February 8, 2001
‘Believer’ Is a Winner
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Henry Bean, center, with actors Ryan Gosling, left, and Theresa Russell.
In our Jan. 26 issue, veteran screenwriter Henry Bean told The Journal he wasn't sure his provocative directorial debut, "The Believer," inspired by the true story of a Jewish Nazi, would be well-received at Sundance. He'd heard that distributors were wary of the controversial subject matter. So he was shocked last week when his film won the festival's Grand Jury Prize, the top award in the dramatic competition -- prompting serious discussions with potential distributors. Now that "The Believer" seems poised to have an audience, at least with the art-house crowd, Bean has a particular group of viewers in mind. "There is no audience I'd rather show this to than one of anti-Semites and neo-Nazis," he told The Journal. "I'd love to know what they think."
