“GODSPEED” INTERVIEW
May 13 | Author: Mike Plante
GODSPEED director Robert Saitzyk’s first feature, AFTER THE FLOOD, earned him a Grand Prize for Best Director at the 2002 Rhode Island International Film Festival. Robert’s second feature film, WHITE OF WINTER was an official selection to the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Robert also works as a producer, editor and post-production supervisor.
GODSPEED is an intense, dramatic thriller set in the lingering light of the Alaskan midnight sun.
Tell us briefly about the film’s story, and what it means to you.
GODSPEED is about a blue-collar, modern day healer whose family is murdered for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Six months after the murders, a young, mysterious girl appears in town pleading for help with her own grief-stricken father after her mother’s death. She takes this man on a journey deep into the Alaskan wilderness where the truth of his family’s killings will be revealed, ultimately leading to violent, tragic consequences.
On the surface, GODSPEED is a thriller, but it’s also a film that questions the nature of healing, compassion, and retribution; it takes us to some dark, deep places to explore what happens when the rules of society (our taboos based on religion and law) begin to break down in a place that feels like it’s on the edge of society itself.
As the title suggests, whether some higher power is judging all of our actions is something that each character struggles with, whether “God” is really on this journey with us or not.
How did you find your cast and crew?
Joe McKelheer (Charlie Shepard) and Cory Knauf (Luke Roberts) are actually Executive Producers on the project, and they were already involved when I came aboard. Courtney (Sarah), Hallock (Tim), and Jessie (Rebecca Shepard) were all found through more traditional casting with a lot of help and work from our casting director, Danielle Lenninger. Lynn (Belle) is a friend of mine who thankfully came aboard, and other cast members were Alaskan locals – some were even family or friends of family close to Joe McKelheer, who is an Alaskan native from Anchorage. And Ed Lauter (Mitch) had worked with Joe on a previous project, and was kind enough to come out and do this movie with us. Ed’s a real pro, and we’re very lucky to have someone of his talent, wisdom, and experience as part of the cast.
The DP, Michael Hardwick, shot my last feature WHITE OF WINTER, which screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. He’s an amazing collaborator, and on this film he did all the camera operating as well all our Steadicam work! Most of the key positions, like Michael, were all LA-based, and we used the “it’s summer in Alaska!” pitch to bribe them as much as possible for kindly working below their normal rates.
A young Alaskan native, Michael Bergstrom, not only provided his gaffer and grip talents tirelessly throughout the production but was crucial in pointing us to most of our other needs, from location, special effects, to catering.
Joe’s Alaskan friends and family were really amazing people and we could not have made this film without their love and support.
Alaska gives the film a unique edge and atmosphere, why is it set there?
The Alaskan setting not only helped to set this thriller apart from other genre films, it was a crucial thematic element to the story, its characters, and visual style. It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to make the film since nature is so present at every moment in Alaska – it’s one of the few places where you suddenly begin to feel that we humans are just as much a part of the food chain as any other animal!
It’s a place of almost inexplicable beauty, but one where that beauty is almost as frightening as it is divine, and this certainly plays into key elements in GODSPEED.
What do you think the role of a film festival is?
I think the role of a film festival is absolutely to discover, nurture, and support unique, vibrant voices in primarily independent cinema. I think audiences do look to festivals for films that they normally would not see in more mainstream venues, so festivals certainly have a responsibility in how they choose to program their slate.
And now, I think they are in a unique position to partner with filmmakers to even screen and distribute films outside of the traditional theatrical model and festival play dates, to take the films they feel passionate about straight to hungry audiences – to bridge the gap between curation and distribution.
Do you gamble?
Every time I make a movie!
Screenings during the 2009 CineVegas Film Festival:
Saturday, June 13 – 6:00 PM
Sunday, June 14 – 3:00 PM
See also:
