After fall break, filming will begin on “A River’s Reach,” the second collaboration between the School of Communications and Project Pericles.

After the success of their first film, “Testing Positive,” they have decided to tackle the issue of being a global citizen. Shooting for the 30-minute short film will take place on weekends throughout October and November and a black tie premiere in spring 2008.

The story focuses on Mira, a college senior and material girl who is caught up in her own life and oblivious to the world’s problems. After a tragedy involving two of her friends, Mira’s eyes are opened to the global issues surrounding her. She becomes more aware of the cultural tensions that exist in her own town, while at the same time becoming more aware of herself and her place in the world.

Dr. Tom Arcaro, director of Project Pericles and the film’s executive producer, said the intent of “A River’s Reach” is to address an issue that affects all Elon students.

“It deals with the inherent strain between being a global citizen and a local citizen,” Arcaro said.

Arcaro said this project is much bigger than the university. He is partnering with La Comunidad, a center in Burlington that benefits the diverse local community.

Proceeds from the tickets sales for the film’s premiere will go directly to La Comunidad. The DVD will include a version of the film subtitled in Spanish. Arcaro and the film’s director, Jim Goodman, also turned to La Comunidad when casting some of the adult roles.

Goodman, an adjunct instructor of communications, hopes the film’s message will resonate with those who watch the movie and those involved in its production.

“Hopefully, as we make the film those involved will ponder this situation or similar situations in their own lives,” Goodman said.

A lot of the ideas for the story came from the students in the Periclean Scholars class of ’08. Goodman then put those ideas into characters and dialogue to form the script.

Students participating in the film both on and off screen will receive academic credit for their work on the film. The actual class is formatted like a production meeting with many student-led departments. The students will also have to do some writing and reflection on their experience.

“One of the most interesting things [about the film] is students who are involved can take educational experience to a whole other level in a university setting,” Goodman said.

Sophomore Peyton Lea, who plays the role of Blake in the film and serves as a producer, wanted to get involved because of the professional quality of the project.

“It’s exciting for me as a student to have that opportunity,” Lea said.

Junior Jessica Elovsson, who plays the role of Mira, was inspired by the film’s message and her character’s journey.

“I hope that people watch this film and realize that life isn’t all about clothes or money or things – it’s about people,” Elovsson said.

Arcaro hopes that other schools could use this film as a way to increase awareness of global issues.

The possibility of submitting it to film festivals will help reach an even wider audience.

“As a school gets bigger, there is a tendency to break into ‘silos’ metaphorically,” Arcaro said. “We want this to be a ‘silo-busting’ project.”

“A River’s Reach” still needs extras, crew members and event planners for the premiere. If you are interested in any of these positions, contact Arcaro at arcaro@elon.edu or Goodman at jgoodman4@elon.edu.

Reporter: Amanda Kennison & Alexa Milan - 10/10/07