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| 8/19/2009 10:33:00 AM Email this article • Print this article |
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Gary Napieracz, left, and Jim Evener pose for a photo in the hallway behind the stage at Bailey Hall. (Photo by Rachel Philipson) |
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Kings On Campus
Rob Montana
Managing Editor
Gary Napieracz and Jim Evener are kings on the Cornell University campus.
The two Department of Building Care employees are featured in a new documentary, "The Philosopher Kings," set to make its second showing at 3 p.m. Aug. 26 at Cornell's Bailey Hall. Following the showing, Napieracz and Evener will be joined by four others featured in the documentary to for a question-and-answer discussion.
Napieracz, 60, has worked at Cornell for 24 years toiling over the university's veterinary school's facilities. Evener, 59, has been at Cornell for eight years - after spending the previous 28 working for a lumber yard - and now serves as head custodian.
The filmmakers chose eight custodians from seven institutions of higher learning, with Cornell being the sole university to have two people represent it in the film. Others featured in the documentary were Oscar Dantzler of Duke University, Melinda Augustus of the University of Florida, Josue Laujenesse from Princeton University, Luis Cardenas of the California Institute of Technology, Michael Seals from the University of California at Berkley and Corby Baker of Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
Dantzler, Augustus, Laujenesse and Seals will be participating in the Q&A session at Cornell next Wednesday.
"In search of wisdom found in unlikely places, 'The Philosopher Kings' takes us on a journey through the hall of the most prestigious colleges and universities in America to learn from the staff members who see it all and have been through it all: the custodians," offers the press materials from the film in explaining the synopsis of the documentary. "This thought-provoking, feature-length documentary interweaves the untold stories of triumph and tragedy from the members of society who are often disregarded and ignored, and seeks out the kind of wisdom that gets you through the day and lessons one learns from surviving hard times, lost loves and shattered dreams."
The documentary premiered at the 2009 AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival in Washington, D.C., June 18, garnering so much interest it was one of seven - of the 122 films screened at the festival - to be chosen for a repeat screening.
"Considering that Silverdocs is the biggest documentary festival in the U.S. and the caliber of the films at the festival - some of them by Oscar-nominated directors - we couldn't be happier," said director Patrick Shen in a prepared statement from a press release by Transcendental Media, the company behind the film. "To see the audience react so enthusiastically and connect so strongly with the characters, to the point it left some in tears, is such a satisfying thing to experience for a filmmaker."
It also received a good response from those who saw it.
"'The Philisopher Kings' silently calls its audience to action, whether to advocate for the human right to food and clean water or to smile in gratitude with a kind hello to the individual cleaning your public restroom," said Silverdocs attendee Chivonnie Gius in a prepared statement.
And the Cornell custodians were on hand for the premiere, traveling to the Festival with their boss, Rob Osborn, director of Cornell's Department of Building Care.
"It was like a fantasy. To be on screen, it's something that would never happen to me again," said Napieracz. "We were treated like kings. It was such a dream come true."
"I agree 100 percent. It was an experience of a lifetime and was a strange experience to see myself on the big screen," Evener added. "They got me to talk about stuff I have never talked about before. It was quite an experience."
The trio not only attended the film's premiere, they also visited the Vietnam Wall memorial, something Evener had never seen before and Napieracz had only visited once. Both being Vietnam veterans made the experience a special one.
"It was great," Evener said. "I even recognized one name on the wall. It was a moving experience."
Getting involved
Osborn said he was contacted by the filmmakers in the early spring of 2008 seeking suggestions from him on people who might be good for the film. He nominated four individuals, including Napieracz, who all went through a phone interview process with producer Greg Bennick.
"Gary was one of the four, Jim was not," Osborn said. "Greg said they were all wonderful but wanted to focus on Gary."
In June 2008, the film crew came to the Cornell campus to begin its work and during the course of conversations with Napieracz, Evener's name came up.
"We were talking about Vietnam, and I told them about a friend who had spent two years in Vietnam and had been shot," Napieracz said. "Jim is a hero in my eyes. Everybody who went to Vietnam did their part, but we're talking about a man who comes back for another tour after being shot, that's a hero."
