Director Laurel Chiten talks about her motivations for making TWISTED, and recalls some of the surprises and challenges that came up during filming––including one hair-raising moment of near disaster.
What led you to make this film?
I have a form of both Tourette syndrome and dystonia.
I made Twitch and Shout in 1994 about people with Tourette syndrome. At that time no one knew what that was. When it aired on the PBS series P.O.V., I realized the power of the media. Now most people know what Tourette syndrome is. I wanted to do the same thing for dystonia. No one knows what it is. Even in the medical profession many are unaware.
What were some of the challenges you faced in getting this film made?
We had our share of technical challenges. But mostly I was dealing with a man (Pat Brogan) who was falling apart, and watching his life go downhill in the course of a year was difficult. I thought we would follow him for a year and he would have success—like the other people in the film who had deep brain stimulation (DBS). We had no idea his story would be so tragic.
How did you find the people followed in the film?
That part was easy. The first footage I shot was at a dystonia conference. We interviewed a number of people and chose many of the people from that conference. I wanted to find someone who was thinking of having deep brain stimulation and asked the Dystonia Foundation for suggestions. That is how I found Pat Brogan.
Have you had any feedback from the participants about the filmmaking experience or the finished film?
I think this film has given Pat purpose with his life. He told me that many times. I think it validated the lives of those in it.
Over what period of time did filming take place?
Over the course of about a year.
What material was the most difficult to edit out of your film?
Remy Campbell’s full story. I still miss it.
The independent film business is a difficult one. What keeps you motivated?
Ha! Obsession, most likely.
As I said earlier, I learned the power of media and it is addicting. It is the best way I know to bring about change. Plus, I love filmmaking. (When I have funding!)
What impact do you hope this film will have?
I hope, with the broadcast of TWISTED, that the numbers go up, more people get diagnosed and more funding dollars are allocated.
Why did you choose to present your film on public television?
Because I could reach the most people. And because I had such a good experience with Twitch and Shout.
How did the experience of making this film compare with your expectations going in?
It was far better than I ever would have expected. I had no idea I would end up with such a compelling film.
What are your three favorite films?
The Last Wave, (directed by Pete Weir) Shawshank Redemption and Babe,
I am also completely addicted to the television series Rescue Me,
Prison Break and Law and Order.
If you weren’t a filmmaker, what kind of work do you think you’d be doing?
Probably selling shoes somewhere. They tease me about being a producer savant.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
Commitment and tenacity in filmmaking is crucial. Once you decide to do something, providence will take over and the universe will help you get the film done one way or another. Don't let yourself have doubt and don't indulge your fears.
Stay slightly ignorant. In other words, only tend to the matter at hand, and don’t worry about the future and all the things that need to be done and that could go wrong. I tend to be like Wile E. Coyote––as long as I don’t know the ground is not underneath me, then I don’t fall.
If you could have one motto, what would it be?
Every “no” is one step closer to a “yes.”
What sparks your creativity?
Walking, driving, flying. Anytime I am moving… I get ideas. The faster I move, the more my mind soars. Especially flying. The clouds get me every time. I am especially creative when I am confronting a big problem and need to find a way to solve it.
Please share an entertaining tidbit, horror story or a moment of revelation you experienced in the process of making your film.
The scariest moment was when we had just come back from following our main character (Pat Brogan) before, during and after his ten-hour surgery. That was a ten-day shoot during which we also shot three of our other characters, totaling at least 30 hours of footage. When I came home and was making my dubs, I noticed that there was a tracking problem in the tapes. I ran to my local camera/video store to play the tapes on a good deck. The professionals assured me the tapes were fine, I just needed to make clones of them on a high-end deck. I relaxed for a moment, but then I had a moment of panic and called the dub house. It turned out that they were not fine. I ran to the dub house and we tried the tapes in four different decks—none of them would play the tapes. I said to myself, “Well, at least it is not brain surgery.” But, it was brain surgery! I stood there in the middle of the dub house. I had no film. I tried to remain calm. Finally, we played the tapes on one last deck—our final hope—a brand new HD deck—and they worked. Whew!
One more story: The smartest decision I made in TWISTED was handing a camera to Cathy Brogan, Pat’s wife. She followed him during the year, through the ups and downs of his work, their marriage, etc. That footage we could never have gotten on our own. It holds the film together.
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