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Local Stories by Local People
The Price of Paradise
When Ed heard that our friend Lisa Snider had a film in the 2007 Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), he immediately sent the dedicated staff over to find out more about her film. The film, called The Price of Paradise, is showing two times during the festival. Here is a synopsis from the official SBIFF program guide:
Santa Barbara County, paradise to some, has seen a dramatic escalation in the cost of housing, thus displacing the community's critical workforce. The experiences of those workers and the impacts to families, community and employers provide insight and an understanding of the need for affordable workforce housing. The 42-minute documentary features interviews, artistic cinematography and a percussionist soundtrack.
Edhat Dedicated Staff (EDS): So, Lisa, what's the deal with this film and how did you get into the festival?
Lisa Snider (LS): Yes, well, of course, I'm thrilled it will be shown right here in Santa Barbara, where everything was filmed. Last year, while I was working at the County, my boss wanted a film for the community to create an awareness about the local workforce and how rising housing costs are affecting them.
EDS (we stole this question from Nicole): As the director, did you say things like, "Action," and "Cut" a lot?
LS: Well, no, not really, because this was a documentary. But I did annoy the camera guys by asking dumb questions like, "Are you rolling?" It was annoying because the flashing red light was on. And I'm pretty sure there's plenty of footage of me on the blooper reel walking into their shots and saying, "Oops, sorry."
EDS: Does this film have anything exciting, like counting?
LS: That's quite a question. Well, there are a number of interesting statistics. For example, 16,000 Ventura county residents commute to work in Santa Barbara everyday. Oh, and commuters drive 600 million miles annually in and out of the county. So I guess you could say we counted cars.
EDS: That's a lot of cars! Our clickers only go to 9,999. So, what's the answer to this Price Check Tuesday (PCT)? What IS the price of paradise?
LS: Funny you should ask, because that is, afterall, the name of the documentary! We did do lots of price-checking for the film and discovered that paradise has a hefty price tag. The median home price here on the south coast is $1.2 million. That usually gets you a 3-bedroom/2-bath that might need a little elbow grease.
EDS: Our course we must ask the question that everyone wants to know ... what are you going to wear to your screening?
LS: Me? Well, I'm not a movie star or anything. I mean, I'm more of a Gap t-shirt and AG jeans kinda gal. I guess I need to give Blue Bee a call for some fashion advice. Maybe an Edhat t-shirt? I suppose it's too cold for open-toed shoes.
EDS: According to Ed, it's never too cold for open-toed shoes! An Edhat t-shirt would be nice. We'll have to ask the Dog. :-)
Lisa Snider is the writer, producer and director of "The Price of Paradise," which makes its Santa Barbara debut on Friday night, January 26 at the Marjorie Luke theater. It will be shown once more on Monday morning January 29 at the Victoria Theater. Lisa is also a local freelance writer; check-out her website at www.findingojai.com.
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