Gossamer Creative and Haven Films present DOWN RIVER Starring: Helen Shaver, Gabrielle Miller, Jennifer Spence and Colleen Rennison Written and Directed by: Ben Ratner Produced by: James Brown Producers: Ben Ratner, Andrew Halliwell Executive Producer: Jack Ong Runtime: 93 min Domestic Sales: Indiecan Entertainment Interviews / Press / Publicity Contact: IndieCan Entertainment Lesley Diana (publicist) 194 Glenholme Ave e: [email protected] Toronto, ON M6E 3C4 p: 604-726-5575 e: [email protected] p: (416) 898-3456 f: (416) 658-9913 Logline: Down River is the emotionally stirring story of three young women teetering on the edge between creative breakthroughs and personal breakdowns, and their connection with the older woman they rely on for guidance, support and inspiration. Synopsis: Down River is the emotionally stirring story of three young women teetering on the edge between creative breakthroughs and personal breakdowns, and their connection with the older woman they rely on for guidance, support and inspiration. Fawn (Gabrielle Miller) is an in-demand but insecure actress. While striving to honour her religious beliefs, she battles the uncertainty between living out her career opportunities and settling down to begin a family with the man she loves (Peter Flemming). Aki (Jennifer Spence) is a dynamic abstract artist who hides under her paint-stained hoodie. She has talent, but with a widowed father (Hiro Kanagawa) whose traditional values constantly undermine her, not to mention her struggle with her own crippling shyness, she finds herself resorting to drastic measures to make an impact on an art dealer (Brian Markinson). Harper (Colleen Rennison) is a gifted but self- destructive rock singer. Desperately trying to fill the void, she careens happily between drugs, a sugar daddy (Teach Grant) and “the one that got away” (Ali Liebert). Pearl (Helen Shaver) is a charismatic, caring older woman who lives in the same building as the three younger artists. Estranged from her own daughter, she takes Fawn, Aki, and Harper under her wing, keeping them on track and inspiring them to new heights, while sharing her own secret with only her kindhearted neighbour (Jay Brazeau) . When Pearl suddenly leaves their lives, the three women must summon the courage to overcome their fears and face the future on their own. Inspired by Ben Ratner's long-time comradeship with actress Babz Chula, who passed away in 2010, Down River is a film about mentorship, friendship, living life to the fullest, and ultimately letting go. Director’s Notes: What was the inspiration for this story? When I was a young actor, the much-loved singer/actor/teacher Babz Chula became my mentor, collaborator, and good friend. She passed away in 2010 after a long fight with cancer. Although Down River isn’t about Babz, the character of “Pearl” is most certainly inspired by our friendship and creative collaborations, and by the ways she influenced and nurtured me and many of my peers throughout our personal and professional ups and downs. When she died, she left a gaping hole in our lives – a void we would eventually have to learn to fill on our own. To quote my favorite author, John Steinbeck, “teaching might even be the greatest of the arts, since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” Down River is a story of a teacher and her pupils. We all need teachers in our lives, but ultimately we learn by doing. We all need guides, but in the end, we must find our own way. Why did you choose to make a film with all female leads? In addition to Babz Chula, the film is also inspired by the many women that I’ve have had the honor of teaching the craft of acting to over the past 18 years. It’s hard to be an actor, but being a female actor is just brutal. The rejection, judgment, and humiliation they have to face to stay in the game and prosper is quite horrendous. It seems like women in all art forms, not just acting, have to deal with more crap than the guys do. I wanted to tell their stories as much as I wanted to tell Babz’. How much of your own experiences are in the film? All the characters in Down River have a big piece of me in them. The paintings by “Aki” are actually my paintings – I’ve always had a compulsion to paint abstract works and I know the sweet solitude of a late night in front of a canvas. I also know the fear of rejection. I wonder if my work will actually resonate with anyone in the art world someday, or are they just derivative doodles from another Pollock-influenced wanker? Before I was an actor I was a musician in a band called L. Kabong. In the 80s we played shows with bands ranging from Bryan Adams to DOA. I can still smell the stale beer and moldering leather jackets of the scuzzy rock and roll world of “Harper.” A few of the musicians I played with self-destructed and never recovered. For the vast majority, talent is not enough. You gotta have your shit together or you fizzle out or crash and burn. And as an acting teacher and actor myself, I know “Fawn’s” struggle inside out, and the dilemma of her fiancé, “Peter.” To be an actor is indeed a difficult path. To be married to one is perhaps an even greater torture. Believe me, I know - I am one, and I’m married to one! Having said that, working on Down River with my wife, Jennifer Spence, who played “Aki”, went surprisingly smoothly. We had each other’s backs the whole way through, and it bonded us in a very special way. Down River is like our first child together. How did you cast your lead actors? I wrote the lead roles specifically for the actors who played them. I’ve known Gabrielle, Jennifer, and Colleen for years. They aren’t playing themselves in Down River, but in my warped view, the characters they play are pretty damn close, especially Colleen. Although there’s not much improv in the film, I listened closely to their suggestions as they read drafts throughout the writing process and that’s reflected in the final film. On another note, all three of those women had been students in my acting classes at one time or another, so I knew how talented they are and how to effectively work with them and/or stay out of their way. And I knew they all have a great sense of humor, and are capable of mining the material for both comedy and drama. Casting “Pearl” was trickier. I had only met Helen Shaver briefly, but I had seen enough of her work to know she had the right combination of soulfulness, sexiness, and toughness for the part. I got her number from a mutual friend and “cold called” her before I had written the script to tell her about the film I wanted to make. She said, “I’m in,” before we hung up, but didn’t officially come on board until she had read the shooting draft a year or so later. What was it like directing Helen Shaver, who’s an experienced director in her own right? Not only is Helen an excellent director herself, she’s been directed by many of the greats, including Martin Scorsese, William Friedkin, and John Schlesinger, who have made some of my favorite films. She is full of great ideas, and suffers no fools. Was I intimidated? Put it this way, when she came aboard, Helen told me, “If you want me, you get me, all of me.” And that’s what I got. And I have her incredible performance and a bunch of grey hair on my head to prove it! How was directing Down River different from directing your first feature, Moving Malcolm, in 2003? When I directed Moving Malcolm I was also acting in most of the scenes, so that was a major obstacle. This time I was totally focused on everyone else, on the big picture, and that felt right. Directing my first feature, I was so grateful to everyone for being there, when I look back I see that I was being often being too soft, it was like playing catch with a nerf ball. This time around it was hardball. A lot of the time I was throwing it at the actors fast and hard, and they were throwing it back. Whap! Our budget was low on Moving Malcolm, but everyone was getting paid. On this film, most of the crew and all of the cast were working for virtually nothing and there were only about a dozen of us, so everyone was doing 3 people’s jobs. That brought me to levels of exhaustion I had never known. After the shoot I was so worn out my wife would find me “sleep directing” in the middle of the night. I’d be in the kitchen, naked, setting up a shot, totally convinced the entire crew was waiting for me in the living room. She’d try to wake me up and I’d tell her, “we gotta get this, just get ready for the scene!” She’d say “it’s over honey, we’re done shooting”, and lead me back to bed. Cast Biographies: Helen Shaver as Pearl Helen Shaver first appeared on the silver screen at 22 years old, starring in a series of award-winning Canadian films; Best Supporting Actress for Who Has Seen The Wind and Best Actress for In Praise of Older Women.