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132 Responses to “GARDENS OF THE NIGHT BLOG WELCOME”
I was fortunate enough to watch this film in Berlin. As intense as the film was to watch I found it an incredibly rewarding experience and congratulate you on getting it made. With that said, I’m wondering what kind of research you did to get it made and how true to life is the story you are telling in the film?
I went to San Francisco and spoke to the father of an ten year old boy who had been abducted eighteen months before. It was speaking to him that made me decide to tell the story from the abducted child’s point of view. I spent the next two years traveling around the US, interviewing Runaway and Throwaway teens either on the streets or in Shelters, talking to the staff who worked with them, the police who fought both child prostitution and pornography, the pimps who worked it. and response teams who tried to react immediately when a child went missing. From all of this the character of LESLIE emerged, she was a composite of many children I’d spoken to, but in particular a sixteen year old girl named Wendy, the most heartbreaking beautiful girl, an angel, who was as hard and as bitter as any person I’d ever met. Life had dealt her some very bad cards and she had a very cynical view of the world and men in particular. Leslie and the actress Gillian Jacobs who plays her so well, are as close to the Wendy that I remember.
I can only say I want to scream right now, and tears are being held back. I happened to watch the movie last night, and I’ve knew here were that understood my life. Right now I’m shaking, because I just remembered the bathing scenes, and what my abductor did to me. Understand that I lived in complete darkness for 28 years and one day a film started to play in my mind. Though it has taking me 3 years to start to all the wrongs that happened, and everyday I remember something else, and today it was the bath scene. 3 years ago I started to take responsibilty for my own life, it has been hell, and up until last night, I have been all alone with my abduction. I am now going to die because of the things people made me do. To this day I’m judged so harshly that it wounds me even more. I need to met someone like myself. Its been to long, and living alone with everything. I battle everyday to be the best I can be, and some days I fail myself,and some days I surprise myself. Please don’t let my life end without the compassion and understanding I so much deserve. please jadkinsssd@gmail.com
I can imagine this film will affect me deeply. Anything on TV or film involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children bothers me, and I suppose any other reaction would be abnormal. What was it like to work with the young children in the cast? Was it difficult for the adult actors to do certain scenes involving implied rape/abuse? Also what drew actors like Malkovich, Zegers, Sisto and Tom Arnold to this project? I am looking forward to seeing the film, even though it will be very difficult!
this film does affect people, depending on what they bring to it. At a screening in London early in the year the response was quite angry and I think was because of the recent Madeline MCcann case which had managed to involve most of the country to the point of hysteria. More recently in France it had the opposite reaction, the audience of 1500 people were very moved by the film, commenting about how gently the subject was handled.
The two children in the cast, Ryan Simpkins (Young Leslie) and Jermaine “Scooter” Smith (Young Donnie) spent weeks rehearsing together, we couldn’t tell them what the real story of the film was so an alternate script was created in which the wifeless Alex, the Tom Arnold character, steals the children to create a make believe happy family with Frank, Kevin Zegers, as the older brother. Each scene involving the children had it’s alternate scenario. Good child actors have their emotions close to the surface and they access them not through the characters they are playing but through their own experiences involving some part of their life that fits where the story needs the character to be.
The sex and exploitation isn’t seen in the film so the actors never had to actually play anything, but being these characters in this world made for a tense work experience that I know they found sometimes very uncomfortable. The scene that was most difficult was actually one that involved only the crew and Young Leslie’s stand in, we were implying that pornography was being made and even though it involved only close ups that only had meaning when cut together, it still created a very uncomfortable feeling amongst all of us on the set.
The actors all responded to the material because it deals with the human condition and asks the question how do we live our lives given the circumstances we have been forced into? I believe they all felt that was a worthwhile subject.
I’m glad you are going to see the film, let me know what you think.
I was a dayplayer in the film back when it was filming in 2006. Can’t wait to see the finished product when it screens here in Los Angeles. I’ve seen the trailer and read news stories about it and it all sounds like you have an amazing project on your hands. Take care and keep in touch and I wish you much success with this film and the ventures it will lead too.
Hello Damien,
To say that I am intrigued and awed by this film is an understatement! As the owner of a small “hometown” theater in a blue collar town, I have sadly met many “throwaway” teens and often wonder about what set these children on such a sorrow filled path.
I can remember several cases of “lost” children in my area, sadly still not found. One little girl walked past my apartment every day to school…. then gone…. over twenty years have passed with no clue as to what happened.
I sincerley wish you such great success with this film and hope that it gains recognition and resparks the publics awareness of not only child abduction, but the “throw away” children as well.
Hopefully soon, the film will be available for smaller venues such as my theatre, and we become more proactive in protecting the most important thing on the planet, the life of a child.
Thank you again for this powerful statement and labor of love, we are indebted to your vision!
for your support and encouragement, I wanted to make this film because like you, I saw these “lost children” and needed to know more. For me it started with two images, the picture of a young missing girl on a milk carton and the photo of a boy, also missing, on the cover of NEWSWEEK. I’m from England, so my initial reaction was how can a child go missing in the United States, the most developed nation in the world, and then I thought that the idea of searching for your child in this vast country was terrifying.
I ended up spending a lot of time in the huge population of street children that are all over this country, a pattern emerged, some of the kids had that “huck finn” notion of freedom and wanted to escape what they saw as the boredom or restriction of home, others were forced to leave home because of abuse in some form, or there were those children who were literally tossed out onto the street.
Here are some of the facts I found out doing research for the film:
On any given day there are over 1,300,000 runaways, throwaways and homeless children living on the streets of the USA, sometimes that figure spikes dramatically upwards.
Every year as many as 300,000 children are the victims of prostitution.
60,000 children are abducted by strangers (meaning they are returned under 24 hours), half have been sexually assaulted.
100 to 200 children are “stereotypically kidnapped” (meaning they are kept over 24 hours, with the intention of being kept permanently or held for ransom) 40% of these children are murdered, half are sexually assaulted.
One in every four girls and one in every eight boys have been sexually victimized before adulthood. (The figure for the boys is lower but because it involves homosexual sex it remains unrevealed). In the end this is why I made the film, the trauma of sexual abuse on a child stays hidden until through talking it is brought out into the light. I hope my film can lead to many such conversations. Unfortunately the making and releasing of this film has opened my eyes to how this subject is perceived in this country, few people want to know about it. Apparently this is a problem that exists in europe or the far east and the perpetrators are evil cliches. In fact they are banally human. Evil is banal.
If you would like to get the opportunity to screen the film in your hometown theatre then lets try to make it happen. Send a request here and I will pass it on to the distributor, City Lights.
Thanks Damian, and of course we would be very honored to show the film.
I would like to contact our local CYS ( Children and Youth Services , they deal with “fractured” families and abuse cases) and have a show for caseworkers and other social service workers, police officers, etc… with hopefully a guest speaker and/or an open , round table format.
I have seen what a powerful film can do to inspire a passion for change and to spur actions toward goals; and sadly have also seen some police officers dismiss a teen as “trouble” and not worth their time . Maybe if presented in this setting, a story line that is true and compelling, some understanding will make for a more compassionate and caring set of officers, social workers, etc. And lead to a stronger more aggressive system to keep the children from falling through the “cracks”.
Everyone knows about Amber Alerts, but few understand what happens after the months pass and the child still is not found, or is never found. I think your film will bring a shocked awareness to the public, and they need to be shocked to fully comprehend the scope of this problem.
To many of us have remained voiceless about the sadness the abuses by trusted adults in our early lives have had on us as adults. People do not want to know “ugly” secrets about their neighbors, co workers, family members. They don’t want to raise question about the “nice” man renting the house down the street, taking care of his dead sisters children. So children run away, or are taken away by someone that shows them kindness, and the nightmare begins. Others suffer through childhood, betrayed, scarred in body and soul, in the center of their family.
Ok, rant mode off…..
Please feel free to pass my information on to City Lights if you can; and I will be actively directing my customers to look for your film when it becomes availble in the Pittsburgh market.
Thank you for your new movie “Gardens of the Night”, which raises a lot of sensitive issues of the modern society like your other works. It is great to hear that the movie is doing so well at all the festivals, congratulations with that! My friends and myself think that your previous movie “Mercy” is one of the deepest and strongest movies; and after reviews that “Gardens of the Night” received in the press, we are looking forward to watching this new movie. Could you let us know, please, when the movie will be shown in Norway, Austria and Russia? (Is there a calendar of theatrical releases?) Are there any plans to have this movie on DVD? I am a representative of Peta Wilson fan site, and although we know that Peta has a tiny part in the movie, we are anyway looking forward to seeing it.
Hi Damian:
I saw an episode of Dr. Phil and heard Tom Arnold speak about your movie and saw clips. Is the movie going to be shown in Canada in theaters or on tv?My wife and I are interested in watching it, It seems to be a must see movie for all parents and children.
Hello from Canada Damian;
I caught some of Tom Arnold’s interview today with Dr.Phil and wanted to
know more about the film. As a victim, I too am intrigued by the after life of other survivors of abuse and would really hope that this and other films that deal with the missing and the children abused would some day be shown in schools and talked about. We will always wonder what happen to those faces on the posters and milk cartons…what did they live through, where did they go and how are they now, are they alive or ??? I also want
to know if it’ll be shown in Canada anywhere??
I have not yet had the opportunity to see this film but from what I have heard and read it is one not to be missed! I was wondering how you went about casting for this film especially when such young actors make up an integral portion of the script. Also when casting an independent picture do you immediately look for those with great experience or are you open to new talents? Thank you and best of luck to you and this film, I can not wait to see it!
Thanks Aleksey for your interest in the film and I’m glad to hear you are a fan of MERCY, which has a thematic connection to GARDENS OF THE NIGHT, both films having characters who try to cope with the trauma of abuse. Peta Wilson gave a very strong performance. I don’t know the release dates for the countries you named, but when I do I’ll post them.
the film will be distributed in Canada although it hasn’t been decided yet if it will be a theatrical release or DVD, that will depend on demand and it’s performance in the US. I think you should see the film before deciding if it’s appropriate for your children, it is rated R. It is not appropriate for young children but is for older teenagers. It requires a level of maturity to understand what it is saying and what it’s about
I too have seen the previews on Dr. Phil as well as Oprah yesterday. Is it really true the only southern california screening is in LA on Dec. 5? Any chances of additional showtimes? I gotta see it…and would love to take my teenage daughter who is in Peer Counseling at her high school. If no other showings, is it being releases on DVD…or? Any info you have is appreciated.
GARDENS OF THE NIGHT is about the affects of traumatic abuse and how the same experience shapes the lives of two children differently, bonding them in a complex relationship. I made the film to promote a dialogue about this “hidden” subject, both with victims and friends of victims and caregivers. The story is a piece of fiction which imagines what might have happened to an abducted girl, it is not a true story, it is a “what might have happened”. But the struggle to deal with abuse is very real and I think portrayed in an authentic way. Last night we screened the film in New Jersey and in the Q&A afterwards a psychiatrist spoke about how well the film handled the subject. I do think you should be careful before screening the film to teenagers and make sure they are mature and equipped enough to understand what they’re watching.
The film has a distributor in Canada called VVS Films, you should contact them about release dates, and maybe if enough people show interest they will release it theatrically before it comes out on DVD.
Dear Damian,
I saw the Dr. Phil interview with you and Tom Arnold and I want to applaud you for making this film. I’ve been teaching child abduction prevention/sexual abuse prevention workshops for the past few years. My workshops are similar to Bob Stuber’s teachings. I was glad to see him on the show too, giving his advice. We met a few years ago and I interviewed him on my radio show in Oklahoma City. He’s been an inspiration and encouragement to me in my efforts to help kids protect themselves.
I currently host an internet radio show on BlogTalkRadio.com, and with the vast majority of my listeners being parents, I would like to interview you and Tom Arnold (and possibly other cast members) about the movie. Please let me know the best way to contact you and Tom to arrange an interview. I downloaded the press kit but did not see any contact info for interview requests.
we found Ryan Simpkins (who plays eight year old Leslie), through Jeremy Sisto who had acted with her in the Broadway production of “Festen”. Jeremy had already committed to being in the film and was a strong advocate, helping us get Kevin Zegars and Harold Perrineau. Ryan had already worked quite a bit in film and had just done “Sherrybaby” which was adult themed and required a performance from her, so we felt she was up to the challenges of this film and in the end she gives an extraordinary performance.
Scooter Smith had never acted before but already had a career in music and dance, he was cast the regular way through our casting director . He was a natural performer and had a good chemistry with Ryan.
I saw a lot of actors for the teenagers and also kids with no acting experience, I was and am open to anybody for a role but in this case with the role of Leslie and Donnie I had to be sure that whoever played them could portray the emotion that was necessary. Neither Gillian nor Evan had that much experience but both give performances that have been roundly praised for their authenticity.
The film is being released in Los Angeles on December 5th at the Sunset 5, where it will run for at least a week and maybe more depending how well it does, so please come and see the film and tell or bring your friends.
I always wondered when I would see you get back to directing. I look forward to seeing the film when it comes out here in LA. I am editing feature films now and would like to hear how you cut the film and finished it.
BTW, I watched Greasy Lake the other day. It was pretty good.
Dearest Damian,
To you and those involved in this amazing gift you share, I wish you so many Blessings from all the children of the World. You are an amazing gift to this World. I had the Honor of seeing your Film last night in NY. I will forever be changed. Thank you from the bottom of my Soul. I will share your Film with as many people as I can. And, everyday will hold your Vision in my prayers. You are helping to change the way the World Cares for its Children.
