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:: press release :: SEEING BLACK WITH ‘LIARS AND LUNATICS’ C.S. Lewis is portrayed by a black actor with dreads in the independent feature film ‘Liars and Lunatics’ NEW YORK, NY :: October 2, 2007 :: An icon in his own right, he penned the Chronicles of Narnia. He has even been the subject of his own biopic, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the 1993 movie 'Shadowlands'. But who was C.S. Lewis? He is considered by many to be one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century. And his latest incarnation comes to us in the independent feature film 'Liars and Lunatics'. Except this time, he’s played by an African-American actor from Brooklyn. Which seems like a strange choice for a filmmaker if you know the real C.S. Lewis was born and raised in Ireland. Says Roberto Munoz, the director and producer of 'Liars and Lunatics', "When we were casting, we didn’t want to just hire a lookalike." And if you take a look at the actor Munoz chose, you’ll see a good looking guy with dreadlocks. A far cry from the bookish getup usually worn by the real C.S. Lewis. In fact, Lewis spent most of his life teaching at Oxford and Cambridge in Great Britain until his death in 1963. "In many ways, he was considered an outsider by the British intelligentsia," says Munoz, "And in a quirky way, we wanted to bring out that quality. In the film, he’s the janitor at a mental asylum; probably not somebody you’d immediately peg as portraying the character of C.S. Lewis." Oh, about that title? 'Liars and Lunatics'? It’s all thanks to the now famous trilemma of C.S. Lewis. The film is set in a mental asylum where an evangelist named James Jamisin has committed himself after the untimely death of his agnostic girlfriend. The film also features a make-believe trial which the protagonist, James, uses to sort through his belief-system. And that’s where we meet C.S. Lewis. He’s an expert witness at the trial. Except that in the film, he goes by a different name: Staples. "We have worked hard to make a thought-provoking film," says Munoz, "The story’s main character is a flawed individual, who struggles with real-world issues." And the character of Staples is one of the few people in the mental asylum whom he can trust. "We needed someone who could portray Staples as wise, yet down-to-earth," says Munoz, "Patrick Mitchell perfectly embodied those qualities." The independent feature film 'Liars and Lunatics' is having its world premiere on Friday, October 26, 2007 at the Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan. Tickets to the Gala go on sale at SmartTix.com. For more information on the film, visit the film’s website at http://www.liarsandlunatics.com. -- END -- >> back to press room		Press Releases   Press Releases (Archives)   News Articles   Interviews
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