Lost in La Mancha (2002)

Directors:

Keith Fulton
Louis Pepe

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

2 August 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

They've got a story...but have lost the plot.

Plot:

Fulton and Pepe's 2000 documentary captures Terry Gilliam's attempt to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote off the ground. Back injuries, freakish storms, and more zoom in to sabotage the project (which has never been resurrected).

Plot Keywords:

Don Quixote | Filmmaker | Storm | Director | Actor

Awards:

2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Tony Grisoni	...	Himself - Co-Writer
Philip A. Patterson	...	Himself - First Assistant Director (as Phil Patterson)
René Cleitman	...	Himself - Producer
Terry Gilliam	...	Himself - Writer & Director
Nicola Pecorini	...	Himself - Director of Photography
José Luis Escolar	...	Himself - Line Producer
Bárbara Pérez-Solero	...	Herself - Ass't. Set Decorator
Benjamín Fernández	...	Himself - Production Designer (as Benjamin Fernandez)
Andrea Calderwood	...	Herself - Former Head of Production, Pathé
Ray Cooper	...	Himself - Longtime Gilliam Colleague
Gabriella Pescucci	...	Herself - Costume Designer
Carlo Poggioli	...	Himself - Co-Costume Designer
Bernard Bouix	...	Himself - Executive Producer
Fred Millstein	...	Himself - Completion Guarantor
Jeff Bridges	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Orson Welles	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bernard Chaumeil	...	Himself (uncredited)
Johnny Depp	...	Himself (uncredited)
Christopher Eccleston	...	Himself (uncredited)
Joan Font	...	Himself (uncredited)
Pierre Gamet	...	Himself (uncredited)
Vanessa Paradis	...	Herself (uncredited)
Bill Paterson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Francisco Reiguera	...	Don Quixote (archive footage) (uncredited)
Miranda Richardson	...	Herself (uncredited)
Jean Rochefort	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Keith Fulton
Louis Pepe

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Keith Fulton		uncredited
Louis Pepe		uncredited

Produced by
Rosa Bosch	....	associate producer: Vice Versa
Andrew J. Curtis	....	associate producer (as Andrew Curtis)
Lucy Darwin	....	producer

Original Music by
Miriam Cutler

Film Editing by
Jacob Bricca

Production Design by
Benjamín Fernández		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jaime Sicilia	....	assistant director: Spain (as Jaime Sicilia Nistal)

Art Department
Gustave Doré	....	etchings: "The Story of Don Quixote"
Benjamín Fernández	....	artwork: production design (as Benjamin Fernandez)
Terry Gilliam	....	storyboard illustrator
Gabriella Pescucci	....	artwork: costume design

Sound Department
Michael Kowalski	....	sound editor: The Fourth Factory
Michael Kowalski	....	sound mixer: The Fourth Factory

Stunts
Gonzalo Hernández	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Louis Pepe	....	camera operator
François Duhamel	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Fernando Vázquez Gondar	....	electrician (uncredited)

Animation Department
Stefan Avalos	....	animator: The Story of 'Don Quixote'
Chaim Bianco	....	animator: "Terry Gilliam's Picture Show" and Terry Gilliam's storyboard illustrations

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Massimo Cantini Parrini	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Renee Edwards	....	editorial consultant
Keith Fulton	....	additional editor
Derek Herr	....	on-line editor
Lisa Leeman	....	editorial consultant
Randy Magalski	....	on-line editor
Louis Pepe	....	additional editor
Zac Stanford	....	colorist

Other crew
Richard Brenin	....	transcriptions
Martin Briseño	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Marsha Brown	....	production coordinator: London
Sam Buckland	....	production assistant: London
Audrey Capotosta	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
David DeBlas	....	production assistant: Spain
Bill Eckroat	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Harold Manning	....	translator: French
Richard Mills	....	production facilities: Molinare Studio, London
Marc Munden	....	additional production staff: London
Sachi Oda	....	travel services: Silverlake Travel
Alexa Portillo	....	production coordinator: Spain (as Alexa Portillo Capelli)
Snarby Richard	....	archival researcher
Lisa Marie Russo	....	additional production staff: London (as Lisa-Marie Russo)
Karl Watkins	....	additional production staff: London
Patricia Nieto	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Alberto Poveda	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Warren Bass	....	thanks
Jean-Pierre Bedoyan	....	thanks
Bernard Bouix	....	special thanks
Peter Boyle	....	thanks
Betty Burkhart	....	thanks
Matthew Buzzell	....	thanks
Jenne Casarotto	....	thanks
Nicolas Chartier	....	thanks
Helen Chough	....	thanks (as Helen Chouh)
René Cleitman	....	special thanks
Manuel Salas Coll	....	thanks
Marianne Connor	....	thanks
Amanda Crane	....	thanks
Gerald Curtis	....	special thanks (as Gerald)
Jacqueline Curtis	....	special thanks
Warren Curtis	....	thanks
Andrew Darwin	....	special thanks
Frances Darwin	....	thanks
Oscar Darwin	....	thanks (as Oscar)
Nick Davis	....	thanks: Memery Crystal
Johnny Depp	....	special thanks
Delphine DeWitte	....	thanks
José Luis Escolar	....	special thanks
Sean Farnel	....	thanks
Dominique Fouassier	....	acknowledgment: additional storm footage courtesy of
Jeff Fox	....	thanks
Beverly Fulton	....	thanks
Robert Fulton	....	thanks (as Robert)
Valerie Fulton	....	thanks
Dean Galanis	....	thanks
Elizabeth Gaskell	....	thanks (as Mrs Gaskell)
Sonya Geis	....	thanks
Victor Gill	....	thanks: Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport
Terry Gilliam	....	special thanks
Tony Grisoni	....	special thanks
Guzmán	....	thanks
David Hansel	....	thanks: Memery Crystal
Ian Kelly	....	special thanks
Susan Kelly	....	thanks
Veronica Killseek	....	thanks
David Klagsbrun	....	thanks
Oja Kodar	....	acknowledgment: "Don Quijote de Orson Welles" courtesy of, El Silencio Producciones
Valerie Koscelnik	....	thanks
Irene Lamb	....	thanks
Bob Lane	....	thanks
Francisco Lujan	....	thanks
Ray Magill	....	thanks
Nick Manzi	....	thanks
Patrick McGuinn	....	thanks
Sean McPharlin	....	thanks
Kevin McTurk	....	thanks
Corinne Michel	....	thanks
Lisa Molomot	....	thanks
Michael Mulcahy	....	thanks
Philip A. Patterson	....	special thanks (as Phil Patterson)
Nicola Pecorini	....	special thanks
Joseph C. Pepe	....	thanks (as Joseph Pepe)
Mary Lou Pepe	....	thanks
Peter Pepe	....	thanks (as Peter)
Berenice Reynaud	....	thanks
Jean Rochefort	....	special thanks
Sebastian Rotstein	....	thanks (as Sebastien Rottstein)
Julia Short	....	thanks
Helga Stephenson	....	thanks
George Stoll	....	thanks
Ted Sullivan	....	thanks
Ann Tegnell	....	thanks
Agnes Van	....	thanks
Ella Von Schreitter	....	special thanks
Maggie Weston	....	thanks (as Maggie Gilliam)

