I just saw the Gus Van Sant film "Elephant" It was brilliant. (For those who dont know it, it won the "Palm D'or" at Cannes and also best director.) Very intense, disturbing movie. An intresting point is that Gus Van Sant knew that the audience knew that the shootings were going to take place at some point during the movie. Which only adds to the suspense. Also he used non-actors to create a more realistic and natural high school. Brilliant.

-Gaelan Connell

haven't seen it yet, but i know one of the actors. he plays a photgrapher in the film named Elias, and the interesting thing Gus Van Sant did was have the actors use their own first names in the film. Elias is a photography enthusiast when not acting. it blurs that line between reality and fiction even more which is great for the theme of the film.

check out Elias' work here...

Elias McConnell

" I won't show you tonight what requires many hours of progressive and
scientific exercises to even begin to make itself visable; besides I
would need space and air, and especially a head of steam -- which I
haven't got."

http://www.lostheadfactory.com

Wow thats really cool that you know him. I remeber his character in the film really well. Also its cool that the Elias is really a photographer. He's done some really cool stuff.

Incredible movie. Unbelievably moving and disturbing to no end. If anything beats this movie by the end of the year, I will be one happy camper.

We can't stop here, it's bat country!

I've heard a lot of good stuff about 'ELEPHANT', but does anyone know when it'll go to a wider release, if they're even planning on doing so? Probably independant houses...I hope...

I had the pleasure of catching this movie last weekend, and its definalty worth all the praise its recieved. Left me in chills it did...now I cant walk around my high school without looking twice. Its by far the best slice of real teenage life ever put on screen.

-Thomas Chalifour

Writer/Director/Actor Extrodinaire
Tommy Boy Productions

The Creative Process

The best film of the year.

A snippet of the review I'm writing:
The sky, a popular metaphor among most artists to represent humans fear, forloneness, and all around ambiguity towards life. It also happens to be Gus Van Santâ™s signature in most of his films, alluding to the uncertainty and odd nature of human nature that is unpredictable and strikes itâ™s victimâ™s unprepared. Perhaps, this is what his Van Santâ™s latest endeavor, âElephantâ, points itâ™s target at, how can something so big be so ignored and unpredictable? Although he may tease us with this question, âElephantâ isnâ™t a film about why, instead it is one about what, as it documents with an observerâ™s viewpoint a tragedy that happened one school day.

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Brown Egg Productions
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