Robert Hatch Director

The age-old maxim that story is to the producer what location is to the real estate agent is a truth that no filmmaker can afford to neglect. One thing is certain, wowing audiences with action and costly special effects no longer guarantees success. The story itself and its ability to connect with an audience-in other words, its timeliness-is once again the acknowledged factor in box office winners.

So what is timely today? What connects with people, and not just people in America, but people all over the world? Does a day pass wherein we don't hear news about struggling minorities, ethnic atrocities, and unjust or unfair practices and schemes which have harmed innocent people? Consider the homeless who are regarded as a blight on humanity, the retireds who live on fixed incomes and can't make ends meet, the swarms of refugees seeking asylum, the haves vs the have nots! Is this not the day of minorities and underdogs?

What minority in America has suffered more ruthless injustice, more intolerance, more disrespect, more betrayals by our own government, and more hardships because of broken treaties than the Native American? At the same time, Americans don't go to movies to experience guilt trips! So what does Rattlesnake Road offer?

Rattlesnake Road is an underdog triumphs story that focuses on Native Americans today! When chiefs, spiritual elders, and young Native Americans were asked to read the screenplay, their first question was to ask if it was a story from history. When told no, it was a modern day story, they agreed to read it and also confessed....if it were a story from history, they had no interest. But today? Yes, they wanted to see how a Native American would be portrayed. When they discovered this is a story of a young Native American who takes an heroic stand for justice and faces a granddaddy of rattlesnakes in white corporate America, they heartily endorsed it and expressed hope it would be made into a movie.

One of those Native Americans, Blackhawk Walters, was given the screenplay to read by Chief White Eagle. After reading it, he contacted the writer and said, "You need me in your story!"It wasn't long and I was doing a rewrite! Blackhawk is a four times World Champion in Martial Arts and an eighth degree black belt. Would not martial arts enthusiasts clamor to see a Native American do his stuff and be on a par with the Jackie Chans of the martial arts world? Moreover, Blackhawk is masterful in singing, composing, and more. He has a music album which ranked #22 worldwide (unheard of without a major label). And yes, he will be singing in the film one of his own compositions which will be part of the sound track which is a HUGE ancillary market! And speaking of ancillary markets, what about a revival in popularity of action dolls at Wendy's, Burger King, MacDonald's or some other youth-oriented fast food place? This story lends itself to such an ancillary possibility.

Once a screenplay is ready, then choosing the right director for a film is a major key to success. So, why Robert Hatch? Yes, he knows how to heighten and magnify the stakes and intensify the emotions at play in an audience (and he has the awards to prove it), but more than that it's as if he's been prepared to direct this film. His work and films with Native Americans have taken him across the U.S. and into Canada, meeting and working with tribal leaders.

One of many who is an unwavering advocate of Robert Hatch is Dale Tingey who worked as Executive Producer of films and with Native Americans for over four decades as a director of Indian Programs. He says this about Robert Hatch:

Our organization raised funds for humanitarian work with Native Americans, and we hired Robert to produce and direct several films.... he knows how to direct actors for believable performances, including those who have little experience.... He ... created excellent films...within budget. Robert Hatch has my highest recommendation for his film directing and producing talents.

In addition to directing and producing a five-part network television series on Native Americans, Robert Hatch also directed seven films for the BBC, including a two-hour drama and six documentaries, six programs for the Children's Miracle Network, and numerous dramatic films and documentaries for broadcast and education. He produced and directed a series of films on Middle East peace issues, filming in the Middle East nine times, interviewing the Prime Ministers of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and many other key peace negotiators and ambassadors in Jerusalem, Jordan, Cairo, Ramallah, and Amman. Take a look at the hefty number of film festival awards he has won for dramatic films he directed, produced, and/or edited.

When David Puttnam of Chariots of Fire fame was asked in a meeting at Robert Redford's Sundance what made for a successful film, he answered that the producer, director, and writer must all have the same vision. One could even say that from its humble beginnings as a story, the story itself, Rattlesnake Road, has been in search of the right team to bring it to the screen. There is no question but what Robert Hatch as the Director will be part of such a team to empower the story with critical meaning for audiences in today's mad world which stands in stark contrast to virtually every other time in modern-day history. Are we not witnessing the very unraveling of cultures all across the globe? Individuals and whole societies are in search of meaning and identity. Rattlesnake Road will draw viewers into an involvement with the story itself as it offers a metaphor for their own life and gives them hope for their own sobering circumstances.

Written by: Helene Holt, National Award-winning Screenwriter and Author

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Robert Hatch

Director

Producer

Editor

Editorial Department