FACT SHEET
TITLE:
BEYOND BORDERS:
JOHN SAYLES IN MEXICO
LENGTH:
1/60
NOLA CODE:
BJSM
CATEGORY:
Documentary
OFFERED:
June 2003 Special Offer
EXPECTED RELEASE:
September 18, 2003
CONTRACT TERMS:
Unlimited releases to be completed by August
31, 2005. Program rights are exclusive for the
license term with the exception of broadcast by
the Independent Film Channel (IFC) from
September 18-30, 2003 and November 1, 2003August 31, 2005. In addition, the Independent
Film Channel/Canada agrees not to broadcast
the film during the period of October 1-31,
2003. Non-commercial cable and simulcast
rights have been granted.
SUPPLIER:
The Independent Film Channel via APT
PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION:
Beyond Borders: John Sayles in Mexico follows
the creative process of filmmaking through the
eyes of one of America’s most talented and
acclaimed independent film directors, John
Sayles. The documentary was filmed on location
with Sayles in Acapulco, Mexico while shooting
his most recent film, Casa de los Babys (“House
of the Babies”), which will be released in theaters
in September, 2003. It features candid interviews
with Sayles and members of the creative team
from both behind and in front of the camera. What
emerges is a fascinating “first person” look at the
refined abilities of Sayles as director and writer
and an intriguing dialogue about the themes of
culture, privilege and class that permeate his
work.
BEYOND BORDERS /2
FACT SHEET
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS:
Use above for listing. A press release, John
Sayles biography and filmography, and two
color slides are included.
CONTENT ADVISORY:
Program contains a brief instance of adult
language.
PRODUCTION DATE:
©2003 The Independent Film Channel
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Director: Bruno de Almeida. Producers: Bruno
de Almeida and Rene Simon Cruz. Executive
Producers: Alison Palmer Bourke and Ed
Carroll. Editor: Jordan Mokriski.
BROADCAST HISTORY:
The program will begin airing on the
Independent Film Channel (IFC) on September
12, 2003. It also will air on IFC Canada, except
during the exclusive public television window in
October, 2003.
SCHEDULING SUGGESTION:
Consider scheduling to coincide with the
September theatrical release for Casa de los
Babys and to commemorate Hispanic Heritage
Month.
RELATED MERCHANDISE:
This program is NOT available on home video.
VIEWER INQUIRIES:
Wendy Mullin
The Independent Film Channel
200 Jericho Quadrangle
Jericho, NY 11753
Tel: 516-803-4595
WEB SITE:
www.ifcfilms.com
COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
Dawn Anderson
(617) 338-4455, ext. 149
dawn_anderson@aptonline.org
7/15/03
CONTACT: Dawn Anderson
(617) 338-4455, ext. 149
dawn_anderson@aptonline.org
PRESS RELEASE
BEYOND BORDERS:
JOHN SAYLES IN MEXICO
Beyond Borders: John Sayles in Mexico follows the creative process of filmmaking
through the eyes of one of America’s most talented and acclaimed independent film
directors, John Sayles. The documentary special was filmed on location with Sayles in
Acapulco, Mexico while shooting his most recent film, Casa de los Babys (“House of the
Babies”), which will be released in theaters on September 19, 2003 and stars Maggie
Gyllenhaal, Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gay Harden, Susan Lynch, Rita Moreno, Mary
Steenburgen and Lili Taylor. It features candid interviews with Sayles and members of
the creative team from both behind and in front of the camera. What emerges is a
fascinating “first person” look at the refined abilities of Sayles as director and writer and
an intriguing dialogue about the themes of culture, privilege and class that permeate his
work. Beyond Borders: John Sayles in Mexico airs on public television stations
nationwide beginning September 18, 2003 (check local listings).
The film on which the documentary centers follows Sayles’ interest in cross cultural
themes. The story of Casa de los Babys is about a group of American women who have
individually traveled to an unnamed Latin American country with the hope of adopting a
baby. They find themselves waiting together in a hotel. From this premise, Sayles weaves
a story which places privilege in a world of poverty, explores the themes of cultural
identity and cultural imperialism, and comments on the barriers and connections of
human interaction.
