2002 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival

Out of These Rooms

World Premiere
Category: Narrative Feature 1hr 18min
Director: Harri James

Out of These Rooms unfolds from the viewpoint of an emotionally devastated singer-songwriter named Libby, who has recently separated from her compulsively promiscuous husband.  This experimental narrative chronicles the breakdowns and breakthroughs of a group of women who are co-dependently involved with sex addicts. Through a series of self-help meetings, the group members share their stories of abuse, survival, and recovery.

Filmmakers Harri James and Brian O’Kelley began filming the montage sequences for ‘Out of These Rooms’ wherever they were working as crewmembers on other feature films.  They shot in such diverse locations as Budapest, Prague, New
York, Alaska, Miami, and Austin before coming home to complete the film in Los Angeles.  The personally financed production was filmed on DV, 16mm, and 35mm formats under SAG and DGA agreements. 
"Out of These Rooms" blends a documentary style with music montages. “I didn’t want to do a documentary on the topic because I felt it might be exploitative of its subjects,” James explains.  “So Brian and I devised an experimental structure that we could shoot on our own." James knew that the film had to be more than just a series of monologues in a room.  She decided to use flashback sequences with music to tell the different stories.  James used songs under the film’s montage sequences to enhance the imagery that illuminates the group members’ stories.  She selected the soundtrack songs as she wrote the script, allowing her to integrate the characters' monologues with songs by a variety of women artists.

Cast:
Elizabeth Storm, Ermahn Ospina, Lynn Alliston, Linda Chorney, Toni Hudson, Renee Estevez, Deborah Vancelette, Joyce Fessides, Susie Singer, Harri James, Diane Delano, Diane Hurley, Duane Whitaker, Jennifer Collins, Patricia Anne Isgate, Judd Tyler, Liz Dean, Hallie Singleton,  Robert Patrick, Mark Sellers, Steve Sanders, Peter Harrell, Jr.,  Deeny Consiglio, Christine Anisto, Sattie Cruz, Maxine Vogel, Martin Ikenson, Madeline Carter, Tess Weitzner, Leo Burmester
Young Kit, Chaye Pagel, Linda Rabie, Sarah Rabie
Betty's Husband, Otto Felix, Dave Donham, Kira L. Burns, Jon Geiger, Michael Swanner, Bhagarit Crow, Debbie Haber, Haskell Wexler, Manny Fernandez
Dental Assistant, Heather Delaney

Director: Harri James
Harri James is a former actress turned script supervisor turned writer-director. She has written and directed a feature film and four award winning shorts. Harri as acted in several television shows as well films such as "Die Hard," "Zeus and Roxanne," and "187."