WORK IN PROGRESS

WORK IN PROGRESS

        Edgar Gerdeman was a tank commander eleven years ago during the Gulf War of '91. He was in the Khobar Towers when they were under siege by Scud missiles -- then became part of an offensive pushing through the Iraqi borders, commanding an M1A1 Abrams tank -- as part of a driving attack that virtually eliminated much of Iraq's army, and turned a forbidding war into a one hundred hour military exercise. During one of these hours Ed stuck his head out of his tank to see hundreds of armored vehicles on every side of him, as far as he could see. The destructive force of the American army was before his eyes, and the Gulf War capped his nine year career in military service.
        "It was one long psychotic episode," says the man who stayed in Iraq for months, and witnessed first the destruction of the Iraqi army, and then the burning of the oil fields by the retreating enemy. "At one point I counted 98 fires. Oil dropped on us like raindrops frequently. The noonday sun was as black as night. It was an awakening."
        The awakening Ed speaks of turned into a turning point in his life. When he left Iraq he soon left the Army. Now, ten years later, he is using his GI benefits to go back to college -- studying environmental science and working part-time for the local Park Service. He has traded in his tank for a "hippie" style old Volkswagon bus. And he talks endlessly about his passion -- about the destruction of the environment by the government -- by the corporations -- by the people in general.
        Naturally, when Ed came to me with a desire to make a film to express this passion, I jumped at the opportunity. Not because my passion is the environment (though I do agree with much of what Ed has to say) but because my passion can be summarized by the statement, "have camera -- will film." The idea of subject matter was second to the desire to make another movie. Of additional interest was the fact that this film would be a collaborative effort, which would be a first for my amateur filmmaking achievements.
        For several days during the last two autumns Ed and I drove around Dayton, Ohio in the old Volkswagon bus looking for signs of environmental destruction to film. It became pretty easy to find. Litter could be found everywhere and pollution in the Great Miami River that borders much of Dayton was always present. From the onset it was decided this would be a film to raise local awareness and local interest. "Global awareness starts with local awareness," Ed would tell me. Often shots would show buildings in the background that could easily be identified by local residents. It was also decided that the film would be made in black & white on Super-8 Plus-X movie film. This part of the collaboration was relatively easy -- Ed wanted a black & white film and I was sitting on twenty cartridges of Super-8 Plus-X. One rule we both insisted on, in order to maintain the film's integrity, was that everything filmed would be as we found it -- not touched, placed, or arranged by us in any way.
        The film, like Ed himself, is a work in progress. We began by filming the obvious pollution within the river, but soon expanded to the air, litter in the streets, abandoned houses -- all within a mile of downtown Dayton, Ohio. I soon saw the awareness that Ed speaks about for it was hard not to find someplace that didn't have man's unsavory touch on it. Some of the shots are so absurd as to be ludicrous, such as the sign that states, "Tobacco Free Environment," situated on a chain link fence surrounding three large smoke stacks. This became the opening shot (more like a salvo) for the film. It also inspired the title of the film: "This is a Tobacco Free Environment."



Edgar Gerdeman (left) with his tank crew                 Ed Gerdeman today

        The latter part of the film contains several haunting shots of an abandoned church, whose windows are shattered and front doors padlocked. Close-ups of debris surrounding the church include a pair of lady's high-heeled shoes, and old whiskey bottles. Through the broken windows of the church can be seen curtains blowing in the wind and remnants of stained glass.
        The film ends with a shot of an abandoned electric trolley bus with the words "last ride" on its marquee that normally advertises the route the bus is taking. There is an extreme close-up of the marquee's words "LAST RIDE". The screen goes black and is followed by a title of white letters on a black background: "This is a Tobacco Free Environment."
        Time will tell if this eight minute film will raise the awareness Ed desires. The plan is for the film to have a musical soundtrack but no sound effects or narration. My idea for the music is something soft, maybe classical, to contrast with some of the jolting images. Ed's idea is that the images are not jolting enough and should be enhanced by a loud, piercing, progressive or alternative style music. After the soundtrack is made the film is to be shown in its Super-8 form to various groups and maybe college campuses. Videotape copies will also be made for other places that do not have the capacity to set-up a screen and projector.
        Discussions with the audiences after each viewing will determine the film's effectiveness, which may dictate changes to the film to improve the message. After all, the film, like Ed himself, is still a work in progress.

--- Chris Cottrill
        E-mail: ^{chris_cottrill@yahoo.com}

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