Ep810: IndieSeen: CHETZEMOKA'S CURSE (2000) / Dogme 95 Discussion

At long last, IndieSeen returns! Ian welcomes back filmmaker/indie film guru Sujewa Ekanayake for an education in real-time, as they review Chetzemoka’s Curse and talk Dogme 95!

Rick Schmidt's 2000 feature film centers on Marie (Maya Berthoud), a struggling hotel worker living in the Pacific Northwest whose ambitions and love life remain stuck in neutral. No, this isn't the setup of a cutesy rom-com; it's the doorway to a haunting portrait of damaged souls trapped within the legacy of a Native American curse (think Stephen King by way of Richard Linklater).

Ian and Sujewa look at how the film conforms to (and breaks away from) the ten rules of Dogme 95, a bold filmmaking edict set forth by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg as a challenge to artists everywhere. Ian ranks Chetzemoka’s Curse as one of the most unsettling and unique stealth-horror films he's ever seen, and Sujewa catches everyone up on all his moviemaking adventures from the last half-year!

Timestamps:

• Intro / Sujewa Catch-up: 0:00 - 10:00

• History of Dogme 95: 10:01 - 25:31

• The Rules of Dogme 95: 25:32 - 28:13

• Chetzemoka’s Curse Discussion: 28:14 - 56:46

• Outro: 56:47 - 58:18

Show Links:

• Rent or buy Chetzemoka’s Curse on Vimeo.

• Keep up with Chetzemoka’s Curse director Rick Schmidt's work on Vimeo.

• ...And order his book, Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices on Amazon:

• Watch Amir Motlagh's 3 Worlds for free on Tubi (mentioned in the show).

• Watch the trailer for Mati Diop's Atlantics (mentioned in the show).

• Rent Sujewa's new movie, The Secret Society for Slow Romance.

• Find clips, making-of videos, and other cool info about Sujewa's upcoming film, The Secret Society for Slow Romance.

• Follow the production of Sujewa's Slow Romance sequel, Cosmic Disco Rene.

• Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects.

• Follow Sujewa on Twitter.

• Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!