The documentary provides viewers with an inside look at how Sayles works on and
thinks about his movies. He discusses the importance of casting, the difference between
writing for television and film, and the implications of creating personal stories in any
medium. The bilingual Sayles also is seen at work on the set of the film with local
residents. In addition, the film’s producers and crew members discuss the cultural
integrity that Sayles brings to his storytelling, and the actresses each provide commentary
on Sayles as a director and writer and his ability to draw understated and inspired
performances from his cast.
-more-
BEYOND BORDERS /2
PRESS RELEASE
The documentary also features generous footage of both rural and metropolitan
Acapulco, a soundtrack of folk and contemporary Mexican music and interviews with
residents who share their thoughts about the film and the themes it explores.
The film is directed by Bruno de Almeida, produced by Bruno de Almeida and Rene
Simon Cruz, and edited by Jordan Mokriski. Executive producers are Alison Palmer
Bourke and Ed Carroll. Produced in 2003, Beyond Borders: John Sayles in Mexico is
supplied by The Independent Film Channel and presented by American Public Television
through the Exchange service at no cost to public television stations nationwide. Beyond
Borders: John Sayles in Mexico is in English and Spanish with English subtitles.
The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is the first and most widely distributed channel
dedicated to independent film 24 hours a day, uncut and commercial free. IFC continues
to expand its programming lineup with original series and independent genre-focused
specials. The network’s recent, critically acclaimed series and specials include Dinner
For Five, BaadAsssss Cinema, The American Nightmare, Indie Sex: Taboos and A
Decade Under the Influence.
IFC Television is a part of IFC Companies, which has created a unique end-to-end
business model and brand that focuses on developing and nurturing talent and
maximizing the value of independent film. With a television network, a film distribution
and production unit, and a VOD service, IFC Companies represents the future of
independent film. IFC Companies uses its unique position to broaden the independent
film audience nationwide and to expand the opportunities for independent filmmakers.
IFC Companies is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.
For 41 years, American Public Television has been a major source of programming for
the nation’s public television stations. APT has more than 10,000 hours of available
programming including Discovering the Real World of Harry Potter, Globe Trekker,
Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World, Nightly Business Report, Rick Steves’
Europe, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, Ballykissangel, Brian Jacques’ Redwall
and The Three Tenors Christmas. APT is known for identifying innovative programs
and developing creative distribution techniques for producers. In four decades, it has
established a tradition of providing public television stations nationwide with program
choices that enable them to strengthen and customize their schedules. Press should
contact Donna Hardwick at 617-335-4455 ext. 129 or via email to
donna_hardwick@aptonline.org.
###
BIOGRAPHY
JOHN SAYLES
One of America’s best known independent filmmakers, John Sayles’s work is primarily
concerned with personal and political relationships. “My main interest is making films
about people,” he admits. “I’m not interested in cinematic art.” Nonetheless, he has
developed a distinctive personal style, utilizing ensemble acting as well as his own
performing skills.
After appearing in school plays and summer stock while at Williams College, Sayles
embarked on a career as a fiction writer, submitting stories to magazines and supporting
himself as an orderly, day laborer, and meat packer. His two novels, Pride of the Bimbos
(1975) and Union Dues (1977), and his short story anthology, The Anarchist’s
Convention (1979), received critical acclaim for their honest characterizations and
authentic use of dialect, although they did not meet with financial success.
In the mid-1970s, Sayles joined Roger Corman’s stable of B-movie scriptwriters, penning
Piranha (1978), The Lady in Red (1979), and Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). His first
film as director, Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980), was shot in four weeks during 1978 at a
reported cost of $40,000. A witty, poignant look at a reunion of 1960s activists on the
verge of adulthood, the film has been praised as a more authentic and charming portrait
of the same territory explored in the more commercially successful The Big Chill (1983).
Secaucus used few sets, sparse camera movement and little action, but it won the Best
Screenplay award from the Los Angeles Film Critics and was nominated for an Oscar in
the same category.