Blessings of Peace and Love,
Colleen
I would really love to see this film, and i know of many others where i’m from that would love to see it too. I have a watched a couple different trailers for it, and it seems like a really inspirational movie. As a victim of molestation, it would be awesome to spread the knowledge about this form of abuse. Will this film ever make it to Kansas City?
come to the opening evening at Sunset 5 and we’ll catch up. We shot on 35, cut on an avid for about four months, color corrected electronically and then went back to negative.
as a victim of molestation I couldn’t agree with you more about wanting to spread the knowledge, it’s why I made the film. The film just opened in New York and at every screening I’ve attended people come up to me and talk about how they relate to this film personally and that’s where the power of film is, identifying with someone’s humanity, recognizing it in yourself.
This film will make it to Kansas on DVD, it plays well on a TV, it just needs to be seen intimately. Spread the word. Show it to your friends, some of them will thank you, some of them won’t. It’s a divisive film about a difficult subject that has it’s fans and detractors.
Hi Damian. I read that Michelle Rodriguez is in this film, as like a cameo or something but I don’t see her listed on the website. Is her cameo in the final cut? Either way I look forward to seeing so thank you for making it.
Michelle is in the final scene in the film, she picks up the main character who is hitchhiking at night. It was a beautifully acted moment of two young women at different points in their lives and unfortunately was structurally in the wrong place in the film and had to be drastically shortened and the director in me wanted to kick the writer in me’s butt for not having the foresight to move it earlier. Michelle did great work and I hope she has forgiven me.
Sad to hear, maybe you guys can have the extended version on the DVD? Anyway thank you for the response! I can’t wait to see this film as soon as it hits DVD.
i was wondering when will this movie be released on Dvd… it’s a very strong movie and portrays the truths some ppl dont want to accept even though this is an increasing problem in todays world.
Yes the film will be released on DVD in the New Year and hopefully more people will find out about this very human problem. Thanks for kudos and please spread the word, films like this need word of mouth.
I am intrigued by the effort and dedication you and the cast & crew have put into this film. I have a strange research question: What was it like to do interviews with those who can be considered “perpetrators” of the kinds of crimes this film depicts, such as pimps? Were you ever angry or disgusted? Did these interviews lead to your writing of the character “Alex”?
Thanks Patsy
many things heard and witnessed during the years of research made me feel not only anger and disgust but also despair at how one human could treat another, most of the shelters kept files on alleged perpetrators who had been cited by the children when they talked to the councillors.
Nothing in the film had to be made up.
The endless stories of lies and manipulation constructed to deceive children, to brainwash children into thinking that the crimes committed against them were okay, convinced me that evil really is banal:
The pimp in Oakland who loved his girls and was saving them from living on the streets. He felt like a father to them and I think part of him believed that but he was also a brutal thug who scared them into submission.
Another pimp in Oceanside who made money from young teenage girls who “danced” in his clubs. He used to make the johns contribute to his “tithing bowl” which he gave monthly to his local church. He also tried to make a donation to the local Covenant House and got angry when they refused it.
The couple who offered shelter to an eleven year old girl and she ended up sharing their bed and taking part in child pornography sessions with other families who used their own children as well. It was presented to the girl as good educated fun.
These people were all evil.
What I learnt through interviewing or researching the abusers was how much they wanted to come across as normal, to fit in. But since I couldn’t identify with them eventually I became numb to what they were saying and just recorded it down. However when listening or replaying interviews with their victims there were moments of utter sadness and despair. It was a dark world to live in.
“Alex” was an amalgamation of what I learnt from listening to the victims and how successfully they had been brainwashed. The psychological profile of a pedophile I got from research. The commercialization of child prostitution and pornography I got from the police.
Hi Damien! Thank you so much for making (from what I’ve heard and read) a very interesting and important film. I am wondering however, why there are so many commercials and trailers running and write-ups and reviews being written for a movie that seems unlikely to ever play in more than one or two theatres here in the U.S.? While I am highly disappointed that I won’t be able to see this movie in the theatre, I’m really hoping that I have the opportunity to rent/buy it before it becomes forgotten. Any information on a possible San Francisco/Bay Area showing would be wonderful. I am wishing you and your film much success. Thanks!
the distribution of the film is a question for City Lights, they answered a similar question on our facebook page which I post here:
“It costs a great deal of money to advertise and do publicity for films. So small films like this, that are released independently and not through a studio are first released in the top two markets – NY and LA. This way they get National attention. Once they are tested in these markets and depending on how they do in the box office, other markets start rolling along and more money is invested in the release. Ancillary is other media including DVD, TV and digital download etc. We may have a chance to be in other states yet, but it will depend on whether theaters want the film or not.”
The film received a lot of attention due I think to it’s subject matter and the efforts of all involved , especially Tom Arnold who went on many national TV shows. Believe me I would have preferred that the film had a wider release to take advantage of the attention it generated but I understand the distributor’s caution about how this country would react, which has been generally positive though with an emphasis on it being tough viewing (interestingly recently in France it won the International Critic’s Award and was praised for it’s “gentle” approach). If there any screenings beyond NY and LA they’ll be posted on our Facebook page, otherwise it will be on DVD etc in the new year.
HI DAMIAN. WHAT A WONDERFUL AND OPEN THING YOU HAVE DONE BRING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT. I HAVE READ SO MUCH AND BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING REVIEWS FROM THE BY OPEN.
PLEASE TELL ME AS A FILM STUDENT MYSELF, WHO DID YOU CAST FIRST, RYAN SIMPKINS OR JILLIAN JACOBS? HOW DID YOU FIND THE YOUNG ACTRESS AND I WONDER WHAT RESPONSE YOU FOUND WITH THE PRESS DEALING WITH A YOUNG CHILD AND THE COMMENT OF THIS FILM. I’M SURPRISED THAT THAT RYAN SIMPKINS HAS NOT GIVEN ANY STATEMENTS AS I CAN FIND NOW. TO ME, AS I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS AND YOU CLOSLY, IT DOESN’T SEEM THINGS HAVE GONE OUT OF CONTROL AS THEY DID WITH TAXI DRIVER, PRETTY BABY OR EVEN HOUND DOG. WHAT IS YOUR SECRET? BLESSINGS AND MUCH SUCCESS. I HOPE GARDENS OF THE NIGHT COMES TO CHICAGO!
we cast Ryan Simpkins first, we found her through the actor Jeremy Sisto who’d already agreed to be in the film and was acting in the play FESTEN on Broadway in which Ryan was playing his daughter. Jeremy improvised some scenes with Ryan, recorded them on DVD and sent them to me in LA. Ryan was so good I cast her without meeting her. Gillian was the last actor cast in the film. We rehearsed and shot all of Ryan’s scenes first so Gillian could study Ryan’s behavior and body language and incorporate it into her own performance, which she did extremely well.
Ryan received a lot of attention for her performance, being named one of the forerunners for the acting award in Berlin, there has been some controversy about her appearing in this material, but I worked very closely with her mother Monique, preparing an alternate script for both child actors, so everybody involved felt completely comfortable. We have always focused the attention of the press and public on the older actors and what the film is about: the traumatic affects of child abuse, rather than on the young actress at the centre of the film.
Hi, I am an italian journalist of the montly newspaper Futura. I would like to know when this film will be in the italian cinemas. For my newspaper I would like to write an article about the film, so I need to know the date as soon as possible. Thank you very much,
Giulia Dellepiane
I am from Croatia now living in Los Angeles. I plan to see your movie on Friday Dec. 5th. Are the tickets going to be available for anyone to attend (since I am nobody important)? I am a film school graduate currently involved in stunt work.
Many best wishes for you film! I hope it helps many people understand that child exploitation doesn’t only happen in third world countries.
I am looking forward to seeing it (if I’m able to get a ticket).
Thank you for making this movie.
Good luck!
Dear Mr. Harris,
I am so sorry to bother you. I was going to purchase a ticket for the 7pm showing on Dec.5th because that is the only time I am able to go, however, it was sold out. I was really looking forward to listening to you after the screening. Is at all still possible to purchase one ticket for the 7pm showing? Who would I need to talk to? If it’s not possible, I absolutely understand. Thank you.
Hi Maja, the film is open to the public from this friday onwards, so please come along, get a ticket and see the film. It is a valid and real subject that is overlooked in this country, I hope the film will change that, a big hope but you’ve got to dream large.
Thanks for your best wishes. And please tell your friends…
Thank you for your quick reply. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the Saturday’s screening. Is there going to be another screening with Q&A in the LA area?
Thank you.
I’ve already told many friends about this film…
Hello Mr. Harris,
I look forward to seeing your film. I think Tom Arnold deserves praise for having the courage to let his pain be shown to everyone and taking a project like this! I agree this is an overlooked issue, one that people would rather pretend doesn’t exist. I think many many people like myself will appreciate your hard work and determination to see this film come through.
I live in Boise, Idaho and would like to know if there is a chance it will play anywhere near me? Even Portland OR or Spokane or Seattle will work!
Unfortunately I dont think the film will have a theatrical release in the cities you asked about, but it will be coming out on DVD on March 24th.
I agree about Tom Arnold, he has done a lot to discuss this issue at the risk of personal criticism. Everybody who worked on the film felt very strongly about this subject so they all deserve your praise. Thanks and I’ll pass it on. Hope you like the film.
This is Maja(maya), the Croatian stunt girl. Thanks to Pascal I was very fortunate to see ‘Gardens of the night’ twice on Friday at Sunset 5, Dec.5th. I talked to you outside after the 7pm screening. I have a couple of question that I didn’t get to ask. What made you decide to use the ‘Jungle Book’ as a parallel story? I really enjoyed that. Also, was the film ever titled ‘Have You Seen Me’?
I know you must be very busy with the tour now so I understand if you are not able to answer.
Thank you anyway.
good to meet you the other night, I came across the Jungle Book when I was reading about Rudyard Kipling’s life and how at a young age he and his sister had to live with a family in England for many years, whilst their parents went to work in India. The woman looking after them was very cruel, Rudyard had to protect his sister, and out of this experience came the children’s book. I thought the two children in my film would do something similar to escape the reality of their situation, they would escape into a make believe world (often in severly traumatic situations they escape with imaginary friends), so I chose the Jungle Book. This then became the way they filtered everything bad they came across in their young lives.
Yes the film was called HAVE YOU SEEN ME, for a short period, and that is still the name of the production company that made the film.
Damian,
Missed the screening, I was working. Thought I would go today to a matinee. It is gone from the theater although I think it said it would be there. Is Gardens showing anywhere else. Is there a cast and crew screening or was Dec 5 the only one?
I hope you don’t mind my random questions. When you were thinking about casting did you look for people from LA area only or did you also consider San Diego based actors?
I just wanted to ask if there is (or will be) any chance to see it in Amsterdam, Holland?
I also have to say that “Mercy” is one of my favourite movies. I love it’s atmosphere… visually beautiful, the music is great and Peta Wilson is amazing.
yes there will be extra features on the DVD, I am working on it now with City Lights, we are looking at including an alternate ending and deleted scenes.
Gardens of the Night has been bought by VVS Films in Canada but I dont know when they are releasing the film and if it will be theatrical or DVD it might be worth you contacting them. Hope you like it.
Hi Damian! I´m from Spain and i have been following you about this film for a long time,and i just wanted to tell you that i cant wait to watch it when it comes on dvd this month,but i wanted to know if the dvd will cointain any subtitle so i could understand it better.Thank you so much,and i wish you good luck with all your projects.Sorry for my English.
“Wendy,
who was one of the most beautiful sixteen year old girls I’d ever laid eyes on
she
should have been some proud parent’s daughter but instead she rode the buses
in the evening high on heroin trying to forget the tricks her pimp had made
service that day.”
the last time I saw Wendy, she was staying in Covenant House, not knowing whether to return to the streets or return home, neither an easy choice. The Father Ritter scandal in Covenant House caused my access to be stopped (they became very sensitive to their image for a while) and I lost touch with Wendy. i hope she is happily married with a family of her own. DH
Hi Damian,
I look forward to seeing this film although the subject matter is so disturbing.
I’m curious, though – along with raising awareness of how children need to be protected, wouldn’t the film possibly also help would-be abusers learn how to abduct and brainwash children?
This is something I wonder about films in general.
Hi Gloria,
since I began researching this story in the late 80’s, the awareness of the possibility of abuse has greatly increased, as have the measures parents or guardians should take to protect
children and the methods a predator might use to prey on a child, so I don’t think the film is either particularly raising awareness or helping would be abusers. The film is about the trauma
that is wreaked upon the abused, how it can shape the child into the young adult they will become, a subject that I think is less discussed.
I recently saw ‘Mercy’. What an interesting movie. Again, you touch upon a topic that people rarely talk about but it is there and it is disturbing. I say, ‘again’ because I saw ‘Mercy’ after I saw ‘Gardens’.
I hope you have another project coming up.
Thanks.
Hi again Damian! A few weeks ago,i asked you if the dvd will contain any subtitle,but now that´s available on the web as a pre-order,i wanted to know if will be realease on any other type of dvd region for all of us that don´t live on the US and CA, or only with region 1?Thank you so much.
the DVD does have spanish subtitles but is only a USA and Canada region for the moment, hopefully the film is going to be
picked up in other regions and made available this year. DH
Hello, I just watched Gardens on Netflix online and thought it was one of the more raw yet sensitive portrayals I’ve seen on screen. When I was reading about the movie I was prepared for a real downer and was expecting some very difficult scenes…but the director really did such a great job, I was just in awe of the actors. Some of my favorite actors in roles that wold certainly keep them off Access Hollywood.
