Colorado School Board Refuses To Allow Filming Near Columbine
6 June 2005 | From Studio Briefing | See recent Studio Briefing news
The Jefferson County, CO school board has refused to allow an independent production company to shoot scenes at a local high school for a film about a gay teenager who is bullied by his peers and learns martial arts to protect himself. The scenes for the film, titled The Sensei, were to have been shot at Alameda High School in Lakewood, a short distance away from Columbine High School, the scene of the 1999 rampage by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, students who were said to have been bullied by classmates. School Superintendent Cindy Stevenson told the Rocky Mountain News Saturday, "Nationwide, what I see consistently is, whenever there is any issue with school violence, it gets connected to the Columbine community. In thinking of the good of the entire community who are very tired of being connected to school violence, it would just be better if it were filmed in a different location."
Monday, June 6, 2005
Sunday, June 5, 2005
JEFFCO
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Jeffco schools nix movie bid
Board says indie film could reopen Columbine wounds
By Holly Yettick, Rocky Mountain News
June 4, 2005
Concerns about reopening the wounds of the 1999 Columbine school shootings have ended a bid to film an independent movie at Lakewood's Alameda High School. School board members in Jefferson County, which is home to Columbine High School, decided in a closed-door session last month to deny a request to use Alameda as a backdrop for a movie about a gay teenager who learns martial arts after being bullied by high school jocks. Bullying has been offered as one of the reasons killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris went on their April 20, 1999, rampage at Columbine.
"Our understanding is the scenes that were going to be filmed in the school were violent scenes," Superintendent Cindy Stevenson said Friday. "We are still a healing community.
"Nationwide, what I see consistently is, whenever there is any issue with school violence, it gets connected to the Columbine community. In thinking of the good of the entire community who are very tired of being connected to school violence, it would just be better if it were filmed in a different location."
Stevenson said the board's denial had nothing to do with the film's treatment of controversial subjects such as homosexuality and AIDS.
The movie, The Sensei, features actors Keith David, who has appeared in a number of movies including Barbershop and Clockers, and Louis Mandylor of My Big, Fat Greek Wedding fame. The writer-director is Diana Lee Inosanto, an actress, stuntwoman and daughter of martial arts pioneer Dan Inosanto.
She expressed disappointment with the decision in a May 20 letter to the board.
"I do understand that, after Columbine, there is some significant sensitivity," she wrote. "But my film bears no resemblance whatsoever to what happened in that tragedy. There are no guns, no cults, and no extreme violence. The Sensei is a movie about respect, tolerance and personal growth. A humanitarian film about AIDS could not and should not be confused with that sort of tragedy."
Inosanto said the board had jumped to conclusions after seeing a single storyboard and scene from a 104-page script.
Stevenson acknowledged the school board had not seen the entire script.
"The overall message of the movie is very, very positive," she said. "It was just too close to the edge for us."
Alameda High School Principal Dale McCoy said he was disappointed that students would lose opportunities to be extras and learn about drama and video production.
"This proposal presents a safe, wholesome learning experience for AHS and the community it serves," he wrote in a letter to the school board.
Although it is just seven miles north of Columbine in the state's largest school district, Alameda is a very different school. About 10 percent of Columbine students are minorities and 4 percent are poor. Nearly half of Alameda students are minority and close to one-third live in poverty.
Inosanto wanted to film at the school because the students are diverse and the buildings fit in with the movie's early 1980s timeline. Inosanto's cousin attends the school, said producer Tarik Heitmann.
Heitmann said he's now considering shooting the film at Denver's South High School. South Principal William Kohut could not be reached Friday for comment.
Other parts of the movie will be filmed in Sterling, he said.
Jeffco schools nix movie bid
Board says indie film could reopen Columbine wounds
By Holly Yettick, Rocky Mountain News
June 4, 2005
Concerns about reopening the wounds of the 1999 Columbine school shootings have ended a bid to film an independent movie at Lakewood's Alameda High School. School board members in Jefferson County, which is home to Columbine High School, decided in a closed-door session last month to deny a request to use Alameda as a backdrop for a movie about a gay teenager who learns martial arts after being bullied by high school jocks. Bullying has been offered as one of the reasons killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris went on their April 20, 1999, rampage at Columbine.
"Our understanding is the scenes that were going to be filmed in the school were violent scenes," Superintendent Cindy Stevenson said Friday. "We are still a healing community.
