ABEL RAISES CAIN heads to Alabama

Crossing over into Mississippi, we were treated to the most unusual rest stop experience. A massive NASA Lunar Excursion Module loomed atop stilts over the parking lot (apparently this was the only trainer that the crew of unlucky Apollo 13 ever used). Inside the welcome center were dozens of elegant stage-lit ball room gowns, oil paintings and matching velvet-roped staircases that spiraled to nowhere. Everything was so grand, yet bizarre. As we were leaving with our free coffee, my dad reported that the men's room smelled like a dead raccoon. I guess there's always a spoiler.
Alabama creeped up faster than we expected, along with nightfall. As soon as we pulled into Fairhope, a quaint coastal town on the Gulf, an eery feeling sunk in that it might be Christmas year round here.
There are Christmas displays in store windows and all of the trees are lit up downtown as if the holiday season is just around the corner...even though it's mid-February.
In Los Angeles, people leave their decorations up all year long, even in the blaring summer months. This may also be customary in Fairhope, but I'm afraid to ask anyone. It's as if we've stumbled onto the film set of Groundhog Day (except it's Christmas), Pleasantville and an episode of the Twilight Zone all wrapped into one!
The streets are completely empty. I imagine we're being watched and listened to, even in the quiet of our upstairs room at the Church Street Inn. This could be due to the portraits that perpetually stare, with eyes following your every move. Of course, these two hung near the bed where I slept.
The door to the bathroom creaks so loudly, I feel like Mr. Bean trying to dampen the sound of it. There are signs everywhere telling you what to do and how... "Leave this light on," "It is necessary to read this book upon arrival," "Flush as you go." It makes one a bit paranoid about breaking the 'rules' and then wondering what happens as a result.
While Nina, the host, was lovely (she runs the inn on behalf of the owners), I must say I'm pretty sure the place is haunted. I woke up to what sounded like the familiar strain of "It's a Small World After All," sung by little girls, far off in the distance through a tinny megaphone, followed by the echo of a domineering woman barking orders. I don't know if I imagined this strange snippet of audio or not. It was so fleeting and creepy. I really felt the need for us to get moving and on the road already. I was getting the willies.
On the way to Andalusia, AL, I was in hog heaven over the visual feast of oddities, relics of the past and the marquees that beckoned you to do things, like "Honk if you love Jesus." This was one of my Valentine's Day favorites...
While my dad went into the Piggly Wiggly, I amused myself by capturing the famous pig pointing to a 'sausage sale' sign. He's unknowing of his inevitable demise.
I love the sweet ironies of life! Just as much as I love being on the road and spending time with my crazy dad.

Location:Auburn, AL

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/14/11]

ABEL RAISES CAIN in Lafayette, LA

It doesn't seem possible that we've already spent a week on the road. Cypress swamps, anti-evolution billboards and hundred foot tall crosses marked the beginning of our trek to Lafayette from New Orleans.
We expected a large audience at our screening in Lafayette at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, as I had heard that 1000+ people would be attending ArtWalk and circulating throughout the building earlier in the day.

The plan was for my dad and I to go directly to ArtWalk so that we could pass out postcards and help publicize the film to folks as they meandered about. But after a day of driving, and our faster-than-the-speed-of-light trip through New Orleans, we were pooped and wanted to relax a bit before the screening.
So we napped and then had a lovely dinner at Belle's Bistro, just down the street from the arts center. When we arrived at the venue, we were warmly greeted by a bubbly, talented funny young woman and aspiring filmmaker, Crystal Place, our host for the evening.

I always go into screenings with a bit of trepidation. The gnawing question as pre-stage jitters set in, "Will people show up? Are they going to get the humor? Will they fall for the prank at the end of the film?"

I looked around and noticed that the lobby was completely empty, with no sign of the anticipated swarms of people we had hoped to see.
One peek inside the theater and I knew we were in trouble. Only a few seats were occupied. If it had been a smaller venue, it wouldn't have mattered really. But the meager turnout was accentuated by the fact there were a LOT of seats to fill, 300 to be exact! It seemed that the screening of ABEL RAISES CAIN was one of the best kept secrets in the city of Lafayette!

