Designated Caretaker Redux

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Synopsis

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Designated Caretaker Redux, directed by Frederick Keeve, is a short film about high school drama teacher and filmmaker, Paul Miller (Frederick Keeve), who has to come to grips with the fact that as a result of his obsession with completing a film about the great actor/artist Michael Chekhov (William Morgan Sheppard), he is losing touch with his family and perhaps his sanity in the process. This film addresses a man's obsession with his artistic dreams, his need to create, and the eternal quest to find balance between life and art. This film is inspired by Keeve’s own life producing/writing/directing/composing a feature-length documentary about the lives of two Russian-born actor/teachers - Michael Chekhov and George Shdanoff - entitled From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff. Keeve became a student of 90-year-old Shdanoff while he was still teaching acting classes from his Brentwood apartment. When Keeve heard about Shdanoff and Chekhov’s incredible journey, the idea for the documentary about two Russian acting coaches was born. Designated Caretaker Redux is a film within a film, and a love letter to the great actor/artist Michael Chekhov.

About The Production

Designated Caretaker Redux was shot on location in LA. It was Star Trek and RSC veteran, William Morgan Sheppard’s last screen performance. The film enjoyed great success on the independent film festival circuit receiving several nominations and awards, including Gold Remi Award - WorldFest Houston, Most Inspiration Short Film - Culver City Film Festival, Best Short Film - Global Shorts Los Angeles, Award of Merit - Canada Shorts Film Festival, Platinum Award - L.A. Shorts Fest, and Diamond Award - L.A. Shorts Awards.

Further information about the production can be found on IMDb here.

Gallery

Trailer

Logline: A high school drama teacher has to come to grips with the fact that as a result of his obsession with completing a film about the great actor/artist Michael Chekhov, he is losing touch with his family and perhaps his sanity in the process. This film addresses man’s obsession with his dreams and his need to create…the eternal struggle to maintain personal balance in life and in art. Pitch: Paul Miller, an aspiring filmmaker, is struggling to make a film about the great acting coach Michael Chekhov. The story is about the mystique of acting and Paul’s struggle to make his film while losing his grip on reality--his wife, Amy, leaves him and his children feel alienated from him. Paul’s film, a feature-length documentary set in the heyday of Hollywood in the 40s and 50s, is highlighted by film clips and commentaries from some of its most luminous stars. Synopsis: Paul Miller, a drama teacher at Madison High School, is making a film about the genius actor-artist, Michael Chekhov. His obsession with his film about Chekhov causes Paul’s wife, Amy, to leave him after nineteen years of marriage. As Paul sorts through the pieces of his broken marriage and the dissolution of family bonds, he begins to renew and strengthen his tenuous bond with his children—Andrew, Natasha, and Grace. Amy comes to a better understanding of who she is through therapy, and the growth of her career and personal life. Paul’s muse, Michael Chekhov, guides him on his journey, helping Paul to reclaim his own power both as a man, a father and as an artist.

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