The Special People — at The Filmmaker’s Cooperative

In a dark humor vein, the sci-fi experimental art film, ‘The Special People’ asks you to consider the hypnotic state induced by smart technology and human desire for freedom and authenticity. The audience goes through a hero’s journey while bathing in its sparkling storybook sets; an eerie combination of VHS nostalgia and foreboding dilemmas. The Special People will play for one night only at the Filmmaker’s Cooperative (The New American Cinema Group, founded in 1961 by Jonas Mekas), followed by a Q&A with the director.

Erica Schreiner wrote, directed, and starred in The Special People. She single handedly built elaborate, colorful and sparkling sets in her apartment where she filmed the feature on her VHS camera. This avant garde art film is reminiscent of 1960s experimental cinema like that of Kenneth Anger or Jack Smith. The other actors in this film are her friends, who include local art stars like Matthew Silver.