The Wooden Heart
Reflecting on the objects, documents, images and memories that made up a Greek-American family’s life during the zenith of post-war prosperity and optimism in Southern California, The Wooden Heart is a testament of love, a requiem to a place and time - a moving and meditative essay on grief and letting go of all that we once knew as home.
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Chris EmmanouilidesDirector8 Cups Ago (2018), Archive (2013), Remains (1993), Suelto! (1989), A Border Crossing (1988)
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Chris EmmanouilidesWriter
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Chris EmmanouilidesProducerTalk Fast (2001), The Ad & the Ego (1994)
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Project Type:Documentary
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Genres:Memoir, Essay, Personal, Family history, Climate
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Runtime:60 minutes
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Completion Date:August 24, 2020
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Production Budget:25,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:HD, HDV, DV
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Los Angeles Greek Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
October 15, 2020
World Premiere
Distribution Information
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Chris EmmanouilidesCountry: United States
Chris Emmanouilides continues to make personal essay films after a long career as a television production company executive and producer of award winning documentaries and reality-based series for numerous cable networks.
His recent films include Archive (2013) which premiered at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Orpheus Prize, and 8 Cups Ago (2018) about a filmmaking adventure during the World Cup in Mexico in the summer of ’86.
He co-produced and photographed The Ad and the Ego, (1994) a critical look at the impact of advertising on culture and the environment that took first prize in its category at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Chris was Co-Producer and Director of Photography on Talk Fast, a feature-length documentary that follows a group of struggling screenwriters in Hollywood.
His early films include Remains (1993) and A Border Crossing (1988). His film Suelto! about running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1990.
He received his MFA in Radio-Television-Film from Temple University and resides with his wife and daughter in Rutledge, PA.
A film essay begins as shapeless material. An idea with unknown dimension often gestates for years. Impressions become words; images new and old are thread together, weaved into sequences. The small, personal story expands, touches on universal themes, elicits common emotion. A story finds its unique form to the surprise and recognition of many.