1 of 3

Forget reality TV. You want to see real Americans living real lives? Then head for the theaters on July 2 and check out America's Heart and Soul, an uplifting new Disney film depicting, for the most part, ordinary Americans who are extraordinary in their everyday lives. Veteran filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg piled a small crew into a van and hit the road, traveling across the country, meeting and filming people along the way. Twenty-four of those stories—brief but poignant vignettes into the lives of some of the most fascinating people you could ever meet—make up this soul-stirring, heartwarming film. We wanted to get to know the man behind it. Schwartzberg, 54, has collected human interest stories for years, not knowing exactly what he'd do with them. Then it hit him: He'd tell their stories in a feature-length movie. The result is a wonderful film that the whole family will enjoy.

Louis Schwartzberg packed up his camera and hit America's roads

What did you think of the film?

Louis Schwartzberg: I like to do films that celebrate life. In this particular film, I'm sort of looking at both landscape and people and the relationship between the two—and I think they both celebrate life. I also love stories where people have overcome adversity and yet have a lot of hope and inspiration. My parents were Holocaust survivors, and that drives me a little bit, because even though they went through that, they still had a lot of passion and love.

The ultimate goal in this film was to see if I could get people to open up their hearts and talk about their passions and wisdom at the same time. And that's a real tough thing to do. To get people to open up is like a miracle, but to have them open up and have your lighting and cameras ready to roll is an equally difficult task.

Would you call this movie a documentary?

Schwartzberg: I wouldn't. I would call it a real life movie experience. It's sort of a hybrid, because I have a lot of experience in shooting commercials and visual effects and features, so I was able to bring the highest quality production tools to the table. But at the same time, I was just making a movie. I was casting real people to play themselves, as opposed to, let's say, getting an actor to be a cowboy. The people are real, but I basically shot it the way I would shoot a feature film.

When did you film it?

Schwartzberg: I did all the filming prior to 9/11. So I wasn't trying to capitalize on any kind of patriotic fervor that occurred right after that. If there's an American flag in a scene—whether it's on a barn or an inner-city ghetto—it's real, just part of the heart of America. But I want people to know that I'm not being opportunistic [in the wake of 9/11].

Still, Disney is obviously capitalizing on patriotism by releasing it on 4th of July weekend.

Schwartzberg: Yes, and that's appropriate because it's a good time to celebrate a positive feeling about this country. It's going to be up against Spiderman 2, so there will be people wanting to see the rollercoaster, popcorn movie, and then there will be people who will want to see something with a little bit more heart and soul.

Before we get into the movie, tell me more about your parents.

Schwartzberg: They both survived Auschwitz. They were young teens at the time. They didn't know each other at Auschwitz, but met after the war in the relocation camps. They immigrated to America in 1949. They came to New York without a penny, and worked their way up. That's why I think I have a certain affection for this country, because it is the land of opportunity.

Did your parents tell you much about their Holocaust experience?

Schwartzberg: Yes. They talked about it. My dad is reluctant to talk about it to outsiders, but my mom was more open. Unfortunately—and it's really ironic—my mom was supposed to tell her story to the Shoah Foundation on the day she passed away, which is really, really sad. But she was proud to be a survivor, and that's what gave me the strength to persevere as I've made this film. I had this impossible dream—a 35-millimeter documentary film that's going to be seen on the big screen. That's like trying to do the impossible. I've had a lot of rejections and uphill struggles. But every time I'd get depressed, I'd think about what they went through, and I'd go, "This is nothing."

next page... |  1 of 3 | last page

Related Elsewhere:

America's Heart and Soul	Printer view