"Nationwide, what I see consistently is, whenever there is any issue with school violence, it gets connected to the Columbine community. In thinking of the good of the entire community who are very tired of being connected to school violence, it would just be better if it were filmed in a different location."
Stevenson said the board's denial had nothing to do with the film's treatment of controversial subjects such as homosexuality and AIDS.
The movie, The Sensei, features actors Keith David, who has appeared in a number of movies including Barbershop and Clockers, and Louis Mandylor of My Big, Fat Greek Wedding fame. The writer-director is Diana Lee Inosanto, an actress, stuntwoman and daughter of martial arts pioneer Dan Inosanto.
She expressed disappointment with the decision in a May 20 letter to the board.
"I do understand that, after Columbine, there is some significant sensitivity," she wrote. "But my film bears no resemblance whatsoever to what happened in that tragedy. There are no guns, no cults, and no extreme violence. The Sensei is a movie about respect, tolerance and personal growth. A humanitarian film about AIDS could not and should not be confused with that sort of tragedy."
Inosanto said the board had jumped to conclusions after seeing a single storyboard and scene from a 104-page script.
Stevenson acknowledged the school board had not seen the entire script.
"The overall message of the movie is very, very positive," she said. "It was just too close to the edge for us."
Alameda High School Principal Dale McCoy said he was disappointed that students would lose opportunities to be extras and learn about drama and video production.
"This proposal presents a safe, wholesome learning experience for AHS and the community it serves," he wrote in a letter to the school board.
Although it is just seven miles north of Columbine in the state's largest school district, Alameda is a very different school. About 10 percent of Columbine students are minorities and 4 percent are poor. Nearly half of Alameda students are minority and close to one-third live in poverty.
Inosanto wanted to film at the school because the students are diverse and the buildings fit in with the movie's early 1980s timeline. Inosanto's cousin attends the school, said producer Tarik Heitmann.
Heitmann said he's now considering shooting the film at Denver's South High School. South Principal William Kohut could not be reached Friday for comment.
Other parts of the movie will be filmed in Sterling, he said.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Thank You Chieko
AHHH, that's much better.
That was really scary for a moment.
Not sure I will every be raven again, but this is much better:
Monday, May 30, 2005
The Hair "Do"
OMG I'm going to lose this job.
I can't say much here except that I emailed the above images to Kent with the subject line "holy mother of bozo"
He said they'd give me a wig if all my hair fell out.
Why am I NOT amused.
I am ASSURED that it will be corrected tomorrow at the salon.
All day at the salon. Annie would have just used henna, smoked a bowl, and not noticed a thing.
I am more neurotic than Annie, it is obvious to me.
dear GOD I will never work again.
I can't say much here except that I emailed the above images to Kent with the subject line "holy mother of bozo"
He said they'd give me a wig if all my hair fell out.
Why am I NOT amused.
I am ASSURED that it will be corrected tomorrow at the salon.
All day at the salon. Annie would have just used henna, smoked a bowl, and not noticed a thing.
I am more neurotic than Annie, it is obvious to me.
dear GOD I will never work again.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Diane's battle
D. LEE INOSANTO REPLY
May 20, 2005
Jefferson County Board Of Education
Attention:
Dear Jefferson County School Board
I am writing to express my deep disappointment at the school board’s decision to deny filming of “The Sensei” at the Alameda High School. Students, faculty, staff and the Principal himself were all very excited to have the project. Local businesses would profit and the local community would be wholly involved. So, the disappointment at your decision runs deep.
As far as I can tell, the reason for denying production lies with a concern about the portrayal of athletes and the issue of “bullying”. As a professional athlete, and one who has been on the front cover of many martial arts magazines (my husband Ron is a retired professional athlete and fighter as well), I am very sensitive to how “jocks” are portrayed. In this movie an athlete actually steps up to the plate, and supports the main character by reporting the assault while becoming a friend. Hard work went into creating a balanced representation. And while we understand that bullying is a problem in today’s schools, we felt that our production confronts the issue in a sensitive and intelligent manner, creating an affirmative message and setting up positive role models. If anyone on the school board would take the time to read the script, this would be quite clear.
I do understand that, after Columbine, there is some significant sensitivity. But my film bears no resemblance whatsoever to what happened in that tragedy. There are no guns, no cults, and no extreme violence. The Sensei is a movie about respect, tolerance and personal growth. A humanitarian film about AIDS could not and should not be confused with that sort of tragedy.
