GOLDIE BY SAM DE JONG (2019)
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY SAM DE JONG
CASTING DIRECTOR: DAMIAN BAO
A VICE FILMS PRODUCTION (VICE MEDIA & 20TH CENTURY FOX)
PRODUCED BY AgX & VICE FILMS
NOMINATIONS: CRYSTAL BEAR AWARD – GENERATION 14PLUS BEST FILM – BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL 2019, TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTION 2019
WORLD PREMIERE: FEBRUARY 2019
IMDB PAGE: “GOLDIE” (2019)
CASTING WAS A HYBRID COMBINATION OF ACTORS AND NON-ACTORS WHO WERE CINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC STREET FINDS.
THE LEAD ACTRESS SLICK WOODS WAS STREET SCOUTED AND DISCOVERED BY DAMIAN BAO A YEAR BEFORE DAMIAN WAS APPROACHED TO CAST “GOLDIE.” DAMIAN INTRODUCED DIRECTOR SAM DE JONG TO SLICK AT A BAR RIGHT AFTER READING SAM’S “GOLDIE” SCRIPT, KNOWING RIGHT AWAY THAT SLICK WAS MEANT TO STAR IN THE FILM EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS NEVER ACTED BEFORE.
CAST: SLICK WOODS (GOLDIE), GEORGE SAMPLE III (ELIJAH), DANNY HOCH (FRANK), KHRIS DAVIS (JAY), MARSHA STEPHANIE BLAKE (CAROL), GBENGA AKINNAGBE (RICHARD), EDWINA FINDLEY DICKERSON (JANET), ALANA RENEE TYLER-TOMPKINS (SHERRIE), JAZMYN C. DORSEY (SUPREME), ANGELA GRISZELL (PRINCESS), JOSE RODRIGUEZ(JOSE), A$AP FERG (TINY)
PRESS:
FULL OF ATTITUDE AND BURSTING WITH SCRAPPY NEW YORK STYLE, SAM DE JONG’S SECOND FEATURE EXPLODES WITH ENERGY AND HOPE. […] ULTIMATELY, HOWEVER, MOST OF THE FILM’S VITALITY AND RIDE-OR-DIE SPARKLE COMES FROM GOLDIE HERSELF. IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT CAME FIRST — THE NAME, OR THE CLOSE-SHAVED YELLOW HAIRDO AND EYEBROW COMBO THAT POPS LIKE CHAMPAGNE AGAINST HER BROWN SKIN — BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER: EITHER WAY, GOLDIE IS A STAR. […] THE FACT THAT [SLICK] WOODS HAS ALREADY MADE IT (AND WITH AN INCARCERATED MOTHER OF HER OWN) ONLY ADDS TO THE PERFECTION OF HER CASTING; EVEN WITHOUT THE META ELEMENTS, WHICH UNDERLINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH AMERICA’S DISENFRANCHISED LOOK TO POP CULTURE AS A PIPELINE TO SALVATION, HER PERFORMANCE IS BEAUTIFULLY EXPRESSIVE AND OPEN TO THE WORLD. SHE WEARS ALL OF GOLDIE’S DESIRES AND FRUSTRATIONS, AND RADIATES THE SAME CONVICTION WHEN SHE’S TALKING ABOUT HER DANCE SKILLS AS SHE DOES WHEN SHE’S BEGGING A PHARMACIST FOR ACCESS TO AN INHALER SO THAT HER ASTHMATIC SISTER CAN BREATHE AGAIN. THE MOVIE RISES WITH HER HOPES, SAGS WHEN THEY DEFLATE, AND HOLDS ITS HEAD UP WITH THE SAME TAKE-NO-SHIT APPROACH THAT SHE THROWS TO ANYONE WHO GETS IN HER WAY (“YOU’RE FUCKING LUCKY I’M STILL ON PROBATION!” SHE YELLS AT A GIRL WHO TRIES TO START WITH HER).
DUTCH DIRECTOR SAM DE JONG, STILL JUST 32, WON ACCLAIM AT THE BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL FOR HIS 2015 FILM PRINCE […] HE IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE EQUALLY RAPTUROUS RESPONSES AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT WITH NEW FILM GOLDIE. THE ABSORBING DRAMA FOLLOWS A GIGGING DANCER, ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB THE LOWER RUNGS OF THE SHOWBIZ LADDER IN NEW YORK, WHILE HER FAMILY LIFE DISINTEGRATES AROUND HER — WITH HER MOTHER IN PRISON, GOLDIE IS FORCED TO LIVE IN A FAMILY SHELTER, WHILE HER YOUNGER SISTERS ARE BEING CLOSELY MONITORED BY CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES. THE HUGELY PROMISING FILMMAKER IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING VOICES IN THE COMPETITION.
– BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL 2019: TOP PICKS FROM THIS YEAR’S EVENT (EVENING STANDARD)
SAM DE JONG — WHO WOWED THE BERLINALE IN 2015 WITH “PRINCE” — MAY HAIL FROM AMSTERDAM, BUT HIS LATEST FILM IS NOTHING IF NOT A BONAFIDE NEW YORK STORY. INSTAGRAM MODEL SLICK WOODS STARS AS GOLDIE, A STRUGGLING DANCER WHO’S ONE RAP VIDEO SPOT AWAY FROM BECOMING THE STAR THAT HER TWO LITTLE SISTERS ALREADY THINK SHE IS. BUT WITH HER MOM IN PRISON AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES GETTING INVOLVED WITH HER SIBLINGS, GOLDIE DOESN’T HAVE MUCH TIME TO TRANSLATE HER DREAMS INTO REALITY. SOCIAL REALISM THAT’S SHOT WITH THE AMBITION OF SOMEONE DYING TO MAKE IT IN THE NAKED CITY, “GOLDIE” IS POISED TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESS OF “PRINCE” AND LEAD ITS YOUNG DIRECTOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION HE DESERVES.
– “10 MUST-SEE FILMS AT THE 2019 BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL” (DEADLINE)
