By ANTANINA KAPCHONAVA
Four-time Grammy-nominated violinist Philippe Quint sees a lot of himself in the young Russian immigrant he plays in Downtown Express, an independent American feature from Emmy-winning director David Grubin that is set to debut at Quad Cinema on April 20.
“Initially, the movie script was not based on my life experiences, but after numerous meetings with the director and producers, I think they added more and more of my persona in Sasha’s character, and as a result the two characters came out to be very much alike,” air jordan 4.5 femmes Quint said after the film was screened Tuesday at Quad Cinema. “But as a whole, Sasha is much younger and more naïve than me. He just got to America.”
Quint was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, in an artistic family with aristocratic roots. His mother, Lora Kvint, is a prominent composer, well-recognized in the musical world for her Angel Rock Opera Giordano.
Quint finished Moscow’s Special Music School for the Gifted, and his performance of Wieniawski’s Concerto No. 2 marked his orchestral debut at the age of nine. In 1991, the virtuoso musician moved to the United States, and later graduated from the Juilliard School with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
In “Downtown Express,” Quint plays Sasha, a young violinist who came to New York on a temporary student visa. He lives in a tiny Brooklyn apartment with his father Vadim (Michael Cumpsty) and cousin Arkady (Ashley Springer), both of whom have high expectations from the Juilliard student. At his spare time between the recitals, Sasha performs in subway with his father and cousin in a band called Unique Quartet.
The young violinist has the talent and training required to launch a promising career. But as his classical debut nears, he meets Ramona (recording artist Nellie McKay), a singer in the band Downtown Express. She introduces him to the world of New York street music. Sasha starts questioning the career choices his father has been making for him since early childhood, and the clash between the old and new-world values becomes inevitable.
For Quint, making the movie meant re-connecting with his own immigration experience. “It was hard for me to recall what it was like, what a difficult experience it was, and how my life changed,” he said.
It also meant playing new kinds of music. “I had to step away from what I was used to, and it was the first time I got into some music other than classical,” Quint said. “It was a very interesting process for me.”
Every New Yorker who has ever taken a subway will recognize the movie’s street musicians who daily perform at the city train stations in real life. These include a jazz band singing in a crowded train, a duo wearing animal costumes auditioning for MTA’s underground musical program, and many more soloists.
“To be honest, you can make a great documentary by shooting the scenes in subway and in the streets all day long,” Quint said. “And this is basically what happened here . . . since David Grubin is known for documentaries, you might have noticed that many scenes are capturing the moment of the creation of the music.”
The majority of the scenes were filmed in Brooklyn, several of which became Quint’s favorites.
“The shooting on Brighton Beach was very colorful,” he said, adding that some people did not realize the crew was engaged in filming. “In a scene where I am tipping a musician on Brighton, a lady approached me to reprimand me for taking money from his [tip box]. But I had to take it back in every take!”
`Downtown Express’ delves into the complexity of immigration, the generation gap, and the role of love in an artist’s life. All the characters’ emotions and feelings – love, inspiration, anger and disappointment – are expressed through music.
“David wanted music to be the protagonist in this movie,” explained Quint.
“I was so impressed with Philippe, that I cast him in the lead role,” Grubin said in a news release. “But I confess I was worried. Of course he could play the violin like an angel, but he had never acted before.”
However, Quint justified the director’s expectations. After he was offered the role, air jordan 5 femmes he started taking acting classes and learned from his coaches that “it’s not about acting, it’s about reacting. Reacting is the most important skill both in music and in theater.”
Quint said he would consider another role if the opportunity emerged, but that at heart he would always be a musician.
“I don’t consider myself to be an actor because, first of all, it’s pretentious, and, second of all, it’s one of the greatest arts which requires as much exploring as any other craft,” the violinist said. “I therefore consider myself to be a musician who played a role in a movie . . . and I have to admit that I really enjoyed the process. It was phenomenal and interesting!”
By ANGELICA BERRY
Paula Lacobara, 38, and Rob Tatho, 42, stood laughing as they waited for entry to the chapel in the city clerk’s marriage bureau in lower Manhattan. They are from Jersey City, have been together for two years, and decided two weeks ago that Tuesday would be their wedding day.
“’Cause we’re corny,” Lacobara said with a laugh about their decision to marry on Valentine’s Day. “Before it didn’t mean anything. Now it has meaning: our wedding anniversary.”
The city clerk’s office is a popular spot for many couples on Valentine’s Day. A swarm of lovers filled the great hall at 141 Worth St. on Tuesday anticipating their rapid, DMV-style wedding ceremonies.
