STROKE, 9@Night Film#5

Phil Berkowitz, a 60 year old North Beach poet, survivor of the days of wine and roses, has a stroke. Helpless, he lies in his flea bag Tenderloin hotel room and is found by Johnny, part-time janitor in a seedy strip club run by St. Tre and Malafide, now operating under the name Modisco. Johnny tries to help him regain his speech and plays Cupid, Introducing him to Svetlana, a waitress, and alcoholic. Svetlana feels sorry for Phil, but Phil mistakes kindness for attraction.

• Winner: San Francisco Film Critic's Circle Marlon Riggs Award for courage and innovation in the cinema, 2008.

• Praise from Ray Carney and the Academy Foundation:

https://harvardfilmarchive.org/programs/9-night-the-films-of-rob-nilsson-2/

• World Premiere: Mill Valley International Film Festival, 2000

• Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival, 2010

• The World Premiere marathon screening of all the 9 @ Night Films took place at the Harvard Film Archive in 2007.

"Beginning with the film Stroke, Nilsson and his collective have enjoyed a fruitful 18-year collaboration, producing a string of remarkable films, including what he calls the 9@Night Films.

With his directorial admonition to "be triumphantly yourself," Nilsson has shown a knack for drawing profoundly natural and unstudied performances from his actors, most of whom have never acted before. Nilsson's movies are not made so much as they are gathered, culled from the angry, shadowy, steaming streets of the city."Nilsson: "Honestly. I find what I want through the process of making the film. Or more truthfully, I use the process of filmmaking to pull out of me what it is I didn't know I wanted to express." - David Templeton, The Outsider, 10/04/2006

Directed by:

• Rob Nilsson

Story by:

• Rob Nilsson

Improvised by the Cast:

• Edwin Johnson – Johnny

• Teddy Weiler – Phil

• Omewenne – Svetlana

• Robert Viharo – Modisco

• Mira Larkin – Francesca

• Ron Perlman – Schumacher

• Peter Richards – Rosario

• Paige Olson – St. Tre

• Bruce Marovich – Qually

• Cory DuVal – Bid Qualquiver

• Marianne Heath – Jane / Ginger

• Bridget Burch – Johnny’s Wife

• Eddy Falconer – Joey

• John Hunsaker – Chuckles

• Brette McCabe – Lou

• David Miles – Robot Man

• Jim Pusch – Jim

• Jason Santucci – Punk

• David Jay Selksy – Photographer

• Jim Trinh – Cafe Owner

Cinematography:

• Mickey Freeman

Production Design:

• Jennifer Burns

Set Decoration:

• Adan J. Faudoa

Production Manager:

• Mira Larkin

Editor:

• Allan Kelley

Post-Production Engineer:

• Robert Frey

Sound Editor:

• Al Nelson

• Josh Peterson

Sound Designer:

• Al Nelson

Music:

• Al Nelson

Producers:

• Rob Nilsson

• Kevin Michael Winterfield

Executive Producers:

• Carol Richards

• David Richards

Okunrin Meta - David Schickele