When we were first alerted by South Arts that we had been invited to tour with our film, my dad and I brainstormed the possibility of pulling a prank to help spread the word. But pulling a prank isn't as easy as putting a banana peel on the sidewalk...there is actual planning and pre-production along with recruiting people to help, setting up 'protests,' building a legitimate looking website (a la The Yes Men) and alerting the media. We just didn't have enough time or manpower.

Back in the 70s, my parents 'paid' people with hot cocoa and donuts to stand in line in the cold outside of the movie theater where they were screening their film. It attracted so much attention that they packed the house every night without fail.

But this was forty years ago and modern media consumption in the digital age has totally altered the habits of cinema goers, even those who consider themselves die-hard film junkies.

On with the show, my dad and I had a great time talking with the folks who came and answering their questions. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. And it was by far the coolest space we've ever screened the film. The projection and sound were both excellent. Special thanks to Dennis Thibodeaux, Crystal, and the staff who came to the screening!
While ABEL RAISES CAIN may continue to operate under the radar, we certainly have South Arts to thank for seeing the film's potential and for helping us share my father's life work with new audiences. People are even more overjoyed when my dad comes out from behind the curtain to appear as a surprise guest!

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/12/11]

ABEL RAISES CAIN in New Orleans

I'm typing this blog entry with one finger, just as I have my other posts. This broken iPhone may be persnickety at times but, oh boy, when it works, it's magical. I think I slept well last night, but I'm not sure. I'm sitting with my coffee listening to a song bird chirping outside the kitchen window while my dad snores in the other room. And wherever we go, so goes the sound of that train somewhere off in the distance.
We stayed in a cute apartment that we sublet for the night. The Ursulines Retreat was on a beautiful tree-lined street in Bayou St. John. Eileen Julien of the New Orleans Afrikan Film Festival arranged the whole thing. A special thanks to Geoff and Karley for taking in two weirdos. It truly was lovely!
Our less than 24-hour stay in New Orleans was a tease of sorts. Like when you're starving and all you have is a tiny crumb to savor, I had never been to this city before. And it's impossible to explore its vast depth and rich history in so little time. From the bits and pieces I saw on this trip, it was a feast for the eyes. I fell in love with the colors and the architecture and the people we met. But there is so much healing to be done, aside from all the rebuilding.
The deep sadness and loss is beyond palpable. I was overrun with emotion as we transversed the city. Any which way you turn, the devastation is evident. Immense wealth clashes with poverty. Wrecked stores flank rebuilt ones. There is definitely a sense of hope, despite the tragedy, as members of the community whom we met remain strong and proud.

It was an honor to be welcomed by our warm and gracious hosts, Eileen Julien and Joseph Gaye. They are passionate about film and promoting the arts. They founded the New Orleans Afrikan Film Festival together. Their son, Lat Joor Awa, made an indelible impression on me. I could have spent hours talking and laughing with him. He was hilarious and charming and unlike any other 9-year old I've ever met. My only regret is that I didn't take a family portrait of this dynamic trio!

The screening at the Cafe Rose Nicaud was a hit. Thank you to the Gambit Weekly for promoting the event. A packed house usually guarantees a rowdy response to my father's antics. That's the fun part of playing the film to a live audience... laughter can be contagious!
My mind was blown when I realized that we weren't just screening the film inside the cafe. The image was simultaneously blown up and projected onto the building across the street! Outdoor speakers carried the sound so that passersby could watch and listen, too. It was crazy, brilliant, funny and another unprecedented presentation of ABEL RAISES CAIN!
Thank you so much to Ken and Melba Ferdinand, owners of the Cafe Rose Nicaud, for opening their doors to the weird world of the Abels, Bernard Productions for their fine technical support, and to Eileen and Joseph, who felt like old friends even after one meeting. It was a memorable night in a vibrant and eclectic city. And we will be back...
That's a promise and not a threat.

Location:New Orleans, LA

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/11/11]

ABEL RAISES CAIN in Orangeburg, SC

When you're on tour and crossing state lines on a daily basis, it's easy to lose track of time and place. Every morning, my dad wakes up and asks me, "Now, where are we again?"
We're having fun driving around listening to big band music on satellite radio. The swinging old tunes from the 1940s follow us everywhere. Many of them take my dad back to the days when he was on tour playing drums as a teenager. Over the first few bars of Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside," he turned to me and remarked that he's only played that song 150,000 times.

