'Happy New Year' Tells A Sad Story - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1368843

'Happy New Year' Tells A Sad Story

icon 1 Photo

authorMichelle Trauring on Oct 10, 2011

In 2004, director and writer K. Lorrel Manning picked up a book that would forever change his life.

It was a copy of Nina Berman’s “Purple Hearts,” a series of photographic portraits and interviews with American soldiers who were severely wounded in Iraq.

The subject matter struck an unexpected chord in Mr. Manning, propelling him to seek out military veterans to interview himself. He was unaware that his collected data would, seven years later, help shape his controversial film, “Happy New Year,” which tackles the topics of war and post traumatic stress disorder, and screens on Saturday, October 15, at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

“This has not been easy,” Mr. Manning said during a telephone interview last week. “These films are not popular. Everyone and their mother told me that we’re crazy: ‘People like comedy. Nobody wants to hear about war and this stuff. Who’s going to see this movie?’ But from the love we’ve received on the festival circuit, I don’t think that’s the correct assumption. We’ve received the opposite response.”

Rewind to 2007. While doing research in Chicago for a play he was hired to direct in Manhattan, Mr. Manning rode along with a police officer who happened to be an Iraq War veteran. They drove for hours, and Mr. Manning soaked in the man’s story, he said.

“When I got back to my hotel, I had a 6 a.m. flight back to New York,” he recalled. “But I stayed up and started writing.”

The result was an 11-page play, titled “Happy New Year,” and the first thing Mr. Manning did once he returned to New York was email it to actor and friend Michael Cuomo.

Mr. Cuomo read the play from his Manhattan apartment. His printer was out of ink, so he read it off his computer screen. Toward the end, the screen started to get blurry, Mr. Cuomo recalled during a phone interview last week. Thinking his old computer was finally calling it quits, he shut it down and let it reboot.

When he got up, Mr. Cuomo caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His face was flushed and covered in tears, he recalled. He wiped his eyes and looked back at his computer screen, which was completely clear, he said.

“I didn’t even realize I’d been crying when I was reading the piece,” he said. “It wasn’t a conscious thing. I called Lorrel right away and said, ‘Hey man, I just read “Happy New Year.” It’s tremendous. I’m completely a mess over here. I don’t know if you realize this, but you created a really harrowing piece of work. I’m terrified, but we have to do this.’”

Six months later, the play ran off-Broadway and was soon adapted into a short film, Mr. Manning said. Before converting it into a feature film, the two men interviewed nearly 80 war veterans—from World War II and Vietnam to Desert Storm and Afghanistan—who helped shape Mr. Cuomo’s character, Sergeant Cole Lewis, a young American soldier who is admitted to the psychiatric wing of a hospital following a botched military operation in Iraq. The result: a burned face, paralyzed legs and a serious case of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It was a strenuous and amazing experience as an actor,” Mr. Cuomo said of playing the lead role. “We fight and dream to play characters this rich and this layered.”

The majority of the film was shot in an abandoned building at the Bronx State Hospital, Mr. Manning said. The team wrapped in just 24 days, and during that time, the director and lead actor had an unwritten agreement: Mr. Cuomo would remain in his wheelchair for the entire shoot, on and off the set.

“If I wasn’t in bed, I’d be in the wheelchair,” Mr. Cuomo said. “People on the set who didn’t know me had no idea I wasn’t handicapped for about the first 10 days of shooting. I decided I was going to live and breathe this.”

At night, Mr. Cuomo would wheel around Manhattan, taking the subway and the bus to understand how the world looks at a young, disabled man, he said.

In addition, Mr. Manning brought in a military advisor, who created a simulated, one-on-one boot camp for Mr. Cuomo.

“That was really integral to the feature,” Mr. Cuomo recalled. “Even though the character is in a wheelchair and the post-war situation, it’s important to really feel what it was like to indoctrinate yourself to the Marine Corps and to have this as your new code of being.”

Mr. Cuomo explained that the film not only follows his character’s physical journey, but his mental one, as well, taking on poignant dream sequences that feature real combat footage provided by former U.S. Marine, Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Mike Scotti.

“As a filmmaker, I wanted the audience to really get inside Lewis’s head,” Mr. Manning said. “I wanted to take them there, and I was trying to figure out ways to do it with sound or whatever, but that seemed sort of distant. This footage felt personal and real. This was the real deal.”

