was easy working with over 200 female cottontail rabbits besides Papa, the shaved male, running this way and that. And if you've seen it, you know its over two hours of Papa trying to catch cottontails in a fenced-in meadow, much more difficult than it seemed on paper. But in the end it was all well worth it, especially with lapin à la moutarde à la cocotte every night of the week! (smacks his lips) Did you see it?
CT: Yes, I did, but not the whole thing (laughs). It was your next film that really brought you international attention. Could you tell us about it?
LL: (clears throat) Yeah, it's "Hedgetrimmer's Daughter." It's the tale of a piano tuner who watches his work dwindle away to nothing and so turns to trimming hedges for more income. And he thinks, if someone's going to hire me to trim their hedges, my own had better look damn good, so it becomes an obsession for him, really. It's three hours of him trimming his hedges through the four seasons as seen by his daughter through her bedroom window. Funny how people tell me that they saw images in the hedges that I'd thrown in digitally or whatever, but, they don't know that in fact, it was their own minds trying to keep them entertained during the more tedious trimming scenes.
CT: Like what kinds of things have people 'seen?'
LL: Well, I've had gaggles of art school girls send me existentialist texts with highlighted Sartre quotes, I've gotten e-mails from potheads who've seen Marley in the hedge shadows, other hippies have seen nature spirits, I've received hedge inspired paintings and poetry. Oh, and some politicians have seen it as a commentary on the bad economy, and God, maybe all these elements are in there, but I didn't do it consciously . But that was kind of my point, you know, that's why I made this film.
CT: And the sound track?
LL: Well, yeah, an untuned piano played by a marvelous elephant in India named Nero. (laughs) Which, by the way, is not available on iTunes.
CT: And what are you working on now?
LL: I'm working on a documentary based on the cookbook I've just published called, "Pressure Cooker." It's about experimental cooking with pressure cookers under pressure. The idea was sparked when I invited a whole gang of friends over one Saturday night and found I'd totally forgotten about it. So I was sweating bullets, with nothing but a few odd left overs, near expired kitchen staples, and a brand new pressure cooker still in the box that I was planning on regifting. But it turned out to be a brilliant meal. So I tried to make all the recipes in the book include back of the pantry type of ingredients. And I give clues as how to simulate that sense-heightening pressure-terror I find necessary to throw together an unforgettable meal for a hungry crowd. I really can't say enough good about my book because there are vintage photos of pressure cookers, the history of this appliance that I've just really discovered, and also interviews with people around the globe who love and use them. Look out also for our PG-13 issue of "Pressure Cooker" that will be released in conjunction with the film.
CT: PG-13 issue?
LL: Yeah, doing all this research on pressure cookers, I found loads of deaths and accidents due to them exploding. As well as loads of weak-hearted chefs who died when the pressure got too great in the kitchen. The documentary is less about recipes and more about the stories, the people. I'm also working with an Italian manufacturer to eventually develop my own line of designer pressure cookers in really bold colors. The Leersørn.
CT: To the many people who think that this sort of experimental filmmaking approach died with Andy Warhol's 'The 24 Hour Movie,' for example, what do you say?
LL: Get a life! (laughs) No, really, I know experimental films aren't everyone's cup of tea. The public wants diversions, you get home from work, turn on the t.v., watch a Hollywood exploder, get lost in a romance, you know, do what you can to wind down and forget about the humdrum doldrums or tensions of the day. Anyone can tell you that, there'll always be a market for it. There's an audience out there, though, that is young, or young at heart, that doesn't have anything to escape from, they don't have to cope with a hard reality, they want to learn more about it, to connect with something sacred within it and I like to think I can provide them with a viewing option B. Or C, rather. Maybe they'll feel something new if I prod them visually into a state of confusion, or extreme boredom that turns into hilarity, a searching for meaning that turns into revelation or discomfort I'm not sure...

He got a dreamy look in his eye as he press-twisted his cigarette butt into the ashtray and after ordering a coffee for us both, told me about a dream he'd had, but it was so long and detailed that I found my mind falling to other things....

March Topic!

On behalf of Luke Murphy:
Your assignment is to interview a movie director (real or imagined) for a cinematic magazine.

Chiasmus Corner: Gospel Gems

Gospel Gems:
"Does your faith move mountains, or do mountains move your faith?"

Marchin' On...

Its time to step it up, dP with a new blogger background and banner for spring! What do you think of this new background? Lets talk about it! If you love it, let's keep it for a while. Doesn't do a thing for you? Let the suggestions fly! Post a background or banner suggestion/image/link and we can vote on it. Just for the heads up on the March topic: Luke Murphy has been contacted and will be posting the topic before the fifth. Looking forward to it!