<span class="style76">Sunday November 10th - 3:00p & 7:00p
Wednesday November 13th - 7:00p</span>
MADE IN PITTSBURGH!!!
He’s a 17-year-old gang leader trying to make a rep on the streets of New York in 1959. But Spider finds himself in way over his head when he steals a suitcase of money from Casket Mike, a notorious gangster who wouldn’t think twice about blowing away a punk hood if it means getting his cash back. On the run, Spider escapes the heat on the streets when he’s taken in by Tamara, a sheltered young woman whose reclusive uncle, the legendary mobster Big Didi, has his own history with Casket Mike. Spider’s safe for the time being, but dependent on Tamara, a girl with a mind of her own. It’s a collision of two lives, but the unlikely pair soon discovers a depth of feeling that neither has experienced before. When Big Didi discovers Spider, the old gangster cuts a deal with the young gang leader: cold cash, and lots of it, if he will kill Casket Mike. But there’s one catch – he can never see Tamara again. Now Spider is faced with the decision of his life: to enter a full-fledged life of crime and gain the rep he’s always wanted or make a choice for real love.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT by TJARDUS GREIDANUS:
When I wrote A New York Heartbeat, I envisioned it as a mythic heroic journey of a young gang leader in New York in the late 1950s, torn between his loyalty to his gang and his love for the sheltered young woman who saves him. But I also wanted the audience to feel a sense of authenticity, that this story could have happened to real people. To capture the time and place, I steeped myself in research, reading countless books and articles about New York City in the 50s, the neighborhood gangs and the culture of juvenile delinquency that often signified an important rite of passage in the life of a young man. These first-hand accounts helped me understand the hierarchy in gangs as well as their vernacular and “how they talked.” My research, which went on for a number of months before I actually sat down to write, informed the story and script and helped me provide my cast with moment-to-moment authenticating details and anecdotes that helped ground their performances in the real thing.
<span class="twoColFixLtHdr">Research also helped create the look of Heartbeat. I feel the best thing a director can do for his cast is to create a fully elaborate world in which the actors can immerse themselves. The spirit lingers in places - there’s life in the walls and the physical reality can talk to an actor.</span> The story required scope and I didn’t want to be limited to shooting a narrow patch of brick wall on the side of one building because that was all we could afford to capture the style of the period. So I spent three months scouting locations that were so evocative that a viewer could imagine himself or herself on a street corner in Brooklyn in 1959. Ironically, we ended up shooting in Pittsburgh, where soot-stained brick, industrial decay and rusted bridges suggested post-war New York. The pace of shooting was very intense – 22 days from beginning to end. You can’t fly solo as a director. I wanted to work with a team that shared my passion, and they did. Producers Laura Davis and Hugh Aodh O’Brien, production designers Justine Seymour and Danielle Laubach and director of photography Michal Dabal accepted the challenge with gusto. We all dove in together, had a great deal of fun and sharpened our skills. I believe our film reflects this - the skill, professionalism and loving participation of everyone who worked on A New York Heartbeat. I sincerely hope you agree.
Starring Escher Holloway (“Spider”), Rachel Brosnahan (“Tamara”), Jack Donner (“Big Didi”) and Eric Roberts (“Casket Mike”).
Produced, written & directed by Tjardus Greidanus. Produced by Laura Davis & Hugh Aodh O’Brien. Executive producer John Cordell. Co-producers Cathy Henderson-Martin & Cait Murray. Director of Photography Michal Dabal. Edited by Edgar Burcksen, ACE & Tjardus Greidanus. Production Designers Justine Seymour & Danielle Laubach. Costume Designer Justine Seymour. Music by Bobby Johnston. Casting director Cathy Henderson‐Martin
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE (3.5 stars out of 4, review by Tony Norman): "The two young actors at the heart of this romance … have genuine on-screen chemistry that puts every other pairing on screen this year to shame."
Read more: Full Review
PITTSBURGHMAGAZINE.COM (review by Sean Collier): "The speed with which the gang is swept up into trouble is a remedy to 100 bloated Hollywood setups."
Read More: Full Review
Watch the film's trailer: Trailer
Visit the film's website: A New York Heartbeat
Vote on the film's IMDB page: A New York Heartbeat IMDB
2013/NR/90 mins