The Windmill Movie (2008)

Director:

Alexander Olch

Writer:

Alexander Olch (written by)

Release Date:

17 June 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Filmmaker Richard P. Rogers tried for twenty years to make a documentary about his own life. He died in 2001...

Plot Keywords:

Movie In Title

Cast

Wallace Shawn	...	Himself
Bob Balaban	...	Himself
Susan Meiselas	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard P. Rogers	...	Himself (archive footage)

Runtime:

USA:82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

SCM Productions

Info about Olch and the film- appearance in person at Bryn Mawr Film Institute!

Filmmaker Richard P. Rogers tried to make a documentary about his own life for twenty years. In 2001 he died before he could finish, leaving behind boxes upon boxes of raw footage. The footage remained untouched until recently, when Roger's widow, acclaimed photographer Susan Meiselas, asked his pupil Alexander Olch to take on the task of completing what was started. When they met at Harvard, Olch was a student and Rogers a senior lecturer. The two immediately formed a friendship that would last until Roger's death. Rogers greatly influenced Olch acting as a mentor and critic. Olch weaves together 200 plus hours of footage taking the viewer through childhood in memories of a less than encouraging mother, a privileged lifestyle in the Hamptons, and Roger's struggle to document moments in his life as they happen. Roger's friends and colleagues including actors Wallace Shawn and Bob Balaban, also appear in the film. Olch's voice is over heard throughout speaking the words of Rogers in this film which is both documentary and fiction, autobiography yet not. An official selection of the 2008 New York Film Festival, the film is 82 minutes.

Filmmaker and designer Alexander Olch will discuss his first feature film at the premier at Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 pm, answering questions afterwards. Starting young Olch was directing films on Super8 by the time he was in fourth grade. In tenth grade, his short Soaked (1992) was a finalist at the New York National High School Film Festival. While attending Harvard he directed No Vladimir (2000), produced by Chantal Akerman and Ross McElwee, which was named one of the top ten student films in the country by the Independent Film Project in 2000. The short was an IFC Finalist (2000), BBC World Film Festival finalist (2000), and played regularly on Bravo and the Independent Film Channel until 2004. In 2002 Olch founded Alexander Olch New York producing high end accessories sold at some of the world's most prestigious stores. He collaborated with conceptual artist Nicolas Guagnini on MONEY IS NO OBJECT (2008), which is currently showing at galleries in New York, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and at the Basel Art Exhibition in Switzerland. Olch has been featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Mens Vogue, L'Uomo Vogue Italy, GQ, and GQ Germany.

Content Provided By:

Bryn Mawr Film Institute 824 W. Lancaster Ave. Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

Bryn Mawr Film Institute presents a daily program of first-run and repertory art and independent films and provides a comprehensive film studies curriculum, including courses, workshops, discussions, guest lecturers, visual literacy programs, and student screening opportunities. To learn about upcoming events or find news about the theater's restoration project, visit www.BrynMawrFilm.org, or write to [e-mail].