A Brooklyn filmmaker’s motion picture, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City last night, April 19th, is under investigation with state authorities after one of his actors killed two deer, all without a license, for a dramatic scene in the film.
Director Ben Dickinson’s film, First Winter, follows a group of young Brooklynites who are forced to make due and survive in the wild after an apocalyptic catastrophe cuts off the lines of power and communication. The 23-day film shoot took place in Upstate New York at private farm.
After a few days of filming, Dickinson and his crew were unable to locate any deer that were needed to film an important scene. Upon contemplating whether or not the scene should be dropped, the crew spotted a herd of deer in an adjacent field. The actors and actresses all gathered outside, while actor and yoga instructor Paul Manza picked up a rifle and shot at the herd, immediately killing one deer and wounding another. To put the wounded deer out of its pain and suffering, Manza and company decided to chase the animal in the woods and kill it. To make matters more convoluted and controversial, the crew skinned one of the deer carcasses, cut it up, cooked it, and ate it. Everything, the killing included, was recorded on camera.
Concerning the experience, Manza said:
It was actually pretty horrible. I was forced to see what life was really made of, the weight and the value of things.
In addition,
It was amazing to eat that meat and really feel the spirit of the animal. It gave me a different relationship to eating animals and animal products.
Pertaining to the investigation, Dickinson revealed:
We are idiots. We didn’t know how to do this [hunting] stuff.
He disclosed that none of crew even thought about the legalities concerning hunting, nor did they secure a permit to hunt the deer, especially being that it was outside of hunting season.
The film’s publicist, Jenny Lawhorn, is in talks with the New York State Department Environmental Conservation, who has revealed that the agency is investigating the incident. She did confirm, however, that the shooting was outside of hunting season and penalties for such an action without a permit can range from a hefty $2,000 fine to, in some cases, imprisonment.
The investigation is progressing and more details will be released soon. If you’re in the tri-state area of New York, you can purchase tickets for First Winter HERE. It is being screened again on April 26th and 28th.
Via: Fox News | Image Credit: Adam Newport-Berra
