"Zoo" a tough sell that gets respect at Sundance

PARK CITY, Utah — Seattle filmmakers Robinson Devor and Charles Mudede aren't Northwest natives. But in two movies accepted into competition at the Sundance Festival — 2005's "Police Beat" and the new "Zoo" — they have focused the eyes of the independent-film world on the city.

"Zoo" premiered at a sold-out screening at Sundance in Park City, Utah, last week. In an interview the day after, screenwriter Mudede said, "We wanted to give a real sense to what Seattle feels like, its colors."

As a boy, Mudede spent his summers in Seattle. He moved here as an adult because he continued to be "preoccupied" with the city.

Director and co-writer Devor is likewise "deeply mesmerized by the Pacific Northwest. I am very drawn to capture its atmosphere."

"The city hasn't been filmed as much as we like it to," Mudede adds. "So we get to invent that. Vancouver is often used as a double, but it's not really there."

James Keblas, director of film and music for the mayor's office, certainly hopes to persuade film productions to stay south of the Canadian border. Keblas was at Sundance with various Washington state officials, including Suzy Kellett from the state film office, hosting meetings and parties with filmmakers to explain why some newly added incentives (like getting 20 to 25 percent of the production cost back) make Seattle a keen location to film.

"The ripple effect is huge," Keblas said of productions coming to town. "All that money is imported into the local economy. And marketing. Movies like 'Sleepless in Seattle' put cities on the map. You can't buy that kind of advertising." Keblas remembers the sale of houseboats "skyrocketed" after the release of that 1993 Tom Hanks film.

Devor was glad he had to go through the mayor's office with his film because it gave him support while making preparations for it. "We got a lot of resistance," he said. "Any kind of backing was helpful."

The resistance stemmed from "Zoo's" subject matter: bestiality. It's about Seattle-area zoophiles, particularly one who died, and how his death and the ensuing media coverage precipitated the "excommunication" of that community. Devor and Mudede (a staffer at The Stranger) splinter the focus of their film to include a broader discussion of human behavior, marginalization, the Iraq war, changes wrought by the advent of the Internet, death, family, journalism and the city of Seattle.

Keblas was initially "really worried" when he heard about Devor's film, that it would be sensationalized. "But I talked to the filmmakers, and the way they approach it is respectful and tasteful. What it'll show is that they have a creative mind."

And differing minds. Mudede wishes the final cut of the film could have had more discussion of animal rights, from sources that would "engage in the texture of the film," unlike the "dull" argumentation of folks like state Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, who sponsored the state's new law against bestiality. Time and budget didn't allow for a greater balance to the zoophilic perspective, but Mudede acknowledges, "Everyone has heard about animal rights. ... We have the other side of the discourse. And even though I don't agree with them [zoophiles] — I'm quite critical — it's a thought design. How far can I go in understanding their motives and perspectives?"

"The other voices have been heard from," said Devor. "Balance is for — well, not even for news outlets. I find them interesting and engaging people. We give them the voice. That's the point."

THINKFilm intends to distribute the film nationally to art houses, though the exact release date is unknown. Devor surmises summer would be the earliest, in part based on what kind of reaction the film gets at Sundance, which, based on post-credits chatter, seems to be highly positive. The film is in competition at Sundance; winners will be announced Sunday.

Before the film screened, Mudede and Devor were interviewed on NPR by someone who "made jokes and laughed and laughed." The same interviewer, after seeing the film, told the pair he "admired it — the cinema art of it."

Devor hopes moviegoers who go into "Zoo" with the intent to "see something salacious" will walk away having seen "something mysterious and poetic."