USD Magazine, Fall 2002

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~ ALU MNJI ALMANAC

orn Favorite Prof Stars in Former Student's First Film selected from more than 800 submissions. "I have no illusions of being an actor," says Rohatyn, a favorite among students since 1977 for his lectures peppered with one-liners - "Buddha was about simplicity, can you imagine what he'd think of the 1040 form?" - and his rather unusual look, a sort of disheveled Tevye in Reeboks. "If they made me look good, which they insist d1ey did," Rohatyn says, "it's because they rook rhe eight hours of footage, cut out seven hams and 57 minutes, and used the three minutes that worked." La Porta spent eight years making the film with cash raised from odd jobs, family, friends and the generosity of actors who donated their time ro the project. The movie centers on an architect (La Porta) who is trying to stall a decision on whether to sell out to the corporate world or stay true to his art. His efforcs are complicated by run-ins with telemarketers, meter readers, delivery men and an irritating neighbor. While contemplating his career, La Porta's charac– ter ducks inro a church to rake refuge and falls asleep, only to be awakened by Rohatyn's mysterious Angelo, who cells a colorful but

by K,ystn Sh,im 1 s B udding filmmaker Robert La Porta '89 was in a jam. As he planned the pivotal scene in his first feature-length movie, the 34-year-old still hadn't found the right actor to play an intense, enigmatic figure who transforms the lead character's life with bizarre tales. La Porta was frustrated and running out of rime when his phone unexpectedly rang. On the other end was USD philosophy Professor Dennis Rohatyn - an incense, enigmatic teacher who, years earlier, had captivated La Porta with his feisty lectures and his willingness to let the young student make films for his class assignments. A star was born. "We were trying to figure out who could play this very eccentric, unusual man, and all of a sudden we got a telephone·call from Dennis saying he was coming to Chicago where we were shooting," says La Porta, who kept in touch with his professor over the years. "He wanted to stop in and see us, and we thought it was a miracle chat he called when we needed him." With some gentle prodding, Rohatyn accepted the role ofAngelo in the 103-minute digital video movie "One Man's Ceiling," which pairs La Porta, who played the lead, with his brother, Richard, who worked behind the camera. The professor and his former student apparently turned in exceptional performances - the film premiered in May at Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Film Festival, one of 15 films

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