A NOTE FROM MARK WEBBER

I finished writing the script in the middle of March 2007. It was my first screenplay, so it was a tremendous challenge with a whole lot of fear involved. Fear of sucking and fear of perfection.  I knew what I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about love. I wanted to write about addiction. I wanted to write about poverty and I wanted to write about hope. To draw upon my personal life experiences and create my own world full of characters and moments I wanted to see on screen.  I set up the story in my head. I had a title; an ending and a few characters I would let talk to me. I wrote down ideas and little bits of dialogue, as they would come to me. This process lasted about a year as the conversations in my head were often silenced by the struggles of everyday life. A huge surge happened in February of 07. I forced myself to sit and write at designated times during the day, this surge was also fueled by a goal, I had to have my film fully financed by my 27th birthday, which was in July. The heat was on and it felt good because it was my own self-induced heat. I got it done. Printed it out and put it in a red three ring binder. As I put the pages in that binder I remembered thinking, " If this is it, it's okay, because at least I finished it". It wasn't it though. The wild ride was only just beginning.

April 07. Now I needed a million bucks. I had to come up with a plan. Having acted in over twenty some films and soaking up the energy of various directors and producers I've worked with along the way, I knew what I needed to do and more importantly how I wanted to do it. Which is the greatest lesson I've learned, know what you want. I wanted to make a true independent film. A true independent film to me means a filmmaker with total control who answers to no one except the people he or she chooses to collaborate with. No giving away final cut, no casting approval, no group of pompous investors or producers breathing down your neck on set stressing you out and undermining the process. I needed a godfather, someone to help protect me from these ridiculous restrictions. Instantly I knew who I wanted, the perfect guy, the one who I feel embodies all the qualities I love in filmmaking, Jim Jarmusch. I worked with Jim on his film "Broken Flowers" and struck up a wonderful friendship with him. I hounded him with voice mails for about a week, and then he finally called me back. I said, "Jim, I wrote a script and I want you to read it". He said yes. About a week later I went to his spot on the Bowery. It was a beautiful day; we went on his rooftop and smoked about a pack of cigarettes. I held my script up to shield my eyes from the bright sun as we traded stories back and forth. Jim has a way of speaking that I find so soothing, he is full of so much knowledge and wisdom that as he spoke I found myself being filled up with the courage to ask him to be my executive producer. Which I did when we went back inside, he smiled and seemed to be open to the idea. I left feeling inspired. He called me the next day and told me he loved it, he came at me with a steady stream of compliments about my writing. He told me he was in. I hung up the phone and screamed. I had a commitment from Mr. Jarmusch that he would do whatever I needed him to do to help me get my film made. He also was very keen to help me keep control he said, "If any of those money people want final cut just say no, tell ‘em I have it". I couldn't believe it. An energy exploded inside me. My ears were ringing. I could feel it. It was happening. Now I needed to continue my mission of gathering friends to help me create my baby.