MISTER MAN

Lubec, Maine - Robert Savina

An unmarried woman with a young son sets out to make her life right only to be confronted by her painful past. Set in the northwest Atlantic frontier of Maine during the post World War II years, Mister Man illuminates a way of life - harsh, authentic, and distinctively Maine.

Anchor 2

THEMES

A classic love triangle set in the harsh and unforgiving environment of Downeast Maine.

Set in the post WWII years, Mister Man is a coming-of-age story about a young boy, Dana, who yearns to know who his father is and live in a real home.

Dana's single mother, Thelma, deposits him at the local orphanage while she sets out to find a new life - a man to take care of both of them. Thelma's search brings her to a place of security and fulfillment, but with a sharp, violent edge. Her new husband, Milford, is physically and mentally scarred from the effects of battle. The return of Dana's real father, Carroll, ignites passion, violence and resolution.

The characters and environment of Mister Man are reminiscent of John Steinbeck's novel -Cannery Row. They are trapped in a tide pool at low-tide - damaged, wounded - hopeful for the sea to free them.

STYLE

Ideally, In order to portray the epic scale of the beautiful,, rugged and wild coastal landscape and tell the story through a timeless quality, utilizing 70 mm film techniques with period lenses will optimize the impact to the viewers' eyes.

Although, the story contains several characters' developments throughout, the point-of-view should be from the young boy, Dana's perspective, as the screenplay is based on the screenwriter's recollection, in part, of his own childhood.

We capture the purity of a child's discovery of the complex nature of the human condition.

"(Rachel) Morrison is a big fan of the still photography from the Farm Security Administration — a New Deal agency that was set up to combat rural poverty. It gave birth to images from the likes of Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks and Arthur Rothstein. “They were so tactile,” she says of the photos. “Much of my inspiration for ‘Mudbound’ came from them, and Dee had brought some references that included a very granular documentary shot by [filmmaker] Les Blank on 16mm..."

"Shooting digitally allowed Morrison to use the spherical lenses at night with real candlelight and little else. “Lighting practically whenever I can when shooting period really helps with authenticity,” she says.