01:47 PM EDT on Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Frank the moderator: Chat on TODAY at noon, with Cherry Arnold , maker of Buddy, the documentary about Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr., the former Providence mayor now serving time in federal prison for running a corrupt enterprise from City Hall. Ask Arnold about how she produced her film on this complicated and controversial man.

Frank the moderator: Cherry -- At the screening I was at, I heard many people surprised that Cianci was not getting any money for this film. They felt that everyone was making money on Cianci, except Cianci himself. How do you feel about this?

Cherry Arnold: Hi Frank, the money question is a good one. In independent documentary filmmaking (no network or studio backing) directors like myself take on projects because we feel very passionate about the subject matter and feel strongly enough about it that money doesn’t matter – its all about getting the story out there for as many people to see as possible. Its a very risky venture (I’ve drained my life savings producing this film)! Buddy asked me many times why I would do a project that might possibly yield no money, he definitely didn’t get it. I kept telling him that I wanted to do the film because he was a fascinating character with a great story. That said, I do think it must be pretty tough sitting in prison and seeing everyone else do your story, you can’t respond and you sit around doing nothing.

Sheila: Cherry, I really liked all the documentary footage in the film, and I know we only saw less than two percent of what you have. With all the archival capacity of the Internet, do you foresee making more of it available as "work product," the raw materials that didn't make the cut? I'd love to see all of it.
Cherry Arnold: I do have a lot of footage and although I won’t be releasing it online, I am very much looking forward to working on making the DVD a total collectable. I have so much great material, not only of Cianci (including all the times he told me to shut off the camera), but a lot of fun outtakes from various interviews where people say funny and sometimes very wacky things. The advance team that worked under Cianci have enough stories for another movie, and I intend to include a lot of that stuff.

talk: Cherry, what other festivals will be showing Buddy?
Cherry Arnold: The film will be screening at the Boston Film festival in a few weeks. I will be posting the dates/times on my website: http://www.buddycianci.com once I have them. I will also be doing a screening at Brown University in the fall, we're working on the scheduling now. It will be followed by a panel discussion and the screening will be free and open to the public.

beth: What kind of person is buddy? I mean, I've heard so many people say he is rude and downright mean to people who serve him. Who exactly did he treat well?
Cherry Arnold: Hi Beth, Buddy is one of the hardest people to describe, he is at once charming, warm, and very funny, but also insecure, brutally mean, infamously vindictive. That’s what makes him such a fascinating, and I would argue tragic, figure. Tragic – because he is so smart and so skilled as a politician, but his dark side ends up getting the best of him time and time again. It’s a sad story.

tom: How much credit do you think Cianci deserves for the Providence Renaissance?
Cherry Arnold: Hi Tom, this renaissance question is not a simple one to answer, But, in a nut shell, what I found was a pretty consistent story - from developers, urban planners, and city officials alike - that Buddy Cianci is not an idea guy but he is a master expediter. After almost 30 years in office he knew all the players (banks, developers, pols) and knew how to make things happen.. Some people say that if it weren’t for Buddy Cianci, the Providence Renaissance” would still be a work in progress. I’m not sure if that’s true but it’s a good example of how people understood that Buddy really made things happen. At the same time there are a lot of stories about how controlling Buddy was with downtown real estate. If he felt you had crossed him he would make it harder for you to make a deal downtown. So some folks argue that that kind of machine-style control was actually detrimental to Providence.

tom: Do you think Cianci will want to return to the world of radio and tv when he leaves prison?
Cherry Arnold: Yes, I know his plans include time on the radio once he returns to Providence.

tom: What was the most difficult aspect of making the movie?
Cherry Arnold: The most difficult part of making an independent film is raising money. Its a challenging task under any circumstances, but with a non-profit documentary, about a very polarizing public figure, it was very very difficult. Fortunately, the RI Council for the Humanities (RICH) understood my vision for the film and supported me with 3 grants over the course of 3 years. RICH and private foundation, the LEF Foundation, stepped up the plate and really made this film possible.

martap: What, if any, responses from viewers have surprised you?
Cherry Arnold: I’ve frankly been surprised by how many people, of all ages and all backgrounds, love the film. As my goal was always national distribution of the movie, I tried very hard to edit the film for people in the middle of Ohio who have never heard of Buddy (or at least don’t know much about him). So, I’ve been pretty psyched getting emails from people who are not from RI, who didn’t know anything about Buddy, who really like the movie and are asking me when it will show where they live. I guess I’m still getting used to the idea that I really pulled it off.

steve59: Do you plan on having a copy sent to Buddy in prison?
Cherry Arnold: Hi Steve, Yes, I am going to try to get a copy to Buddy down at Fort Dix, although I have my doubts about whether the prison will take it, they are very strict about anything the prisoners can receive, let alone watch, but I’m going to try. If I can’t send the film itself, I will probably send him the film transcript.

talk: What do you think about the state of independent filmmaking in RHode ISland? IS there a supportive community and culture. Hollywood is in town filming the tv series (Brotherhood) is that a positive for indy films?
Cherry Arnold: I can’t really answer this as I have been in a cave (my office on Branch Ave.) making this film for three years! But because I lived in NY for so long, most of my production contacts are there and those folks have helped me a lot with the film. I do keep in touch with Steve Feinberg, Director of the RI TV and Film commission, and he is very excited about all the production activity in the state, much of it due to the recent passage of favorable tax legislation, both for production companies and film investors. So that’s very exciting for all of us.

loopy: Cherry, everybody wanted to see a picture of Buddy in prison. Why didn't we?
Cherry Arnold: I didn’t feel the prison money shot was necessary. I felt the more poignant ending to the film was the footage of Cianci as he left the Biltmore hotel for prison, on a grey snowy day with Christmas carols playing across the street at the skating rink that he had built.. And besides, the prison doesn't allow cameras.

Frank the moderator: Thanks to Cherry for spending some time with us this afternoon.
Check her website http://buddycianci.com/ and projo.com for more on her and her films.
Thanks.