“I’ve always had a real excitement about the Brooklyn Bridge. Every time I drive over that bridge, I’m so mesmerized, there’s just so much magic to it. I’ve been fascinated by it since I was in just second grade,” said producer Mark Friedman.
On December 16, 2017, there will be a premier of the new film Roebling’s Bridge shown in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The screening will be held in the Cooper Hall at Roebling Park in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Everyone will have a chance to meet the actors, producer, and director at 5 p.m. The 20 minute film will begin at 5:45 p.m. Tickets are $10, student tickets are $5.
You will have a chance to meet Chris Emmons, the director, Mark Friedman, the producer, Jeffrey Grover, who plays John Roebling, Liam Bingham, who plays John’s son Washington Roebling, and Josefine Christoffersen, Washington’s wife, Emily Roebling.
Not only did John Roebling help establish Saxonburg, but he also began his production of the wire rope here in 1841. Because of his great advances in Saxonburg, the director and producer have decided to hold their very first screening of Roebling’s Bridge here in Saxonburg, where John’s ideas had come to life. The actors said that it seems that they all grew very close during this production and they now have a special bond.
“The connection between John and Washington was inherent with my connection to Liam as an actor. We had good chemistry. There was honesty between us that I’m confident the audience will notice,” said Jeffrey Grover.
Liam Bingham said, “One of my favorite memories while being in this film is that even though we all were tired and physically sore, the energy was always so high, and the vibes were always so positive.”
Friedman believes that this film is so important because of the significance of the Brooklyn Bridge. Not only is it one of the oldest bridges in the U.S., but it’s something that we all can learn about, as it is used each and every day.
“I believe we often don’t take the time to see what’s right in front of us. We tend to take the bridge for granted. Everyone knows what the Brooklyn Bridge is, but not how it came about,” said Friedman.
This bridge has a very deep past that is truly worth learning about. Not only has the bridge offered a safe and scenic passage to commuters and tourists for decades, it’s also the longest suspension bridge in the world!
Friedman said, “Not only is the basis of this movie the importance of family, but it’s a dream of making something from nothing, along with tragedy striking, and learning how to overcome it.”
With much excitement I share that I had the opportunity to go to Brooklyn, New York to interview Producer Mark Friedman. As a student editor in chief and aspiring journalist I was inspired by his passion and purpose for the production of this film. To see the enthusiasm in his eyes; and hear it in his voice as he described the making of a dream into the realty of this film was awe inspiring. He truly believes it’s magical. Upon seeing Roebling’s Bridge, you will feel that spark of magic too.
Here are my interview questions with Friedman to help you learn a little more about the film:
Q: Could you describe your various roles in producing this film?
A: “When you think of the word producer, it means to make something out of an idea. Then, you make the idea something real. When it comes to making a film, it takes a lot of people. I would say my first role was to build a team. This is when I met the director Chris Emmons who is my partner in this film. We co-wrote the scripts together. This is when we took our ideas and gave them some shape, and wrote the screenplay. There were lots of drafts until we landed on what we loved. We then went into pre-production. This is when we brought in more of a team. As a first time producer, we chose a difficult film to make-which is a period piece. It was key to find a production designer to make it look like we were back in time. This is where we found Stephanie Schneider and all of her talent. Our costume designer was Sarah Wiener. The combination of Stephanie and Sarah really made us comfortable that the film was going to be able to come together. We then held auditions. After that, I tried to serve Chris Emmons with anything that was needed on set. These were 18-20 hour days trying to perfect this film. Chris worked with a lot of the editing and post productions while I then worked on the social media platforms to get the word of the film out.”
Q: What sparked your interest to get involved with this film? Why’s it so important to you?
A: “Around the age of 30, I tried to write my own movie and see what I could do. It just seemed like I didn’t have the work ethic at that time to complete the project. But, I knew one day, I would come back to it. At a certain point, the idea for this film really seemed to gather momentum. So I decided to concentrate on this idea, and make an effort to make it real. Basically, film and photography was something that has always been there for me. It had to be put aside for a long time, but I knew it would come back at a certain point. And it did, it came back. It’s the right idea at the right time. I thought it was a story about a place that has a lot of cultural significance right now, and an event that not a lot of people know about.”
Q: Because of John Roebling leaving the project of the Brooklyn Bridge to his son Washington, how big of a role is the importance of family and support shown throughout this film?
A: “Very big. The story is so large. We decided to make this little piece of the story about family. This film itself is really a story about a father and a son. A story about a generation passing down to the next generation. It’s a story about support and love, and an overbearing father and a son who doesn’t know if he’s up for the task, when he receives support from his wife Emily. The idea of family plays a major role throughout this film.”
Q: What’s the biggest value or idea that you want people to take away after watching this?
A: “I invite the audience to take a look at the film and ask themselves what they took away from it. There are plenty of things that the viewer can take from this film, and hopefully they will.”
Q: How closely were you able to make this film historically accurate?
A: “I think we did really well. We picked a sliver of time, from a very large period of time. We picked our story up a little bit after the civil war between 1867 and 1869. We wanted to make it as true to real life events that did happen. This being the public documents and books that anyone can access. In the terms of set design, looks, and costuming, our goal was to remain as historically accurate as possible. I would consider it a historical fiction because we wrote dialogue, but the events themselves have been documented.”
Q: Why do you think it’s important for people to know about John Roebling and what he did?
A: “We have this monument, that I personally, go over several times a week. We see images of the bridge everywhere we turn. People are always hearing of it and seeing it, but don’t know how it came to be. It’s important because there’s this thing that we take for granted, that everyone knows what it is, but aren’t sure of the story behind it.”
Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: “Here’s a story of how this all happened. The first time I ever saw the Brooklyn Bridge was probably in second grade when I saw Joseph Stella’s painting of the bridge, and I remember being mesmerized by some of those images. I moved back to Brooklyn around 2000. And all those years later, driving over the bridge was such an excitement. With growing up around it for so long, there’s been this real heavy excitement about it. Then, over the next 10 years, every time I drove over that bridge there was some sort of magic, and there still is. When I was looking for subject matter for a film, the bridge was just always there. So, the research began.”
Maxine and Jay Friedman • Dec 12, 2017 at 12:06
I am so excited to see this film. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and this is very close to my heart. So is the producer and I am so proud of him. Sincerely, Maxine Friedman
Madalyn Guthrie • Dec 13, 2017 at 00:05
I’m so glad!And yes, he has done a wonderful job!