THE SPECIAL PEOPLE
Dir. Erica Schreiner, 2021
USA. 120 min.
Silent w/ English subtitles.
THURSDAY, MARCH 10 – 7:30pm
ONE NIGHT ONLY
The Special People is a darkly humorous consideration of the hypnotic state induced by smart technology and the human desire for freedom and authenticity. The audience goes through a journey while bathing in sparkling storybook sets, an eerie combination of VHS nostalgia and foreboding dilemmas.
The citizens of a pink forest stare into iridescent cubes and cannot look away. Apple, Bird and Violet manage to break their trance, and indulge in philosophical conversation. They question why they are free while the others are not. They had their voices removed when they were babies so they learn to communicate telepathically. They experience the sensuality of fruit and each other in The Forest, but soon feel it is not enough. The Special People decide to embark on a journey to bring the other citizens of The Forest back to consciousness by attempting to destroy the master cube, guarded by The Overlords. On this journey, the three get separated and Apple must continue the journey alone. She encounters many of The Obstacles along the way and learns if she is to free the citizens of The Forest, she’ll have to sacrifice her life.
Erica Schreiner wrote, directed, and stars in The Special People. She single handedly built elaborate, colorful and sparkling sets in her apartment where she filmed the feature on her VHS camera. This avant garde art film is reminiscent of 1960s experimental cinema like that of Kenneth Anger or Jack Smith. The other actors in this film are her friends. Local art stars like Matthew Silver, Chris Carr, Nick Walther, Lily Chambers and Oya Damla all have major roles in the film. The Special People was produced by Alex Norelli and is a silent film with a musical score by Johnny Dydo of The Johns.
“The Special People is a modern metaphorical battle. Will you wake up or sleep for the rest of your life? Shot in a nostalgic 70s video style; it’s a treat for the eyes!” —Matthew Silver (performance artist, filmmaker)
“The many playful elements that comprise Erica Schriener’s The Special People coalesce to provide lucky audiences with beautiful and humorous up-close portraits of a society buckling under tech-induced hypnosis. Through a sugary glaze of VHS fuzz, a lush low-fi score that adds a stimulating dimension of whimsy, and a surplus of homemade heart to eclipse the Kuchar brothers’, the writer/director/lead actor Erica’s glitter-and-sequin-drenched Brooklyn apartment serves as the sprawling social tundra that the film’s heroes traverse. Telepathy and empathy both drive the narrative and serve as the character’s interpersonal currency as they meander but never waver from their fact-finding mission. I was left smiling, and would recommend this film to lovers of experiments and Marvel movie enthusiasts alike.” —Toby Goodshank (musician, The Moldy Peaches)
THE SPECIAL PEOPLE is part of MEANS OF PRODUCTION: NEW ARTISTS’ CINEMA presented by MILLENNIUM FILM WORKSHOP, curated by Joe Wakeman.
This series will be devoted to showcasing works from overlooked and unknown American and International contemporary artists working in film and video, and pushing bounds beyond the limitations implied in those forms. Whether presenting intimate-scale epic by heretical artists re-interpreting the world as they see it on a no-string budget, or artists expanding vision via new tools of expression in the present and future age, Means of Production is about looking forward to a 21st century where economic and technological barriers are broken down, ushering in a new era of highly original cinematic handiwork.
The Millennium Film Workshop was founded in 1967 by a group of filmmakers with a vision to expand accessibility to the tools, ideas, and networks of filmmaking beyond the confines of institutions and corporate studios. Millennium has put on countless educational workshops, artist-hosted screenings, printed our renowned publication The Millennium Film Journal, served as a production hub kickstarting the careers of many prominent filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage, Todd Haynes, Yvonne Rainer, Carolee Schneeman, Michael Snow, Bruce Connor, Nick Zedd, Andy Warhol and Bruce Connor and has played a large role in dismantling the monetary and educational barriers separating the art and craft of filmmaking from the general public.