Short Documentary: Christopher’s Garden

Torg Stories latest project is a documentary film entitled “Christopher’s Garden.” The film focuses on Christopher Mello, an Asheville, North Carolina artist who has spent thirteen years hybridizing a new blue poppy.

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film trailer music by Jeremy Vogt

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The film was created in collaboration with musician Jeremy Vogt, cinematographer Alex Arcara, photographer Cindy Kunst, and Asheville librarian Zoe Rhine.

Photograph of blue poppies in Christopher Mello's garden in west Asheville, North Carolina by Cindy Kunst.

photograph of Christopher’s Garden by Cindy Kunst

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The short documentary of 11 mins and 30 secs is currently being submitted to film festivals. A longer cut of the film will also be sent to film festivals a day’s drive away from Asheville, North Carolina where the film was shot.

 

Christopher Mello

Christopher Mello of Asheville, North Carolina

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As director of the film, I have also begun work on a piece of writing about Christopher Mello and his garden. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post.

Best,

Bill Torgerson

Podcast: 48 Hour Film Project Asheville Edition

See podcast player below and the program is also available on iTunes and STITCHER.

After living in Asheville for less than two weeks, I decided to plunk down $160 bucks and enter what is called the 48 Hour Film Project. This means that on a Friday night you pull a genre out of a hat and then are assigned a prop, a character, and a line that must be spoken in the film. You have 48 hours to turn in a movie between 4-7 minutes in length.

Here was our assignment:

  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Prop:  bell
  • character: Cynthia Peters gym instructor
  • line of dialogue: It’s your choice. What are you going to do?

When I entered the competition, I knew my team would at least consist of my youngest daughter age five, my older daughter age eight, and my wife who probably prefers me not disclose her age. With less than a week before the competition began, I hoped to secure some possible locations and recruit additional members to our Torg Stories team. I went to the library and checked out Asheville travel books, read the local Mountain Xpress hoping to find talent in the way of music or comedians, and sent messages to people I’d never met on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Using that process, I put together a team. Here are a few of the people I worked with and the places we shot:

48 Hour Film Project, Asheville, filmmaking, Fairy, Christopher's Garden, Odditorium, Asheville Outdoor Center

Barbie Angell who starred as the Fairy Protector of the Garden

the garden in the trailer is owned by Chris Mello. He also acts in the film

asheville outdoor center, 48 Hour Film Project Asheville

Dave from the Asheville Outdoor Center keeping me afloat

The Odditorium

we filmed at The Odditorium in West Asheville

Film by 16 year old Alex who did great work with us

Jeremy Vogt hooked us up with sci fi and travel music.

Love to hear comments and questions from you or if there is any other part of the 48 Hour Film Project that interests you.