First-time feature directors Heidi Burkey and Tim Larson go behind the scenes of a musical stage version of one of the most influential stories in 20th Century popular culture, enacted by 6th and 7th graders.
That story, of course, is STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, as realized by Anaheim CA’s Arts & Learning Children’s Conservatory. Their version is a musical parody, and the cast is populated by a diverse cross-section of tweens and early teens. As noted in one of the teaser trailers for the film, these early teenage years are a particularly challenging time, as the former little boys and girls deal with growing up and forming more distinct identities, developing more serious interests, and dating. Examining these kids’ stories against the backdrop of George Lucas’ space opera, Burkey and Larson promise to provide a unique way of looking at the challenges of adolescence.
The production is a little less than a month away from their Kickstarter campaign deadline, needing to raise slightly over $2300 at the time of this writing. Crowdsourced funds will go toward remaining post-production costs.
This as-yet untitled documentary caught my eye because of its unusual concept. I’m often wary of kid-focused projects – especially when kids are shoe-horned into a film for no apparent reason other than ostensibly to be “cute.” While that wouldn’t be the case here – Burkey and Larson’s doc is intended to be about these kids, after all – I’m hoping that they don’t skew too far into heartwarming and adorable and instead show more rounded portraits of their subjects. There’s potential in the range of characters featured in the teaser – especially the popular and less popular boys. The STAR WARS hook, of course, should provide some absurd comedy, and hopefully allow for the subjects’ personalities to come through. I’m hoping for something along the lines of ZOMBIE GIRL: THE MOVIE, which I think did a good balancing act between maintaining a fun tone but also not overindulging in kid cuteness.
what (not) to doc 