Dennis Cohen is a man of many trades. Working toward a Ph.D. in atmospheric physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, the last place you might think to find the amicable yet curious scholar is accepting an award at an international film festival.
But the gifted academic is also an avid author whose latest screenplay, “Caroline and Johann: A Love Story,” garnished a prestigious award from the Alaska International Film Awards (AIFA) in July, an honor that Cohen said is attracting celebrities like Marisa Tomei.
A resident of Queens, N.Y., Cohen spends much of his time in Steven’s Life and Light Laboratory, a space filled with chaotic cubicles and paper-jammed desks.
“We’re doing at lot of atmospheric stuff,” Cohen said last week. “The field has applications in global warming.”
Cohen holds two master’s degrees from accredited universities – the University of Wyoming and University of New Mexico – but said he is still unsure which field he will eventually pursue.
“The movie is full of Hollywood romance.” – Dennis Cohen
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Caroline and Johann
The film is based on the life of an infamous heroine in European history: Not Marie Antoinette, but Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, the queen of Denmark from 1766 to 1772. Her notorious affair with her husband’s royal doctor started a coup d’etat, got her exiled to Germany, and even resulted in her alleged poisoning.
“They risked everything for love,” Cohen said, saying this contributes to the story’s emotional strength. “Many of the greatest love stories of all time are fictional, but this actually happened.”
In addition to a relentless love affair and a bloodthirsty revolution, “Caroline and Johann: A Love Story,” is a twisted account of the secret lives of a royal court, full of deception, dejection, and even prostitution.
“The king is mentally ill and falls for a prostitute,” Cohen said. “There’s a stepmother who is basically the Wicked Witch of the West. I mean, I think of Margaret Hamilton [from the ‘Wizard of Oz’].”
Several hundred submissions were accepted by the AIFA from over two dozen countries, but only 15 percent received an award. Cohen received third prize in the Screenplay Competition, with hundreds of honors being given to short films and screenplays in other categories.
Finding funding
After spending three years writing and rewriting the script, Cohen said he is anxious to get it picked up and start production.
“[The movie] ‘Aviator’ was on the shelf for five years,” he said. “I’m hoping to get the movie into production much sooner than that.”
Cohen hopes to finish filming his movie within the next three years, and said he would be willing to fund the film independently if it’s feasible.
“When you have a period piece, you need costumes and set design,” he said. “It’s a pretty big investment. It would be hard to make the film for less than $10 million.”
But the amateur playwright is confident in his script and his story. “The movie is full of Hollywood romance,” he said. “If a studio could get it to professional form, I know the story is good enough to win an Academy Award.”
Although that might be a long way away, Cohen said in the short term he will continue sending his story out to festivals for review. He has yet to hear back from five other festivals, including the Rhode Island International.
For more information on the AIFA, visit: www.alaskafilmfestival.com.
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com