By John Benson
For those of us who didn’t attend Cleveland Heights High School, “Forever a Tiger” is a popular phrase attached to the large school whose only point of reference for many is the fact it’s located near the Cedar Lee Theatre.
In keeping with the aforementioned tagline, alumnae Mai Moore (1995 graduate) and Traci Easley (1992) are attempting to capture the Heights High School experience for all to see with a new documentary project that hopes to be in theaters by the end of the year. The Heights Movie tells the story about the school through a wide variety of its graduates, ranging in years from 1953 to 2012. Notable Heights High School attendees taking part in the production include Mike Belkin, ‘90s basketball player Damon “Mr. Basketball” Stringer and television journalist Jeff Johnson.
Cool Cleveland talked to Executive Producer Moore about this unique project and why the story of Heights High School needs to be told.
Cool Cleveland: First of all, where did you get the concept for The Heights Movie?
Mai Moore: I had this idea about two years ago. Honestly, any Heights alumni could probably do this. It has to do with timing. I had just moved back to Cleveland, and I just have a passion for Heights. I know how unique it is. I lived in New York City and Los Angeles, and there’s a story to be told about Heights. I happened to know a lot of people. I have experience doing the Once Again [concert] showcases. So I think people have some trust in me. Most of America will be able to relate to the Heights story.
So what’s the premise behind The Heights Movie?
Heights is quite a diverse school. When we say diverse, that doesn’t mean within race and doesn’t necessarily mean within socio-economic classes. For example, the black community had maybe 70 different cliques. So that’s part of the story. What that does for us alumni is it makes us able to deal with any type of person, whether you’re a billionaire or you’re someone from the streets. That’s a great skill to have. There are a lot of other qualities about Heights people for sure, and that’s what will be displayed in this documentary.
Do you feel The Heights Movie will tell a story that America hasn’t already seen?
Yes, because Heights is a melting pot. Whether it was the white rich girl or it was a fraternity or the MVP basketball player or the nerds or the people trying to get into Ivy League schools or it was the drug dealers or people in the gangs, Heights covers all of that. It’s all in one swoop.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for getting the movie played around the country?
In all honesty, we’re still at the beginning stage. We’ve done 35 interviews. We have a lot of work to do. As far as when it’ll be distributed, that’s the least of my concerns. The concern we have is we want to do a quality and thorough job, I hope that [it will] be released this year. We are going to put out a teaser in a couple of weeks. We are going to put it in a variety of film festivals and have plenty of distribution ideas that are national and have support from Heights alumni. We have so many accomplished people in the film who have actually reached out to me to lend their support. So right now I can’t answer that question fully. We’re still in the strategy phase of it. But this is not a movie that will just be thrown on the Internet.
To be fair, it seems as though with its Northeast Ohio ties The Heights Movie would be perfect for a presentation on WVIZ versus a nationwide release. It that a hurdle you must face when producing the film?
Of course it’s a hurdle, but it’s not just going to be a Cleveland thing. We’re looking at the bigger picture.
Naturally the documentary can’t be all sunny days and happy endings. Is there a dark history to Heights High School?
I am keeping the documentary very real and the answer to that question I can’t answer yet. We’re bringing on a component that will be further relatable to all people in America. There are many dark things to talk about – suicide, drug dealing or a girl who had two kids while attending Heights. We will cover everything.
So what’s the end game for The Heights Movie?
That’s a great question. I think to tell the story, get awareness and produce a quality documentary. That’s the goal.
For further information go to http://TheHeightsMovie.com or https://Facebook.com/TheHeightsMovie.
Freelance writer John Benson spends most of his time writing for various papers throughout Northeast Ohio. When he’s not writing about music or entertainment, he can be found coaching his two boys in basketball, football and baseball or watching movies with his lovely wife, Maria. John also occasionally writes for CoolCleveland.com.