Speaking personally, I am extremely sensitive about this subject as it happened in my family's hometown of Stockton, California, at Cleveland Elementary. My family is made up primarily of teachers and educational administrators throughout Stockton's school district. We've been there for 4 generations. In fact, I was in town when this happened and I first hand saw families torn apart by the tragedy. As teachers, many members of my family dealt directly with the aftermath. Thus, it is very discouraging to me personally to hear my movie attached to this kind of tragedy.
My film deals with the different forms of prejudices related to the AIDS epidemic and the social climate of that time. The school board jumped to conclusions after seeing one storyboard in one scene from the movie (the locker room scene) in a 104-page script, blowing out of proportion how athletes are being portrayed in a way that has only a specious connection to Columbine. It is truly sad that the school board would deny a wonderful community like Lakewood, and a high school like Alameda, such a fantastic opportunity without doing their homework first.
Diana Lee Inosanto
Writer/Director
of "The Sensei"Tarik Heitmann / Ron Balicki
CC: Sara Bell/Colorado Film Commission Al Pinel/Lakewood Film Commission Steve Burkholder/ Mayor of Lakewood
Dale McCoy/ Principal of Alameda High
School
May 20, 2005
Jefferson County Board Of Education
Attention:
Dear Jefferson County School Board
I am writing to express my deep disappointment at the school board’s decision to deny filming of “The Sensei” at the Alameda High School. Students, faculty, staff and the Principal himself were all very excited to have the project. Local businesses would profit and the local community would be wholly involved. So, the disappointment at your decision runs deep.
As far as I can tell, the reason for denying production lies with a concern about the portrayal of athletes and the issue of “bullying”. As a professional athlete, and one who has been on the front cover of many martial arts magazines (my husband Ron is a retired professional athlete and fighter as well), I am very sensitive to how “jocks” are portrayed. In this movie an athlete actually steps up to the plate, and supports the main character by reporting the assault while becoming a friend. Hard work went into creating a balanced representation. And while we understand that bullying is a problem in today’s schools, we felt that our production confronts the issue in a sensitive and intelligent manner, creating an affirmative message and setting up positive role models. If anyone on the school board would take the time to read the script, this would be quite clear.
I do understand that, after Columbine, there is some significant sensitivity. But my film bears no resemblance whatsoever to what happened in that tragedy. There are no guns, no cults, and no extreme violence. The Sensei is a movie about respect, tolerance and personal growth. A humanitarian film about AIDS could not and should not be confused with that sort of tragedy.
Speaking personally, I am extremely sensitive about this subject as it happened in my family's hometown of Stockton, California, at Cleveland Elementary. My family is made up primarily of teachers and educational administrators throughout Stockton's school district. We've been there for 4 generations. In fact, I was in town when this happened and I first hand saw families torn apart by the tragedy. As teachers, many members of my family dealt directly with the aftermath. Thus, it is very discouraging to me personally to hear my movie attached to this kind of tragedy.
My film deals with the different forms of prejudices related to the AIDS epidemic and the social climate of that time. The school board jumped to conclusions after seeing one storyboard in one scene from the movie (the locker room scene) in a 104-page script, blowing out of proportion how athletes are being portrayed in a way that has only a specious connection to Columbine. It is truly sad that the school board would deny a wonderful community like Lakewood, and a high school like Alameda, such a fantastic opportunity without doing their homework first.
Diana Lee Inosanto
Writer/Director
of "The Sensei"Tarik Heitmann / Ron Balicki
CC: Sara Bell/Colorado Film Commission Al Pinel/Lakewood Film Commission Steve Burkholder/ Mayor of Lakewood
Dale McCoy/ Principal of Alameda High
School
Saturday, April 16, 2005
RESEARCH
It's never been like this before. Researching characters is usually the academic part of the exercise, but I have got to say, this was a research period like no other. Reading Now That You Know was emotional enough -- because so much of it is testimonial. I learned a lot and it pointed me in the direction of actually getting the statistics of the matter -- suicides amongst gay teens, the shocking initial velocity of loss to the AIDS virus in the 1980s, the rise in criminal violence, the number of gay homeless -- the majority kicked out of intolerant homes. I could sympathize with all of this. But these mothers I began to interview. This crossed the line into empathy. Tears, anger, respect, regret -- and those were just my emotions. I'm going to condense my journal here. My notes are long, the mothers many (dozens across the country), and I intend to be respectful enough to avoid getting too specific about any one families story.
