Film Wraps in Rochester
By Martha Slater

Filmmakers Larry Holden and his wife Hanne Kristiansen will have been creating a film in the Rochester-Hancock valley this summer.

Filming wrapped August 11 on independent filmmaker Larry Holden’s new movie, "All Sun and Little White Flowers."

Although 95% of it was filmed in Rochester, Holden noted that one of the big scenes in the movie was shot at D’s Doghouse in Granville. That establishment, which has become an unofficial headquarters for Holden and his wife, fashion designer Hanne Kristiansen, was also the site of the film’s wrap party.

The cast of 30 actors included both local folks and professional actors from out of town, who stayed at Christmas Tree Lodge in Granville. Locals featured in the cast include Alan Moore of Granville, Ember Benatti of Rochester, Ella and Nicholas Beattie of Granville, Jim-Bob Denis and Catherine and Austin Denis of Hancock, Forrest Patterson of Hancock, and Dennis Vadnais, otherwise known as "D" of D’s Doghouse. Moore’s wife, Cindy Kilgore, worked as a production assistant, and Roger Stauss of Noteworthy Studios in Granville was the sound mixer for the film. Rochester musicians Greg Ryan and his son, Aidan, played in one of the scenes.

The bulk of the Rochester filming took place at Rochester High School, and Holden was quick to praise the school staff, "especially Tim Dunham and Meg Allen, who were very supportive. In fact, I felt like the whole community was so generous to us. People such as Dick and Dorothy Robson were just so helpful. It was one of the easiest shooting experiences we’ve had. We even had great weather most of the time!"

"All Sun and Little White Flowers" will debut May 15, 2008 on the film festival circuit and will also be released on DVD on that date. Holden steadfastly declined to say anything about the film’s plot, but did divulge the fact that his identical twin brother, Hank, played the co-lead.

"The two of us occasionally switched places to direct and act and no one knew who was who at the time," he said, obviously enjoying the recollection. "We’re normally secretive—our script didn’t even have page numbers—but not quite to this extent."

Prior to the start of his career as a director, Holden primarily worked as an actor. He moved to Hollywood in 1993 to begin acting full-time, and has appeared in over 50 television shows and many movies.

His films don’t go into traditional theatrical release, but play at film festivals and have developed a cult following. Although they’re not widely available in stores, they can be ordered at www.holdenautomotive.com.

Hanne also has a web site at www.hannekristiansen.com..

Holden and Kristiansen, who have come to love central Vermont, will be in the area for several more months, and say they’re really looking forward to seeing the fall foliage. While they’re here, they’ll be busy pursuing another serendipitous detour in their life’s path, co-hosting a call-in radio show on WMRW (95.1 FM) in Warren Saturdays from 2-4 p.m.

"We’re calling it ‘Mud on the Waters,’ and it will be a free-form talk show, with music and interviews," Holden said excitedly. "We’re hoping people will call in and talk with us."

After that, they’ll travel to film acting jobs in Berlin, Wales, Sweden, and Yorkshire, England. They also plan to direct and shoot three more films next year.

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