is sharply on the damage that prolonged exposure to warfare has caused James.
‘It’s very important to me that people don’t see The Dry Land as a political movie; they might expect it to be some liberal, left- wing story, but we were looking to make something that would transcend such expectations. This is a character story, and it’s relevant however you might feel about the war,’ says Ferrera. ‘The process of making it was exciting, firstly because Ryan’s script was a great piece of material, but also because we spent a long time talking to veterans and their families who were able to describe their own experiences to us. The chance to put a story about them onto the screen was a big, but welcome responsibility for us; our film is dramatic, but not overdramatic when it comes to depicting the psychological condition of a war veteran.’ The Dry Land premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah this year, winning applause for its matter-of-fact handling of a subject rarely tackled onscreen. Since then Ferrera has taken the film on the road, screening The Dry Land in US cities with high concentrations of military and ex-military personnel.
‘There’s a tricky issue about this film, because it has been suggested by some experts that watching a film about
‘SEEING ME IN A FILM LIKE THE DRY LAND MIGHT BE SHOCKING FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME AS BETTY’
to post-traumatic stress disorder could be beneficial as part of the treatment of veterans. Exposing them things which are reminiscent of their experience of combat may provide useful triggers for them, and help them with the process of retraining their brains,’ says Ferrera. ‘And yes, for some people, it’s just too much for them. The other night, we had a man walk out after the first ten minutes, he wished us luck, but said that he couldn’t watch the film. That’s fine. It’s not for everyone: it’s intense, and it stirs up emotions. That’s what we wanted it to do.’
The Dry Land’s authenticity may be in contrast to the braces and bonhomie of Ugly Betty, but her commitment to touring with the film marks Ferrera out as an actress who is most interested in stardom for what she can do with it, not what it can do for her.
‘The bottom line is that what happens when you come home from war is a hard thing to understand, and we wanted to tell the truth about that. Soldiers who make it back alive may often have problems with depression, alcohol, or divorces, while others have brain injuries that are even harder to deal with. We wanted to present that kind of story, and do it in as honest a way as is possible,’ says Ferrera. ‘I’m looking forward to bringing the film to Scotland, and to the Edinburgh International Film Festival, to see what kind of a reaction we get there. I’ve never been, and my mental picture of the country is just that it’ll be very green, so we’ll see how it lives up to my expectations!’
The Dry Land, Cineworld, Sat 19 Jun, 8.50pm & Mon 21 Jun, 7pm.
Edinburgh International FILM FESTIVAL COMMUNITY SERVICE
Steve Sale tells Henry Northmore about his attempt to become Epsom's first ever superhero
Not everyone is born a hero, but with a bit of effort anyone can become a superhero – at least that’s the premise for Steve Sale’s new documentary Superhero Me. ‘It’s a step-by-step guide on how to become a real life superhero,’ explains Sale. ‘It’s really based around Batman – so because he never had any superpowers, it’s quite feasible for anyone to be a superhero.’ Like a real life Kick-Ass, we follow Sale as he invents his own superhero persona, designs a costume and sets about bringing justice to the streets of Epsom in his new guise as SOS (complete with bright yellow spandex suit). ‘I’ll tell you something, you do need balls of steel,’ laughs Sale.
And while his own exploits as a caped crusader don’t go
beyond picking up litter, helping apprehend a shoplifter and appearing at a local fair, he uncovers an underground legion of real superheroes attempting to change the world. ‘A lot of it’s down to the circumstances and where these people actually live,’ explains Sale. ‘The guy I went to see in Naples, Entemo – the Cammora [Naples’ version of the mafia] pretty much run the city there. Naples isn’t a very nice place, to be honest with you; there are drugs, pimps and prostitutes everywhere. He just wants to make the community a better place to live.’
While it’s impossible to deny a certain level of self-delusion, these vigilantes’ actions are commendable. Particularly impressive is Master Legend who aims to help the homeless across Florida’s crack houses and ghettos. ‘It was pretty scary at times,’ Sale says of meeting Legend. ‘I couldn’t really capture it properly on film but these guys were walking around with guns. I’d just got married, so I was quite relieved to come back in one piece.’
Superhero Me, Cameo, Sun 20 Jun 10.15pm & Mon 21 Jun 10pm.
ALAMAR A Mexican-set father-son bonding story studying the effects of nature and nurture. Cineworld, Thu 17 Jun, 8.15pm & Sun 20 Jun, 1.15pm.
TWO EYES WORLD’S GREATEST DAD
THE PEOPLE THUNDER SOUL
STARING Clammy ghost story in the J-
horror mould, about a girl befriending a mysterious youngster who lives in the basement. Cameo, Thu 17 Jun, 10.45pm & Tue 22 Jun, 10.30pm.
Taboo-busting black comedy from the twisted mind of Bobcat Goldthwait, starring Robin Williams. Cameo, Thu 17 Jun, 8.25pm & Cineworld, Sat 26 Jun, 6.15pm.
VS GEORGE LUCAS
The fans bite back, their faith
tested to breaking point by shoddy prequels and Jar Jar Binks. Filmhouse, Fri 18 Jun, 7.45pm & Sat 19 Jun, 3.30pm.
The story of the Kashmere Stage Band, a high school band who gained worldwide recognition in the 1970s. Cineworld, Fri 18 Jun, 8.20pm & Sat 19 Jun, 3.45pm.
BOY New Zealand’s second-
biggest-ever movie from the
director of Flight of the Conchords is a hilarious coming-of-ager. Cameo, Fri 18 Jun, 6pm & Sat 19 Jun, 1.15pm.
10–24 Jun 2010 THE LIST 25