But there were some serious stories.
One woman was threatened with ex-communication by her church. She "ex-communicated" her son instead. She wasn't there for her sons death, but nursed his surviving lover until his death from AIDS, after her remorse and regret drew her from the church that would disown her. Another mom became so politically active in the AIDS movement, she realized this cause, in the name of her son, was her purpose for living -- and his dying. And the mom who stayed up for 48 straight hours. The leader of her support group at PFLAG, and a veteran survivor from the 80's, she saw dozens of panicking group members, with young men on colleges across the country, through the tragic loss of Matthew Shepard, and the backlash of fear. And the single mom, who learned her young son was gay one sunny afternoon when she read it in his suicide note. He had hung himself in his closet -- there were still stuffed animals in there she said. I've met a current HIV survivor who's lived (well) with the disease for, now, decades. I even talked to one dad -- a retired military man who now wears his rainbow embellished "Proud Father of a Gay Son" t-shirt to pride day. And thankfully, families who have avoided AIDS and violence and saw through their revelations with support and love and tolerance.
I cry every time I think about these parents. Some were strong, some regretfully flawed. Denial, acceptance, anger, vigilance, heroism, and even, finally, celebration. There were no two stories that were the same, but I did learn that in the end, above all else, these women LOVED their sons. Dozens of paths that ended with love. I would take that with me. It's with me now, as a human. I came to see "Annie" as not just a priviledge as an actress to play, a job to do, but a responsibility I knew I could never fully realize. But what gratitude to be given the chance.
Buddy
Eric
Dave
Steve
Cameron
Liz
Chris
Seth
Jessie
Jamie
Mike
Tony
Matt
Kevin
I had to blow off Mark's stunt class for the local interviews. I think I wouldn't cried less at stunt class... I look like a demented ballerina anyway.
But this is what's really amazing... This script covers so much ground, prejudice of so many kinds -- homophobia, sexism, racism. It's such a human, intimate story with such incredible universality. I'm reading this, repeatedly, and with every interview with every new Mom, I find more and more truth in this script. These hidden truths -- right there.
But there were some serious stories.
One woman was threatened with ex-communication by her church. She "ex-communicated" her son instead. She wasn't there for her sons death, but nursed his surviving lover until his death from AIDS, after her remorse and regret drew her from the church that would disown her. Another mom became so politically active in the AIDS movement, she realized this cause, in the name of her son, was her purpose for living -- and his dying. And the mom who stayed up for 48 straight hours. The leader of her support group at PFLAG, and a veteran survivor from the 80's, she saw dozens of panicking group members, with young men on colleges across the country, through the tragic loss of Matthew Shepard, and the backlash of fear. And the single mom, who learned her young son was gay one sunny afternoon when she read it in his suicide note. He had hung himself in his closet -- there were still stuffed animals in there she said. I've met a current HIV survivor who's lived (well) with the disease for, now, decades. I even talked to one dad -- a retired military man who now wears his rainbow embellished "Proud Father of a Gay Son" t-shirt to pride day. And thankfully, families who have avoided AIDS and violence and saw through their revelations with support and love and tolerance.
I cry every time I think about these parents. Some were strong, some regretfully flawed. Denial, acceptance, anger, vigilance, heroism, and even, finally, celebration. There were no two stories that were the same, but I did learn that in the end, above all else, these women LOVED their sons. Dozens of paths that ended with love. I would take that with me. It's with me now, as a human. I came to see "Annie" as not just a priviledge as an actress to play, a job to do, but a responsibility I knew I could never fully realize. But what gratitude to be given the chance.
Buddy
Eric
Dave
Steve
Cameron
Liz
Chris
Seth
Jessie
Jamie
Mike
Tony
Matt
Kevin
I had to blow off Mark's stunt class for the local interviews. I think I wouldn't cried less at stunt class... I look like a demented ballerina anyway.
But this is what's really amazing... This script covers so much ground, prejudice of so many kinds -- homophobia, sexism, racism. It's such a human, intimate story with such incredible universality. I'm reading this, repeatedly, and with every interview with every new Mom, I find more and more truth in this script. These hidden truths -- right there.
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