The bright rotunda space behind the chapel clerk’s desk was continuously crowded through the morning. Couples and company rotated in and out of the east and west chapel rooms. They waited in the circular space with anxiety and joy. Some stood and others sat on the pastel green couch. They all keenly listened for their names every time a door opened.
“I feel like the floor is going to drop any second,” said Ron Muga, 38, alongside his lady Juliana Gorda, 24, as they waited for their chapel call. Gorda was wearing a long white gown with small buttons on the back, a large silver hairpin with pearls, and was holding a colorful bouquet. This couple from Queens has been together for almost a year and the groom said he felt that Valentine’s Day is the top day of the year to wed.
“It’s a beautiful day. Perfect,” he said. “It has a great meaning. It’s a special day to be with someone you really do love and see yourself spending the rest of your life with. This is the best time to do it; you’ll never forget it.”
Many couples said they believe that wedding on Valentine’s Day will be memorable. “It’s an easy day to remember,” said Eve Stean, 28, sitting next to her love of six and half years, Graeme Moppett, 29. She had a red rose tucked behind her eye into her hair. The couple is visiting from England and decided to get married during their New York vacation on a day already marked for love. They were calming their nerves by intently observing the brides and grooms surrounding them. “It’s interesting to watch who goes in and out. We’re being a bit nosey,” Stean said.
There was definitely plenty to see. Couples of all kinds moved around the hallway and through the chapel either solo or with their family and friends in tow. There was action from every angle, including children running in the midst of people purchasing flowers and posing for photos.
In addition to the customary wedding scene, there was a new sight for Valentine’s Day weddings this year: same-sex couples. Two blonde women in matching short lace dresses, one in white and one in red, wearing small veils, and each holding a bouquet were eye-catching. Eugeniia, 23, and Daria 24, together for 10 years, were ready to be wed. “We are here because here we can marry because we’re lesbians,” said Eugeniia before she and her bride rushed in their heels to the chapel.
Paula Lacobara and Rob Tatho married on Valentine’s Day.
The waiting area for the chapel was the eye of the storm for the wedding crush. Sylvia Nauth, 21, said she was happy to marry on Valentine’s Day. “I like it,” she said, dressed in a short white dress that poufs out and has a hot pink band around the middle decorated with rhinestones. Her earrings sparkled through her long straight black hair. “I think it’s a day for lovers.”
Abigail Martinez, 22, and Delilah Ortega, 18, from Jersey, embraced in their red ensembles as they waited for their turn in the chapel. “I have no words, that’s how nervous I am,” said Martinez.
Rebecca Pabon, 24, stared at the screen over the chapel clerk’s desk eagerly waiting for her number to show. She was waiting for one of her dreams to come true with Alejandro Hidalgo, 29. This couple from Manhattan has been together for four years. “It’s a day of the lovers. I’ve always wanted to get married today,” Pabon said.
Any wedding at the city clerk’s office follows the same process. A couple with a marriage license, gets a number from the information desk, gets processed at a window, and does a lot of waiting for a one- to two-minute ceremony. “We don’t take appointments. We try to marry as many people as we can so we’re required to keep it brief,” City Clerk Michael McSweeney said. Weddings take place Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
A small shop in the middle of the hallway sells fresh flowers for soon-to-be newlyweds. It offers seven bouquet options; the most expensive is roses for $50 and the least expensive is made up of a Calla lily for $15. Other arrangements include carnations, hydrangea, air jordan 5 and alstroemeria. The shop also provides three types of boutonnieres. Aside from flowers, the shop sells New York City memorabilia and wedding-themed gifts. There is a photo station with a backdrop of a building and clouds.
“Last year, 169 ceremonies were performed on Valentine’s Day,” McSweeney said. “We are hoping to exceed that number this time. When Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday the number is going to hit the roof.”
By DAVID ST. JACQUES
Dozens of New York City churches will be allowed to continue holding services in public school spaces for at least another week after a federal judge issued an order on Thursday preventing the Department of Education from enforcing a ban on renting its space for worship.
The city had set Sunday, Feb. 12 as the last day it would allow worship services in its school buildings.
At a hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Judge Loretta Preska asked the city to temporarily lift its ban voluntarily until she issued her ruling on the matter. The city’s attorney refused, arguing that the church filing suit had intentionally waited until the last minute to file court paperwork in order to force the deadline to be extended.
Preska’s temporary restraining order Thursday will remain in effect for 10 days, beginning Thursday, giving the churches a temporary reprieve as she considers her ruling. She said in the order that the churches were likely to succeed in the case.
