This So-Called Disaster

After appearing in Michael Almereyda's film of "Hamlet" (in which he played the ghost), Sam Shepard invited the filmmaker to document the staging of his most recent play, "The Late Henry Moss," when it premiered in San Francisco in the fall of 2000. Almereyda and a small crew were given access to rehearsals and preview performances leading into opening night. The project evolved into something much more intimate and multi-layered than a straightforward record of the play. The resulting indie documentary from IFC Films is a remarkable group portrait - a vivid look at masterful performers working their way through a process of creative discovery. The film stars T Bone Burnett, James Gammon, Woody Harrelson, Cheech Marin, Anne Militello, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn and Sam Shepard and premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival.