SIDETRACK FILMS

Fact and fiction meet in "Low and Behold"

Zack Godshall and Barlow Jacobs were two film students - kicking around ideas for telling fictional stories in real world settings - when Katrina drowned their home state of Louisiana.

Barlow Jacobs in "Low and Behold"
His house destroyed, Jacobs became an insurance claims adjuster in around New Orleans, often sleeping in his car before heading out the next day to speak with people who wanted to talk for hours about what happened, because they wanted to tell their stories.

That job became research for the character he would play in "Low and Behold," a film about an insurance claims adjustor who makes his way through the shocked New Orleans landscape, picking up a haphazard entourage along the way. (A 20-something, college graduate, the character is not based on Jacobs, just on his experiences and on the other adjusters with whom he worked.) – read more

From The Nantucket Independent – Posted on June 13 2007

Low and Behold

Low and Behold: An Audience Awaits

There's a fantastic new work of cinema out there that's funny, heartbreaking, honest, and beautiful ... but you can't see it. It's not graphic or violent or obscene; it's not esoteric or experimental, but nevertheless, you couldn't see it if you tried.

The film is called Low and Behold, and it's the directorial debut of Zack Godshall, from a script by Godshall and Barlow Jacobs. The film, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Turner Stull (Jacobs), a young man who comes to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to work for his uncle as an insurance claims adjuster. The film mixes scripted material with improvisation and real-life testimonials from Katrina victims, and as Stull surveys the destruction, he (and the audience) comes to see the world differently and develops a profound connection to the humanity around him.
– read more

From The Huffington Post – Posted on June 06 2007

Low and Behold

Movie Examines Louisiana's Recovery from Hurricane Katrina

Director and UCLA film school graduate Zack Godshall will show his indie flick, "Low and Behold," for the first time in Southern California tonight. The film follows a rookie insurance claims adjuster around New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Listen to the NPR story by visiting their website (link below). – read more

From NPR: Southern California – Posted on May 29 2007

Low and Behold

The 5th annual Independent Film Festival of Boston

Opening this year with the promise of being the most fully realized festival to date, the 5th annual Independent Film Festival of Boston screened more than 70 films in seven days, which allowed film buffs throughout New England to pour into select screens to watch, talk about, and explore the inner workings of independent film. Whether they only bought tickets for one film or an all-access chrome pass for the week, everyone was awarded the equal opportunity to rub elbows with filmmakers in a stress-free atmosphere with in-depth Q&A for a truly unique moviegoing experience.

Kicking off the week was the film Fay Grim, which screened at the Somerville Theatre along with the bulk of the other films. (The Coolidge and Brattle Theatres also showed films.) Director Hal Hartley's sequel to his 1997 effort Henry Fool, the film starts as a deadpan comedy about small town ennui, and slowly shifts to an emotional international espionage thriller. Actor James Urbaniak closed the film with a half hour of open Q&A and from there escaped to the trendy Somerville bar Orleans, where he sucked down Harpoons and chatted it up with everyone, from Year of the Fish director David Kaplan to small-time schmucks like myself. – read more

From ArtsEditor.com – Posted on May 10 2007

Low and Behold

Media talk segment at Sarasota

Media Talk presents a web cast segment for the film Low and Behold at the Sarasota Film Festival. – read more

From Media Talk – Posted on April 21 2007

Low and Behold

'Low and Behold,' he's an unlikely movie star

New Orleans resident Barlow Jacobs found himself homeless after Hurricane Katrina. – read more

From The Herald-Tribune – Posted on April 18 2007

				Low and Behold Fact and fiction meet in "Low and Behold" Zack Godshall and Barlow Jacobs were two film students - kicking around ideas for telling fictional stories in real world settings - when Katrina drowned their home state of Louisiana. Barlow Jacobs in "Low and Behold" His house destroyed, Jacobs became an insurance claims adjuster in around New Orleans, often sleeping in his car before heading out the next day to speak with people who wanted to talk for hours about what happened, because they wanted to tell their stories. That job became research for the character he would play in "Low and Behold," a film about an insurance claims adjustor who makes his way through the shocked New Orleans landscape, picking up a haphazard entourage along the way. (A 20-something, college graduate, the character is not based on Jacobs, just on his experiences and on the other adjusters with whom he worked.) – read more From The Nantucket Independent – Posted on June 13 2007

				Low and Behold Low and Behold: An Audience Awaits There's a fantastic new work of cinema out there that's funny, heartbreaking, honest, and beautiful ... but you can't see it. It's not graphic or violent or obscene; it's not esoteric or experimental, but nevertheless, you couldn't see it if you tried. The film is called Low and Behold, and it's the directorial debut of Zack Godshall, from a script by Godshall and Barlow Jacobs. The film, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Turner Stull (Jacobs), a young man who comes to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to work for his uncle as an insurance claims adjuster. The film mixes scripted material with improvisation and real-life testimonials from Katrina victims, and as Stull surveys the destruction, he (and the audience) comes to see the world differently and develops a profound connection to the humanity around him. – read more From The Huffington Post – Posted on June 06 2007

				Low and Behold Movie Examines Louisiana's Recovery from Hurricane Katrina Director and UCLA film school graduate Zack Godshall will show his indie flick, "Low and Behold," for the first time in Southern California tonight. The film follows a rookie insurance claims adjuster around New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Listen to the NPR story by visiting their website (link below). – read more From NPR: Southern California – Posted on May 29 2007

				Low and Behold The 5th annual Independent Film Festival of Boston Opening this year with the promise of being the most fully realized festival to date, the 5th annual Independent Film Festival of Boston screened more than 70 films in seven days, which allowed film buffs throughout New England to pour into select screens to watch, talk about, and explore the inner workings of independent film. Whether they only bought tickets for one film or an all-access chrome pass for the week, everyone was awarded the equal opportunity to rub elbows with filmmakers in a stress-free atmosphere with in-depth Q&A for a truly unique moviegoing experience. Kicking off the week was the film Fay Grim, which screened at the Somerville Theatre along with the bulk of the other films. (The Coolidge and Brattle Theatres also showed films.) Director Hal Hartley's sequel to his 1997 effort Henry Fool, the film starts as a deadpan comedy about small town ennui, and slowly shifts to an emotional international espionage thriller. Actor James Urbaniak closed the film with a half hour of open Q&A and from there escaped to the trendy Somerville bar Orleans, where he sucked down Harpoons and chatted it up with everyone, from Year of the Fish director David Kaplan to small-time schmucks like myself. – read more From ArtsEditor.com – Posted on May 10 2007

				Low and Behold Media talk segment at Sarasota Media Talk presents a web cast segment for the film Low and Behold at the Sarasota Film Festival. – read more From Media Talk – Posted on April 21 2007

				Low and Behold 'Low and Behold,' he's an unlikely movie star New Orleans resident Barlow Jacobs found himself homeless after Hurricane Katrina. – read more From The Herald-Tribune – Posted on April 18 2007