Production Companies

• Quixote Films
• Low Key Productions (as Low Key Pictures)
• Eastcroft Productions (in association with)

Distributors

• Optimum Releasing (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kiss Comunicació (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• A&E Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Cine Qua Non Films
• CinemArt (Czech Republic)
• Films Transit International
• Haut et Court (2003) (France)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Barclays Bank PLC  banking services (as Barclays Bank, Soho Square)
• Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport  thanks
• Colour Film Services  tape to film transfer: Superscan (as Colour Film Services - London)
• Drew & Co.  legal services
• El Silencio Producciones  "Don Quojote de Orson Welles" footage courtesy of
• Fourth Factory, The  sound editing and mixing
• Hachette Première  courtesy of ("The Man Who Killed Don Quixote") (as Hachette Première & Cie)
• Hachette Première  special thanks (as Hachette Première & Cie)
• Jeremy Barnes & Company  accounting
• Kodak  special thanks
• Memery Crystal  thanks
• Molinare Studio  production facilities: London
• Post Group, The  on-line facilities
• Silverlake Travel  travel services
• The English Speaking Union  thanks

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

93 min | Canada:89 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:89 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:A (Ontario) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Zurich)

Filming Locations:

Monasterio de Piedra, Nuévalos, Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain

Company:

Quixote Films

Trivia:

Fulton and Pepe embarked on their second feature about director Terry Gilliam intending to make a television documentary about the development and pre-production of Gilliam's long-awaited passion project. Having intimate knowledge of Gilliam's chaotic working methods, they knew they were in for something dramatic. But they had no idea that the story would develop into its own quixotic tragedy. After the failure of Gilliam's production, Fulton and Pepe were wary of finishing their film. Gilliam assured them that "someone has to get a film out of this. I guess it's going to be you."

Quotes:

[Upon watching a screen test of the giants]
Terry Gilliam:That's our trailer, right there!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: Lassie Jerky (#7.3)" (2013)

Brilliant Documentary Of A Director's Worst Nightmare

Filmmaker & Monty Python alumni Terry Gilliam has dreamed for years of making a movie about Don Quixote. He finally got the chance to make his dream movie, "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," in 2000, starring Johnny Depp and, in the title role of Don Quixote, French actor Jean Rochefort. But due to budget problems, shooting schedule problems, horrible weather problems, and the unfortunate ill health of actor Rochefort, the production was a disaster from the word go. After only 6 days of troubled shooting, "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" was completely abandoned.

Fortunately, out of the wreckage of Terry Gilliam's never-finished film comes "Lost In La Mancha," a brilliant documentary that captures everything that went wrong with the movie, from the first eight weeks of pre-production (which wasn't smooth sailing either) to the disastrous six-day shoot that followed. We see both sides to Gilliam throughout the movie---one minute he's giddy with delight at making his dream movie, the next minute he's blowing his obscenity-laden top over his project collapsing all around him. And it's not just Gilliam who suffers, as *everyone* involved with the movie, both in front of & behind the camera, gets dragged down right along with him as all hell breaks loose on the doomed production.

Watching "Lost In La Mancha" is not only fascinating, but it's also very educational, giving the viewer a first-hand look at what goes on behind the scenes of mounting a movie, including all of the business aspects involved such as financing & other professional agreements that have to be made before a single frame is shot. It's also a sad documentary to watch, too. Looking at all the terrific hardware, costumes and set pieces that were created for the movie (including marvelous life-size marionette puppets that can march in perfect synchronicity), plus the widescreen footage of the scant few scenes Gilliam shot before the production was shut down, the viewer is given a genuine glimpse of the movie that *might* have been, and is all the more saddened---and sympathetic with Gilliam & his team---because of it.

Happily, though, all is not lost for "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" just yet. Terry Gilliam is reportedly preparing for a second attempt at shooting the movie, and, having seen the movie's potential in this excellent documentary, I wish Gilliam all the best in the world in finally bringing his Don Quixote movie to the big screen. Judging by the glimpses of it in "Lost In La Mancha," I definitely believe it will be a truly great movie. :-)