Really a great film. Damian, can you discuss what it was like for you and the actors to film such difficult scenes with young Leslie?
So glad you liked the film, the key to it’s effectiveness is the across the board authentic performances given by the cast. Before we began filming Monique Simpkins (Ryan’s mother) and I worked out a version of the script that we felt both Ryan and Scooter could understand and relate to, we then discussed this with the actors who would be performing with the children and the crew who would be with them day to day, so there was a continuity. When it came to the scenes with Ryan that you are asking about, I would prepare her for what the scene was about in the context of the story, then her mother or the acting coach would take her to an emotional place the scene required, using an association from her own life (i.e imagine the loss of a love one, or being separated from your mother etc). It is never easy to watch a child cry or suffer even when it is make believe, I know that everybody (cast and myself) were happy when those scenes were over and done with. I think Ryan has given what will be eventually recognised as one of the great child performances, I am in awe of that. And grateful that both she and Gillian were in the film. DH
I also was able to view the film through my Netflix account the other night. I was absolutely astonished by the evolution of your storytelling through the past couple decades. I am always happy to see a filmmaker approach a subject that would seem uncomfortable for them and to help shine a light on a subject not touched upon as much before for society. I wanted to ask you, had you any influence from Ramin Bahrani’s Chop Shop before/during the writing or shooting of Gardens of the Night? I only ask because the two films, although based upon different ends of the country, are both similar on the subject matter and parts of the story. I am very glad to see this film got the distribution it deserved in the end.
Because of the subject matter It took me a long time to gather the resources to make this film, so your words of appreciation and acknowledgment are very welcome. I started researching this subject and wrote the first draft of the script in the mid 1980’s, the film was almost made three times since then, we finally made the film in 2007. I saw CHOP SHOP when I was in the middle of editing GARDENS, I liked it very much and felt encouraged that another filmmaker was taking on a subject that was by and large ignored. I subsequently watched MAN PUSH CART which I also recommend to everybody out there. Of all the new American Filmmakers I like Ramin Bahrani the best, he has the talent to find the story and humanity in the everyday without making it seem for a moment false.
Thanks
DH
Amazing movie, makes your heart weep for all the children lost, abused and not cared for. I am on my way to be a family lawyer and really appreciated this film. All of the performances were so real you almost forgot you were watching a movie. This is the quality and depth of a movie that should be shown in all movie cinemas. Congrats. Can you please tell me what song is playing with the credits at the end ? is there a soundtrack ?
Thanks Samantha,
I’m glad you appreciated the film, it’s why we made it. The title is from a Robert Bridges poem, I read it when I was in the middle of researching the story for the film, I’d spend all night with homeless teens on the streets, living in what is considered by us to be an alien or friendless place but was their home and playground, I thought Gardens of the Night
captured that pretty well.
The song at the end is called EMOTIONAL CHAMP and it’s by an Australian band called NEW BUFFALO, the track was on their latest album which is very good. There is no official soundtrack but here is the link to the soundtrack our music supervisor posted on his website.:
OMG i finally got to watch gardens of the night!!!
it was amazing..it was the saddest movie i ever watched..
the end kind of confused me though.. other then that i loved it!!!!
I finally saw the film on DVD last night! I forgot to see the alternate ending. The ending in the film left me pretty melancholy. The whole film left me angry, saddened and touched.
Your film is so subtle the way it’s filmed and how it unfolds. Everything is handled with such quiet dignity. All of the actors were superb, as is the writing and cinematography and editing…everything!
Thank you for making the film and never giving up!
Mari
City Lights have not made a Blue Ray but we are hoping they will at some point in the future, please spread the word so more people can find it. And thanks for your support we appreciate it.
I just wanted to let you know that for my Adolescence/Transition to Maturity class, I’m an essay about child sexual abuse and the impact it has on later adolescent development, using “Gardens of the Night” as a lens. I just want to commend you for shooting the film so clearly and so powerfully. What drove you to pursue this particularly cruel story? Also, aesthetically, the scenes in San Diego were perfect. The night scenes at the beach were beautiful and so true to life, I could almost smell the sea. (Were you filming in Oceanside? Or Carlsbad?)
Also, I was wondering if you know of any other films which have similar themes of child abuse? What would you recommend for further research into the subject?
thanks for the appreciative words and please use the film if it can help an understanding of the effects of abuse in any way, that was one of my reasons for making it, and that’s what drove me towards this subject matter in the first place, to tell a story about a child’s loss of innocence through such a devastating trauma, a trauma that is very common place in our world. I decided on this particular story of child abduction because I felt it was so extreme it would get people’s attention, and then they could confront the more common problem of child sexual abuse. We filmed in San Diego, not in Oceanside, I don’t remember the name of the beach, it might have been Carlsbad.
There aren’t that many films that I know of that have dealt with child abuse, Salaam Bombay was the film that inspired me to make this film, which is more about abandoned children but it deals with
children sold into sex slavery, Monsoon Wedding by the same director deals with child abuse within the family, Mysterious Skin is the best film I’ve seen that deals with the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is devastating. There was a very powerful documentary called See No Evil that is a must see too.
thanks for the appreciative words and please use the film if it can help an understanding of the effects of abuse in any way, that was one of my reasons for making it, and that’s what drove me towards this subject matter in the first place, to tell a story about a child’s loss of innocence through such a devastating trauma, a trauma that is very common place in our world. I decided on this particular story of child abduction because I felt it was so extreme it would get people’s attention, and then they could confront the more common problem of child sexual abuse. We filmed in San Diego, not in Oceanside, I don’t remember the name of the beach, it might have been Carlsbad.
There aren’t that many films that I know of that have dealt with child abuse, Salaam Bombay was the film that inspired me to make this film, which is more about abandoned children but it deals with
children sold into sex slavery, Monsoon Wedding by the same director deals with child abuse within the family, Mysterious Skin is the best film I’ve seen that deals with the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is devastating. There was a very powerful documentary called See No Evil that is a must see too.
Damian, Thank you for making this film. I am a San Diegan and I found myself spending much of the movie thinking to myself just how many times have I been at Belmont Park, driving the streets of SD, or just living day to day and may have seen one of these children and felt stupid. I would never have pegged any of those kids hanging out on the boardwalk or anywhere else for that matter as a kid who was homeless and killing time until the shelter opened for the night, or making money anyway they could so they could pay for a place to sleep or just have to wait until dark to find a place to sleep. I cried when Leslie went home and was glad that you did not leave that part unclosed. I am an attorney here and plan on getting involved with the programs that SDYS sponsors.
PS: You filmed at Mission Beach…that is where the roller coaster and amusement park are. The park is called Belmont Park, the coaster is a landmark and is called the Big Dipper. Carlsbad and Oceanside are coastal cities in the northern part of SD County. The film really did capture the part of the San Diego culture where these kids may simply blend in and get lost.
Bless you for making this movie. My sister has just as compelling of a story for different reasons. Please view my site at the above mentioned site and read the Jamie page. Please. I have waited 38 years to bring my sister home. We grew up in foster homes, and she was the only family I had growing up, just me and her, my big sister. Please please think about telling her story. She is thought to have been murdered by the 1st serial killer of Clark County, WA, a Vietnam Vet, a popular varsity President of his high school and so much more. Please please please consider it. peace and bless you always, Starr
Thank you for demonstrating how easy it was to brainwash an Innocent person… Leslie never fought back.
‘Why didn’t she run away?’ and ‘Why didn’t she breakdown?’ These are just a few of the questions used in Victim Blaming.
‘Your mother didn’t want you, didn’t love you…’ ‘Take a bath, you don’t want to be a dirty girl…’ Manipulation presented as choice during the destruction of the Soul of Innocence.
Please remember the newborn infants abducted during birthing and trafficked in the infant adoption market – the 60’s Scoop. Few will ever find their way home….. robbed of their identities, their parents, their rightful names….
First of all this film has completely sucked me in and I can’t stop thinking about it. I first watched it exactly one week ago and I have watched it 4 more times since then. This is definitely a job well done! I like how you set the story up the way you did. Today, so many people try to overdue the “shock factor” and they do it too soon in a movie and loose audience because of it. You gave the viewer a chance to get sucked into the actual story first. For example, when Leslie first got to the house the little boy was taken into the other room and nothing was shown but we all know what was going on. This is a story that needs to be seen too, by young and old. Anyways, I really learned alot from this movie. I never knew about the throwaway children. It totally makes sense, I just never realized that happened to kids. It makes me wonder how kids just slip through the cracks of the system like that and remain on the streets underage. It makes me realize how unfortunate some people REALLY are. Leslie and Donnie’s lives were stolen from them, even when Leslie went home she knew she wasn’t the same person that left that house so many years before. It wasn’t her home anymore and she wasn’t the same person anymore and she knew it. I think I even read somewhere that somebody wrote about it, “you can never go home” and it makes sense now b/c her home was on the streets with Donnie. Her parents had moved on. She almost felt in the way to be there, like she was disturbing their lives by being there. What a horrible but realistic situation. VERY POWERFUL AND EXTREMELY TOUCHING. When I was watching the movie I could never figure a couple of things out and I have been thinking about it ever since. My first question is: Where did Frank come from? Was he Alex’s son? Did Alex maybe kidnap Frank when Frank was a child too? I noticed some similaritiese in Frank and Leslie when Leslie grew up. For example, Frank was really bitter and mean and he had no sympathy whatsoever for Leslie and Donnie. He even helped coerce Leslie into coming with them. When Leslie grew up she coerced Monica to trust her because she was helping Ratboy for a place to live the same way Frank had helped Alex possibly for a place to live? My second question is about the judges daughter: Did the judges wife know and she was just in denial? Did the judge want her to dress in a too-too because it reminded him of his daughter and he liked his daughter in an incestial way? The daughter seemed to know what was going on, like this wasn’t the first time a random little girl had been there. They looked at each other as if they both knew. The daughter almost looked at Leslie like she was mad at Leslie. Maybe these are things the viewer isn’t really supposed to know. Maybe they are things that we are supposed to interpret in our own way. Anyways, great job! This is a top quality film that will change people for the better. It did me.
Yes, Frank was kidnapped by Alex when he was a boy but has now matured and become redundant to Alex, stepping into a partner role, and I guess you could
say also a faux son role. His anger towards the children comes from the jealousy of being replaced by Leslie and Donnie and also by witnessing their abuse he is reliving his own by Alex. I asked the actress who played the judge’s wife to play it like she did not what was going on but was in denial. The judge wants Leslie to become his daughter when he abuses her, that way (in his twisted logic) he feels he is protecting his real daughter from his actions, though he has abused his daughter in the past and that’s why she knows what’s going on when she looks at Leslie.
Thanks for your comments and appreciation, they are greatly appreciated. Spread the word.
I bumped into this movie on the sundance channel. When I read the few sentences describing it at first I thought I couldn’t watch it. I am left feeling as I did after reading Anne Frank as a boy–Haunted. These characters stick in my mind. Does Donnie find Leslie? God, I hope so. I’m glad to read the above posts about how the filming was done for the young actors. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for the adults, knowing the real plot. It was disturbing to watch. I was able to continue because the audience is not assaulted with the horrible experience the fictional children shared. Not a critic here, but it seems like a brilliant way to deal with the subject. Thank you for allowing Leslie the humanity to rescue the 12 year old girl she deceived. Hearing her quote Frank was sadly predictable. I imagine you were concerned about the possibility of child molesters learning how to use this film for their own evil purposes. Perhaps other posters might like to hear of a Brazilian film “Pixote”, which uses actual homeless children of Sao Paulo (as I recall). Be warned…it is far more brutal in depicting the sexual abuse of the children, who actually lived this life. Upon winning awards and gaining some income many of the children came to sad and early ends of their lives. I’m not a sorrow junkie, seeking catharsis through the depiction of the evil in this world. I’m not going to start a foundation or take a homeless teen into my home. It did inspire me to make a donation to Birdge Over Troubled Waters here in Boston. For this I thank you.
To Mr. Harris, the Cast, and all involved in creating this film – thank you. I am not one whom cries during a movie more than once every couple years. But I wept a tear or two after this film. It had a special relevance for me, though. Although not abducted, I was abused sexually in adolescence and my early teens – and was well on my way to becoming the abuser (and victim again in my young adulthood) before I sought help. I think this should be mandatory viewing in all high schools, and all PTA meetings.
I applaud you for having the integrity to follow through with this film, in light of the public’s apparent admiration for the typical box-office mash-up of tits & ass, guns, explosions, fast cars, and more tits and ass. God forbid we deal with something real in cinema that would help facilitate introspective reflection and possibly healing.
This movie brought it all out into the open for me again. All the memories, not only of being abused, but of subconsiously beginning to assume the role of the abuser later. The ending of this movie hit me hard as well, how you can never go back home once you have lost your way. Because home was a place, a moment in time, and you have lost it after being broken. And you are always trying to get back there – but it is impossible. This movie has helped me to rededicate my healing, and to get involved in some form of volounteerism or charity for helping victims
that have not found there way out of the cycle of abuse yet.
Also – Kudos to Tom Arnold with a spot-on performance (I felt like he was there in the living room with me!). also – Jessica Simpkins and Gillian Jacobs both gave very heartwrenching performances.
