Memphis

Thanks to Indie Memphis and The Brooks Museum, I had the opportunity to catch a screening of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then – A very unique feature film based on the unbelievable but true story of Leonard Wood, a Kentucky hardware clerk, who built a crazy “healing” house for his wife, Mary, in an attempt to appeal to God to save her from cancer.

The film’s creator Brent Green used this man’s own design to recreate a full-scale version of the handmade house in his own backyard where the entire film was shot. A beautiful and eerie mix animation, stopmotion, and live-action, the film was screened with a live musical accompaniment  featuring the director’s own narration and the talents of Donna K, musician Brendan Canty and the indie-cabaret group The Bitter Tears.

I was sold when I walked into the room and saw a theremin, but the live soundtrack really did made this a knock-out performance. I would have stayed for the 2nd screening if possible. An emotionally haunting story, fantastically compelling visuals, and an other-worldly live score… It even had a stopmotion car crash!

This event made a huge impression on me. This might be the first time I have experienced filmmaking that is considered experimental but tells a clearly narrative story that is gripping in a completely new and unconventional way.  I don’t want it to be the last either.

Check out the Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then Blog