Movie Cricket

The Cricket had a lovely time Wednesday night, playing onstage interviewer for a Sundance Institute-sponsored screening at the Tower Theatre.

The movie was "Don't Let Me Drown," a touching drama that premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It tells the story of two Brooklyn teens — a Mexican-American boy (E.J. Bonilla) and a girl of Dominican heritage (Gleendilys Inoa) — tentatively reaching out to each other in the days after 9/11.

The movie's director, Cruz Angeles, flew in to give presentations to schoolkids about the movie — and sat for a Q-and-A with the Cricket after Wednesday night's screening.

Our discussion was quite interesting. Angeles said he was tired from a long day and jet lag, but he was relaxed and animated when talking about the movie. The conversation touched on 9/11, Brooklyn, fathers, mothers, and the process of getting his movie made.

A good chunk of our talk was about the Sundance Institute, because "Don't Let Me Drown" is definitely a Sundance baby. Angeles attended the January Screenwriters' Lab in 2005, the June Directors' Lab after that, and received funding both through the Sundance NHK Filmmakers award and a Sundance Fellowship.

Attending the directors' lab, Angeles said, was a major benefit to the movie. For one thing, it's where he found Bonilla, who was cast to portray the male lead for the workshop — and earned the role in the film.

Mainly, though, the lab gave Angeles confidence that he could work with actors. Angeles said he came into the lab feeling self-conscious about dealing with actors, because his methods didn't jibe with what he learned in film school. But when he had a one-on-one meeting with one of the lab's advisors, Robert Redford, the Sundance Kid told Angeles "you know what you're doing."

"Don't Let Me Drown" should hit theaters next spring, with a DVD/VOD release later next year. See it when you get the chance.

(Photo: Jill Orschel)