❉ Musician Eric Terino tells us about the indie short based on his album of the same name.
“Making this album was something of an exorcism, and shooting the film truly felt like the perfect extension of that process”
Champagne and Childhood Hunger is a short film by Perpetual Doom based on three songs from Eric Terino’s Champagne and Childhood Hunger LP.
The trio of The Saturnine Song, It’s Not For Me Anymore and Ghosts narrate the story of a man lost in the woods searching for a way to come to terms with where his life has lead him. “It’s a film about how we have to bear the burden of our choices and what could happen if we choose to sever our ties with the past completely.” says Terino.
Directed by Louis Crisitello Jr. and written by Eric Terino, Champagne and Childhood Hunger was shot in a New England forest in October of 2018. The film is driven by the forest’s beautiful natural landscapes and spins a cryptic tale featuring wolves, a very corpse-like parcel, and a number of supernatural happenings that are perhaps best left to be interpreted by the viewer at their own discretion. Terino explained, “We shot it on Halloween, which I think helped us bring some of the more ritualistic elements to life, you know, since the veil is so thin on that day.”
When asked about the inspiration for the story, Terino would only offer, “It’s all true, unfortunately.” He later elaborated on the film’s origins, stating, “I’ve always loved the film Derek Jarman did for Marianne Faithfull’s Broken English album. That was actually the jumping off point for our film. Jarman’s Broken English gave us the framework, which was that it would be a collection of three songs strung together into a short film. We just sort of took it one step further by making it a bit more narrative and having the three songs tell a complete story with each one being its own chapter in the overall piece.”
Straddling the line between short-film and long-form music video, Champagne and Childhood Hunger is a reflection of the themes of loss, loneliness, and the sometimes unseemly matters of the heart encompassed in Eric Terino’s LP of the same name. “There’s a certain level of danger that comes along with the willingness to expose yourself emotionally. Making this album was something of an exorcism, and shooting the film truly felt like the perfect extension of that process. If anything, I hope those who see it come away with a sense of how real that danger can be.”
❉ “Champagne and Childhood Hunger” Directed by Louis Crisitello Jr. Assistant Directed by Rosie Parsons. Edited by John R. Nobbs. Written by Eric Terino. Release: Fall 2019.
❉ Eric Terino’s “Champagne and Childhood Hunger” album (1365 First Studios) is available on iTunes and all streaming platforms now as well as on LP & Cassette exclusively through Discogs.
❉ Social: www.perpetualdoom.com | instagram.com/perpetualdoom | twitter.com/perpetualdoom | instagram.com/ericterino
❉ Content source: Perpetual Doom © 2019 by John R. Nobbs II & Louis Crisitello, Jr.