So, after hearing more about Evener from Napieracz, the filmmakers added Evener to the documentary.
But, Napieracz credited Osborn for getting them both being included in the finished production.
"We owe 90 percent of this to Rob," he said.
Osborn downplayed his involvement, instead deflecting the attention to the two subjects in the film - Gary and Jim. He did say, however, he was happy to have been part of it.
"For me, it was a privilege to be a part of this, a privilege to have Cornell represented in this way," Osborn said. "The concept of what they were creating, the thought of reaching to the university to talk about wisdom and life experiences ... I think it's pure genius.
"When you see these guys (Gary and Jim) and the other players in this movie; these are special people that work there," he added. "The life experiences they share, you realize that people at all levels of society have wisdom."
Seeing the other people captured in the film also made an impact with Napieracz and Evener. It also made them feel proud to have been included in the group.
"It's not just work, it's what you do. And every person has a different perspective," Napieracz said. "It was special to be a part of this. We really have to thank Rob, if it wasn't for this man in action, we wouldn't have been able to experience this. We were able to talk to people at other universities we've never thought of doing."
"The biggest thing that surprised me was actually seeing the film and having it be not what I expected it to be like," Evener added. "The way the stories were intertwined throughout the movie, it was unbelievable, it was undescribable."
Subject matter
Asked whether the subject of the documentary was a worthy one, the answer was a resounding yes.
"You bet," Napieracz said, adding what the final product has to offer is definitely worthwhile. "It's totally moving."
Evener said he thought it was "great."
"To me, the documentary itself portrayed the changes in people's lives and how they handled it very well. Change is an opportunity," he said. "I was a little nervous at first because I wasn't sure what they were looking for. I was most nervous when they started asking me questions about Vietnam, because that's not something I've talked about with anyone. Once I saw how they put it in the movie, I was glad.
"It's letting other people see no matter how hard times get, it's going to get better," Evener added. "It's going to take some work, but there's always a way for things to get better."
Osborn said all of the 300 members of his custodial staff are highly respected at Cornell, making friends with the professors and students alike.
"Our people work their hearts out," he said. "Our folks have this kind of interaction.
"These are very difficult jobs, they clean a lot of area on this campus," Osborn added. "That's why, when Patrick (Shen, the director) and Greg (Bennick, the producer) put this (documentary idea) in front of me, I was speechless. What they've done is great."
Napieracz said his time at Cornell has been wonderful, despite not wanting the job when he first approached the department nearly a quarter of a century ago. There just to get his unemployment form signed, he was enlisted to work and has enjoyed just about every day since then.
"It's been a blast. I have customers, mostly at the vet school, that are my friends," Napieracz said.
"I'm able to work at this university, and you're a part of it. The staff, the faculty, the kids; they are all great. It's a relationship you have to build and when I leave here it's going to hurt me.
"You don't just go to your job and just do your job," he added. "You make the best of it. You open up a little bit and people respond."
Words Of Wisdom
Perhaps the best piece of wisdom Evener said he had to offer was that people should like what they do for a living.
"A person should like the job they're doing. If they don't like it, they're doing something wrong," he said. "I know people have to work to get by, especially these days, but it doesn't mean you should stop looking for something you enjoy.
"Also, accept change. It's a way of life. With the cutbacks they've had (at Cornell), it's hard, but," Evener added, "every time there's a change, there is an opportunity."
Napieracz said it's important to make the best of every situation.
"Make the best out of your life, enjoy your job," he said. "I know things are tough sometimes, but make the best out of it.
"Yeah, there's going to be difficulties, but you have to be positive," Napieracz added. "It's easy to be negative, but it's better to be positive."
For more about the documentary, visit its Web site at www.philosopherkingsmovie.com.
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Suicide has recently come to Ithaca in a very public, and at times controversial, way. This past academic year, after three years with no suicides, Cornell experienced what is known in the scientific community as a "suicide cluster." OK, so maybe you're like me and you thought this whole JetBlue flight attendant story was good for maybe one news cycle.  |
