Live interview with cast and crew from the movie Love Simple on LupusMCTD Blog Talk Radio

MODESTO, CA, November 06, 2010 (Press-News.org) Adam and Seta fall madly in love after meeting in a Brooklyn laundromat. She suffers from Lupus, he's stuck at home caring for his chronically ill father. Both lie through their teeth to avoid having to reveal they are anything but perfect. Eventually, their deceit unravels and they are faced with a choice: walk away or try to save the relationship. Deciding to give it one last chance, Adam and Seta reveal everything about who they really are despite the fact that they may not love one another once they know the truth.

Production Notes

Working with a small budget but extremely talented cast and crew, writer-director Mark von Sternberg sought to tell a story about young people in love dealing with issues of identity and the greatest obstacle of love: sickness and health. "When two people fall for each other, their love is usually the simplest part of the equation - it's the social pressures, insecurities, and the painful realities which complicate and sometimes destroy this simple, beautiful thing. The title is a paradox - relationships when falling in love are never simple."

Cinematically, the challenge was to capture the essence of the story's location, Brooklyn - her unique historical charm, juxtaposed with its clinical, industrial pockets. Film Editor and Senior Supervising Producer, Dave Buchwald, and Director of Photography, Lance Kaplan, both Brooklyn natives, knew the area well, especially the neighborhood of Park Slope - where much of principle photography was to take place. The challenge was to find locations that spoke of the story and characters but also came ready made due to the limited budget. It was about fitting the scenery with the story - Brooklyn's historical romance represented by the architectural charm of classical brownstones and the industrially destitute areas reflect the cold, uncompromising crisis that Adam & Seta must face.

Playing the parts of the romantic leads, Adam and Seta, would be Francisco Solorzano and Patrizia Hernandez. Francisco ("Frank") had known director Mark von Sternberg since their days at Brooklyn College's Theatre Department. Patrizia was discovered during a staged reading at the Stella Adler Studio. As von Sternberg described it, "I could tell she was perfect for the role... she looked it, and she could be extremely vulnerable but no-nonsense and strong. Those are elements you look for in really any actor but especially for the role of Seta."

Filling in the role of James, Adam's father, was internationally renowned playwright & screenwriter, Israel Horovitz. "When Israel got on board, I think it added a lot of creditability to the film in the eyes of the cast & crew," said von Sternberg. "We are such a tiny film, but if someone who knows writing that well saw merit in the script to be involved... there must be something going on."

Principle photography took place during September 14th through the 29th with a total of fourteen shooting days. After the 30th, Frank would be flying back to LA for major auditions and Israel had a play premiere in Europe - so the schedule was tight with little room for error or lost days.

For the most part, the scenes were storyboarded and actor's movements choreographed before principle photography. However, for some of the more performance intensive moments like the climatic scene between Adam and Seta, the director wanted to put the emphasis on the performance and the give-and take of the actors in the moment. The entire set was lit and the performance followed via handheld camera.

Post-Production followed, with film editor, Dave Buchwald; sound design by Wade Vantrease; and original music composed by Danny Mordujovich.

Love Simple will be released on DVD by Synergetic Distribution on November 9th, 2010! You can pre-order through all major retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Blockbuster, and Barnes & Noble as well as iTunes.
Continuing our partnership with the SLE Lupus Foundation (www.lupusny.org), 10% of all DVD sales will be donated to the Lupus Research Institute, an international organization fosters and supports only the highest-ranked new science to prevent, treat and cure lupus.

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