If anyone knows, could you tell me whom sings the song at the end of the movie. Very haunting – and I can’t get it out of my head. Thx.
I saw this movie a week ago, and it is still in my head. It’s been called in some reviews a new type of horror movie, I agree. My question is: if someone wanted to donate/help out homeless teens what charities or organizations would you recommend?
Thank you. This is a cause I would want to donate money and/or time and resources to, after seeing your film. If any new screening/ q&A events for Gardens is ever scheduled in NYC, I’m there.
Wow. Just wow. Saw this movie on Showtime on accident. I was dead tired and it just started, watched a few minutes and couldn’t stop watching (I was shot a work the next day). You hit a walkoff grandslam with this one Damian! Nicely done. I had never even heard of this flick, but I will spread the word. I TIVO’ed it on the spot and watched it again. I am so grateful for the wonderfu childhood I had. Heartbreaking that there are so many that didnt have the same due to the things these demons and the people like them did to young Leslie and Donnie in the film.
I don’t know what else to say, but thanks. It’s a story I hope many get to see. I found it quite educational, and something I never really thought much about in my all is fine life. The Ending blew me away. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want her to go home and be happy and intergrate with her original family? Did it happen? No. I like that, you kept it real. Who in their right mind didn’t want Donnie and Leslie to get back together? Couldn’t you at least give us THAT much? No, you didn’t sugarcoat a thing. That’s the kind of movie I like Damian. If it’s too hot in the kitchen, then get the heck out!
I need to transfer it to my 52″ plasma, because I had no idea who was walking down highway at the end, but I assume it was Donnie, and you were just letting us know he was alive somewhere to not totally leave us sapped of hope. Love how Leslie was being driven to the airport and she saw the hood from behind and thought it was possibly Donnie. Wouldn’t that have been sweet? But nope, didn’t happen. Brilliant my friend, brilliant. You can retire on this one.
I saw the beginning of the film about a week ago on Showtime but didn’t have the emotional fortitude to finish; it stayed in my head and after reading online reviews, I knew I had to see the whole film. It was heartbreaking and emotionally devastating. The scene with young Leslie looking passively down at her shoes in the motel room with Orlando spoke volumes of how alone and terrified she must have felt. The later scene at the arcade with Leslie and Donnie dancing to the game had me in tears, it was as if we caught a glimpse of what they could have been- happy, fun-loving teens who were never brutalized by predators.
Some have written that the ending was too depressing, but I thought it was the only way for the film to end. Leslie and Donnie made a pledge that if separated they would meet in Wonderland, finally home with her family, I think Leslie felt she betrayed Donnie and had no choice but to find him.
I saw the making of the film on YouTube and agree with Tom Arnold that there is hope and I think you gave a glimpse of that hope with Donnie making it to Florida. If the film were a novel, I think of it in 3 parts: Part 1 “Have you seen me?”- the original title, Part 2 “Gardens of the Night” and Part 3 “Going to Wonderland”- with that and the haunting lyrics of “Emotional Champ” I have my hope.
Thank you Mr. Harris and your amazing cast for this brilliant film and opening my eyes to the unfortunate plight of victimized children. With all due respect to Brian D., don’t retire, the film world would be a lesser place. God bless you.
I just saw this movie randomly. At first I was scared to watch it because that topic is so sad. But whats great about this film is that it shows you enough. It doesnt show you moments that would make you feel sick after watching it. My question is why didnt you show them finding each other in the end? In my head i picture them finding each other and looking out for each other for the rest of their lives. =)
I wanted to end the film when Leslie understood and accepted that her family was now Donnie. What happens after that is the creation of each individual
person watching the film.
Damian, in the scene with Orlando, I suspected Alex set the whole thing up to “rescue” Leslie to further his control- was that the same Orlando at the hotel buying items from Alex after they took off when the Asian couple informed the police? It wasn’t clear, but from the look on Leslie’s face, it looks like she may have recognized the man Alex supposedly saved her from.
Hi JC, you are right, Alex arranged the “rescue” to get Leslie’s trust, and behave like a hero dad, and yes that is Orlando buying photos etc from Alex in the hotel, it’s clearer on the big screen.
Just watched the scene again on Showtime tonight and its Orlando, don’t know how I could’ve missed that the first time; big fan of Harold Perrineau- he’s great on “Lost” and “28 Weeks Later,” thanks for casting him.
I read your interview on comingsoon.net and you stated that if the film was made in the early nineties, you would have cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Donnie, since Leo was a “name” would the script have been more from the point-of-view of Donnie rather than Leslie? Just curious.
I would like to know where I can find the titles of the songs used in the movie. I like the ‘music box’ type song, and i would like to know where i can find it. great movie by the way.
hi director
I saw this movie testerday. it is still in my head.
thanks for it.
it is fantastic. i must think about it more and see it again.
thanks a lot man.
I APOLOGIZE FOR MY POSTING, BECAUSE THERE ARE MISTAKES IN IT.
I JUST NEEDED TO SAY TO YOU, “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE MOVIE, AND IF YOU WERE HERE IN PERSON, I WOULD GIVE YOU A BIG ‘O HUG.”
it was beautiful.
i loved the atmosphere you’ve created, together with great music, great acting and the choice of people you worked with (also in “mercy” – cast was perfect).
john malkovich, brilliant tom arnold, a little appearance by peta wilson – she has so much potential, and even this tiny drop that michelle rodriguez added to complete the picture.
i really admire your style, real and unreal at the same time, rough but delicate and fragile, little shy but confident and strong, very convincing and filled with passion.
i’m curious what is your favourite movie and what else you think is worth seeing? lately i’ve seen a lot of derek jarman’s films and i think aesthetically there is a connection between his and yours works.
thank you and i’m really looking forward to what’s next.
Thanks for writing to us about GARDENS, much appreciated. I dont have a favorite film, there are so many I love and have been inspired by. But recently I was blown away by There Will Be Blood and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, also a turkish film called Three Monkeys and a Swiss film called Revanche. Films that are related to GARDENS in ways small and big are Mysterious Skin, Layla 4 ever, 4 moths 3 Week 2 Days, The Beat My Heart Skipped, Nobody Knows, Salaam Bombay.
Kudos to you for one of the most disturbing and haunting, yet beautiful films that I’ve ever watched. I appreciate all of your effort in this project that will or has touched many people personally or indirectly.
I have two questions:
1). There didn’t seem to be much guilt or emotion whatsoever from the parents after Leslie was reunited with them, or what little there was seemed to be short-lived as soon as their youngest children arrived home, is there a reason for this?
2) What is the name of the instrumental that plays throughout the movie and at the end while young Leslie is reading from The Jungle Book? As the music is playing we see older Donnie hitchhiking on the road to Florida.
Once again, thank you for Gardens of the night. I’ve decided to become involved with the Runaway shelter as a volunteer, I was affected so deeply.
Well done on your decision to become involved in some way with the plight of street children, both runaway and throwaway, they need it. My introduction to that world was random, walking into a shelter and asking what was happening there (coming from the UK in the late 80’s, we didn’t have street children or a population of runaways.) It lead me to the story of missing children, and then to the effects of the trauma of sexual abuse, which was something I could relate to. I am so glad this film in some way could be helpful, it’s one of the reasons I made it.
To answer your questions: The Parents. I actually reshot the Parents sequence, after recasting the parents and rewriting the scenes because the first time around the scenes had been full of anger on Leslie’s part which had made the Parents defensive. I wanted to show that the Parents would be conflicted. Their child who had been gone for nine years had miraculously returned, but not as the eight year old who left but as a seventeen year old stranger. The emotions that would come up for them: the pain of loss, the anger at the abductors, the joy at the reunion would be struggling with the guilt they’d feel over the protective feelings they’d have towards their two younger children. A very real need to protect. They wouldn’t really know how much Leslie had been changed, they would have been prepped for this reunion by social services. In the end I wanted the parents to try to balance the effects of Leslie coming back, which they wanted a hundred percent, with not trying to upset the the routine and staus quo of the house. Therefore bedtime for the younger children had to happen as it did every night: a bath and a story.
The music is by the composer Craig Richey, he has said that he will be posting his score soon on his website. Any questions about the score can be answered by him there.
I was hoping it would be released in France at some point, but I don’t think it did.
Is it possible to buy a DVD that would work in France (i.e without the “zone” problem) ?
There is no french sale yet of the film, but there should be one by next year. At the moment the only way to get a copy of the film is to buy
a US or Canadian version on Amazon.
Any news on events and screenings are posted on the film’s facebook page. Any help, financially or otherwise we steer towards the Vanished Childrens Alliance (www.vca.org).
Leonardo DiCaprio was an unknown when I met him for the film, he was about to do This Boys Life. I cast him, and he would have been Donnie but the film didn’t happen that time. And no, the script wouldn’t have changed at all.
October 17, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hi Damian,
I was fortunate enough to watch this film in Berlin. As intense as the film was to watch I found it an incredibly rewarding experience and congratulate you on getting it made. With that said, I’m wondering what kind of research you did to get it made and how true to life is the story you are telling in the film?
October 17, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Hi Jim
I went to San Francisco and spoke to the father of an ten year old boy who had been abducted eighteen months before. It was speaking to him that made me decide to tell the story from the abducted child’s point of view. I spent the next two years traveling around the US, interviewing Runaway and Throwaway teens either on the streets or in Shelters, talking to the staff who worked with them, the police who fought both child prostitution and pornography, the pimps who worked it. and response teams who tried to react immediately when a child went missing. From all of this the character of LESLIE emerged, she was a composite of many children I’d spoken to, but in particular a sixteen year old girl named Wendy, the most heartbreaking beautiful girl, an angel, who was as hard and as bitter as any person I’d ever met. Life had dealt her some very bad cards and she had a very cynical view of the world and men in particular. Leslie and the actress Gillian Jacobs who plays her so well, are as close to the Wendy that I remember.
July 23, 2009 at 8:14 pm
I can only say I want to scream right now, and tears are being held back. I happened to watch the movie last night, and I’ve knew here were that understood my life. Right now I’m shaking, because I just remembered the bathing scenes, and what my abductor did to me. Understand that I lived in complete darkness for 28 years and one day a film started to play in my mind. Though it has taking me 3 years to start to all the wrongs that happened, and everyday I remember something else, and today it was the bath scene. 3 years ago I started to take responsibilty for my own life, it has been hell, and up until last night, I have been all alone with my abduction. I am now going to die because of the things people made me do. To this day I’m judged so harshly that it wounds me even more. I need to met someone like myself. Its been to long, and living alone with everything. I battle everyday to be the best I can be, and some days I fail myself,and some days I surprise myself. Please don’t let my life end without the compassion and understanding I so much deserve. please jadkinsssd@gmail.com
October 21, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I can imagine this film will affect me deeply. Anything on TV or film involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children bothers me, and I suppose any other reaction would be abnormal. What was it like to work with the young children in the cast? Was it difficult for the adult actors to do certain scenes involving implied rape/abuse? Also what drew actors like Malkovich, Zegers, Sisto and Tom Arnold to this project? I am looking forward to seeing the film, even though it will be very difficult!
October 22, 2008 at 3:16 am
Hi Helen
this film does affect people, depending on what they bring to it. At a screening in London early in the year the response was quite angry and I think was because of the recent Madeline MCcann case which had managed to involve most of the country to the point of hysteria. More recently in France it had the opposite reaction, the audience of 1500 people were very moved by the film, commenting about how gently the subject was handled.
The two children in the cast, Ryan Simpkins (Young Leslie) and Jermaine “Scooter” Smith (Young Donnie) spent weeks rehearsing together, we couldn’t tell them what the real story of the film was so an alternate script was created in which the wifeless Alex, the Tom Arnold character, steals the children to create a make believe happy family with Frank, Kevin Zegers, as the older brother. Each scene involving the children had it’s alternate scenario. Good child actors have their emotions close to the surface and they access them not through the characters they are playing but through their own experiences involving some part of their life that fits where the story needs the character to be.
The sex and exploitation isn’t seen in the film so the actors never had to actually play anything, but being these characters in this world made for a tense work experience that I know they found sometimes very uncomfortable. The scene that was most difficult was actually one that involved only the crew and Young Leslie’s stand in, we were implying that pornography was being made and even though it involved only close ups that only had meaning when cut together, it still created a very uncomfortable feeling amongst all of us on the set.
The actors all responded to the material because it deals with the human condition and asks the question how do we live our lives given the circumstances we have been forced into? I believe they all felt that was a worthwhile subject.
I’m glad you are going to see the film, let me know what you think.
DH
October 29, 2008 at 3:36 am
Hello Damien,
I was a dayplayer in the film back when it was filming in 2006. Can’t wait to see the finished product when it screens here in Los Angeles. I’ve seen the trailer and read news stories about it and it all sounds like you have an amazing project on your hands. Take care and keep in touch and I wish you much success with this film and the ventures it will lead too.
JC
October 30, 2008 at 2:54 am
Thanks JC, the film opens December 5 in Los Angeles so tell and bring as many friends as you can, and maybe we’ll meet up there.
October 31, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hello Damien,
To say that I am intrigued and awed by this film is an understatement! As the owner of a small “hometown” theater in a blue collar town, I have sadly met many “throwaway” teens and often wonder about what set these children on such a sorrow filled path.
I can remember several cases of “lost” children in my area, sadly still not found. One little girl walked past my apartment every day to school…. then gone…. over twenty years have passed with no clue as to what happened.
