Fairfield Weekly highlights Circuit

Connecticut's Fairfield Weekly highlighted the film this week (just in time for Halloween)!

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Circuit Makers

Local filmmakers attempt a Donnie Darko-style indie of thier own

By Mike Falcigno

October 26 2006

Even with all the avenues available to independent filmmakers these days—myriad festivals, the internet, high-tech home studios—the world of indie film is no picnic. Hard work aside, having a solid story at the core of any film project is critical, and Circuit , a film by Greenwich writer-director Andrew Landauro, enters the arena with one leg up on its peers.

Circuit , which is now being filmed in Boston, is best described as intellectual science fiction. Told through five separate storylines, each linked to a different human sense, the seemingly unconnected narratives slowly unfold amid a stream of mysterious events to reveal a common, underlying thread. The film tackles themes of drug abuse, anorexia, fear of commitment, and disease, metaphorically, through the use of an “alien pod epidemic” plot device.

But a special-effects-laden alien invasion isn’t in the cards; Circuit centers on the idea of life, rather than the tangible physicality of life itself. The film aims to challenge viewers’ perceptions through character development and mood by presenting everyday situations through a cinematically skewed perspective.

The trailer consists of elegantly composed interior and exterior shots neatly intercut with abstract title cards posing enigmatic questions such as “Where do I belong?” and “When will things change?” The quality of the images and polish of the trailers’ presentation belies Circuit ’s humble budget.

And if the film’s premise is intriguing, so too are the motives of the man behind the camera, Andrew Landauro. He’s an interesting guy who’s genuinely enthusiastic about art, music and filmmaking. Having previously directed 15 short films, Circuit is a project he’s been cultivating for the better part of five years.

He hopes the eventual finished product will play out as a diverse cinematic experience, intermittently funny, dramatic, and thought-provoking, but ultimately a film requiring multiple viewings that demands of audiences that they deconstruct the film and accept the challenge of piecing together each part of the puzzle.

Shelton native Becky Robbins is one of the film’s producers, and explains the integral role volunteers have played in the success of Circuit ’s production. Robbins cites the Circuit team’s dedication to the project as another factor in the success of the production, adding that the crew has gone beyond the call, often pulling double duties to keep things on schedule and on budget. Ben Woodard, for instance, co-wrote the script with Landauro and is also Circuit ’s film editor.

Production began earlier this year and will wrap up once the remaining two (of five) story segments have been shot. Viewers who enjoyed the cerebral oddity Donnie Darko , the independent time-travel tale Primer or the bizarre works of David Cronenberg (Videodrome ) should keep their eyes peeled for an expected spring 2007 release.

impetus@optonline.net

Check www.whatiscircuit.com and www.centralproductions.org for more information
Copyright © 2006, Fairfield County Weekly