By Mike Reynolds

Director Euzhan Palcy on the set of The Killing Yard.

How she has effected that transition makes Euzhan Palcy's life to date fascinating enough for a film in itself. She's in the record books as the first woman of color to direct a major Hollywood movie. She's the first person from Martinique to ever direct in Hollywood and is the only one to have a film school named after her. There's also a movie theater bearing her name. Euzhan has several other notable firsts, as well as numerous nominations and awards on her résumé, including the Chevalier dans L'Ordre National du Merite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) from French President François Mitterand.

Palcy wasted no time in realizing her dream; at age 12 she began a four-year stint on radio and was writing stories at age 14. An avid filmgoer to Martinique's 24 movie theaters she was, "very impressed by movies from people like Truffaut and Hitchcock.

"Hitchcock had a great impact on me. I would see every movie of Hitchcock's they would show. I loved, as well, Fritz Lang." Techniques and effects also intrigued Euzhan and she wanted to know how they could have been realized on screen.

She also noticed the difference between the natural shooting techniques of (predominantly) French made films--natural light, hair and makeup and shooting on location without controlling the environment--as opposed to the "clinical" approach of American films--perfect lighting, hair, makeup and a controlled environment on location. But something bothered her. "There were no black people on screen and I kept questioning my parents. I don't understand why there are no black actors, or if there were they would only be in American films, always in very degrading parts --I was very upset."

At 17 she convinced the creative director of the local TV station that she should make a movie, The Messenger, which she also wrote. Off to study film in Paris she became friends with François Truffaut's daughter Laura, who arranged a meeting between the two. Truffaut proved to be a strong supporter and helped Palcy get her vision of Sugar Cane Alley to the screen. That success brought attention from Hollywood but she chose to accept Robert Redford's offer to attend Sundance. With Redford's encouragement she made A Dry White Season and since then has moved between Europe and the United States and movies, documentaries, commercials and TV films, her latest is about the Attica prison riot, The Killing Yard for Showtime/Paramount.

Euzhan Palcy directs actors
Morris Chestnut (left) and Alan Alda .

Palcy says that now but admits when she first read the script she felt, "I cannot do that, it's a great story because it's a true story but I cannot talk about Attica today and have it be the story of a 'white man' lawyer." She understood why writer, Bonnie Garvin, who spent eight years on the story, had done it. "It was a story more about the attorney [Ernie Goodman] than the prisoners, because he was a friend of hers and that's what she knew about Attica. She was very open, it's not ego with her, it's about the work."

When Euzhan met Alan Alda (who plays Goodman) for the first time, he told her, "I love the story but I have a problem with certain things. I don't want to be the great white hope here." Palcy replied, "Thank you Alan, that was my first concern." Thereafter Bonnie and Euzhan spent time together and changed the script.

Aware that much of the story was set in the courtroom, Palcy didn't want nonstop legal talk on screen--no matter how engaging it was. "As written it was talk, talk, talk, so what I brought into it was the visual. Instead of having people talk, show it! In the courtroom, every time we have a witness brought in, you see and have a piece of the puzzle and the audience will put everything together, so you keep the audience with you. You also have to move the camera in a certain way [when doing courtroom scenes], to involve the audience more and give a rhythm. With my DP we sat there trying to figure out how. We took everything in the courtroom and made sure we didn't repeat it. It's difficult. The challenge for me was how could I shoot so many scenes in the courtroom and be fresh? I had to find the little thing that would be important. Of course, courtroom sequences need good actors as well. Additionally, every time we did an emotional scene in the courtroom, once it was finished, I had my crew applaud the actors. The first time it happened it moved them to tears."

While Palcy likes to work with the same crew whenever she can, the limitations of a movie for television don't always allow for such things. "The work is faster if you've worked with people before. You can get something done with just a look or nod, because you know from past situations. I fought to get my DP (John Simmons) on Ruby Bridges. Disney didn't want him. He's a black man in Hollywood and had never done a movie. I'm a DP myself, so I know what, or who, is good and he was good. I have a photography degree from a famous French film school because I wanted to master the techniques and be able to talk knowledgably with DPs. When you go to the set you must know what you want, because the guys are waiting for you. Incidentally, Disney has hired John twice since then."

Euzhan also used John Simmons for The Killing Yard but he was the only one she could take with her to Montreal, Canada. "We talked about the movie. It became my obsession. We worked hard, we prepared ... we discussed the lighting ... everything. My DP is my right hand so, if I don't have that relationship with my DP, I cannot function with him. I don't want to take somebody on board I don't know. It's like a marriage."

The film covers two periods: the riot in the prison and the court case. Palcy decided there should be an immediate on-screen recognition by shooting the riot sequences in black-and-white. "The studio freaked out, I said not ALL the movie. Look, we have two periods, the uprising in the prison then three years later. Let's do it like newsreel footage. I called my DP and we had three work sessions at my home discussing what I wanted and he did research tests with the lab."

