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Abuse, From A Child's View

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By VALERIE KALFRIN

vkalfrin@tampatrib.com

Published: December 20, 2008

TAMPA - A young girl with long, dark hair backs away from a closed door. Moments later, she curls into a ball at the foot of a bed as an adult enters, unrolling a belt like a strap.

The images appear on YouTube in the trailer of "Gisela's Closet," a 25-minute film about child abuse by a local filmmaker and starring local actors. Inspired by news reports of child abuse and neglect, the film shows how the fictional Gisela finds refuge in a fantasyland in her closet.

"I wanted to get into the child's point of view," filmmaker Ben Rosa said, describing how the gothic fairy tale of "Pan's Labyrinth" captivated him. "Kids interpret their trauma in a fantasy world."

"Gisela's Closet" premieres Saturday at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Rosa plans to submit the film to the Sarasota, Gasparilla and Sunscreen film festivals.

Rosa, who has a 2-year-old daughter, said he was so troubled by news reports of imperiled children that he felt the urge to do something. He wrote "Gisela's Closet" this year with friend Steve Beaudry of New Port Richey.

He included the state's abuse hot line in the film.

"Maybe it the film can educate people about the problem," he said.

Rosa owns Stairway Studios, a Tampa graphic design and digital production company. He shot "Gisela's Closet" with students from the International Academy of Design and Technology as the crew.

Ande Morgan, 9, of Valrico plays Gisela. Rosa met her a year ago when filming a music video, also on YouTube, for her portfolio. "She wanted something to challenge her, so I gave her the script," he said.

Ann Morgan, Ande's mother, let Rosa use their house as the set. She said she read the script to "make sure it wasn't too much" for her daughter.

The cast includes Jan E. Ray as Gisela's mother, a stressed-out nurse in the midst of a divorce; Rachel Barcellona as Princess Helga; and some of Ande's classmates from Buckhorn Elementary as extras.

A low-tech effect - filming in color - signifies Gisela's fantasy world. Her reality appears in black-and-white. "It's very easy to do, and very effective," Rosa said.
Ann Morgan hadn't seen the finished product, but from the filming and the trailer, "it's heart-wrenching," she said.

"I'm glad Ben made this film," she said. "I think people need to know this can happen anywhere."

IF YOU GO

Premiere of "Gisela's Closet," a film by Ben Rosa:

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4357 Lowell Road, Tampa. (813) 269-1310

Admission: $5.

Keyword: Gisela to view the trailer for the film. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800. Keyword: Gisela to view the trailer for the film.

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