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93 year old NZ actress to star in film directed by grandson

93 year old NZ actress set to star in film directed by grandson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 12, 2013

Auckland, NZ – Steadfast Films have announced that Pearl Cooper and Dorian Alexander, grandmother and grandson, have begun pre-production for the New Zealand feature film Showstopper which they co-wrote together. Filming is scheduled to begin this coming spring in the central Auckland suburbs of Parnell and Remuera. The film will be directed by Dorian Alexander and star Pearl Cooper. At 93 years of age Pearl Cooper will enter the history books as one of the world's oldest actresses. She joins others like Betty White, Connie Sawyer and the late Lillian Gish and Gloria Stuart.

Pearl Cooper and Dorian Alexander have previously collaborated together on the earlier short film Marjorie which screened at the Rialto Cinemas in 2008. They have worked on several of New Zealand's biggest productions, including The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and Spartacus. Their latest collaboration, Showstopper, is based upon true anecdotes from their lives.

Showstopper tells the story of Joan, a retired starlet souring with age, who meets Charlie, a teenage boy with growing pains of his own. Their shared love of film blossoms into an unlikely friendship. This friendship inspires him to become a musical theater director and helps her to re-capture the happiness in her life. Joan may be struggling to walk, but she's not packing it in yet!

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Pearl Cooper and Dorian Alexander have made the decision to finance Showstopper using New Zealand's crowdfunding platform PledgeMe because they want other New Zealanders to be a part of the film. They see crowdfunding as a revolutionary way to make a film that is more personal and less political than other funding avenues. You can make a pledge to help them bring this film to life by visiting: https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/1206

ENDS

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