I sincerley wish you such great success with this film and hope that it gains recognition and resparks the publics awareness of not only child abduction, but the “throw away” children as well.
Hopefully soon, the film will be available for smaller venues such as my theatre, and we become more proactive in protecting the most important thing on the planet, the life of a child.
Thank you again for this powerful statement and labor of love, we are indebted to your vision!
November 1, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Thanks Glenda
for your support and encouragement, I wanted to make this film because like you, I saw these “lost children” and needed to know more. For me it started with two images, the picture of a young missing girl on a milk carton and the photo of a boy, also missing, on the cover of NEWSWEEK. I’m from England, so my initial reaction was how can a child go missing in the United States, the most developed nation in the world, and then I thought that the idea of searching for your child in this vast country was terrifying.
I ended up spending a lot of time in the huge population of street children that are all over this country, a pattern emerged, some of the kids had that “huck finn” notion of freedom and wanted to escape what they saw as the boredom or restriction of home, others were forced to leave home because of abuse in some form, or there were those children who were literally tossed out onto the street.
Here are some of the facts I found out doing research for the film:
On any given day there are over 1,300,000 runaways, throwaways and homeless children living on the streets of the USA, sometimes that figure spikes dramatically upwards.
Every year as many as 300,000 children are the victims of prostitution.
60,000 children are abducted by strangers (meaning they are returned under 24 hours), half have been sexually assaulted.
100 to 200 children are “stereotypically kidnapped” (meaning they are kept over 24 hours, with the intention of being kept permanently or held for ransom) 40% of these children are murdered, half are sexually assaulted.
One in every four girls and one in every eight boys have been sexually victimized before adulthood. (The figure for the boys is lower but because it involves homosexual sex it remains unrevealed). In the end this is why I made the film, the trauma of sexual abuse on a child stays hidden until through talking it is brought out into the light. I hope my film can lead to many such conversations. Unfortunately the making and releasing of this film has opened my eyes to how this subject is perceived in this country, few people want to know about it. Apparently this is a problem that exists in europe or the far east and the perpetrators are evil cliches. In fact they are banally human. Evil is banal.
If you would like to get the opportunity to screen the film in your hometown theatre then lets try to make it happen. Send a request here and I will pass it on to the distributor, City Lights.
Thanks
Damian
November 2, 2008 at 5:11 am
Thanks Damian, and of course we would be very honored to show the film.
I would like to contact our local CYS ( Children and Youth Services , they deal with “fractured” families and abuse cases) and have a show for caseworkers and other social service workers, police officers, etc… with hopefully a guest speaker and/or an open , round table format.
I have seen what a powerful film can do to inspire a passion for change and to spur actions toward goals; and sadly have also seen some police officers dismiss a teen as “trouble” and not worth their time . Maybe if presented in this setting, a story line that is true and compelling, some understanding will make for a more compassionate and caring set of officers, social workers, etc. And lead to a stronger more aggressive system to keep the children from falling through the “cracks”.
Everyone knows about Amber Alerts, but few understand what happens after the months pass and the child still is not found, or is never found. I think your film will bring a shocked awareness to the public, and they need to be shocked to fully comprehend the scope of this problem.
To many of us have remained voiceless about the sadness the abuses by trusted adults in our early lives have had on us as adults. People do not want to know “ugly” secrets about their neighbors, co workers, family members. They don’t want to raise question about the “nice” man renting the house down the street, taking care of his dead sisters children. So children run away, or are taken away by someone that shows them kindness, and the nightmare begins. Others suffer through childhood, betrayed, scarred in body and soul, in the center of their family.
Ok, rant mode off…..
Please feel free to pass my information on to City Lights if you can; and I will be actively directing my customers to look for your film when it becomes availble in the Pittsburgh market.
November 3, 2008 at 10:49 am
Hello Damian,
Thank you for your new movie “Gardens of the Night”, which raises a lot of sensitive issues of the modern society like your other works. It is great to hear that the movie is doing so well at all the festivals, congratulations with that! My friends and myself think that your previous movie “Mercy” is one of the deepest and strongest movies; and after reviews that “Gardens of the Night” received in the press, we are looking forward to watching this new movie. Could you let us know, please, when the movie will be shown in Norway, Austria and Russia? (Is there a calendar of theatrical releases?) Are there any plans to have this movie on DVD? I am a representative of Peta Wilson fan site, and although we know that Peta has a tiny part in the movie, we are anyway looking forward to seeing it.
Thanks and my best regards,
Aleksey
November 4, 2008 at 12:03 am
Hi Damian:
I saw an episode of Dr. Phil and heard Tom Arnold speak about your movie and saw clips. Is the movie going to be shown in Canada in theaters or on tv?My wife and I are interested in watching it, It seems to be a must see movie for all parents and children.
November 4, 2008 at 1:22 am
Hello from Canada Damian;
I caught some of Tom Arnold’s interview today with Dr.Phil and wanted to
know more about the film. As a victim, I too am intrigued by the after life of other survivors of abuse and would really hope that this and other films that deal with the missing and the children abused would some day be shown in schools and talked about. We will always wonder what happen to those faces on the posters and milk cartons…what did they live through, where did they go and how are they now, are they alive or ??? I also want
to know if it’ll be shown in Canada anywhere??
November 4, 2008 at 3:54 am
Damian,
I have not yet had the opportunity to see this film but from what I have heard and read it is one not to be missed! I was wondering how you went about casting for this film especially when such young actors make up an integral portion of the script. Also when casting an independent picture do you immediately look for those with great experience or are you open to new talents? Thank you and best of luck to you and this film, I can not wait to see it!
November 4, 2008 at 4:37 am
Thanks Aleksey for your interest in the film and I’m glad to hear you are a fan of MERCY, which has a thematic connection to GARDENS OF THE NIGHT, both films having characters who try to cope with the trauma of abuse. Peta Wilson gave a very strong performance. I don’t know the release dates for the countries you named, but when I do I’ll post them.
November 4, 2008 at 4:45 am
Hi Dennis
the film will be distributed in Canada although it hasn’t been decided yet if it will be a theatrical release or DVD, that will depend on demand and it’s performance in the US. I think you should see the film before deciding if it’s appropriate for your children, it is rated R. It is not appropriate for young children but is for older teenagers. It requires a level of maturity to understand what it is saying and what it’s about
November 4, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Hi Damian -
I too have seen the previews on Dr. Phil as well as Oprah yesterday. Is it really true the only southern california screening is in LA on Dec. 5? Any chances of additional showtimes? I gotta see it…and would love to take my teenage daughter who is in Peer Counseling at her high school. If no other showings, is it being releases on DVD…or? Any info you have is appreciated.
November 4, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Hi Lorrie
GARDENS OF THE NIGHT is about the affects of traumatic abuse and how the same experience shapes the lives of two children differently, bonding them in a complex relationship. I made the film to promote a dialogue about this “hidden” subject, both with victims and friends of victims and caregivers. The story is a piece of fiction which imagines what might have happened to an abducted girl, it is not a true story, it is a “what might have happened”. But the struggle to deal with abuse is very real and I think portrayed in an authentic way. Last night we screened the film in New Jersey and in the Q&A afterwards a psychiatrist spoke about how well the film handled the subject. I do think you should be careful before screening the film to teenagers and make sure they are mature and equipped enough to understand what they’re watching.
The film has a distributor in Canada called VVS Films, you should contact them about release dates, and maybe if enough people show interest they will release it theatrically before it comes out on DVD.
DH
November 4, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Dear Damian,
I saw the Dr. Phil interview with you and Tom Arnold and I want to applaud you for making this film. I’ve been teaching child abduction prevention/sexual abuse prevention workshops for the past few years. My workshops are similar to Bob Stuber’s teachings. I was glad to see him on the show too, giving his advice. We met a few years ago and I interviewed him on my radio show in Oklahoma City. He’s been an inspiration and encouragement to me in my efforts to help kids protect themselves.
I currently host an internet radio show on BlogTalkRadio.com, and with the vast majority of my listeners being parents, I would like to interview you and Tom Arnold (and possibly other cast members) about the movie. Please let me know the best way to contact you and Tom to arrange an interview. I downloaded the press kit but did not see any contact info for interview requests.
Sincerely,
Tamara Walker, R.N.
BTR Host, “Ask MomRN Show”
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/momrn
November 4, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Hi Gina
we found Ryan Simpkins (who plays eight year old Leslie), through Jeremy Sisto who had acted with her in the Broadway production of “Festen”. Jeremy had already committed to being in the film and was a strong advocate, helping us get Kevin Zegars and Harold Perrineau. Ryan had already worked quite a bit in film and had just done “Sherrybaby” which was adult themed and required a performance from her, so we felt she was up to the challenges of this film and in the end she gives an extraordinary performance.
Scooter Smith had never acted before but already had a career in music and dance, he was cast the regular way through our casting director . He was a natural performer and had a good chemistry with Ryan.
I saw a lot of actors for the teenagers and also kids with no acting experience, I was and am open to anybody for a role but in this case with the role of Leslie and Donnie I had to be sure that whoever played them could portray the emotion that was necessary. Neither Gillian nor Evan had that much experience but both give performances that have been roundly praised for their authenticity.
Thank you for support, it is greatly appreciated.
DH
November 4, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Hi Danielle
The film is being released in Los Angeles on December 5th at the Sunset 5, where it will run for at least a week and maybe more depending how well it does, so please come and see the film and tell or bring your friends.
DH
December 12, 2008 at 8:04 pm
the film is now playing at the MANN 13 BEVERLY CENTER.
November 6, 2008 at 7:16 am
Damian,
I always wondered when I would see you get back to directing. I look forward to seeing the film when it comes out here in LA. I am editing feature films now and would like to hear how you cut the film and finished it.
BTW, I watched Greasy Lake the other day. It was pretty good.
Peace.
Philip
budapost@mac.com
November 7, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Dearest Damian,
To you and those involved in this amazing gift you share, I wish you so many Blessings from all the children of the World. You are an amazing gift to this World. I had the Honor of seeing your Film last night in NY. I will forever be changed. Thank you from the bottom of my Soul. I will share your Film with as many people as I can. And, everyday will hold your Vision in my prayers. You are helping to change the way the World Cares for its Children.
Blessings of Peace and Love,
Colleen
November 8, 2008 at 5:06 am
Hi Damian,
I would really love to see this film, and i know of many others where i’m from that would love to see it too. I have a watched a couple different trailers for it, and it seems like a really inspirational movie. As a victim of molestation, it would be awesome to spread the knowledge about this form of abuse. Will this film ever make it to Kansas City?
November 9, 2008 at 6:47 am
Hi Philip
come to the opening evening at Sunset 5 and we’ll catch up. We shot on 35, cut on an avid for about four months, color corrected electronically and then went back to negative.
Where did you see Greasy Lake? Can I get a copy?
Damian
November 9, 2008 at 6:49 am
Thank you Colleen for saying that, it means so much to all of us who worked on the film.
Damian
November 9, 2008 at 7:04 am
Hi Tarah
as a victim of molestation I couldn’t agree with you more about wanting to spread the knowledge, it’s why I made the film. The film just opened in New York and at every screening I’ve attended people come up to me and talk about how they relate to this film personally and that’s where the power of film is, identifying with someone’s humanity, recognizing it in yourself.
This film will make it to Kansas on DVD, it plays well on a TV, it just needs to be seen intimately. Spread the word. Show it to your friends, some of them will thank you, some of them won’t. It’s a divisive film about a difficult subject that has it’s fans and detractors.
Best to you.
DH
November 9, 2008 at 8:49 pm
when is this movie going to be released in canada ?
November 10, 2008 at 9:29 pm
There are no plans yet for a Canadian release but the film has been bought in Canada by VVS Films.
DH
November 11, 2008 at 3:59 am
Hi Damian. I read that Michelle Rodriguez is in this film, as like a cameo or something but I don’t see her listed on the website. Is her cameo in the final cut? Either way I look forward to seeing so thank you for making it.
November 11, 2008 at 7:20 am
Michelle is in the final scene in the film, she picks up the main character who is hitchhiking at night. It was a beautifully acted moment of two young women at different points in their lives and unfortunately was structurally in the wrong place in the film and had to be drastically shortened and the director in me wanted to kick the writer in me’s butt for not having the foresight to move it earlier. Michelle did great work and I hope she has forgiven me.
November 11, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Sad to hear, maybe you guys can have the extended version on the DVD? Anyway thank you for the response! I can’t wait to see this film as soon as it hits DVD.
November 11, 2008 at 9:25 pm
hi ,
i was wondering when will this movie be released on Dvd… it’s a very strong movie and portrays the truths some ppl dont want to accept even though this is an increasing problem in todays world.
November 12, 2008 at 2:25 am
Hi Ashley
Yes the film will be released on DVD in the New Year and hopefully more people will find out about this very human problem. Thanks for kudos and please spread the word, films like this need word of mouth.
DH
November 13, 2008 at 2:12 am
can’t wait to get the movie—Gardens of the night
November 15, 2008 at 12:31 am
I cannot wait to see this film when it comes out in the states.
Does anyone know the songs that are in the commercial?
November 15, 2008 at 4:02 am
GoGoGo Airheart: Good Things
New Buffalo: Emotional Champ
Here is the link to the soundtrack:
Link to SOUNDTRACK: http://www.last.fm/user/peymonmaskan/journal/2007/08/21/7uu_gardens_of_the_night_-_soundtrack_listing
November 15, 2008 at 4:51 am
Hi Damian—
I am intrigued by the effort and dedication you and the cast & crew have put into this film. I have a strange research question: What was it like to do interviews with those who can be considered “perpetrators” of the kinds of crimes this film depicts, such as pimps? Were you ever angry or disgusted? Did these interviews lead to your writing of the character “Alex”?
