Watts Tower Film

a feature-length documentary film
about Simon Rodia and the Watts
Towers of South Central Los Angeles

by Edward Landler and Brad Byer




	"…the film is wonderful: lyrical, well-made and edited, and compelling...” -- Ken Burns, filmmaker ("The Civil War", "Jazz") “The crane shots lovingly reveal a poetry of form and detail…” -- Les Blank, filmmaker (“Burden of Dreams”) "A real discovery, entertaining and illuminating…" -- Leonard Maltin, Entertainment Tonight "…the most complete visual account of self-made architect Simon Rodia and his masterpiece…” -- Robert Koehler, Variety “...fascinating not only for the slice of art history it exposes, but for the quotations it includes by Rodia whose worldview is weird and captivating the whole way through.” -- Isa Tousignant, Hour (Montreal weekly) “Sam Rodia will be remembered as one of the greatest sculptors of the Twentieth Century.” -- R. Buckminster Fuller


	“The world is money. No matter who you are, what you are, you ain’t got a dollar in the pocket, you in the hole...” -- Sam Rodia

“I Build The Tower”
Documentary Film on DVD (including Library Circulation rights)	$ 24.95
Soundtrack on Audio CD	$ 12.95
Both the DVD and CD	$ 31.95
DVD for institutional use (including Public Performance rights for non-paying audiences)	$ 249.95
SHIPPING FOR ORDERS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA: Please add this item to the shopping cart	$ 5.00

- Shipping & Handling:
         - $5 per order
         - Outside North America, add $5.00
- California residents add 8.25% for sales tax
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- To order by mail, please send a bank check or money order to:
         Bench Movies
         1900 Alder Drive
         Los Angeles, CA 90065
         Please add 8.25% California State sales tax and $5.00 shipping & handling
             (or $10 shipping and handling outside North America)

ABOUT THE DVD

“I BUILD THE TOWER” is the true story of the life of Sam Rodia, the Italian immigrant who built the Watts Towers on a residential lot. Told in his own words, the film portrays Sam Rodia as an individual transformed from drunkenness and despair into a world renowned artist

In his last interview (filmed exclusively for this project), R. Buckminster Fuller describes the beauty of the Towers as a unique display of the universal structural systems found in nature and as a demonstration of the power of individual initiative to effect change in the world.

DVD BONUS FEATURES
- The unedited 40-minute final interview of R. Buckminster Fuller
- Slide show of archival and family photographs

A Brad Byer and Bench Movies Production
Directed, Written and Produced by Edward Landler and Brad Byer
Edited by Glen P. Rose and Edward Landler
Diaglogue Restoration, Sound Design and Mix by Bjorn Schaller
87 minutes NTSC

ABOUT THE CD

Classical, Jazz and Hip Hop
Based on themes by Giuseppe Verdi

The film’s 24-track musical score is based on the operas of Giuseppe Verdi (including “Aida”, “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata”), the music Rodia loved.

The score spans the time and distance from 19th-century Italy to present-day Los Angeles. The classical score was arranged by Robert Israel conducting the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Robert Israel Ensemble.

Jazz pianist Nate Morgan composed an original jazz score from Verdi’s music and recorded it with his ensemble.

Filmmakers Byer and Landler conceived a hip-hop song, “Yo, Sam”, with Rodia as lead vocalist and music by Michael Abels.

Produced by Edward Landler and Brad Byer
Mastered by Bjorn Schaller

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