Cinema Canada (Sep 1979)

get, goes to Bob Linnell, production manager. Frequent'locaactors. He is not always the easiest director, but they love tion changes, bogged-down generator trucks, personal mishim, tum themselves inside out for him.” Directing his first fortunes facing cast and crew members are only a few of English language theatrical feature film, Jutra, like Fox has the headaches he weathers. And when the going gets really had his “moments of exaltation and moments of ‘Why the rough, he’s hardly a stickler for protocol. Confides Doug hell am I here? ” He admits that, at times, “I’d like to be Leiterman, “When one of the women complained about a making films in Quebec and be what I began as.” But he problem with the toilet, it was Bob who cleared it up.” Litthrives on forward motion too much to turn back. He does erally. regret never being home long enough to fix up his new home In listening to cast and crew alike. it becomes obvious jin Montreal’s Carre St. Louis. that co-operation is the name of the game; that individual “It’s a pleasure to work with Claude,” says Surfacing’s ego-needs are subservient to the pervasive team spirit. Beller, editor, Toni Trow, who has worked with him before. “Some among others, emphasizes their sense of community, contrastjobs are band-aid jobs. You’re re-writing the script in the ing it to her experiences in Los Angeles where, “Actors are editing room. You seldom have to do that with Claude’s more segregated from the crew and unionism is more apparfilms.” Being with the crew on location at the Mazinaw ent. Inn has been a treat for her. “I'll hate to leave here. It’s “The crew is blue chip,” says Fox. “The best I’ve ever been like summer camp.” worked with.” Words echoed by Richard Leiterman, who hand-picked many of them himself and feels that the quality of their work has been universally inspiring. “The Americans tan has been occupied repairing the hot water tank that are no longer afraid to oe SP here and use Canadian crews timed its explosion for two days before the crew’s departure, because they’ve been tested. leaving everyone without showers. Representing the general _ As Surfacing prepares for its final week of shooting in Torsnirit of generosity so apparent at the Inn, Janet is anxious; onto, an attractive, petite Beryl Fox sits at a table in the Mazto give due credit to the unsung heroes of her staff — like inaw Inn, wearily reflecting on the costs of producing her first Bertie, her staff co-ordinator. As for the unconventional natfeature film. After mortgaging her house twice, working for ure of her guests, she admits that, at sixty-one years of age, it three years without pay and investing all her savings init, itis has been pretty demanding. At times, just feeding them all no wonder that there have been days when she has “prayed to was chaotic at best. Then with a mischievous glint in her be hit by a mac truck.” Despite her fatigue and all the preseye she confides, “I’ve never known who slept where, but sures, she grows increasingly animated as she talks. Obviously, twenty-one rooms were rented out for three weeks... Oh, but she knows the ropes — has climbed most of them the hard you can’t print that! ” No? “Well... sure you can print that.” With mixed feelings, proprietors of the Mazinaw Inn, Janet and Stan Withell, witness the crew’s final day of activity. way. But her enthusiasm and courage is infectious. It is sudWould she do it all again? After a pensive drag on her cidenly easy to see how she convinced her final supporters — _garette she suddenly leans forward, deadly serious, and wants including Doug Leiterman, who admits he had doubts. this written down. “I’ve been here thirteen years and I’ve Although the male support followed, “the ones who really never washed a guest’s socks. But I washed Claude’s socks. I risked were the women,” she qualifies: Women like Margaret eyen Fleecied them because he’s such a delightful man. In all Atwood, who chose to gamble so that her novel would be sincerity, they’re beautiful people. Some of the most gracious translated into film by a female Canadian producer. One and kindly I’ve ever met.” No doubt, the feeling is mutual. L] quickly detects a special note in Fox’s voice as she refers to her friendship with Atwood, remarking, “She’s a very sophisticated lady, a lovely person. She realized changes would have to be made due to the commercial considerations of filmmaking.” Her tone intimates her hopes that the film will justly represent Atwood’s vision despite deviations in the script. Ultimately, her goal is that Surfacing will be “a film with layers,” yet one that “appears enormously simple on the screen.” Adapting Atwood’s complex novel wasn’t easy. Four different scripts were rejected before Bernard Gordon came up with the fifth and final version. In struggling to align their separate visions, “Bernie and I had some terrible, terrible fights,” Fox confesses. “But he’s a real pro with a strong sense of justice. We both wanted to make it universally relevant... which required a re-thinking of the last ten years of feminism.” The outcome is a screenplay about explicit relationships, tested in the wilderness, as opposed to that of one woman’s traumatic inner awakening. The ages of the protagonists have been lowered in an attempt to relate to today’s youth. Fox stresses that the film is aimed at men as well as women, because “a woman is not free to love until she’s free.” Of director, Claude Jutra, she is confident. “Claude is an actor’s director, and he’s working with some really splendid Surfacing’s Cast and Crew d. Claude Jutra, 1st asst. d. Rick Thompson, 2nd asst.d. Don Brough, 3rd asst.d. Rocco Gismondi, Keith Locke, sc. Bernard Gordon and based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, ph. Richard Leiterman, camera op. Nick Brook, canoe ex. Bob Morgan, King Baker, sp. ph. effects Arne Boye, underwater consult. “Big John” McLaughlin, Ist asst. camera Jock Martin, 2nd asst. camera Raul Randla, ed. Toni Myers, asst. ed. Catherine Leiterman, sd. mixer Christian Wangler, gaffer Malcolm Kendal, key grip Andy Mulkani, b.b. grip Robert McRae, b.b. electric Gary Deneault, boom Randy Milligan, a.d. Bill Beeton, set doc. Bill Reid, continuity Pattie Robertson, props Doug Tiller, Stunt per. Gordy Huxtable, Catherine Leiterman, Bob Vince, Julia Leiterman, driver cap. Larry Sullivan, driver Gordy Huxtable, Bob Vince, craft serv. Julia Leiterman, cost. Ann-Marie Tree Newson, makeup Bill Morgan, gener. op. Herbert Geischl, l.p. Joseph Bottoms, Kathleen Beller, R.H. Thomson, Margaret Dragu, casting Claire Walker, Janine Manatis, assoc. p. Michael Zolf, exec. p. Bram Appel, Del Andison, p. Beryl Fox, p.s. asst. Edie Yolles, co. p. Doug Leiterman, Philip F. Hobel, loc. manager Roberta Kip, publicity Edie Yolles, p. manager Robert Linnell, p. sect. Gabrielle Clery, p.c. Surfacing Film Productions, (year) 1979, Cinema Canada/19