Since 2002, churches without a building of their own have been able to rent space in the city’s public schools to hold services, thanks to a ruling Preska issued in favor of the churches.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled her last year, and in December the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
Bronx Household of Faith, a small church renting space at P.S. 15 in University Heights, filed suit in January, again challenging the city’s policy. It is one of 50 to 60 churches affected by the decision.
Its attorney, Jordan Lorence of the Alliance Defense Fund,, cited recent Supreme Court decisions as the basis of its suit, arguing that the city’s regulation violates the First Amendment’s Free Exercise and Establishment clauses.
On Tuesday, Lorence and attorney Jonathan Pines of the city’s Law Department met before Preska in lower Manhattan to argue their cases.
Pines argued that the revised policy, while admittedly prohibiting worship services in school buildings, does allow for open discussion from a religious viewpoint.
Lorence, however, argued that allowing city bureaucrats to determine what does and does not constitute a “worship service” creates “excessive entanglements” between the church and the state.
Pines argued that excessive entanglement wasn’t the issue pressed in the church’s lawsuit. “That’s not the case the plaintiffs have brought right now,” he said.
Pines said that prior court decisions allowed for the sort of line-drawing between religious speech and religious worship that the city’s policy would lead to, and insisted that no bureaucrat would determine what constituted worship. He added that a prospective applicant would need only agree to comply with the department’s regulations on acceptable uses of public school space.
Meanwhile, the churches that used school buildings for their services have been uncertain about their future.
Caleb Clardy is pastor of Trinity Grace Church, a congregation air jordan 4 that has met in the auditorium of M.S. 51 in Park Slope since last Easter. Clardy said that he wished the Department of Education would understand that accommodating the churches didn’t mean it was endorsing Christianity.
He said he didn’t know if he could, in good conscience, sign off on being in compliance with the agency’s regulations when, whether he called it a worship service or not, he knew that that’s what his church would be doing.
“[Lorence] made a compelling case that not all the issues have been resolved,” said Clardy, adding that “leaving it to a city official to determine what is worship seems like a difficult thing for them to do.”
Trinity Grace Church and others in its situation have another hope. The State Senate passed a bill on Feb. 6 that would allow the churches to continue meeting in public schools, but it still has to make its way through the state Assembly.
By DiDi SNIPES
New York Fashion week has trekked its heels through Bryant Park and is now sashaying its way down to the Lincoln Center, leaving neighborhood residents to complain about excessive noise and restricted access to a public park.
“The public looks at tents for most of the year now,” Geoffrey Croft, the founder and president of NYC Park Advocates, said Tuesday. Under a 10-month permit, the city Parks Department has allowed Fashion Week to fashionably occupy the complete 2.4 acre Damrosch Park on West 62nd Street behind Lincoln Center.
“Obviously the law says you can’t use parks for non-park purposes,” Croft said.
According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the event is a gold mine for the city’s economy. But local residents feel they haven’t been invited to the party.
From mid-August through June, the public is restricted from entering the park. Residents complain about the lack of parking, the noise of 24-hour generators that are used to power the tents, and the loud sounds of blaring construction hired to situate them.
“It’s dreadful for the people living remotely near here,” said Andreas Damien, a 21-year old resident. “My parents stay on 61st and I still don’t understand how they take 24 hours of obnoxious noise.”
According to the Parks Department, the semi-annual Fashion Week will generate an economic impact of $865 million.
Although the idea of another Fashion Week has residents riled up, on the other hand, designers, photographers, and high-class consumers favor it. Fashion Week includes a suite of initiatives such as a new mini-MBA program developed to ensure that New York City remains a capital of the fashion industry.
But park lovers still aren’t applauding.
“I love Fashion Week, but sometimes it is a bit much,” said Stephanie Herzog, 25, of 58th Street. “I would like the option to at least be able to use the park and hey, maybe not be blocked by a police brigade and barriers.”
On Tuesday, a group of residents from the neighborhood air jordan 3 gathered at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park to protest of what they said is an unfair and unlawful use of the park. t They voiced complaints about the park being used illegally for private and commercial events like the Big Apple Circus and Fashion Week.
“It’s not just the residents, it’s city property too,” said Croft. “The city should be ashamed of themselves for allowing them to have it; it’s a public park.”
On Monday, Croft sent a cease-and-desist letter to the city, but has yet to hear anything back.
“The park itself is altered, because they cut down the trees. There’s tremendous noise from generators, and it’s a nightmare for the people that live in that community,” said Croft. “It seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