The film is a hard-hitting narrative on what’s going on under America’s nose, Mr. Manning said, with an underlying look at PTSD. The condition is nothing new, he explained, just one that is gaining a name for itself due to recent, unprecedented suicide rates among veterans—18 a day, he said.

Mr. Manning said he hopes his film helps put a stop to it, and shines a light on the grave reality of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The greatest reward is when,” he paused. “I’m sorry.” He paused again, unable to keep a quiver out of his voice as he started to cry. “I’m sorry. It still gets me. My greatest reward is when one of them, a veteran, comes up to me and says, ‘Thank you. I thought I was alone. And this helps me know that I’m not.’ To me, that means more than anything.”

“Happy New Year” will screen on Saturday, October 15, at 12:15 p.m. and Monday, October 17, at 7 p.m. at UA East Hampton. A panel discussion will follow Saturday’s screening. Tickets are $15. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.

You May Also Like:

Reconnecting With Mother Earth: Indigenous Animal Clans, Creation Stories and Songs With Jeffrey Pegram at The Church

The Church will welcome back Jeffrey Pegram, Tsalagi Nation (Cherokee) singer/composer and member of the ... 12 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Leigh Bardugo Comes to Sag Harbor Books for Book Signing, Meet and Greet

Growing up, best-selling author Leigh Bardugo always knew she wanted to be a writer, but ... 11 Jul 2025 by Hope Hamilton

Springs Artist Fitzhugh Karol Debuts Outdoor Sculpture Show at Duck Creek

The Arts Center at Duck Creek will present “Fitzhugh Karol: On the Grounds,” a site-specific ... 8 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

La Goulue Sur Mer Arrives in Southampton, With a Dash of Chaos and a Side of Style

“Is it true?” said the anxious DM on my Instagram account. “Is La Goulue really ... by Steven Stolman

Art on a Line: Guild Hall’s Clothesline Sale Hangs Tough for 2025

Guild Hall’s beloved Clothesline Art Sale returns on Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The annual event, a Hamptons tradition since 1946, transforms the museum’s lawn into a sea of original artwork — hung on clotheslines — and offers visitors the chance to purchase local art at accessible prices. Jackson Pollock once sold a painting at the sale for $250, and past participants have included Lee Krasner, Alfonso Ossorio, Elaine and Willem de Kooning and other art-world icons. The event continues to offer a rare opportunity for the public to view and purchase work by East End ... by Staff Writer

The Climate-Friendly Fitness Routine

“Live simply so that others might simply live” — Mahatma Gandhi The first time I ... by Jenny Noble

Joy Behar Gets the Last Laugh in ‘My First Ex-Husband' at Bay Street Theater, July 14-19

Emmy Award-winning comedian and co-host of “The View,” Joy Behar stars in “My First Ex-Husband,” a bold, funny and heartfelt new play based on true stories from her life. The limited engagement runs July 14 through 19, at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. With razor-sharp wit and no filters, “My First Ex-Husband” explores the messy, hilarious truths of love, sex and relationships. Adapted from Behar’s personal experiences, the show is both deeply personal and widely relatable. Behar will appear on stage on July 14, 18 and 19. Also appearing nightly, July 14 through 19, are Veanne Cox, a Tony-nominated ... by Staff Writer

Experience the Rhythms of Brazil With Nilson Matta’s Voyage Quartet

Grammy-nominated bassist Nilson Matta will lead his Brazilian Voyage Quartet at The Church on Friday, July 25, at 6 p.m. The concert is part of Hamptons JazzFest. The group features acclaimed guitarist Chico Pinheiro and offers a rich exploration of samba, bossa nova and modern Brazilian jazz. Matta, a founding member of the renowned Trio da Paz and longtime collaborator with Yo-Yo Ma on the Grammy-winning “Obrigado Brazil” project, is known for blending traditional Brazilian rhythms with contemporary jazz. His lyrical bass playing and deep rhythmic connection have earned him international acclaim. Guitarist Chico Pinheiro, recognized as a leading voice ... by Staff Writer

At the Galleries for July 10, 2025

Montauk The Depot Art Gallery, at the Montauk railroad station at the corner of Flamingo ... by Staff Writer

Round and About for July 10, 2025

Fireworks Shelter Island Fireworks The Shelter Island fireworks will be held on Saturday, July 12, ... by Staff Writer