Director/cinematographer Peter Rodger has joined Bandito Brothers for exclusive U.S. spot representation. Among his credits is having served as director, cinematographer and producer of the documentary feature Oh My God, which explores people’s diverse opinions and perceptions of God. The film entailed two-and-a-half years of filming across 23 countries and featured Hugh Jackman, Seal, Ringo Starr, Sir Bob Geldof, Princess Michael of Kent, David Copperfield and Jack Thompson.
The docu-feature had its world premiere in July, 2009 at the Jerusalem International Film Festival, and is being distributed on DVD Hay House, and will be available as a Video-on-Demand release via Lionsgate in early 2011. That release will coincide with the release of a book by the director based on his experiences making the film.
“We all have a responsibility to live our lives with tolerance and understanding for our fellow man,” Rodger said of his life lessons. “I also learned that hostility is manufactured by power-seeking humans and has nothing to do with God. The world is way more united than divided, even though most of us are conditioned to believe otherwise. You only have to look into children’s eyes to see the spark of this ‘thing’ that is common to all of us. It is the glue that binds us all together.”
Rodger grew up looking through a camera lens. As a teenager, the British director honed his skills by assisting his father, George Rodger, a renowned photojournalist and co-founder of Magnum Photos. “My dad taught me not to shoot, but to see,” he recalled. After completing his education at England’s Maidstone College of Art, his skill with the lens made him a sought-after talent in the European and American advertising industry, shooting numerous car, clothing and cosmetics companies’ print and commercial campaigns in over 40 different countries. His directorial credits include Natural Resources Defense Council’s “The Earth’s Best Defense,” University of Houston’s “Dr. Paul Chu” and “Dr. Bowen Loftin,” and Mark McGwire Foundation for Children’s “Help.” Rodger’s previous production house roosts over the years have included Limelight UK, Fletcher Sanderson, Redback Films, and Cucoloris.
“Peter’s world-class photography and ability to canvass the globe are more arrows in our quiver,” said Bandito Brothers exec producer Jeff Rohrer. “Quite frankly, we are tired of shooting ‘in the zone’ and are designing teams that can deliver production in any location in the world for the same cost. Peter is one of the few directors who can do just that.”
Rodger said several factors drew him to Bandito Brothers, including the association forged between the company and recently launched VFX house Cantina Creative. “Much of my work involves visual effects, and it’s great to have this resource so close at hand,” related Rodger.
Rodger rounds out a Bandito Brothers roster comprised of partners/directors Mouse McCoy and Scott Waugh, directors Stewart Hendler and Sinuhe Xavier, directing duos Gentlemen and The Polish Brothers, and director/cinematographers Shane Hurlbut, Mitchell Amundsen, Matt Goodman, and Vic Huber.
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More