Erica Schreiner`s The Special People — Bushwick Screening
Directed by: Erica Schreiner
Running time: 2 hours and 4 minutes
Silent with English subtitles
In a dark humor vein, the sci-fi experimental art film, The Special People asks you to consider the hypnotic state induced by smart technology and the human desire for freedom and authenticity. The audience goes through a hero’s journey while bathing in sparkling storybook sets, an eerie combination of VHS nostalgia and foreboding dilemmas. The Special People will play for one night only, followed by a Q&A with the director Friday, July 1, 2022, at 7:30 PM.
The citizens of a pink forest stare into iridescent cubes and cannot look away. Apple, Bird, and Violet manage to break their trance and indulge in philosophical conversation. They question why they are free while the others are not. They had their voices removed when they were babies so they learn to communicate telepathically. They experience the sensuality of fruit and each other in The Forest, but soon feel it is not enough. The Special People decide to embark on a journey to bring the other citizens of The Forest back to consciousness by attempting to destroy the master cube, guarded by The Overlords. On this journey, the three get separated and Apple must continue the journey alone. She encounters many obstacles along the way and learns if she is to free the citizens of The Forest, she’ll have to sacrifice her life.
Erica Schreiner wrote, directed, and stars in The Special People. She single-handedly built elaborate, colorful, and sparkling sets in her apartment where she filmed the feature on her VHS camera. This avant-garde art film is reminiscent of 1960s experimental cinema like that of Kenneth Anger or Jack Smith. The other actors in this film are her friends. The Special People was produced by Alex Norelli and is a silent film with a musical score by Johnny Dydo of The Johns.
“The Special People is a modern metaphorical battle. Will you wake up or sleep for the rest of your life? Shot in a nostalgic 70s video style, it’s a treat for the eyes!” —Matthew Silver (performance artist, filmmaker)
“Telepathy and empathy both drive the narrative and serve as the character’s interpersonal currency as they meander but never waver from their fact-finding mission. I was left smiling, and would recommend this film to lovers of experiments and Marvel movie enthusiasts alike.” —Toby Goodshank (musician, The Moldy Peaches)
“Apple (Erica herself) encounters distractions and obstacles of all kinds— people who are more idioms than people. Their interactions comprise densely layered metaphors. In spite of its allegory, The Special People is not a trick or riddle to be solved, but a poem whose images are meant to conjure associations in our minds and enlighten us.” —Joe Wakeman (filmmaker and executive director of Millennium Film workshop)
“A film that feels like a hug from an old friend, a reminder that even in the confusion and loneliness of modern living, warmth, and love can be found when you least expect it.” —Bailey Hart (filmmaker)
Erica Schreiner is a New York based video and performance artist. The Special People is her second feature film. Erica Schreiner has presented her work extensively throughout the United States and abroad. In addition to video, Schreiner works in the mediums of writing and performance.
Time: 7:30 PM — 10:30 PM EDT
Free!
