A MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL SELLERS, WRITER/PRODUCER OF "Karla"

 

As the release of "Karla" nears, and more people have become aware of this challenging and disturbing film, many sincere individuals, especially those in Canada where the crimes took place, have questioned the motives of the producer and the purpose of making such a film. I respect the good will and legitimate concerns of these concerned individuals.

On the one hand, the story of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka is a compelling one that has fascinated many thousands of people.  The fact that there are five books on the subject is one indication of the level of public interest in this story. The public record data on the story is even more vast, consisting of court testimony, police records, and published factual news reports.  My own interest in the story paralleled that of the authors, editors, publishers, and readers of these books and news reports. 

In contemplating making a movie of the Bernardo-Homolka crimes, I was aware that I was not the first producer to pursue the production of a movie that probes the psychology of a notorious real-life criminal.   As far back as "In Cold Blood" (1967), and as recently as "Monster" (2003), the focused, disciplined artistic exploration of the psychology of criminals has been established as a valid subject for serious films.  Charlize Theron's Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of a serial killer in Monster serves as a further validation that this is a legitimate avenue for artistic exploration.

Traditional "Hollywood" films  reinforce our value systems and thereby create a "feel-good" experience.  But reinforcing broadly held values is only one approach to film-making.  Movies which challenge our beliefs, disturb us, cause us to question why things are the way they are, have a legitimate place in the realm of free artistic expression.  There is a great tradition of such films.  These are films which deal with difficult, often dark material, in an intelligent, yet often provocative manner.  "Karla" is such a film.

As an artist and film-maker, I became convinced that creating such a film was a worthy endeavor.  At the same time,   I have three teenage daughters of my own (ages 14, 15, and 17) and I could imagine the emotions of the parents of the victims.   I knew they would fear sensationalism and resent any effort to make a film that reopens painful wounds for them, however sensitive and intelligent that film might be.  And I knew that many Canadians would express outrage -- and indeed had already expressed outrage at an earlier effort by another producer to make a film on this subject. 

In the end, I made the judgment that the material could be fashioned into an intelligent, provocative, and powerful film. Moreover,  I came to feel that aside from issues of deeper artistic merit, the film will, in fact, have a tangible positive impact by conveying  in a very urgent way the need for vigilance and alertness against the kind of predatory behavior that Paul and Karla personify. I came to know that my own daughters were already  more alert to predators simply because of my discussions with them about the possibility of making the film. It seemed to me that this was significant, and in fact if amplified so that many other young girls got the same message, would give greater meaning to the tragic deaths of the real victims of the real Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.

And so I decided to go forward with the film, and at the same time to make certain that  the film will serve as a platform from which to project and amplify a meaningful message of Predator Awareness.  I also made a commitment to myself to do nothing to dishonor the memory of the victims -- a task made easier by the quietly courageous way they had in fact met the cruel fate meted out to them.

All of the people involved in creating the film have gone through similar soul-searching before arriving at a decision to participate.  These are all people who have families themselves, who have compassion and intelligence, and who saw artistic value in what we were setting out  to do.  On behalf of all of them, I wish to convey our sincere commitment to produce a film which is artistically meaningful and is disciplined and responsible in its presentation of the sensitive material it contains.

Respectfully,
MICHAEL D. SELLERS
PRODUCER