In 1983, Sayles was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” which
provided him with over $30,000 per year, tax-free, for five years. One of the results was
the film The Brother From Another Planet (1984), an unlikely story of a mute, black
alien (Joe Morton) adrift in Harlem. A captivating look at a variety of issues, including
racial prejudice and drug addiction, the film relies on brilliant performances from a
tightly knit cast to bring the script to life.
Matewan (1987) explores the personal and political dimensions of union making and
breaking in the West Virginia coal mines of the 1920s. A complex study of individual
integrity and community solidarity, the film is, typically for Sayles, largely dialogue
driven. However, the director does succeed, with the help of Appalachian locations,
Haskell Wexler’s cinematography and Mason Daring’s lively bluegrass soundtrack, in
creating an evocative setting for his narrative.
-moreThe ambitious Eight Men Out (1988) was an account of the 1919 Black Sox scandal that
rocked the baseball world. It examines the controversy through the eyes of individual ball
players. Rather than simple caricatures, each man is seen as having complex reasons for
agreeing or refusing to throw the World Series. Here, Sayles relies even more on visuals;
impressionistic lighting and scrupulous production design help capture this pivotal period
of American history.
Sayles has continued to forge his own distinctive path in the ‘90s. City of Hope (1991)
was a somber study of life in a mid-sized contemporary American town, weaving
together several storylines to create a bleakly complex picture of corruption and decay.
Passion Fish (1992), a film about the relationship between a paralyzed former TV soap
star and her live-in nurse, earned praise for its central performances by Mary McDonnell
and Alfre Woodard.
The heart-warming folk tale The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), which Sayles both wrote
and directed, proved to be a change of pace. The story of a girl living with her
grandparents in County Donegal, the film incorporated mystical and whimsical elements
unusual for Sayles, but which he handled superbly (the Irish location shots also helped).
A much grittier film was Lone Star (1996), though it also involves legends of past lives.
Sayles also wrote and directed this film, which tells of a Texas sheriff trying to unravel
the life and death of his father, who had been sheriff 15 years earlier.
Sayles’s contributions to other media are less well-publicized. In addition to his novels,
he wrote the plays “New Hope for the Dead” and “Turnbuckle.” He directed three
popular Bruce Springsteen videos, and has been involved with TV since A Perfect
Match (CBS, 1980), for which he wrote the screenplay. Sayles created the pilot and
series Shannon’s Deal (NBC, 1989-91), about a Philadelphia lawyer. He also wrote and
acted in the Vietnam vet drama Unnatural Causes (NBC, 1986), played a baseball player
on Mathnet: The Case of the Unnatural (PBS, 1992) and appeared in the documentaries
Naked Hollywood (A&E, 1991). Sayles was nominated for an Oscar for his Lone Star
screenplay and critical acclaim continued for his next film, Men With Guns (aka Hombres
Armados), a Spanish-language political road movie which garnered a Golden Globe
nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1999, Sayles completed the film Limbo,
which paired long-time Sayles collaborator and Williams College classmate David
Strathairn with Oscar-winner Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. The film is perhaps most
infamously known for its highly ambiguous ending which leaves the film’s three main
characters either at their moment of salvation or abandonment.
In 2002, Sayles returned to his familiar ensemble style with Sunshine State, an intricate
and innerwoven film starring Edie Falco and Sayles regular Angela Bassett. The story
examines a Florida beach community’s transition from hometown tourism to corporate
engulfment.
Sayles shares a home in Hoboken, New Jersey, and a farm in upstate New York, with
longtime companion Maggie Renzi, an actress and producer on several of his films.
FILMOGRAPHY
JOHN SAYLES
Casa de los Babys (2003)
Sunshine State (2002)
Limbo (1999)
Men With Guns ...aka Hombres Armados (1998)
Lone Star (1996)
The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
Passion Fish (1992)
City of Hope (1991)
Eight Men Out (1988)
Matewan (1987)
The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
Baby, It’s You (1983)
Lianna (1983)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)