Another peculiarity of movies for television now surfaced for Palcy. She heard that Ralph Burgy ("a great guy at Paramount") was doing the budget for her movie but she had never met with him to discuss it. "He was surprised that the director wanted to see him because usually they don't do that but that's not the way I work." Euzhan told Burgy she wasn't there to challenge him. "I just want you to get to know me better, to know what I have in my head — my vision — how I see this movie, so you will better serve me and the film. That's it! I want to shoot all the Attica footage in black-and-white with three 16mm cameras. I will use a handheld and I want a steadicam for this and so on. After I finished he said, 'I'm glad you came — honestly! I didn't think of things like that.' I gave him an artistic trip into the story. He was excited."

Palcy directs Chestnut through a courtroom scene.

"There was a lot of prep. I sat up night and day doing storyboards, discussing everything with my DP and then everyone [on the crew] knew precisely what to do [in] every shot and what every camera would do. I worked with the stunt guys. It was very well prepared. I went from one camera to the other one, because there's no second unit on my movie. We rehearsed ... everything was so precise. I would direct the actors, everybody, to the last second and then let them work [to get the incredible riot footage]. We needed 1,200 people in the yard for the riot scene but I was only given 100--that's what they put in my budget! In Canada they know my work so when they heard, on radio, that I was shooting a movie there, people called me and asked what they could do. I said, 'anyone who wants to help, I need extras.' I worked with local organizations and we had a big evening where they screened two of my movies and I told them I didn't have a big budget but needed help. They came and then the studio helped me with costumes and food, along with donations to those organizations."

The scenes meant full cooperation from her volunteers and her crew. "All the ADs worked so well with [the extras] and the people there wanted it to be good. I treat them like human beings and I care for them, talk to them, and notice their concerns. When you treat extras like that, they give you respect. It's not just the star getting the great treatment and them not getting anything--being treated like cattle. If I need another take I never say, 'OK, let's go again.' I always give a reason why we have to go again. They are human beings. You have to tell them what happened."

Though the production budget required her to shoot the Attica riot in Montreal, Palcy wanted "to shoot outside the real Attica. In 2001 it would have been ridiculous to not shoot there. So my DP and I went and shot it."

Even with a mere 23 days, Palcy refused to be rushed through some sequences. "You may have to cut corners but you can't cut quality. There are moments when I took more time and did what I would do on a movie. You have to pick up your moments. When you mix the whole thing you don't feel it's a movie for television and also you need a great DP and crew because you need people who can move fast. That's the key when you're on a tight schedule. If you work with a DP who believes that the most important thing is his lighting and he spoils half of your time to light the scene then you have only 15 minutes to shoot, what do you do? You're screwed. I don't want that."

While script and crew are important for any production, getting the right actors is also key. "The relationships begin before the table readings. I want to talk about the movie I want to do, why I cast them and discuss the characters. If I've cast them then it means I've already seen at least 60% of what I want from them but there is still 40% that I would expect them to bring with them. We needed a great guy and, of course, Alan Alda doesn't look like the man he's playing (Ernie Goodman) but he was able to play the role because he's such a great actor. We wanted to find the person who was right for the part. It was Alan. He completed that with his own homework."

For the other key role she chose Morris Chestnut. "I wanted somebody who had the range--tough, scary but at the same time be so sweet and handsome, because there's a romance here and you have to sell that to the audience. I knew that every woman would love him."

Once casting was complete she spent a week in rehearsal. "Every actor is a world, that's why I like working with them. The time I spend with them prior [to the shoot, is when] I want them to get to know me. I want to get to know them. I know, by definition, actors are vulnerable and some need to be coaxed. Respect is the bottom line, the key thing, between us--even the crew."

Palcy preps Alda for a court scene.

The studio told her they never send writers to rehearsal. Palcy reiterated that it would be as the historical consultant. '"You gave me 23 days to make this movie,' I said. 'I don't want to waste time with any actors asking questions she is best at answering.'" The studio relented and Euzhan introduced Bonnie to the actors explaining that she wrote the original script, "but she's here as historical consultant and has all the answers to the questions you will have concerning Attica. Write down all your questions and ask them. They were so happy and that was so useful but that's how I was able to do this movie in 23 days. No waste of time."

Back in Martinique wondering how things were done in the films she adored, Palcy admits, "I could never imagine the intensity of the work." But she's not about to give it up, "I have five projects in development, including a comedy, two political thrillers and a suspense thriller." There's still an animated African project waiting for a green light. "I want to go back to my first love--action, suspense and comedy. I can do any genre. If characters or themes speak to you, you can do it." But Palcy is adamant about one thing, "There will always be strong messages in the films I do because my goal as a filmmaker is to entertain and educate."

Mike Reynolds is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to DGA Magazine.

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