ike Charlton of Eastlake, Ohio, is a man with a mission: to break the land speed record by building

the ultimate jet-powered motorcycle. When Director José Asunción first met Charlton at the Bonneville Salt Flats, he knew right away that Charlton would make a great subject for a documentary film.

Producer Brian Davis and editor Christopher Yogi both agreed—Charlton was meant for the big screen. The three went to school together at the University of Southern California, and have been working together ever since.

“I was taken aback by Mike’s presence on screen,” says Davis. “I hadn’t really seen a character like him before, and I was really drawn into his story with the strong aspects of redemption and being an underdog.”

Yogi adds, “José showed me some footage and I was blown away—the camera loves Mike; there’s no other way to put it. He’s magnetic and I was immediately interested in learning more about him.”

Asunción, who is one of the recipients of CIFF’s Focus on Filmmakers Awards, participated in Film Independent’s Documentary Lab while making this feature. The project, which provides support to works in progress like “Sick Mick and the Boys,” is kind of like a “support group” for filmmaking according to Asunción.

Even with the support of Film Independent, though, the project was challenging, especially given the hectic nature of Mike Charlton’s everyday life, as his aspiration to break the land speed record—achieve the highest

recorded speed for a land based vehicle— is a daunting one.

“It is a competition film,” says Asunción, “so it should have a relatively easy structure, but Mike’s life doesn’t fit into that structure. Every day is dramatic—keeping up with Mike, the twists and turns of his daily life, was a challenge.” —Bridget Kriner

Keeping up with Mike Charlton

WHAT’S BUZZING AT THE 37TH CIFF Thursday, April 4, 2013; CIFF Day 2:

The BUZZ

SICK MICK AND THE BOYS SHOWING

TODAY

THE

DAY 2 THURSDAY 4.4.2013

Ride the RTA!

Last train of the day . . .

RTA DAY FILM FESTIVAL

AT THE

Special GuestsLuke Korem Russell Wayne Groves

Nancy Kelly Kenji Yamamoto

José Asunción Brian Davis Christopher Makoto Yogi

Maryanne Zéhil

Katie Damien

Josh Granger Maxine Trump

Tara Tucker

Josh Sanchez

Nicolas Guiot Cecile Van Caillie

Nick Palmer

Daniel Carberry Michael Carberry

Manjeet Singh

Sophie Schwartz

Ted Sikora

Matthew Hashiguchi

Noldon Starks Jen Poland

Santina Protopapa

Julia Reichert Steven Bognar

JD Beales

Ryan Arthur

ilmmaker Luke Korem and his crew got the royal treatment while making their documentary about Lord Edward

Montagu—they stayed as guests at Montagu’s 13th century Gothic-style palace during portions of the shoot.

“It was truly unbelievable,” Korem says.

It is quite unusual for a member of the aristoc-racy to not only open his doors, but to give the crew so much access to his personal life. The Montagu family also allowed Korem to use never-before-seen film and photos.

In 1954, the Montagu case “was a cause celebre that horrified the Establishment and changed the course of British history,” wrote the London Evening Standard. Lord Montagu, then a 28-year-old socialite and the youngest peer in the House of Lords, was one of three men convicted of “consensual homosexual offences.” The incident had a direct influence on the British legal system and led to the 1967 legalization of homosexual acts between consenting adults in private.

“In the interviews, the family speaks about the scandal, the highs, the lows … everything,” says Korem. “This [film] is an extremely rare opportunity to look behind the walls of the aristocracy and dive into the intimate story of

a fascinating nobleman.”There “were parts of his

story that he was not keen on being in the film,” says Korem. It took the filmmaker some time with Montagu, now in his 80s, to build trust and gain his friendship, but Korem broke through which “allowed me to make this film very personal for the viewer.”

Looking back, Korem appreciates the hospitality at the Montagu estate, but he also has fond memories of the local British pubs. “The beer is so smooth … and

every place has its own brew,” remembers Korem. “The food was wonderful too—I think we don’t give the British enough credit for their food!” —Anne M. DiTeodoro

Luke Korem’s “Lord Montagu” offers a rare glimpse of aristocracy

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Festival UpdatesLate Additions:

Thérèse Which Way is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington

Which Way is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington

Thérèse The Daily hasn’t shrunk; it’s online. Read exclusive content that’s not available in the print edition by visiting The Daily online edition at www.clevelandfilm.org/festival/the-daily.

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BE THE APPLAUSE

LORD MONTAGU SHOWING

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