Damion Luaiye, Paul Haggis and Leopoldo Gout at the screening
(Photo Courtesy of Billy Farrell Agency)
Monday night I ventured out to the usually irritating, too cool for school Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel for an intimate Project Paz film screening. I used to love that hotel. Remember the half drunk pickled bartenders and the stale crackers and stellar martinis? The painted Cecil Beaton-esque walls in the dining room? Of course all of that has been washed away with hip-ness, but it was one of New York's little treasures.
It was a wonderful relief to have such a friendly welcome into the bar since it was a private event and I was reporting on it, there was no hassle and shoving. They had set up the room like a private theater with a screen in front of the fireplace and couches lined up in tidy rows. Although the screen didn't manage to cover the nude painting of a woman with her ole snatcheroo front and center so that was a little distracting.
Project Paz is a stellar non-profit organization created by a group of New Yorkers who want to raise money to support projects to better the lives of the people who live in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico -- a place where escalating drug violence has made it one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
I spoke to one of the Project Paz members, Alexa Rodulfo who told us that any money raised from this evening will be going to various programs for the community and kids of Juárez.
The Project Paz Posse
(Photo courtesy of Billy Farrell Agency)
The film, Dios de Gracias is about the drug wars in México and happens to take place in 2002, 2006, 2010 the dates of the World Cup. As Leopoldo Gout, the producer told us when introducing the film, "80% of the worlds violence comes to a halt during the World Cup." But apparently not in Mexico! The arm cracking, meat cleaver stabbing and finger cutting was a little too much for this writer (sissy alert!) but I did find the plot compelling as did many at the Cannes Film Festival. Apparently it took five years of intense research to make and the lead actor went to the police academy to ensure his character was on point.
We ran into bigwig screenwriter, producer, director Paul Haggis who is a big fan of the filmmakers. "I met them in Cannes and was really impressed," he told us. "It was a brave film so I asked to champion it a bit." Good man!
Props to Project Paz -- We love visiting Mexico (the food, the pyramids, the people!) and hope that their efforts prove fruitful against these terrifying drug lords. Who needs coke when you have tequila?