"Dionysus, Help Me"
Former OSU students reach into OSU-Newark professor's mind in film
by Dwayne Steward
Entertainment Coordinator
The Advocate
March 6, 2008
NEWARK -- Four years ago, OSU-Newark theater professor Dave Williams sat sick at his desk, trying to prepare himself for the onslaught of students.
"Dionysus, help me," he called to the Greek god of theater and wine, while rubbing his eyes, "I've been a good and faithful servant."
Although it looks like a simple moment of stress in the life of a small-town professor, former Ohio State University students Amira Soliman, 24, and Derek Lindes, 25, both of Cleveland, saw cinematic gold.
The aspiring filmmakers turned a student theater experience at the Newark campus of Ohio State University and Central Ohio Technical College into a 90-minute feature documentary premiering in Columbus this weekend.
"We weren't expecting it to get this big," said Soliman, who helped produced four films while heading Reel Buckeye Productions when she was at OSU. "It was our first feature documentary, so we were just looking for the experience and a little extra cash in our pockets."
Williams initially hired Soliman and Lindes to film his class while embarking on a theater experiment. The three groups of students were to create radio plays, somewhat fulfilling a personal dream of the ambitious professor.
"Unbeknownst to myself, they decided to focus the film entirely on me," Williams said.
Said Soliman: "Dave was 100 times more interesting than the students working on the radio plays. We wanted to show how he handled his situations, so we started following him around after work."
Completely filmed in Newark, the movie started to take on a life of its own, so they whittled the 60-hour footage to a two-hour rough cut in 2005. But the overwhelming response from family and friends sent them back into the studio.
The film officially was released at the 2006 OSU/Port Clinton Performing Arts Festival. Now, after working their contacts at the Drexel Gateway, "Dionysus, Help Me" is set for a world premiere.
"I'm hoping that people will get a little insight into a world that's not anything like their own," Soliman said. "I think the film is pretty hilarious, and I think everyone will have a good time."
The film will be showing tonight through Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Drexel Gateway Theater, 1550 N. High St., Columbus. The filmmakers also will be present afterward for a question-and-answer session about the film's production.
by Dwayne Steward
Entertainment Coordinator
The Advocate
March 6, 2008
NEWARK -- Four years ago, OSU-Newark theater professor Dave Williams sat sick at his desk, trying to prepare himself for the onslaught of students.
"Dionysus, help me," he called to the Greek god of theater and wine, while rubbing his eyes, "I've been a good and faithful servant."
Although it looks like a simple moment of stress in the life of a small-town professor, former Ohio State University students Amira Soliman, 24, and Derek Lindes, 25, both of Cleveland, saw cinematic gold.
The aspiring filmmakers turned a student theater experience at the Newark campus of Ohio State University and Central Ohio Technical College into a 90-minute feature documentary premiering in Columbus this weekend.
"We weren't expecting it to get this big," said Soliman, who helped produced four films while heading Reel Buckeye Productions when she was at OSU. "It was our first feature documentary, so we were just looking for the experience and a little extra cash in our pockets."
Williams initially hired Soliman and Lindes to film his class while embarking on a theater experiment. The three groups of students were to create radio plays, somewhat fulfilling a personal dream of the ambitious professor.
"Unbeknownst to myself, they decided to focus the film entirely on me," Williams said.
Said Soliman: "Dave was 100 times more interesting than the students working on the radio plays. We wanted to show how he handled his situations, so we started following him around after work."
Completely filmed in Newark, the movie started to take on a life of its own, so they whittled the 60-hour footage to a two-hour rough cut in 2005. But the overwhelming response from family and friends sent them back into the studio.
The film officially was released at the 2006 OSU/Port Clinton Performing Arts Festival. Now, after working their contacts at the Drexel Gateway, "Dionysus, Help Me" is set for a world premiere.
"I'm hoping that people will get a little insight into a world that's not anything like their own," Soliman said. "I think the film is pretty hilarious, and I think everyone will have a good time."
The film will be showing tonight through Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Drexel Gateway Theater, 1550 N. High St., Columbus. The filmmakers also will be present afterward for a question-and-answer session about the film's production.
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