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Los Angeles, California, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) August 4, 2011 -- Assistant director Claudia Duran whizzed by extras on a dolly constructed by crewmembers Jeff Griffith and Rob Amberry. She was shooting a reenactment of the funeral of Roberto Clemente in the home of Lyle Middleton, in a room dressed as a chapel. Middleton is portraying baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn. He and his wife Kerry don't seem to mind the people buzzing about. Among the mourners, a gentleman holding a cane cries on cue, than whispers instructions in her ear between takes. We see the actor is Oscar-considered director Richard Rossi, forty-eight, who is bringing the story of Clemente to the screen, an achievement others have attempted without completion.
Rossi shot 80% of his script and found himself broke so he turned this week to the community fundraising website Kickstarter to raise five thousand dollars in finishing funds. Those who pledge are rewarded with gifts from Rossi such as DVDs of the film, posters, tee-shirts, tickets to screenings, and original art and music by Rossi himself.
The Pittsburgh Film Commission reports several filmmakers a year contact them with biopics on Clemente that never advance beyond preproduction. Rossi's film is entitled, "Baseball's Last Hero: The Roberto Clemente Story," and is an unauthorized biography and a passion project, according to Hollywood Reporter.
"I grew up in Pittsburgh watching Roberto play for the Pirates," Rossi said in an interview from his residence in Hollywood. "I skipped school to watch him. When he died, I was devastated and cried for days." Though he was just nine when the Clemente perished in a mission of mercy to Nicaraguan earthquake victims, Rossi started scripting a screenplay that he has been fine tuning for nearly forty years. In addition to writing, Rossi is directing and acting, playing a small role as the scout who discovers Clemente.
Rossi's last feature, "Sister Aimee," told the story of a female faith healer who vanished from Venice Beach in 1927. The movie was also unauthorized. In a radio interview about filmmaking featuring Rossi and a panel of lawyers, the filmmaker explained the advantages of doing films unauthorized. "Aimee loyalists wanted me to remove any mention of her humanity, like her divorce, trial, and overdose. But that's part of what made my film truthful and showed grace working through her life," Rossi said. "We carefully are basing the film on public domain records. Both Roberto and Aimee are well known enough that an artist can do art about them based on public records."
The film stars 2004 Olympian Jamie Nieto as Roberto Clemente. "Richard Rossi's last film did very well, best guerrilla film ever," Nieto said in an interview posted on Youtube. "I can't believe I booked the role out of three thousand actors considered, it's a true blessing. I believe it's gonna be one of those indie films that really blow up."
Marilinda Rivera, a Puerto Rican actress and model who won Project Runway is co-starring as Clemente's wife Vera. Rivera endured a series of callbacks that required hopefuls to play scenes with Nieto, ranging from the lovers meeting to her farewell to him at his grave. Her winning audition is posted on Youtube.
Conferring quiety with Duran, Rossi decides the Sunday scene should be shot in real time. After a quartet of female singers harmonize on 'Amazing Grace,' actors portraying Clemente's teammates walk to the pulpit one after another and give farewells to the right fielder as some extras weep. "I was crying, I didn't have to act," Jozy Pollock, one of the mourners said between takes. "Richard's work, both his movies and his new novel 'Stick Man' cause me to feel overwhelming emotion," Susan Conrad, another extra said.
Rossi's "Sister Aimee" was made on a shoestring, but honored as the best low budget film of all time, nominated for best feature in Milan, and set attendance records at Quentin Tarentino's Beverly Cinema. Speaking at a Screen Actor's Guild screening honoring the film, actor Rance Howard answered questions about the mystery of how Rossi created the film for just five thousand dollars. "Richard was like a magician," said Howard, father of Ron Howard and an actor in Rossi's film. "Richard just said 'Presto,' and pulled the film out like he was pulling a rabbit out of a hat."
"I get alot of the attention, but it's truly a team effort," Rossi said. "A great guerrilla film happens because it's a labor of love. People volunteer their time, talent, money, and homes. Why? It's pure passion. "We're seeking finishing funds to keep flowing so the filming can keep going and we can finish," Rossi said.
Pledges are accepted over the next month. To see the Clemente film's profile on Kickstarter, visit Kickstarter.com and search "Baseball's Last Hero: The Roberto Clemente Story." A picture of lead actor Jamie Nieto as Roberto will come up and you can click on the project.
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