A story of
how Love conquers all. By Anna
Karen
When
Peter Goldberg and Adele D’Man were announced “husband and wife” in 1996, in
truth they were solidifying their boyfriend/girlfriend status. For tied up in
their dream of a commitment to each other as partners in life was their
commitment to each other as partner’s in their production company: BFGF
Productions—or, as the company’s logo lets on, Boyfriend/Girlfriend Productions.
The
dream was born a few years earlier when both were students at Emerson
College in Boston. He was studying
broadcasting; she was a theater and film major. When they weren’t in the
classroom or on the set, the two were inseparable, becoming more commonly known
as "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" than their given names. “We made a joke about it
in public,” says D’Man, “but behind the scenes we were dreaming of forming a
real production company around our passions and loyalty to one
another.”
After
graduation, still in Boston, D’Man acted in improvisational comedy groups while
Goldberg was an Assignment Editor on the local news station circuit. But within
a year, with their appetites whetted and a foot-in-the-door apiece, they knew it
was time to take the next step. So they packed-up and chased their true loves:
D’Man went home to her native New York City to pursue a film career and Goldberg
followed, turning their true love into a timeless romance and their dreams for
BFGF Productions into a reality. Goldberg assumed the Executive Producer role
while D’Man handled the acting, writing, and directing duties.
Almost immediately, plans for producing theater and film scripts was in the works. But it wasn’t until this past fall with the release of the film short “Only Life” that D’Man and Goldberg felt their dreams had really come to life. A dramatic comedy directed, starring, written and assistant-edited by D’Man, the film—a portrait of a woman ostracized by her neighbors (and pitied by her friends) because of her severe obsession with magazines—met with critical acclaim. It was accepted in Film Festivals from New York to Los Angeles —picking up a number of honors along the way, including a Grand Jury nomination for D’Man for Acting, and an award for “Best Score”. In no time the duo became red carpet fixtures, showing up at screenings in Sundance and seated center row at the Tony Awards. “Because we were so lucky to get such good exposure at the festivals, playing alongside film’s like ‘American Cowboys’ which was narrated by William Hurt and ‘Looking for Jimmy’ which stars Julie Delpy, we became recognized and thus welcomed by the film industry community. It’s made all the difference with jump-starting our first in-house feature-length film project as well.”
Their feature film project, titled “The American Dream”, centers around five couples, each seduced by the immense wealth that a business scheme promises them. “What starts out as a simple hunger for money turns into complex challenges that question morals, force confrontation with fears, and tests relationships. The audience will identify with at least one of these characters and be forced to face off with their own personal convictions,” promises D’Man. “It's The Firm meets The Big Chill.” To create a script that is as realistic as she wants it to be, D’Man has relied on input from her audience, placing a survey on the BFGF Productions website that asks participants questions like what the word success means to them and who in America they believe has it. (At least one random participant will win a walk-on role for participating.) And it’s just this kind of hands-on research that Goldberg believes makes for the best material. “We want to create films that will have people debating and questioning,” he explains. “We’re naturally attracted to stories where the audience isn’t quite sure which direction or choice the main character should take.” Adds D’Man, “I like to make the audience substitute themselves for the characters and think and feel as if they were going through it with them.”
Indeed
drawing on personal experience is not uncommon to this couple. Though relatively
new to the filmmaking business, the two have been rehearsing their professional
roles for years. With D’Man’s parents being playwrights and her sister a
stand-up comedienne, she grew up watching the creative process from beginning to
end. While Goldberg, whose father is a salesman and mother a teacher got a more
rounded-out understanding of the importance of patience and persuasion. “Being
from a small New England town helps too,” he concedes. “In truth, the
responsibilities of being an Executive Producer look a lot like the job
description of our town’s mayor.”
And so it
truly is a marriage made in Hollywood: her husband, his girlfriend, scripts,
politics, awards, and applause.
Get your
piece of “The American Dream” and log on to http://www.bfgfproductions.com/
Anna Karen
writes about arts and culture for magazines, newspapers, and on-line
publications. She is based in New
York City.