-Caveat Lector- Jane Campion film Holy Smoke NOTE- Please check the archive for previous emails about thie upcoming film about a cult deprogrammer. I hope that I am not too pessimistic when I say that this film will continue to portray anyone who counsels people out of a cult situation as an unscrupulous character. I was contacted by Keitel's office before he took this project and didn't want anything to do with it. My fear is that cults like Scientology (Nicole Kidman stars in this film) wants to perpetuate the black propaganda against deprogramming. My work trying to elucidate the issues and offer a legal, non -traumatic approach will be undermined by such portrayals. I recived the following from Australia --Steve http://www.smh.com.au/news/9912/14/national/national16.html Steve, I thought you may be interested in this (attached) Sydney Morning Herald piece of an interview between their film critic and Jane Campion - part of the publicity push before "Holy Smoke" opens here on Boxing day, December 26th. The film opens with Neil Diamond's "Holy, Holy" - chosen by Campion's older sister by a year Anna - and Winslet is supposed to represent the younger more assertive woman of today. The 'deprogrammer', according to Campion, starts off as "a spiv" [Macquarie Dictionary: n. Orig. Brit. Colloq. one who lives by his wits, without working or by dubious business activity, and usu. affecting ostentatious dress and tastes] and changes, or is seduced, through his relationship with Winslet's character. In fairness to Campion, character development is supposed to be the root of drama, but she seems to emphasize it for Keitel's character rather than for Winslet's. She sounded defensive and a bit tired, pleading for sympathy in tackling a controversial topic. The interviewer, who had backpacked in India (as I have) was quite enthusiastic about the film. I have long thought that there are possibilities in the story of interaction between young western travellers and an ancient culture to our North-West. I don't think Campion's film tackles this - but I'll have to see it for myself. Keitel's character, at one stage, responds to her uncritical attachment to the Indian group in question (which one ? Sai Baba ?) by pointing to the low status of Indian women (a very feminist line, this) and mentioning the use of ultra-sound to select for male children. Ultimately, it might tell us more about where Jane Campion is coming from than about some of the issues it claims to adress. The SMH interview closes with reference to her next film produced by, and starring Scientologist Nicole Kidman. from a cult watcher- "Down Under" - NATIONAL Campion defends her 'cheerfully provocative discussion' By GARRY MADDOX, Film Writer Jane Campion admits her new film, Holy Smoke, is meant to stir up a reaction. It has certainly done that since premiering at the Venice Film Festival, though not of the kind the director intended. Campion has already attacked some Australian reviews that dubbed the film a failure before it attracted favourable notices at Venice. A few hours before the film's Sydney premiere last night, Campion was much calmer about the reaction to the film. "I believe a general good faith in humanity, people always doing what they think is right at the time. I just think that with a film like ours, which is difficult to categorise, you can get it very wrong." Campion says Holy Smoke, which centres on the relationship between a young woman (Kate Winslet) caught up with an Indian cult and an American deprogrammer (Harvey Keitel) engaged by her family, is the most "cheerfully provocative" film in a career that has also included Sweetie, An Angel At My Table, The Piano and The Portrait of a Lady. "It's a discussion. We're the creators of the discussion. If everybody comes out going 'oh lovely', where's the energy there? Where's the grounds for us to discuss anything?" So exactly what does she want to stir up audiences about? Campion starts a list; relationships between men and women, how to love, what happens when power is an issue in a relationship. She gets this far then notes how pleased she is by the lack of comment about Winslet being "no stick insect" in the film. "She's not fat or anything like that but she's whole, she's grounded. It's very scary, that fantasy from photographers that clothes look better on stick figures. Now everybody feels fat and revolting unless they're really not eating." Campion is also full of admiration for Keitel, one of cinema's tough guys. "God, that guy must have really loved [producer] Jan [Chapman] and me to do this movie ... He's given up all his front in order to do it, and all his machismo." Campion shrugs off talk about the pressures she might face as a celebrated director with a new film. "I don't know of one single film that everybody says is great. You think 'oh well, Titanic' but lots of people don't like Titanic. "You'd love to be in that situation where everybody is going to say 'it's just amazing' but it's not going to happen. So you may as well just go and do what you believe and try to do it well." Campion isn't thinking past her next film - the erotic thriller In The Cut, which will star Nicole Kidman. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] We are about to go on a Journey. All Aboard http://sites.netscape.net/gsussnzl/poleshift DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
