KEVIN MAXWELL’s CORA

On a late Sunday evening and at the invitation of indie film writer and director, Kevin Maxwell, I stopped by the movie set of CORA, Maxwell’s first foray into film making.

As a walked toward the set, I noticed a single red light rotating on the roof of an out of commissioned police squad car dating back to the early 60’s in its design.

The nostalgic looking police car was parked directly in front of Callahan’s Diner, a Santa Monica, California landmark. Callahan’s had been transformed into CORA’s Place; a Black owned eatery located in the lap of America’s Civil Rights movement, Memphis Tennessee.

Maxwell has penned a script that chronicles his grandmother’s personal struggles as a young Black woman living in the Deep South. CORA highlights the hurt and pain that accompanied physically and sexually abused woman in a time and setting where abuse was tolerated and even ignored.

A film production crew comprised of about 30 young men and women moved about in rapid pace on the set of CORA. Maxwell was often speaking with the actors, supporting cast, movie extra’s and crew with ease while under the watchful and masterful eye of Salvador Carrasco, an award winning film maker and director of the Film 33 class at Santa Monica College.

According to Carrasco, who raised over 250 thousand dollars since the inception of the burgeoning film program via grants and donations, majority of equipment used in the production of CORA, is the property of the college.

CORA, Maxwell’s script was selected as the Film 33 class feature project. Film 33 provides aspiring film makers the opportunity to have their screenplays produced in a short film format. CORA is Film 33’s sixth short film production.

SOLODARITY, another Film 33 short feature in recent months, won best dramatic short at the San Diego Film Festival.

As I walked further onto the set of CORA, I was greeted by producers, David Field, Cristiano Cardoso and Marcus Karlberg, CORA’s director of photography. I recently had the opportunity to work with Field, Cardoso and Karlberg while filming a portion of the CORA Indiegogo crowd funding video.

Maxwell has secured the talent of celebrated actors to breathe life into the characters of CORA. Actress, Latarsha Rose, steps into the lead role as CORA, Joe Holt as Winston, Gay Thomas Wilson as Diana, John Lacy as Sheriff Williams, Bryan Oakes as Sheriff Daniels and veteran character actor, William C. Carpenter as Charles.

Maxwell, cast and crew were on their 3rd day of filming when I arrived on set. The energy was high although the hours were clearly long. Despite the extended hours on location, the actors, crew members and even the movie extra’s remained in good spirits.

Film making is not in Maxwell’s family lineage. However, encouraged by the woman bearing the name of CORA, Maxwell has discovered his film making voice.

By Michael G. Reel
ReelUrbanNews.com