Thanks Patsy
November 16, 2008 at 3:15 am
Hi Patsy
many things heard and witnessed during the years of research made me feel not only anger and disgust but also despair at how one human could treat another, most of the shelters kept files on alleged perpetrators who had been cited by the children when they talked to the councillors.
Nothing in the film had to be made up.
The endless stories of lies and manipulation constructed to deceive children, to brainwash children into thinking that the crimes committed against them were okay, convinced me that evil really is banal:
The pimp in Oakland who loved his girls and was saving them from living on the streets. He felt like a father to them and I think part of him believed that but he was also a brutal thug who scared them into submission.
Another pimp in Oceanside who made money from young teenage girls who “danced” in his clubs. He used to make the johns contribute to his “tithing bowl” which he gave monthly to his local church. He also tried to make a donation to the local Covenant House and got angry when they refused it.
The couple who offered shelter to an eleven year old girl and she ended up sharing their bed and taking part in child pornography sessions with other families who used their own children as well. It was presented to the girl as good educated fun.
These people were all evil.
What I learnt through interviewing or researching the abusers was how much they wanted to come across as normal, to fit in. But since I couldn’t identify with them eventually I became numb to what they were saying and just recorded it down. However when listening or replaying interviews with their victims there were moments of utter sadness and despair. It was a dark world to live in.
“Alex” was an amalgamation of what I learnt from listening to the victims and how successfully they had been brainwashed. The psychological profile of a pedophile I got from research. The commercialization of child prostitution and pornography I got from the police.
DH
November 16, 2008 at 4:31 am
Hi Damien! Thank you so much for making (from what I’ve heard and read) a very interesting and important film. I am wondering however, why there are so many commercials and trailers running and write-ups and reviews being written for a movie that seems unlikely to ever play in more than one or two theatres here in the U.S.? While I am highly disappointed that I won’t be able to see this movie in the theatre, I’m really hoping that I have the opportunity to rent/buy it before it becomes forgotten. Any information on a possible San Francisco/Bay Area showing would be wonderful. I am wishing you and your film much success. Thanks!
November 16, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Hi Karen.
the distribution of the film is a question for City Lights, they answered a similar question on our facebook page which I post here:
“It costs a great deal of money to advertise and do publicity for films. So small films like this, that are released independently and not through a studio are first released in the top two markets – NY and LA. This way they get National attention. Once they are tested in these markets and depending on how they do in the box office, other markets start rolling along and more money is invested in the release. Ancillary is other media including DVD, TV and digital download etc. We may have a chance to be in other states yet, but it will depend on whether theaters want the film or not.”
The film received a lot of attention due I think to it’s subject matter and the efforts of all involved , especially Tom Arnold who went on many national TV shows. Believe me I would have preferred that the film had a wider release to take advantage of the attention it generated but I understand the distributor’s caution about how this country would react, which has been generally positive though with an emphasis on it being tough viewing (interestingly recently in France it won the International Critic’s Award and was praised for it’s “gentle” approach). If there any screenings beyond NY and LA they’ll be posted on our Facebook page, otherwise it will be on DVD etc in the new year.
Thanks for your interest and best wishes.
DH
November 17, 2008 at 2:06 am
HI DAMIAN. WHAT A WONDERFUL AND OPEN THING YOU HAVE DONE BRING THIS TO THE FOREFRONT. I HAVE READ SO MUCH AND BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING REVIEWS FROM THE BY OPEN.
PLEASE TELL ME AS A FILM STUDENT MYSELF, WHO DID YOU CAST FIRST, RYAN SIMPKINS OR JILLIAN JACOBS? HOW DID YOU FIND THE YOUNG ACTRESS AND I WONDER WHAT RESPONSE YOU FOUND WITH THE PRESS DEALING WITH A YOUNG CHILD AND THE COMMENT OF THIS FILM. I’M SURPRISED THAT THAT RYAN SIMPKINS HAS NOT GIVEN ANY STATEMENTS AS I CAN FIND NOW. TO ME, AS I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS AND YOU CLOSLY, IT DOESN’T SEEM THINGS HAVE GONE OUT OF CONTROL AS THEY DID WITH TAXI DRIVER, PRETTY BABY OR EVEN HOUND DOG. WHAT IS YOUR SECRET? BLESSINGS AND MUCH SUCCESS. I HOPE GARDENS OF THE NIGHT COMES TO CHICAGO!
MICHELLE RIVERA
November 18, 2008 at 4:51 am
Hi Michelle
we cast Ryan Simpkins first, we found her through the actor Jeremy Sisto who’d already agreed to be in the film and was acting in the play FESTEN on Broadway in which Ryan was playing his daughter. Jeremy improvised some scenes with Ryan, recorded them on DVD and sent them to me in LA. Ryan was so good I cast her without meeting her. Gillian was the last actor cast in the film. We rehearsed and shot all of Ryan’s scenes first so Gillian could study Ryan’s behavior and body language and incorporate it into her own performance, which she did extremely well.
Ryan received a lot of attention for her performance, being named one of the forerunners for the acting award in Berlin, there has been some controversy about her appearing in this material, but I worked very closely with her mother Monique, preparing an alternate script for both child actors, so everybody involved felt completely comfortable. We have always focused the attention of the press and public on the older actors and what the film is about: the traumatic affects of child abuse, rather than on the young actress at the centre of the film.
I very much hope the film opens in Chicago too.
December 3, 2008 at 10:10 am
Hi, I am an italian journalist of the montly newspaper Futura. I would like to know when this film will be in the italian cinemas. For my newspaper I would like to write an article about the film, so I need to know the date as soon as possible. Thank you very much,
Giulia Dellepiane
December 4, 2008 at 7:18 am
Hello, Mr.Harris!
I am from Croatia now living in Los Angeles. I plan to see your movie on Friday Dec. 5th. Are the tickets going to be available for anyone to attend (since I am nobody important)? I am a film school graduate currently involved in stunt work.
Many best wishes for you film! I hope it helps many people understand that child exploitation doesn’t only happen in third world countries.
I am looking forward to seeing it (if I’m able to get a ticket).
Thank you for making this movie.
Good luck!
December 4, 2008 at 7:34 am
Dear Mr. Harris,
I am so sorry to bother you. I was going to purchase a ticket for the 7pm showing on Dec.5th because that is the only time I am able to go, however, it was sold out. I was really looking forward to listening to you after the screening. Is at all still possible to purchase one ticket for the 7pm showing? Who would I need to talk to? If it’s not possible, I absolutely understand. Thank you.
Maja(maya)
December 4, 2008 at 9:06 am
Hi Maja, the film is open to the public from this friday onwards, so please come along, get a ticket and see the film. It is a valid and real subject that is overlooked in this country, I hope the film will change that, a big hope but you’ve got to dream large.
Thanks for your best wishes. And please tell your friends…
DH
December 4, 2008 at 9:13 am
Maja. that screening is sold out, you can come along and try your luck, or come to Satuday 7PM screening which is also followed by a Q&A.
December 4, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Thank you for your quick reply. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the Saturday’s screening. Is there going to be another screening with Q&A in the LA area?
Thank you.
I’ve already told many friends about this film…
December 4, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Hello Mr. Harris,
I look forward to seeing your film. I think Tom Arnold deserves praise for having the courage to let his pain be shown to everyone and taking a project like this! I agree this is an overlooked issue, one that people would rather pretend doesn’t exist. I think many many people like myself will appreciate your hard work and determination to see this film come through.
I live in Boise, Idaho and would like to know if there is a chance it will play anywhere near me? Even Portland OR or Spokane or Seattle will work!
Mari Weir
December 4, 2008 at 6:59 pm
There will be a Q&A probably the next weekend. Or see the film and ask me any number questions on this blog here. I’ll look forward to it.
DH
December 4, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Hi Mari
Unfortunately I dont think the film will have a theatrical release in the cities you asked about, but it will be coming out on DVD on March 24th.
I agree about Tom Arnold, he has done a lot to discuss this issue at the risk of personal criticism. Everybody who worked on the film felt very strongly about this subject so they all deserve your praise. Thanks and I’ll pass it on. Hope you like the film.
DH
December 8, 2008 at 9:03 am
Hello again, Mr.Harris!
This is Maja(maya), the Croatian stunt girl. Thanks to Pascal I was very fortunate to see ‘Gardens of the night’ twice on Friday at Sunset 5, Dec.5th. I talked to you outside after the 7pm screening. I have a couple of question that I didn’t get to ask. What made you decide to use the ‘Jungle Book’ as a parallel story? I really enjoyed that. Also, was the film ever titled ‘Have You Seen Me’?
I know you must be very busy with the tour now so I understand if you are not able to answer.
Thank you anyway.
December 10, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Hi Maja
good to meet you the other night, I came across the Jungle Book when I was reading about Rudyard Kipling’s life and how at a young age he and his sister had to live with a family in England for many years, whilst their parents went to work in India. The woman looking after them was very cruel, Rudyard had to protect his sister, and out of this experience came the children’s book. I thought the two children in my film would do something similar to escape the reality of their situation, they would escape into a make believe world (often in severly traumatic situations they escape with imaginary friends), so I chose the Jungle Book. This then became the way they filtered everything bad they came across in their young lives.
Yes the film was called HAVE YOU SEEN ME, for a short period, and that is still the name of the production company that made the film.
DH
December 12, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Damian,
Missed the screening, I was working. Thought I would go today to a matinee. It is gone from the theater although I think it said it would be there. Is Gardens showing anywhere else. Is there a cast and crew screening or was Dec 5 the only one?
December 17, 2008 at 7:15 am
I hope you don’t mind my random questions. When you were thinking about casting did you look for people from LA area only or did you also consider San Diego based actors?
December 19, 2008 at 12:07 am
Hello Damian,
I just wanted to ask if there is (or will be) any chance to see it in Amsterdam, Holland?
I also have to say that “Mercy” is one of my favourite movies. I love it’s atmosphere… visually beautiful, the music is great and Peta Wilson is amazing.
All the best and thank you,
Miko
December 20, 2008 at 5:44 am
Hello again,
Will there be any special features on the DVD? I really enjoyed the new “making of” video!
December 20, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Hi Maja
we cast the film mostly out of Los Angeles, although we did use non actors for some of the street children and small roles.
DH
December 20, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Miko.
The film will come to Holland either theatrically or on DVD in 2009. I’m glad you liked Mercy, a film that deserves a bigger audience.
DH
December 20, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Hi Mari
yes there will be extra features on the DVD, I am working on it now with City Lights, we are looking at including an alternate ending and deleted scenes.
DH
December 22, 2008 at 7:36 am
Hello, again!
I see that there is a ‘making of’ video. Is that available for purchase? I would love to see it.
Thanks!
Maja
January 8, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Hi Maja
City Lights have just told me that they intend to include the making of on the DVD.
DH
January 10, 2009 at 8:19 am
hi
im just wondering if gardens of the night will nr playing in canada
or if it will be sold in canada..
i want to watch it sooo badly… thanks..
January 11, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Hi Kaydee
Gardens of the Night has been bought by VVS Films in Canada but I dont know when they are releasing the film and if it will be theatrical or DVD it might be worth you contacting them. Hope you like it.
DH
January 29, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Hi,
can anyone tell me when this movie comes to Norway?
February 8, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Hi Kaja
not sure when this film is coming out in Norway, but it will be available on DVD on Amazon MARCH 24.
DH
March 6, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Hi!
I relly won ´t to see Gardens of the Night.
but i can ´t found the film anywhere.
do somebody knows were i can see the film, our by it?!
i ´m living in Sweden.
thanks.
March 8, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hi Frida
The film is released on DVD on March 24th in the US, so it will be available to buy on Amazon.
DH
March 7, 2009 at 11:05 am
Hi!
I relly want to see/buy Garden of the night but i can ´t find the film anywhere.
can somebody Please help me too find the movie?!
I’m living in Sweden.
Thanks.
March 8, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hi Damian! I´m from Spain and i have been following you about this film for a long time,and i just wanted to tell you that i cant wait to watch it when it comes on dvd this month,but i wanted to know if the dvd will cointain any subtitle so i could understand it better.Thank you so much,and i wish you good luck with all your projects.Sorry for my English.
March 8, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Hi Johhny
The DVD will contain Spanish subtitles….
Thanks
DH
March 9, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Hi!
Thanks for the answer.
“Wendy,
who was one of the most beautiful sixteen year old girls I’d ever laid eyes on
she
should have been some proud parent’s daughter but instead she rode the buses
in the evening high on heroin trying to forget the tricks her pimp had made
service that day.”
—–
What happend to the Girl?
March 12, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Hi Frida
the last time I saw Wendy, she was staying in Covenant House, not knowing whether to return to the streets or return home, neither an easy choice. The Father Ritter scandal in Covenant House caused my access to be stopped (they became very sensitive to their image for a while) and I lost touch with Wendy. i hope she is happily married with a family of her own. DH
March 22, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Hi Damian,
I look forward to seeing this film although the subject matter is so disturbing.
I’m curious, though – along with raising awareness of how children need to be protected, wouldn’t the film possibly also help would-be abusers learn how to abduct and brainwash children?
This is something I wonder about films in general.