I relished the irony when "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" came on because it seems there's no shortage of churches and gun shops along the back roads of the South.
Dilapidated structures are especially eye-catching to me. I know we're on a tight travel schedule, but I feel compelled to pull over and document their sad beauty.

The problem is that I'm experiencing some technical difficulties. The dying battery in my camera (which is actually an old iPhone that I inherited from my boyfriend and co-director, Jeff) only holds a charge for 30 seconds. So this adds a certain excitement and sometimes frustration to the journey. I have to jump from electrical outlet to car charger and remain plugged in if I want to grab more than one shot.
When it's not possible for me to stop the car or recharge, the abandoned gas stations, crazy billboards and colorful landscapes pop out at me and then blur as they grow distant in my rearview mirror.
When we arrived in Orangeburg, SC, of course we were lost. Google Maps can either be dead on or deadly. Luckily, we found our way to the museum director's house where we were staying that night, but we still managed to take the scenic route.

Ellen Zisholt's home is loaded with old radios, sculptures, paintings, masks, knick knacks and other cool stuff. I loved the room that I stayed in.
I admired Ellen's artistic taste and vision. She had the idea to screen films in the Planetarium itself at the I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium. Another unique presentation of the film while on the South Arts tour, ABEL RAISES CAIN screened on a domed ceiling! Audience members reclined horizontally while viewing the film. I was mesmerized by the image that wrapped in such a way that, when there was any sort of camera panning motion, it seemed as if the room was spinning. It was like a ride at the amusement park!
The Planetarium was packed almost to full capacity at about 85 attendees. Ellen and her colleagues (students, faculty and staff) went out of their way to make the event a success, including a post-screening party with punch and nachos.

But the night wouldn't have been complete without a trip to IHOP. I haven't eaten at one of these since I was a teenager. This wasn't just any IHOP... a few months back, a famous food fight occurred here between two women and someone shot video of it that went viral. We would have gone to Applebee's, but on Thursday nights, they turn it into a nightclub and supposedly hundreds of people wait on line to get in. It sounds unbelievable, I know.
Truth is stranger than fiction as we travel deeper into the South!

Location:Orangeburg, SC

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/10/11]

ABEL RAISES CAIN at The Morris Museum of Art

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? The opposite applies to a picture of the Rosemary Inn. You cannot do justice to this magnificent structure within the confines of two dimensions. The stately home with its grand columned entry and ornate wood-paneled interior was unreal and the latter would certainly make any beaver drool.
We stayed at Lookaway Hall, the mansion across the street from Rosemary Inn. Both 'houses' have a rich history and the story of their loving resurrection is as interesting and entertaining as the inn's two owners, Kelly and his wife, Diana, who went out of their way to make us feel at home.
Earlier in the day, we were racing against the clock to make it from Greenville, NC to Augusta, GA in time for the screening. It was something like 7 hours of driving time. My dad and I were delirious and suffering from car fever by the time we arrived at the museum. It was somewhat surreal when we pulled into the museum lot and noticed next door a perfectly preserved 1950s TV station, a relic of the past frozen in time.
I'm finally viewing ABEL RAISES CAIN through fresh eyes, from a more conservative viewpoint. Taking a look around at the older adults gathered to see the film, I wondered if my fears of offending another audience in Georgia would come true. My dad and I are like "The Gong Show" meets Lenny Bruce during the Q&A sessions. I never know when he's going to take it over the top and if we'll be escorted off stage as a result.

All in all, the reception to the movie was positive, although I did see one man with a sour expression hurrying out the door afterwards. The weird world of the Abels was perhaps a bit TOO weird for this particular gentleman. But the museum director, Kevin Grogan, seemed to be enjoying himself when I peeked over at him during the screening. That meant we were in the clear and wouldn't be arrested after all!
It's fun to show the film to college kids one night and then baby boomers and active seniors the next and receive an almost identical response (one that's filled with laughter).

My dad and I celebrated the evening with cold pizza and long hot baths in giant tubs in our respective rooms at the inn. On the road again in less than 24 hours, Orangeburg, SC here we come!

Location:Augusta, GA

[The above entry was originally posted on the Southern Circuit - Tour of Independent Filmmakers blog on 2/9/11]