COLUMBUS, Ohio—Otterbein psychology professor Noam Shpancer has been writing, teaching and working as a psychologist for years.
But the best-selling author never dreamed his work would hit the big screen. It did late last year.
- Otterbein professor Noam Shpancer and a top Israeli movie director co-wrote a screenplay
- “The Other Story” premiered in the Toronto and Haifa Film Festivals
- The movie premieres Friday at the Gateway Film Center in Columbus
The movie "The Other Story,” premiered in the Toronto and Haifa Film Festivals. And now it's set to premiere here in Columbus.
Writing comes easy for Shpancer. In fact, he writes a blog for Psychology Today and has published several books, in different languages, around the world.
But his work in the last decade has gained him lots of attention—including that of Avi Nesher, one of Israel's top movie directors.
"He read my book and he liked something about it," said Shpancer.
When they met, it didn't take long for Nesher to suggest that they write a screenplay for a movie.
"It wasn't something I was looking for or hoped for or dreamed about,” said Shpancer. “I was just here in Columbus, Ohio teaching and seeing my clients and living my little life."
He says it's that life he'd end up writing about in "The Other Story"—not the Hollywood thriller they planned.
"The main story is about a, you know, a family whose daughter... secular family in Israel…whose daughter decides to become an orthodox Jew...move into the orthodoxy, which in Israel is a huge issue," said Shpancer. "This this secular family… their daughter decides to be orthodox and marry an orthodox guy, and her family freaks."
Then there's another family whose foundation is shaken when family fights take center stage as a wife is drawn into Pagan worship. The idea behind the family drama is how broken families can work through the messiness of life, solve problems, and deal with truth.
"We were after showing the complicated nature of family and how no one is perfect," said Shpancer.
Shpancer says it took seven long years of writing, rewriting, reflecting and writing again —sometimes eight hours a day, in Israel and in the U.S.— before they came up with a script with a few dramatic embellishments that would be fit for the big screen.
"It's hard work on one level because you have to do a lot of background research to understand your characters and give them some psychological coherence," said Shpancer.
Although it was hard writing a new genre, he says it was an incredible experience.
"You know you have a blank page, and then there's people who do things and feel feelings, and to me that's a...to me, I think of it as a secular miracle,” said Shpancer. “You know it's the closest the secular people get to experience a miracle because it's something from nothing."
Shpancer says it's been rewarding to see his work reach this point, but he plans to go back to teaching, researching and writing, as he's been doing in this small city that reminds him of home in Israel.
While Shpancer says there's always talk of doing another movie, the odds of that are slim.
For now, he says he'll continue to enjoy what he has done already, and if something else comes, he'll be ready to listen with all ears.
Schpancer's movie is set to open up this Friday at the Gateway Film Center in Columbus.