Director Marina Zenovich, who won two primetime Emmy Awards this year for her documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, has inked a deal with Beverly Hills-headquartered Saville Productions for representation in commercials.
On the strength of the Polanski documentary, Zenovich earned this year’s Emmy both for outstanding directing as well as outstanding writing for nonfiction programming. (The writing honor was shared with fellow writers Joe Bini and P.G. Morgan). The feature-length doc. aired on HBO after the network acquired it at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Just a couple weeks after the Emmy wins on Sept. 12, the Polanski documentary took on added significance and became a hot topic of discussion when filmmaker Polanski was arrested by Swiss police for possible extradition to the U.S. for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl. Polanski is currently in custody at a Swiss jail (he had flown into Switzerland to receive an honorary award at the Zurich Film Festival) awaiting what looks like pending extradition to the U.S. to stand trial on a 31-year-old arrest warrant.
Zenovich’s Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired is a fascinating and compelling study of the judicial system and the nature of celebrity. The documentary earned acclaim at both the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals.
“Marina’s style of directing is gripping and entertaining and lends itself to those commercials or branded content films that are trying to communicate a strong message,” said Johnny Doran, Saville’s executive producer. “Marina’s ability to put people at ease results in a rare honesty in her filmmaking.”
Prior to directing, Zenovich acted in theater and film and believes it helps her enormously as a filmmaker. “I think acting teaches you to really listen, and I think people aren’t used to really listening these days,” said Zenovich. “When interviewees feel that you’re listening, they open up more than they would normally.”
Zenovich’s other directorial film credits include: Who Is Bernard Tapie?, a study of the French former politician/convicted criminal turned actor; and Estonia Dreams of Eurovision!, which centers on the wacky world of Tallin, Estonia, as it prepares to host the Eurovision Song Contest. Her first documentary, Independent’s Day, a look at the struggles of independent filmmakers set at the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals, featured Steven Soderbergh, Neil Labute and Greg Mottola.
Zenovich has also profiled Julian Schnabel, Robert Wilson, John Baldessari, Takashi Murakami and David Lynch for Gallery HD’s Art in Progress series.
Sheriff Reports Preliminary Autopsy Results On Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa
Preliminary autopsy results didn't determine how Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife died at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but did rule out that they were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, the sheriff leading the investigation said Friday.
The condition of the bodies found Wednesday indicated the deaths occurred at least several days earlier and there was no sign of foul play.
At a news conference, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said the initial examination by the medical examiner showed no sign of carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas produced from kitchen appliances and other fuel-burning items. When it collects in poorly ventilated homes, it can be fatal.
Mendoza also said an examination of the 95-year-old Hackman's pacemaker showed it stopped working on Feb. 17, which means he may have died nine days earlier.
Hackman's body was found in an entryway. The body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, was in a bathroom. She was on her side and a space heater was near her head. Investigators said the heater likely was pulled down when she fell. There also was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop.
Whether the pills or other drugs were a factor won't be known until toxicology tests are completed in the coming weeks.
Dr. Philip Keen, the retired chief medical examiner in Maricopa County, Arizona, said it would be unlikely for a person who tests negative for carbon monoxide initially to later be found to have been poisoned by it.
He also said the moment when a pacemaker stops working could mark the point when a person dies, but not always.
"If your heart required a pacemaker, there would certainly be an interruption at that point โ and it might be the hallmark of when... Read More