Gerald Peary, film critic and professor of film studies at Boston University, held a rather special cinematheque this past Friday evening. In honor of Black History Month, Peary invited independent film director and Boston University alumnus Rel Dowdell to present his second film and speak about its value.
While Dowdell is very much dedicated to his craft, he has also taught screenwriting here at this alma mater. He is, according to Peary, a “Philly boy” and would commute into Boston from Philadelphia. Dowdell’s backstory is one of intrigue. He, like so many other up-and-coming directors, certainly aspired to have his shot at directing a feature film someday, and came very close to achieving that goal. He was once in talks with New Line Cinema before they went under and became a subsidiary of Time Warner. While feature filmmaking is a goal, it is just one of many for Dowdell. According to him, he uses “popular cinema to make important points.” He further claimed that he has important things to say through his film—something Peary agrees with, comparing Dowdell’s first two films to the early works of Spike Lee.
Rel then segued into an introduction of his film, Changing the Game, which he shot primarily in the city of Philadelphia. The film has many settings all over the world, which is difficult to sell to audiences in a believable way on an independent budget. Dowdell acknowledged that his film falls into a sort of “hybrid genre” with elements that members of very different audiences will all find appealing. He explained that when you are an African American filmmaker, often people think you are gearing films towards fellow African Americans. This film, however, can be related to anyone and Dowdell wanted a character that people could root for. The film took seven years to complete, but was finally backed by Lionsgate and has now garnered critical acclaim.
After a presentation of the film, Peary invited Dowdell to speak to the audience and address questions as well as offer advice to any budding filmmakers who may be in the crowd. The cinematheques are great for this sort of invaluable conversation with people who have been through all of the hoops and who wish to share their singular experiences towards what will hopefully be the benefit of many. “When Gerald Peary put on these events, I came to every one,” said Dowdell, recounting his years as a student here. As a final piece of advice, he said that “you as a filmmaker may want to try new things to find your own voice.” He then reasserted that his film is a vehicle for change in the realm of filmmaking.
Dowdell’s film currently holds an 83% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and can be viewed by purchasing it in stores or downloading it from iTunes.
