YEAR OF THE RAT
Director
Matthew Chateauvert
Producer
Gil Seltzer
Cinematographer
Adam Bial
Editor
Gil Seltzer
Colorist
Nat Jencks
Re-Recording Mixer
Keith Hodne
Project Type
Documentary Feature Film
Project Status
Post-Production
Shizzat (real name Shane Reed) was a victim of the opioid epidemic, fell into a life of crime and was abandoned by his mom who suffered from bipolar schizophrenia and was unable to care for him. Instead of succumbing to the spiral of poverty and addiction that has plagued a vast swath of the country, he found salvation through boxing and started rigorously training. Now competing in a series of wildly colorful boxing tournaments, he's starting to win bouts and gain notoriety. His goal, however, is not fame and wealth, it's simply to make enough money to rescue his mom, support his family and provide for his grandmother, Nana, who raised him.
- SPRING -
The film starts out with Shizzat living in a tiny camper in rural Tennessee, hitting a makeshift punching bag set up in a shack by the banks of a remote river and working a day job on a gas pipeline. We see him traveling eight hours each way to take care of his disabled mom, who lives in a house without electricity or running water. The mental health system in Tennessee is one of the worst in the country and he's crushed by his inability to pay for housing and get her the medical care she needs. To eke out a bit of extra money, Shizzat takes jobs as a cornerman, training other fighters and working with them during matches. Even without the gloves on, we see Shizzat's love for the sport runs deep.
- SUMMER -
He manages to set up a big fight with a ferocious boxer named Hood McGregor that could generate a decent amount of cash. McGregor might have a longer reach and several pounds on him, but Shizzat is confident that skill and determination will notch him a win. They trade diss videos back and forth on social media, riling each other up and stoking the flames. This is going to be a legendary battle.
- FALL -
Then...it all falls apart. The boxing commission rules McGregor ineligible on a technicality and Shizzat is left empty-handed. His main prospect for income now gone, he falls off the wagon and things start looking desperate. His saving grace comes in the form of a natural disaster: a major hurricane hits Tennessee and Shizzat is compelled to roll up his sleeves and pitch in to help the survivors rebuild. This renews his faith in himself and his will to fight. He resumes training and a new opportunity presents itself - he'll have a chance to face a younger fighter that he once trained, a new kid on the block named Redneck Reaper.
- WINTER -
The finale of the film places the audience in the middle of a pressure-cooker televised bout in front of thousands of screaming fans in a packed arena. Shizzat starts out swinging in the first round...but is knocked down in the second and it doesn't look like he's going to make it back up. Somewhere deep inside, he finds the will and scrambles to his feet. He's not just fighting for himself tonight, he's fighting for his mom, he's fighting for his family, he's fighting for all the folks back home who ever believed in him. As the third round bell rings, Shizzat summons up a second wind and lays a series of lightning-fast hooks on Reaper. It's too much for the younger boxer and he crumbles. The ref swoops in, stops the fight and awards Shizzat a KO. The crowd roars. He brings Nana on stage and in a picture-perfect tear-filled Rocky moment, he holds up her hand and declares the fight to her and to the people of Tennessee.
Matthew Chateauvert was born in Lewiston, Maine to loving, working-class parents. Never a great student, he struggled through high school before dropping out of college. After a move to North Carolina, Matt began fifteen years of back-breaking labor across various industries like roofing, paving and Christmas tree harvesting. Eventually settling back in New England, after a stint in commercial clam digging, Matt began a career in industrial sales. He currently maintains a full-time job selling nuts and bolts. Over the last three years, in the hours outside that job, he wrote, produced, financed and directed his first feature film. "Year of the Rat" began as an idea which eventually became an obsession. With no formal training, financing or industry connections, there were struggles. In the end, he was able to retain complete creative control and commit Shane's incredibly inspirational story to film. That was always the goal: Tell THIS story. His work is shaped by an overtly blue-collar perspective. The approach is practical, direct and rooted in real life. Chateauvert lives in New Hampshire with his wife of 16 years and their 1-year-old son Byron.
Gil is a 20-year veteran of the film industry with roots in South America and the Middle East. He has directed and produced commercials, shows and films and was a principal of the production company, Marble & Clay. He is also the editor of several feature films including "TransMilitary", which won the Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival, "Aggie", which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival and "Minted" which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix. Gil recently worked with Bradley Cooper on his latest film, "Is This Thing On", released by Searchlight Pictures and starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern.
Nat Jencks is a Senior Colorist with PostWorks NY. His nearly 200 credits span studio features, indie films, television, documentaries, and music videos. He has done work for directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Michel Gondry, Laura Poitras, Spike Jonze, Todd Haynes, Barry Levinson, Nanette Burstein, Josephine Decker, and many others. His music video credits include ones for Sigur Ros, Dirty Projectors, Phantogram, MGMT, and The Polyphonic Spree. Commercial credits include Nike, Google, Sony, BMW, and Gap. He’s been on the frontline of many emerging technologies, from DV to DI, working on some of the first films to use FCP for 35mm film workflow, and designing and implementing the digital workflow for Steven Soderbergh’s CHE, the first large feature film shot on the RED camera. Nat has a longstanding background in photography, art, and computer science with a degree in Technology and Art from Oberlin College. He has taught classes on Color and VFX, guest lectured at SVA, Columbia, Local 700 Editors Guild, SMPTE as well as other institutions, and is a member of the Editors Guild and the Visual Effects Society (VES).
To date, Keith has worked on some of the decade’s most critically acclaimed documentaries including ‘O.J.: Made in America,’ ‘The Russian Woodpecker,’ and ‘100 Foot Wave.’ ‘O.J.: Made in America’ took home many prestigious awards including the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Keith received a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a nonfiction program and a C.A.S. Nomination for Outstanding Sound Mixing for his work. Keith was nominated for two M.P.S.E. Awards in the Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing category for Netflix's ‘The Last Dance’ and ‘High Score.’