Pizza, A Love Story — the movie that director Gorman Bechard calls “the quintessential New Haven film” — returns to the city for another party in the Sally’s parking lot, this one to celebrate its release on DVD and streaming services on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
“Hey, you have an album release party and a book release party, so I thought, ‘what the hell, let’s do a DVD release party,’” said Bechard who along with producers Dean Falcone and Colin M. Caplan have planned a Q&A along with this live screening of their homage to “the Holy Trinity” — Sally’s, Pepe’s, and Modern — and the people who made them so famous.
And yes, there will be pizza from Sally’s available.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions Bechard was unable to book a larger venue for a larger number of guests with pizza from all three restaurants and “that breaks my heart” he said, but he is “thrilled” with this outdoor location next to Sally’s which was also utilized successfully during the most recent NHDocs film festival in August for a showing of Mister Wonderland, another film with local ties.
That live event — which was the opening night of festival this year — was “just a blast” said Bechard. “It worked out really well with the tent in the parking lot. Everything about it was great.”
Haley Copes Photo
Previous “Pizza” screening in the parking lot at Sally’s.
Overall, according to Bechard, this year’s festival,. with its combination of online and smaller live events, came off with minimal issues and maximal enjoyment.
“It did amazingly well for our first time trying this. No one knew how it would go. The online films were a huge success,” he said.
Though there were fewer live events, many of them sold out, including showings at Crepes Choupette and Whitneyville Commons.
“If you look at the pics you see the rules were followed and everything was handled correctly, whether it was limiting the seating to 25 or setting up the seats according to purchase” — in single seats or twos and threes. “In the Park of the Arts, we even used a six-foot cord to arrange the seating there those nights. We were really really strict.”
Bechard did note there was “a learning curve,” and he would be using that information to plan future festivals.
“We will probably focus more on local films for live events in the future,” he said, noting that those films got the most interest. He also noted that overall people were more than satisfied.
“The response was what we expected,” he said. “Thank yous from everyone, and the only complaints being that it was hard to park in New Haven,” he said with a laugh.
There were also a couple of online issues for people. “Some people online didn’t understand that it was still a film festival, and films could not be accessed indefinitely. The window of time — 24 hours — was a lot more than you would get if you had viewed the film live. People don’t realize the filmmakers get no money for festivals, that it’s to get buzz for their films, so there’s a small window of opportunity. With this festival if you had signed up early you could get over 100 films for 25 dollars. Again, it’s a learning curve.”
Another thing Bechard has learned over the years is how his pizza movie, and the pizza itself, brings people together, even if it is to argue about which of the “Holy Trinity” is the best.
But he is also quick to remind everyone: “it’s not just about pizza.”
“It’s about Italian immigrants, too,” he said. “Without Italian immigrants, without women, there would be no pizza. This peasant food that was inexpensive became the most popular food in the country.”
It is also about the way that food changed the landscape of the city, both figuratively and literally. “It’s about urban renewal,” Bechard added. “The whole face of New Haven would be different without Sally’s and Pepe’s. They wanted I‑91 to go through Wooster Square, so this iconic area of New Haven would have been history.”
The party will include not just the film and pizza, but merchandise too. Copies of the DVD will be for sale at a “massive merch table” that will include Falcone’s CDs and Caplan’s book, as well as copies of the Bechard-directed Seniors: a Dogumentary, which is also being released on DVD that day. Guests will also be able to get their merchandise signed by Bechard, Falcone, and Caplan, who will also be part of a live Q&A after the screening.
“Come and have a slice and a beer with us, from six feet away of course,” said Bechard.
This may be the last chance to do so for a while, now that the film will be available on all streaming services and no other live events are planned. Bechard is hoping that the love put into this movie — and for New Haven and its pizza — continues to resonate here as well as across the country and beyond.
“New Haven is about pizza” he said. “That is what drives this city. It is what makes this city what it is. It is our mark. It is our masterpiece. The Beatles had Revolver, Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper. We have Sally’s, Pepe’s, and Modern.”
Tickets for the release party are available via Eventbrite at the link here. Please note the rain date for the event is Thursday, Oct. 1st.