March 22, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Hi Gloria,
since I began researching this story in the late 80’s, the awareness of the possibility of abuse has greatly increased, as have the measures parents or guardians should take to protect
children and the methods a predator might use to prey on a child, so I don’t think the film is either particularly raising awareness or helping would be abusers. The film is about the trauma
that is wreaked upon the abused, how it can shape the child into the young adult they will become, a subject that I think is less discussed.
March 23, 2009 at 4:54 am
Hi, Damian!
I recently saw ‘Mercy’. What an interesting movie. Again, you touch upon a topic that people rarely talk about but it is there and it is disturbing. I say, ‘again’ because I saw ‘Mercy’ after I saw ‘Gardens’.
I hope you have another project coming up.
Thanks.
March 23, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Hi again Damian! A few weeks ago,i asked you if the dvd will contain any subtitle,but now that´s available on the web as a pre-order,i wanted to know if will be realease on any other type of dvd region for all of us that don´t live on the US and CA, or only with region 1?Thank you so much.
March 23, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Hi Johnny
the DVD does have spanish subtitles but is only a USA and Canada region for the moment, hopefully the film is going to be
picked up in other regions and made available this year. DH
March 26, 2009 at 3:36 am
Hello, I just watched Gardens on Netflix online and thought it was one of the more raw yet sensitive portrayals I’ve seen on screen. When I was reading about the movie I was prepared for a real downer and was expecting some very difficult scenes…but the director really did such a great job, I was just in awe of the actors. Some of my favorite actors in roles that wold certainly keep them off Access Hollywood.
Really a great film. Damian, can you discuss what it was like for you and the actors to film such difficult scenes with young Leslie?
Thanks,
March 26, 2009 at 4:03 am
Hi Norm
So glad you liked the film, the key to it’s effectiveness is the across the board authentic performances given by the cast. Before we began filming Monique Simpkins (Ryan’s mother) and I worked out a version of the script that we felt both Ryan and Scooter could understand and relate to, we then discussed this with the actors who would be performing with the children and the crew who would be with them day to day, so there was a continuity. When it came to the scenes with Ryan that you are asking about, I would prepare her for what the scene was about in the context of the story, then her mother or the acting coach would take her to an emotional place the scene required, using an association from her own life (i.e imagine the loss of a love one, or being separated from your mother etc). It is never easy to watch a child cry or suffer even when it is make believe, I know that everybody (cast and myself) were happy when those scenes were over and done with. I think Ryan has given what will be eventually recognised as one of the great child performances, I am in awe of that. And grateful that both she and Gillian were in the film. DH
March 27, 2009 at 10:26 am
Hello Damian,
I also was able to view the film through my Netflix account the other night. I was absolutely astonished by the evolution of your storytelling through the past couple decades. I am always happy to see a filmmaker approach a subject that would seem uncomfortable for them and to help shine a light on a subject not touched upon as much before for society. I wanted to ask you, had you any influence from Ramin Bahrani’s Chop Shop before/during the writing or shooting of Gardens of the Night? I only ask because the two films, although based upon different ends of the country, are both similar on the subject matter and parts of the story. I am very glad to see this film got the distribution it deserved in the end.
Cheers,
Pouya
March 27, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Hi Pouya
Because of the subject matter It took me a long time to gather the resources to make this film, so your words of appreciation and acknowledgment are very welcome. I started researching this subject and wrote the first draft of the script in the mid 1980’s, the film was almost made three times since then, we finally made the film in 2007. I saw CHOP SHOP when I was in the middle of editing GARDENS, I liked it very much and felt encouraged that another filmmaker was taking on a subject that was by and large ignored. I subsequently watched MAN PUSH CART which I also recommend to everybody out there. Of all the new American Filmmakers I like Ramin Bahrani the best, he has the talent to find the story and humanity in the everyday without making it seem for a moment false.
Thanks
DH
April 1, 2009 at 4:22 am
Amazing movie, makes your heart weep for all the children lost, abused and not cared for. I am on my way to be a family lawyer and really appreciated this film. All of the performances were so real you almost forgot you were watching a movie. This is the quality and depth of a movie that should be shown in all movie cinemas. Congrats. Can you please tell me what song is playing with the credits at the end ? is there a soundtrack ?
April 1, 2009 at 7:11 am
I am curious what the significance is of the title in relation to the movie ?
April 1, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Thanks Samantha,
I’m glad you appreciated the film, it’s why we made it. The title is from a Robert Bridges poem, I read it when I was in the middle of researching the story for the film, I’d spend all night with homeless teens on the streets, living in what is considered by us to be an alien or friendless place but was their home and playground, I thought Gardens of the Night
captured that pretty well.
The song at the end is called EMOTIONAL CHAMP and it’s by an Australian band called NEW BUFFALO, the track was on their latest album which is very good. There is no official soundtrack but here is the link to the soundtrack our music supervisor posted on his website.:
Link to SOUNDTRACK: http://www.last.fm/user/peymonmaskan/journal/2007/08/21/7uu_gardens_of_the_night_-_soundtrack_listing
DH
April 1, 2009 at 10:42 pm
OMG i finally got to watch gardens of the night!!!
it was amazing..it was the saddest movie i ever watched..
the end kind of confused me though.. other then that i loved it!!!!
April 3, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I finally saw the film on DVD last night! I forgot to see the alternate ending. The ending in the film left me pretty melancholy. The whole film left me angry, saddened and touched.
Your film is so subtle the way it’s filmed and how it unfolds. Everything is handled with such quiet dignity. All of the actors were superb, as is the writing and cinematography and editing…everything!
Thank you for making the film and never giving up!
Mari
April 4, 2009 at 4:30 am
Thanks Mari
and thanks for all your support you’ve given..
DH
April 4, 2009 at 4:04 am
I purchased the film from Amazon and its amazing! Any chance for a Blu-Ray version of the film?
Thanks,
Tabitha
April 4, 2009 at 4:34 am
Hi Tabitha
City Lights have not made a Blue Ray but we are hoping they will at some point in the future, please spread the word so more people can find it. And thanks for your support we appreciate it.
April 6, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Thanks very much for the response ! take care best wishes with your film.
April 8, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Hi Damian,
I just wanted to let you know that for my Adolescence/Transition to Maturity class, I’m an essay about child sexual abuse and the impact it has on later adolescent development, using “Gardens of the Night” as a lens. I just want to commend you for shooting the film so clearly and so powerfully. What drove you to pursue this particularly cruel story? Also, aesthetically, the scenes in San Diego were perfect. The night scenes at the beach were beautiful and so true to life, I could almost smell the sea. (Were you filming in Oceanside? Or Carlsbad?)
Also, I was wondering if you know of any other films which have similar themes of child abuse? What would you recommend for further research into the subject?
April 9, 2009 at 6:25 am
Hi June
thanks for the appreciative words and please use the film if it can help an understanding of the effects of abuse in any way, that was one of my reasons for making it, and that’s what drove me towards this subject matter in the first place, to tell a story about a child’s loss of innocence through such a devastating trauma, a trauma that is very common place in our world. I decided on this particular story of child abduction because I felt it was so extreme it would get people’s attention, and then they could confront the more common problem of child sexual abuse. We filmed in San Diego, not in Oceanside, I don’t remember the name of the beach, it might have been Carlsbad.
There aren’t that many films that I know of that have dealt with child abuse, Salaam Bombay was the film that inspired me to make this film, which is more about abandoned children but it deals with
children sold into sex slavery, Monsoon Wedding by the same director deals with child abuse within the family, Mysterious Skin is the best film I’ve seen that deals with the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is devastating. There was a very powerful documentary called See No Evil that is a must see too.
Hope this helps. All the best with your essay.
DH
April 9, 2009 at 6:25 am
Hi June
thanks for the appreciative words and please use the film if it can help an understanding of the effects of abuse in any way, that was one of my reasons for making it, and that’s what drove me towards this subject matter in the first place, to tell a story about a child’s loss of innocence through such a devastating trauma, a trauma that is very common place in our world. I decided on this particular story of child abduction because I felt it was so extreme it would get people’s attention, and then they could confront the more common problem of child sexual abuse. We filmed in San Diego, not in Oceanside, I don’t remember the name of the beach, it might have been Carlsbad.
There aren’t that many films that I know of that have dealt with child abuse, Salaam Bombay was the film that inspired me to make this film, which is more about abandoned children but it deals with
children sold into sex slavery, Monsoon Wedding by the same director deals with child abuse within the family, Mysterious Skin is the best film I’ve seen that deals with the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is devastating. There was a very powerful documentary called See No Evil that is a must see too.
Hope this helps. All the best with your essay.
DH
April 14, 2009 at 6:41 am
Damian, Thank you for making this film. I am a San Diegan and I found myself spending much of the movie thinking to myself just how many times have I been at Belmont Park, driving the streets of SD, or just living day to day and may have seen one of these children and felt stupid. I would never have pegged any of those kids hanging out on the boardwalk or anywhere else for that matter as a kid who was homeless and killing time until the shelter opened for the night, or making money anyway they could so they could pay for a place to sleep or just have to wait until dark to find a place to sleep. I cried when Leslie went home and was glad that you did not leave that part unclosed. I am an attorney here and plan on getting involved with the programs that SDYS sponsors.
April 14, 2009 at 6:46 am
PS: You filmed at Mission Beach…that is where the roller coaster and amusement park are. The park is called Belmont Park, the coaster is a landmark and is called the Big Dipper. Carlsbad and Oceanside are coastal cities in the northern part of SD County. The film really did capture the part of the San Diego culture where these kids may simply blend in and get lost.
April 15, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Thanks Robin, I’m glad you liked the film. SDYS are a great group of people, and deserve all the help they can get.
DH
April 17, 2009 at 3:32 am
Bless you for making this movie. My sister has just as compelling of a story for different reasons. Please view my site at the above mentioned site and read the Jamie page. Please. I have waited 38 years to bring my sister home. We grew up in foster homes, and she was the only family I had growing up, just me and her, my big sister. Please please think about telling her story. She is thought to have been murdered by the 1st serial killer of Clark County, WA, a Vietnam Vet, a popular varsity President of his high school and so much more. Please please please consider it. peace and bless you always, Starr
May 3, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Thank you for demonstrating how easy it was to brainwash an Innocent person… Leslie never fought back.
‘Why didn’t she run away?’ and ‘Why didn’t she breakdown?’ These are just a few of the questions used in Victim Blaming.
‘Your mother didn’t want you, didn’t love you…’ ‘Take a bath, you don’t want to be a dirty girl…’ Manipulation presented as choice during the destruction of the Soul of Innocence.
Please remember the newborn infants abducted during birthing and trafficked in the infant adoption market – the 60’s Scoop. Few will ever find their way home….. robbed of their identities, their parents, their rightful names….
May 28, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Garden of the night if my favvofilm. best ever!!!!!!
May 28, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Gardens of the night if my favvofilm. best ever!!!!!!
June 2, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Dear Damian,
First of all this film has completely sucked me in and I can’t stop thinking about it. I first watched it exactly one week ago and I have watched it 4 more times since then. This is definitely a job well done! I like how you set the story up the way you did. Today, so many people try to overdue the “shock factor” and they do it too soon in a movie and loose audience because of it. You gave the viewer a chance to get sucked into the actual story first. For example, when Leslie first got to the house the little boy was taken into the other room and nothing was shown but we all know what was going on. This is a story that needs to be seen too, by young and old. Anyways, I really learned alot from this movie. I never knew about the throwaway children. It totally makes sense, I just never realized that happened to kids. It makes me wonder how kids just slip through the cracks of the system like that and remain on the streets underage. It makes me realize how unfortunate some people REALLY are. Leslie and Donnie’s lives were stolen from them, even when Leslie went home she knew she wasn’t the same person that left that house so many years before. It wasn’t her home anymore and she wasn’t the same person anymore and she knew it. I think I even read somewhere that somebody wrote about it, “you can never go home” and it makes sense now b/c her home was on the streets with Donnie. Her parents had moved on. She almost felt in the way to be there, like she was disturbing their lives by being there. What a horrible but realistic situation. VERY POWERFUL AND EXTREMELY TOUCHING. When I was watching the movie I could never figure a couple of things out and I have been thinking about it ever since. My first question is: Where did Frank come from? Was he Alex’s son? Did Alex maybe kidnap Frank when Frank was a child too? I noticed some similaritiese in Frank and Leslie when Leslie grew up. For example, Frank was really bitter and mean and he had no sympathy whatsoever for Leslie and Donnie. He even helped coerce Leslie into coming with them. When Leslie grew up she coerced Monica to trust her because she was helping Ratboy for a place to live the same way Frank had helped Alex possibly for a place to live? My second question is about the judges daughter: Did the judges wife know and she was just in denial? Did the judge want her to dress in a too-too because it reminded him of his daughter and he liked his daughter in an incestial way? The daughter seemed to know what was going on, like this wasn’t the first time a random little girl had been there. They looked at each other as if they both knew. The daughter almost looked at Leslie like she was mad at Leslie. Maybe these are things the viewer isn’t really supposed to know. Maybe they are things that we are supposed to interpret in our own way. Anyways, great job! This is a top quality film that will change people for the better. It did me.
June 2, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Hi Katie
Yes, Frank was kidnapped by Alex when he was a boy but has now matured and become redundant to Alex, stepping into a partner role, and I guess you could
say also a faux son role. His anger towards the children comes from the jealousy of being replaced by Leslie and Donnie and also by witnessing their abuse he is reliving his own by Alex. I asked the actress who played the judge’s wife to play it like she did not what was going on but was in denial. The judge wants Leslie to become his daughter when he abuses her, that way (in his twisted logic) he feels he is protecting his real daughter from his actions, though he has abused his daughter in the past and that’s why she knows what’s going on when she looks at Leslie.
