NewEnglandFilm.com

There’s nothing like a great dream to inspire a person to action… especially if that dream is a terrifying nightmare.

"I’d have reoccurring dreams that I was dying in a plane crash," said Kaylyn Thornal. "It almost made me an insomniac."

The turbulent nightmares came at an equally turbulent time in Thornal’s life as she pondered a future in film back in 1994. She had a passion for filmmaking ever since she picked up her father’s 8mm camera as a child, but was unsure if pursuing it as a career was feasible.

"My friends helped analyze my dreams," she said. "They told me I either had a fear of failure or a fear of success. Either way, they said that I had to take hold of my dreams; that I had to guide them. So over the next few nights, I tried to mentally do that."

With effort, Thornal soon learned to control the outcome of her nightmares, and applied her newfound confidence in the waking world. Thus Parachute Dream Productions was born, a testament to overcoming her subconscious and conscious fears in a clever and creative way. Since then, she and a small staff have produced various long and short films, including the critically acclaimed "Payoff," a documentary about the hard road to success in the music industry.

Thornal’s newest entry into documentary filmmaking is "A Centered Universe: The Life and Art of Harry Holl." Finally completed after three years of shooting and over 70 hours of footage, "A Centered Universe" chronicles and celebrates the life of sculptor, potter, and Cape Cod resident Harry Holl.

"It all started when a friend took me to Harry’s studio at the Cape four years ago, and I was immediately captivated by it," Thornal said. "His studio is like an oasis. It has a Never-Never Land type of existence there: organic, kept away from the commercialism. And not to mention the art was incredible."

Though there were talks of filming a documentary about Holl then, Thornal felt burned out having just wrapped "Payoff," and the movie did not get underway until one of Holl’s four daughters called her a year later, asking whether she was still interested.

"The family wanted a film to commemorate Harry’s 50th year at his studio," Thornal said. "A couple other short films about his art had been done in the 1970s, but they wanted this to be a 50-year retrospective."

The documentary incorporates some of the old footage as it chronicles Holl’s life over the years. The result is an intimate look into Holl’s obsession with his art, exploring both his devotion to his craft and the pain that comes with sacrificing everything for it.

His art came first, said Thornal. "He had complete dedication to his work, which is so compelling…but he often neglected his family for it. Some people might find that selfish, and maybe that’s true. He basically lost his family for 20 years. But Harry felt there was nothing else he could have done. [His] philosophy was that he was simply unable to have good relationships with anyone unless he put his work first."

The documentary also examines other struggles in Holl’s life, including bouts of mental illness and financial problems.

"Harry is one of the most prolific people I’ve ever met," Thornal said. "When he was younger, he could have been famous. He attended Black Mountain College. He was friends with [Robert] Rauschenberg. He could have moved to New York where all the best artists were headed, and could have been really famous. But he had no desire for it."

Recently, Holl celebrated his 81st birthday. Though afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, Holl still wakes up at 10 in the morning to work on his art until late into the night.

"He’s still so passionate about his work. It’s amazing," Thornal said. She added that she could somewhat relate to his driven nature, and when one thinks about the three years she spent directing, editing, and producing this film, it is easy to see why.

"A Centered Universe" premiered at Cape Cinema in Dennis, Massachusetts, where Holl was seated at "his" seat in the theater as the guest of honor.

"It was a sold out show," said Thornal. "Harry was surrounded by friends and family from all over. After watching the movie, his first reaction was that he felt like he saw his life flash before his eyes. He was speechless, which he rarely is. He was proud of the film."

"A Centered Universe" will air Tuesday, July 15th at 10 p.m. on WGBH/PBS. It has already won the Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary at the 11th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival, which delighted Thornal.

"I’m very happy with the film," Thornal said. "It’s the first film I made that I was happy with from beginning to end." She added, "I’m anxious for people to see it not really for me, but for Harry’s studio. I hope it draws people out to see his wonderful art."

Up next for Thornal and Parachute Dream Productions are a number of projects, which include an independent feature-length film, as well as putting the final touches on a short movie that just wrapped.

So, no more nightmares?

"We’ve had some setbacks," Thornal laughed. "Our cinematographer got deported due to an expired work VISA. But things are looking up."

NewEnglandFilm.com is sure she will make a safe landing.