Page 43 - Tom Steyer Issue

Brandt laughed. “I’m taking a business approach to this and just want to knock it out. I’ve learned a lot in the last three years about the filmmaking industry. We’ve come to the realization that we want to do this right.”
this is Brandt’s first go.
Brandt and Kaplan partnered with Middleton to recreate the story of the 2002 unexpected gold medal run, which takes on a Miracle feel from the recreation of the 1980 Olympic Games unexpected ice hockey gold medal by the United States. Only, the 2002 Paralympic team was- n’t expected to even compete.
Given the storyline, the co-directors are seeking a cast mostly comprised of people with disabilities, and that’s rare in Hollywood.
So how do you make a compelling movie when you already know the ending?
“We’re doing a movie where the majority of people in speaking roles have disabilities,” Kaplan said. “I think one of the reasons we’re growing is because we have the roles ready. You’re not just putting yourself on tape and somebody can watch you when there’s an opportu- nity in a movie or TV show in the future. In the here and now, you have an opportunity to be in this specific role in the movie.”
“It’s like the Titanic challenge: You know the boat sinks,” Kaplan said. “Here, you know how it ends. The question is, how do we tell the story about how to get to that end that you know is going to happen?”
They have partnered with the SAG Disability Commit- tee, Casting Association of America, RespectABILITY, and the Boston Casting Society to promote the casting call to a population of actors with disabilities. Para- lympic athletes are also being encouraged to audition— which are currently being held solely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic—to fill the more technical athletic shots.
The key to preserving this story, according to Brandt and Kaplan, was focusing on the relationships and per- sonalities as they pulled together to overcome personal and team challenges.
“What we didn’t want to lose sight of is the importance of inclusion to both Hollywood, to the actors and ath-
Kaplan has 20 years of experience in filmmaking, but
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