Thanks for your comments and appreciation, they are greatly appreciated. Spread the word.
DH
June 6, 2009 at 2:37 am
I bumped into this movie on the sundance channel. When I read the few sentences describing it at first I thought I couldn’t watch it. I am left feeling as I did after reading Anne Frank as a boy–Haunted. These characters stick in my mind. Does Donnie find Leslie? God, I hope so. I’m glad to read the above posts about how the filming was done for the young actors. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for the adults, knowing the real plot. It was disturbing to watch. I was able to continue because the audience is not assaulted with the horrible experience the fictional children shared. Not a critic here, but it seems like a brilliant way to deal with the subject. Thank you for allowing Leslie the humanity to rescue the 12 year old girl she deceived. Hearing her quote Frank was sadly predictable. I imagine you were concerned about the possibility of child molesters learning how to use this film for their own evil purposes. Perhaps other posters might like to hear of a Brazilian film “Pixote”, which uses actual homeless children of Sao Paulo (as I recall). Be warned…it is far more brutal in depicting the sexual abuse of the children, who actually lived this life. Upon winning awards and gaining some income many of the children came to sad and early ends of their lives. I’m not a sorrow junkie, seeking catharsis through the depiction of the evil in this world. I’m not going to start a foundation or take a homeless teen into my home. It did inspire me to make a donation to Birdge Over Troubled Waters here in Boston. For this I thank you.
June 11, 2009 at 3:56 am
Incredible. I cannot quit crying. Caught your film on Showtime tonight, and I’m blown away.
June 12, 2009 at 11:26 pm
To Mr. Harris, the Cast, and all involved in creating this film – thank you. I am not one whom cries during a movie more than once every couple years. But I wept a tear or two after this film. It had a special relevance for me, though. Although not abducted, I was abused sexually in adolescence and my early teens – and was well on my way to becoming the abuser (and victim again in my young adulthood) before I sought help. I think this should be mandatory viewing in all high schools, and all PTA meetings.
I applaud you for having the integrity to follow through with this film, in light of the public’s apparent admiration for the typical box-office mash-up of tits & ass, guns, explosions, fast cars, and more tits and ass. God forbid we deal with something real in cinema that would help facilitate introspective reflection and possibly healing.
This movie brought it all out into the open for me again. All the memories, not only of being abused, but of subconsiously beginning to assume the role of the abuser later. The ending of this movie hit me hard as well, how you can never go back home once you have lost your way. Because home was a place, a moment in time, and you have lost it after being broken. And you are always trying to get back there – but it is impossible. This movie has helped me to rededicate my healing, and to get involved in some form of volounteerism or charity for helping victims
that have not found there way out of the cycle of abuse yet.
Also – Kudos to Tom Arnold with a spot-on performance (I felt like he was there in the living room with me!). also – Jessica Simpkins and Gillian Jacobs both gave very heartwrenching performances.
If anyone knows, could you tell me whom sings the song at the end of the movie. Very haunting – and I can’t get it out of my head. Thx.
June 13, 2009 at 4:14 am
Mike
thank you for sharing that, it’s why I made the film.
The song is Emotional Champ by New Buffalo.
DH
June 13, 2009 at 3:52 am
Damian:
I saw this movie a week ago, and it is still in my head. It’s been called in some reviews a new type of horror movie, I agree. My question is: if someone wanted to donate/help out homeless teens what charities or organizations would you recommend?
June 13, 2009 at 4:21 am
Rachel,
the two charities we support are San Diego Youth Shelter: http://www.sdyouthservices.org and Vanished Children’s Alliance: http://www.vca.org
both are great services and in need in these hard times.
DH
June 17, 2009 at 1:21 am
Thank you. This is a cause I would want to donate money and/or time and resources to, after seeing your film. If any new screening/ q&A events for Gardens is ever scheduled in NYC, I’m there.
June 16, 2009 at 12:55 am
Wow. Just wow. Saw this movie on Showtime on accident. I was dead tired and it just started, watched a few minutes and couldn’t stop watching (I was shot a work the next day). You hit a walkoff grandslam with this one Damian! Nicely done. I had never even heard of this flick, but I will spread the word. I TIVO’ed it on the spot and watched it again. I am so grateful for the wonderfu childhood I had. Heartbreaking that there are so many that didnt have the same due to the things these demons and the people like them did to young Leslie and Donnie in the film.
I don’t know what else to say, but thanks. It’s a story I hope many get to see. I found it quite educational, and something I never really thought much about in my all is fine life. The Ending blew me away. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want her to go home and be happy and intergrate with her original family? Did it happen? No. I like that, you kept it real. Who in their right mind didn’t want Donnie and Leslie to get back together? Couldn’t you at least give us THAT much? No, you didn’t sugarcoat a thing. That’s the kind of movie I like Damian. If it’s too hot in the kitchen, then get the heck out!
I need to transfer it to my 52″ plasma, because I had no idea who was walking down highway at the end, but I assume it was Donnie, and you were just letting us know he was alive somewhere to not totally leave us sapped of hope. Love how Leslie was being driven to the airport and she saw the hood from behind and thought it was possibly Donnie. Wouldn’t that have been sweet? But nope, didn’t happen. Brilliant my friend, brilliant. You can retire on this one.
June 16, 2009 at 1:35 am
Thank you Brian D, and yes that is Donnie at the end of the film hitchhiking.
DH
June 17, 2009 at 6:56 am
I saw the beginning of the film about a week ago on Showtime but didn’t have the emotional fortitude to finish; it stayed in my head and after reading online reviews, I knew I had to see the whole film. It was heartbreaking and emotionally devastating. The scene with young Leslie looking passively down at her shoes in the motel room with Orlando spoke volumes of how alone and terrified she must have felt. The later scene at the arcade with Leslie and Donnie dancing to the game had me in tears, it was as if we caught a glimpse of what they could have been- happy, fun-loving teens who were never brutalized by predators.
Some have written that the ending was too depressing, but I thought it was the only way for the film to end. Leslie and Donnie made a pledge that if separated they would meet in Wonderland, finally home with her family, I think Leslie felt she betrayed Donnie and had no choice but to find him.
I saw the making of the film on YouTube and agree with Tom Arnold that there is hope and I think you gave a glimpse of that hope with Donnie making it to Florida. If the film were a novel, I think of it in 3 parts: Part 1 “Have you seen me?”- the original title, Part 2 “Gardens of the Night” and Part 3 “Going to Wonderland”- with that and the haunting lyrics of “Emotional Champ” I have my hope.
Thank you Mr. Harris and your amazing cast for this brilliant film and opening my eyes to the unfortunate plight of victimized children. With all due respect to Brian D., don’t retire, the film world would be a lesser place. God bless you.
June 19, 2009 at 8:07 am
I just saw this movie randomly. At first I was scared to watch it because that topic is so sad. But whats great about this film is that it shows you enough. It doesnt show you moments that would make you feel sick after watching it. My question is why didnt you show them finding each other in the end? In my head i picture them finding each other and looking out for each other for the rest of their lives. =)
Great movie.
June 19, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Hi Chrissy
I wanted to end the film when Leslie understood and accepted that her family was now Donnie. What happens after that is the creation of each individual
person watching the film.
Thanks for your appreciative words.
DH
June 21, 2009 at 7:26 am
Damian, in the scene with Orlando, I suspected Alex set the whole thing up to “rescue” Leslie to further his control- was that the same Orlando at the hotel buying items from Alex after they took off when the Asian couple informed the police? It wasn’t clear, but from the look on Leslie’s face, it looks like she may have recognized the man Alex supposedly saved her from.
June 21, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Hi JC, you are right, Alex arranged the “rescue” to get Leslie’s trust, and behave like a hero dad, and yes that is Orlando buying photos etc from Alex in the hotel, it’s clearer on the big screen.
DH
June 22, 2009 at 5:49 am
Just watched the scene again on Showtime tonight and its Orlando, don’t know how I could’ve missed that the first time; big fan of Harold Perrineau- he’s great on “Lost” and “28 Weeks Later,” thanks for casting him.
I read your interview on comingsoon.net and you stated that if the film was made in the early nineties, you would have cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Donnie, since Leo was a “name” would the script have been more from the point-of-view of Donnie rather than Leslie? Just curious.
June 23, 2009 at 3:39 am
Damian,
I would like to know where I can find the titles of the songs used in the movie. I like the ‘music box’ type song, and i would like to know where i can find it. great movie by the way.
July 8, 2009 at 12:39 pm
hi director
I saw this movie testerday. it is still in my head.
thanks for it.
it is fantastic. i must think about it more and see it again.
thanks a lot man.
July 23, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I APOLOGIZE FOR MY POSTING, BECAUSE THERE ARE MISTAKES IN IT.
I JUST NEEDED TO SAY TO YOU, “THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE MOVIE, AND IF YOU WERE HERE IN PERSON, I WOULD GIVE YOU A BIG ‘O HUG.”
July 26, 2009 at 7:14 am
Hi Binky
no need to apologise. I understand what you are saying. You are not alone.
DH
July 30, 2009 at 7:36 pm
hello damian,
it was beautiful.
i loved the atmosphere you’ve created, together with great music, great acting and the choice of people you worked with (also in “mercy” – cast was perfect).
john malkovich, brilliant tom arnold, a little appearance by peta wilson – she has so much potential, and even this tiny drop that michelle rodriguez added to complete the picture.
i really admire your style, real and unreal at the same time, rough but delicate and fragile, little shy but confident and strong, very convincing and filled with passion.
i’m curious what is your favourite movie and what else you think is worth seeing? lately i’ve seen a lot of derek jarman’s films and i think aesthetically there is a connection between his and yours works.
thank you and i’m really looking forward to what’s next.
all the best,
miko
August 1, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Hi Miko
Thanks for writing to us about GARDENS, much appreciated. I dont have a favorite film, there are so many I love and have been inspired by. But recently I was blown away by There Will Be Blood and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, also a turkish film called Three Monkeys and a Swiss film called Revanche. Films that are related to GARDENS in ways small and big are Mysterious Skin, Layla 4 ever, 4 moths 3 Week 2 Days, The Beat My Heart Skipped, Nobody Knows, Salaam Bombay.
DH
August 4, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hi Damian,
Kudos to you for one of the most disturbing and haunting, yet beautiful films that I’ve ever watched. I appreciate all of your effort in this project that will or has touched many people personally or indirectly.
I have two questions:
1). There didn’t seem to be much guilt or emotion whatsoever from the parents after Leslie was reunited with them, or what little there was seemed to be short-lived as soon as their youngest children arrived home, is there a reason for this?
2) What is the name of the instrumental that plays throughout the movie and at the end while young Leslie is reading from The Jungle Book? As the music is playing we see older Donnie hitchhiking on the road to Florida.
Once again, thank you for Gardens of the night. I’ve decided to become involved with the Runaway shelter as a volunteer, I was affected so deeply.
August 5, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Hi Lexi
Well done on your decision to become involved in some way with the plight of street children, both runaway and throwaway, they need it. My introduction to that world was random, walking into a shelter and asking what was happening there (coming from the UK in the late 80’s, we didn’t have street children or a population of runaways.) It lead me to the story of missing children, and then to the effects of the trauma of sexual abuse, which was something I could relate to. I am so glad this film in some way could be helpful, it’s one of the reasons I made it.
To answer your questions: The Parents. I actually reshot the Parents sequence, after recasting the parents and rewriting the scenes because the first time around the scenes had been full of anger on Leslie’s part which had made the Parents defensive. I wanted to show that the Parents would be conflicted. Their child who had been gone for nine years had miraculously returned, but not as the eight year old who left but as a seventeen year old stranger. The emotions that would come up for them: the pain of loss, the anger at the abductors, the joy at the reunion would be struggling with the guilt they’d feel over the protective feelings they’d have towards their two younger children. A very real need to protect. They wouldn’t really know how much Leslie had been changed, they would have been prepped for this reunion by social services. In the end I wanted the parents to try to balance the effects of Leslie coming back, which they wanted a hundred percent, with not trying to upset the the routine and staus quo of the house. Therefore bedtime for the younger children had to happen as it did every night: a bath and a story.
The music is by the composer Craig Richey, he has said that he will be posting his score soon on his website. Any questions about the score can be answered by him there.
Thank you for your feedback and appreciation.
DH
October 13, 2009 at 11:14 am
Dear Damian,
I saw your amazing film last year, in Deauville.
I was hoping it would be released in France at some point, but I don’t think it did.
Is it possible to buy a DVD that would work in France (i.e without the “zone” problem) ?
Thanks for this movie and all the best!!!
Warm regards,
Pierre
October 14, 2009 at 1:07 am
Hi Pierre
There is no french sale yet of the film, but there should be one by next year. At the moment the only way to get a copy of the film is to buy
a US or Canadian version on Amazon.
Thanks for the interest. Spread the word.
DH
June 19, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Thanks Rachel
Any news on events and screenings are posted on the film’s facebook page. Any help, financially or otherwise we steer towards the Vanished Childrens Alliance (www.vca.org).
DH
June 23, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Leonardo DiCaprio was an unknown when I met him for the film, he was about to do This Boys Life. I cast him, and he would have been Donnie but the film didn’t happen that time. And no, the script wouldn’t have changed at all.
DH