Desert Dreams Celebrates Five Seasons in the Sonora Desert (Wild Horizons/Courtesy photo)
bY, JOHN KAWCZYNSKI
Staff Reporter
College of the Desert’s Anthony Panzica, had what he called “an amazing experience” assisting Director and Producer Thomas Wiewandt in the making of the film Desert Dreams Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert.
With the help of his professor Kurt Leuschner, Panzica, a Biology major assisted Wiewandt in securing Coachella Valley locations for the film.
One of the locations was the Wildlife Preserve located off of Whitewater Canyon Road northwest of Palm Springs. There Panzica spent 3 days assisting the director on location and described it as “one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.”
Filming would begin at sunrise and continue throughout the day. When asked what it was like being side by side the director during the filming process Panzica replied “I was watching a master at work.”
Panzica hopes this film will inspire students across campus to learn more about the desert and help to conserve it.
Desert Dreams was released on DVD last month and showcases 182 species of Sonoran Desert plants and animals in a five season chronology.
Natural sounds including flute and percussion instrumentals by Gary Stroutsos are used instead of narration. Panzica believes this will “help people appreciate the desert more for its beauty.”
Director and Producer Thomas Weiwandt described the Sonora desert as sometimes being “an extreme environment.” Therefore the biggest challenge for him as a filmmaker was “connecting with the wildlife since many plants and animals hide from the extremes of the desert.”
Desert Dreams was an official selection of the 2013 Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, California. It was also included in the 2013 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York City.
Recently the film won Directors’ Choice for Documentary Short Subjects at the Sedona International Film Festival held February 22nd to March 2nd, 2013 in Sedona, Arizona.
With scenic cinematography and priceless windows into the physical register of nature, this film relates a story with the universal language of nature as watched by a quiet observer of the system as a whole.
Viewers will be found completely captivated by the film and reminded that we too are part of the characteristic movements and changes that shape the world.
This is a greate film for children, naturalists, and movie aficionados.
To buy DVD’s of Desert Dreams in Palm Desert, contact: Anthony Panzica by email at apanzica@mycod.us or by telephone at 562-577-7365.