Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE/ARTS
Friday 6 OctOber 2017
‘Florida Project’ shines a bright

light on hidden homeless

By JAKE COYLE mother to Moonee (7-year- a veteran actor eager to
AP Film Writer old Brooklynn Prince), a appear as a “non-actor,”
TORONTO (AP) — Sean Bak- free-spirited troublemaker he says. Especially appeal-
er’s “The Florida Project” who, with her friends (in- ing was the opportunity to
takes place in a blindingly cluding the 6-year-old work among non-profes-
purple low-budget motel Valeria Cotto), are a de- sional performers on loca-
named the Magic Castle, lightful menace to Bobby tion in Orlando.
just down Route 192 from and the motel’s residents. “It was one of those expe-
Disney’s Magic Kingdom. “We wanted it to be a riences where you able
For the children of single throwback, in a way. What to riff off what was there.
In this Sept. 9, 2017 photo, writer-director Sean Baker, from left, parents who live there, the I mean by that is: Little Ras- You were able to deal with
actress Brooklynn Prince and actor Willem Dafoe pose together Kissimmee, Florida, motel cals 2017,” said Baker. “I what’s in the room,” said
to promote their film, “The Florida Project,” during the Toronto is a playground — even if wanted to do something Dafoe. “My dressing room
International Film Festival in Toronto.
Associated Press they’re living in poverty. very similar where it was was not a trailer. It was one
“The Florida Project,” which presenting the kids as kids, of those rooms. Troy lived
opens in theaters Friday, first and foremost — and down the hall. Troy be-
is an ebullient, candy- have the audience em- came my friend. Troy was
colored movie wrapped brace them, love them, a resident who lived there
around the very real issue laugh at them. And then for many years. That adds
of hidden homelessness. hopefully at the end, the a dimension. It makes you
Families nationwide are audience is sitting during learn things and gives you
living below the poverty the credits, and the issues an experience.”
line and eking out an exis- have had a light shined on Since its premiere at the
tence in cheap motels, but them that will have them Cannes Film Festival, “The
the problem is particularly talking on their way home.” Florida Project” — as well
acute — and ironic — in In stories ranging from por- as Dafoe and Brooklynn’s
the shadows of Walt Disney nography actresses in the performances — has been
World. San Fernando Valley (“Star- widely lauded as among
“When Chris Bergoch, my let”) to immigrants in New the best of the year. No
co-screenwriter, brought it York (“The Prince of Broad- one has enjoyed the ride
to my attention, I was like: way”), Baker has made more than Brooklynn, a
‘This is happening? There depicting the lives of those natural performer who has
are literally kids who are Hollywood often overlooks tweeted and Instagramed
homeless outside of what’s a specialty. His last movie, her adventures. Making
considered the most magi- “Tangerine,” was a micro- the movie, the Orlando na-
cal place on the Earth for budgeted breakthrough, tive said, was like summer
children?’” said Baker, the winning a Spirit Award and camp. She and her young
46-year-old independent earning the praise of Fran- co-star, Val, now consider
filmmaker. cis Ford Coppola. Baker themselves best friends.
Studies and investigative shot the transgender pros- “Me and my mom and dad
reports, including one in titute tale on iPhones with went over this,” Brooklynn
2014 by The Associated a mix of professional and said of the film’s more adult
Press , have found that an non-professional actors, nature. “They weren’t really
estimated 1,700 families including the celebrated sure about this movie. But I
are homeless in Florida’s leads Mya Taylor and Kita- came to them and I said, ‘I
Osceola County, with most na Kiki Rodriguez. want to bring awareness to
living in the motels surround- “When I made ‘Tangerine,’ these kids and show peo-
ing one of the country’s top I moved to Los Angeles and ple the light — my light for
tourist destinations. Efforts I thought that Los Ange- Jesus.’”
in recent years have been les was shot out, meaning The low-budget production
stepped up to get mentally that there’s no other stories was for both Brooklynn and
ill homeless people off the to tell,” said Baker. “Then I Dafoe an eye-opener: an
streets around Orlando, yet found there’s a whole oth- up-close view of the home-
the county still lacks shel- er world south of Olympic lessness most never see.
ters. Many simply find their that we haven’t even seen “I learned things about a
low-paying service industry in film unless it was ‘Straight certain kind of poverty,
jobs don’t cover rent. Outta Compton.’ You real- a certain kind of cycle of
But if you’re expecting ize who’s telling these sto- homelessness and hope-
a stern lesson from “The ries. They’re not thinking lessness,” said Dafoe. “It’s a
Florida Project,” you’ll be outside their box, and often rich movie. It’s a poor little
surprised to find one of the their sugar-coated visions rich movie.”q
most vibrant, spirited and of who they are.”
heartbreaking films of the “My films are a response to
year. “The Florida Project” what I don’t see,” added
stars Willem Dafoe as the Baker.
kindly father-figure man- “The Florida Project,” the
ager Bobby, but its cen- director says, was an effort
tral characters are played to go further in packaging
by newcomers. The feisty, an issue film as an enter-
scamming Halley (Bria Vi- tainment. The approach
naite) is the 23-year-old drew the interest of Dafoe,