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Columbia-made film makes its debut

Local film director finds inspiration in rural Missouri.

By Zach McDowell

Published Sept. 17, 2010

Andrew Droz Palermo takes a courageous step Sunday at the first showing of his first short film, “A Face Fixed." Having already sent the film to various festivals for consideration, Droz Palermo is hoping for a big bang at the first showing Sept. 19 at Ragtag Cinema.

A Jefferson City native, Droz Palermo grew up with a strong hunger for art, most notably film. He began his artistic experimentations with photography, which he ultimately used as a stepping-stone into cinema.

“I could have never made the film I wanted to make until now,” Droz Palermo said.

His experience with photography is vast, but his experience with film is a little more limited. He recently moved back home to Missouri from New York City, where he had been working with the band White Rabbits on a documentary for about two years. Although the documentary never made it past the editing stage, he still managed to get his first big directing gig with the band. Later that year he directed a music video to White Rabbits’ song, "Percussion Gun." The video was shot in Columbia and gained exposure and credibility after being shown on networks such as MTV2 and Pitchfork.

After his first venture in film, he decided to write and direct his own piece, “A Face Fixed.” Inspired by Italian film and some childhood experience, Droz Palermo gives us a genuine look at rural life in Missouri and the hardships that might come with it.

“The film was really inspired by Italian neo-realism, a genre that focuses on everyday people and especially the working class,” Droz Palermo said.

The story follows a young man working in a rural town on a sand barge. After discovering home movies from his childhood, he begins to better understand rifts in his family. Droz Palermo relies greatly on the actors to get their feeling across through gesture and body language.

“I try to dramatize emotion with sound and image without telling the viewer how to exactly feel,” Droz Palermo said. “Oftentimes in film, people say their emotions. But in reality, I feel that people never do that.”

The film will rely heavily on the beauty of each shot and emotions being conveyed physically rather than relying too heavily on script and dialogue. It is a breath of fresh air to see a filmmaker that has a true passion for the art behind it. Although the film is short, it’s not lacking in cinematic presentation.

"I almost molded this after silent film in the way that emotion is shown through sound (other than dialogue), texture and image,” Droz Palermo said.

An independent filmmaker to the core, Droz Palermo also did all of his own fundraising for the film. A few businesses in Columbia gave the lighting, sound and camera equipment. The rest of the film was put together with generous donations from friends and family. Not only did he do his own funding, but also shot the whole film on location in Missouri, and the majority of it was shot right here in Columbia.

“It’s so much easier to shoot things here," Palermo said. "It’s just awesome.”

“A Face Fixed” belongs to Palermo from action to cut. He went out and got it done, his way. He didn’t need studio backing or a big budget to create a film of such great importance to him. He offers this piece of advice for young and aspiring filmmakers.

“Don’t worry about equipment," he said. "No kid can afford a $3,000 camera. Just go out with your buddies and start shooting in any way possible.”