It’s a long way from Brockport to Los Angeles – both literally and figuratively, but Ann LeSchander Raziel, a 1987 graduate of Brockport High School, has made the leap. Raziel finished her first feature film, “The Park Bench,” almost two years ago and has won awards on both coasts.
“The Park Bench” is an unconventional comedy romance starring Walter Perez (“The Avengers,” “Friday Night Lights”) as Mateo and Nicole Hayden (“Mad Men,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) as Emily – two opposites who share their inner lives through the books they read.
Raziel, the daughter of a librarian, was an avid reader throughout grade school. “My teachers helped me to develop my love for reading and to be analytical,” she said. “I loved English.”
After graduating Brockport High School, Raziel went on to study English and music at Colgate University, then earned a master’s in filmmaking at the University of Southern California (USC).
“I was always a film lover and saw many films as a kid at The Strand in Brockport,” she remembers. It was work as a singer and actor in both New York City and L.A. that helped Raziel understand the role of storytelling. “I wanted to have creative control though, which led me to apply to USC,” she said.
Winning some awards for a few short films gave Raziel the seed money to create a low budget independent feature film. “ ‘The Park Bench’ was born from my desire to make a feature based on the families I met at my daughter Ella’s Spanish immersion school where 90 percent of the students are Spanish,” said Raziel. “These first generation or recent immigrant families are not explored a lot in film. They are the new middle class looking for a good education for their kids.” And thus, the character of Mateo was born.
“The character of Emily is an homage to my mother, Dottie LeSchander, a librarian at the Seymour Library,” said Raziel. “She absolutely loved being a librarian. Her work was proof positive that stories matter.”
Because the film takes place in a limited location – a park bench – Raziel used animation to give the viewer another perspective. “Once the characters revealed their deepest feelings and secrets, they’re forced to make an important choice about their future,” said Raziel. “Utilizing a colorful and whimsical blend of animation with live action, ‘The Park Bench’ reveals how our stories shape our lives.”
After playing throughout the film festival circuit, “The Park Bench” came away with “Best Narrative” at the 2014 High Falls Film Festival, and “Best Feature” at the 2015 L.A. Femme International Film Festival and 2015 Queens World Film Festival. The film also had a week-long theatrical run in L.A.
“One of my greatest experiences was getting to screen the film at the High Falls Film Festival in Rochester with my Mom (and all of my family) in the audience,” said Raziel. “Then we did a Q&A and I got to single her out, and the crowd applauded for her. It was pretty great.”
“Well, of course, I am very proud of Ann for making such a lovely film. And it’s a real compliment, of course, that she says I inspired her to create her lead character,” said Dorothy LeSchander, who still lives in Brockport. “I really enjoyed my job as a librarian. I loved it. It was a great career, so I’m very glad that Ann picked up on that, and recognized it when she wrote the film. I did love suggesting books to people, just like her character does. I guess I’m flattered!”
Raziel has also worked as a writer/producer for National Geographic, Discovery, A&E, The History Channel, and Game Show Network. In addition, she has produced documentaries including, “The True Story of the 761st,” “Standing Tall at Auschwitz,” “Inside Opus Dei,” and “Heaven: Beyond the Grave.”
Raziel is currently writing her next feature film, which will have a larger scope and be set in more than one location. “The new film will have the same sensibility as ‘The Park Bench,’ ” she said. “I’ve found my voice.”
“The Park Bench” is available on Amazon, VUDU, Xbox, Hoopla, Google Play and Gaiam Entertainment. It is also distributed to libraries through Dreamscape Entertainment.
