10 years ago (1999) I did not know of - did not hear about in the media - about a single art film director who is 2nd generation Iranian-American or Iranian-European. Now I know of 4 - three well known in the art/indie/foreign film world & one who just made a very promising first feature. Here are the names & some links:
So is this a new & significant development? I'd like to hear from people who know a lot about creativity in the Iranian diaspora & about art/indie/foreign films in Comments.
I plan on watching The Limits of Control on Sunday, so, I am wondering if I'll encounter a sublime, mind-altering Jarmusch film like Mystery Train or something far more difficult to get into & enjoy like Coffee & Cigarettes or Year of the Horse. This interview with Jarmusch by Salon's Andrew O'Hehir makes the movie sound very interesting. From the intro to the interview:
"But the suave hero, the sharp clothes, the noirish atmosphere and the spectacular settings are only one layer of the onion. Jarmusch's title is meant to be metaphysically suggestive, referring not just to the limits of political control (that's a clue, but not a spoiler) but also to the fact that the movie itself is a fiction, and to the possibility that the world is not what we perceive it to be. There are hints that De Bankolé is able to control the landscape around him, at least at times, almost like the author of a story or like Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix.""
And:
"It's not nearly as straightforward as something like "The Matrix," where we see that reality is actually totally constructed. But one could go in that direction in interpreting your film.
Yes, there's certainly that theme in there, it's even in the title ... What if you just flipped around these arbitrary values that are put on things? We are constantly told, "We drive these fossil-burning vehicles because that's just the way it is." But the imagination and science have a thousand different possibilities, so why is one of the worst ones the one that's employed? And the answer is obvious: because it's profitable for people that control this. That is a theme repeated several times: "Reality is arbitrary." It is a theme in the film that your consciousness and your perspective on anything is your own and should be valued as your own and not just be part of a herd of sheep because that's the direction we were told to go."
Amir Motlagh is a Los Angeles area based independent filmmaker & actor. After winning accolades from film festivals and web audiences for several short fiction & documentary pieces, Motlagh recently completed Whale - his first feature length film, a beautifully shot & edited work of fiction about an aspiring writer who returns to his parent's house to figure out the next phase of his life. I spoke with him recently about Whale, certain trends & other happenings in the indie film world - including the existence of several well regarded independent filmmakers with Iranian roots:
Sujewa: What was the starting point for Whale? What experiences, other movies, career needs, other things led you to create Whale?
Amir: Maybe I started Whale abstractly in 2001. It was the first film I had ever envisioned making, but I didn't have the know-how, resources and understanding of the filmmaking process. The physical production started in 2005, planning and prep. At that time, I was desperate to get back into narrative filmmaking, as I spent a year and a half working on two documentaries, Pumkin Little and my break ups into a million pieces. Both, and especially Pumkin Little, esoteric and reactionary. I was feeling like I reached the end of that particular process of filmmaking, and wanted to get back into fiction, the reason I was enthralled with filmmaking to begin with. Also, the need to make a feature was eroding my core, as I prolonged it because of many reasons (life). Whale is often a film about prolonging things.
Sujewa: Was it difficult to convince the non-actors (your parents, your friends) to appear in the movie? What was it like to direct them? How were you ultimately able to capture the necessary performances from them?
Amir: I have worked with both professional actors and amateurs from the beginning. There is a different approach and ultimately a different effect with both. I trained for two years as a professional actor (Adler, Meisner, Strasburg, Stanislavski), thus I think that this preparation helps me deal with actors of all kinds. Ultimately, when you stick a camera on someone, and it is a work of fiction, they become an actor. So, there might not be such a thing as a non-actor. Only an experience issue. Also, when you are using amateur actors, you might be using them because they provide the context already packaged for what you are trying to convey in character. The homework has been done, so then it comes down to convincing them, that the choices they naturally make as themselves might be best. Putting amateurs in films with heavy dialogue and conflict is very difficult. How would you expect a professional performance when you cast an amateur? But in these types of smaller, realist movies, the amateur brings authenticity that is hard, if not impossible, to get otherwise.
My parents, well that was fun. My mother hated the idea, and she still does. My father, he took direction well. I shot another film with them in it (Absorbed in Accidents, in post), and I feel that our working relationship is over. My friends, well, some of the cast in Whale was used in my first film, Dino Adino in 2001. This is a type of documentation for me. My relationship with them is not the same as then, as I am not in contact with them as much (in fact, Dino Adino was under similar but less distant circumstances). But they are old friends with lots of personal history, so a real camaraderie exists. In Whale, I mix my cast with professionals and amateurs, as I have done in many of my films. (Again, I want to reiterate that the film is fiction, these are actors playing a role. How much is fact or fiction is really an inconsequential byproduct in my opinion)
I cast in terms of the story I am trying to tell and performances I want to get. I wasn't using amateurs that I’ve known as some philosophical stance, laziness, or because I couldn't get anyone else (this is silly to even make a point out of, because we all know how many great (unknown) actors are available to work with just by placing an ad in the trades). I had a sincere relationship to the cast, and I knew possibly what and how far I could take each individual. Also, this type of working condition is very personal, and is a different method to making film. In whale specifically, the other main cast member, Darren Oneil, who also co-produced the picture helped tremendously as a silent crew member throughout most of the production. There is no way that I could have handled all of this myself, and I feel indebted to the cast.
All these methods for me are about the individual project I am working on. Of course, some intertextuality exists between my own films, but for everything they share, there are many differences, both in process and results.
Sujewa: Why did you use the DVX100 camera for Whale, as opposed to shooting it on film or another video format - HD perhaps?
Amir: Well, at the prep stage of filming, we really had two choices that I was sold on, a DVX100a or an HVX200. At that time, I was very familiar with the DVX, having used it in my break ups into a million pieces, but the shiny new toy was on the horizon. Well, we put in the order for an HVX200, but I had an opportunity to get two DVX100's immediately (this was a very shady set of circumstance, but all parties have reached a happy settlement). Also, the way I wanted to shoot, which was a long-term project, the work flow of the HVX200 didn't make sense. But in the most honest sense, I had set out to make a DV feature film. I loved the way SD progressive looked, in comparison to film. It was so reactionary at the time, and a historic change of course. How could you not be enthralled with the idea, to, say, fuck the system, fuck your resolution, your tools, history and ultimately the grand gatekeepers. What is an artist if your only guiding voice is to follow behind everyone else's footprint? So, I decided to continue with that mind state, if only a temporary delusional, angsty one.
Film was not even an option for this type of project. Film would also destroy a level of authenticity to the model of production for Whale. But, again, I state this in reference only to this project. I have no interest in a film vs. digital debate. That shit is so 1999. I love 35MM, what's not to love about it? Oh it takes too long to set up a shot, Jesus, stop being so fucking impatient. And it cost too much, well who said you should pay for it yourself? Don't!
Sujewa: How do you feel about the current state of film in America? What would you like to see more of or less of?
Amir: This is an incredibly broad and difficult question. Film in America, well, it depends on what glasses you are looking through. Maybe we are in resurgence again, in terms of American cinema. The nineties were an incredible time for American Indies, but the 2000's were not so stellar in my opinion. My feeling is that people have finally figured out the new tools available, and as the front line experiments, this will translate into the more traditional production methods loosening the grip on what they can achieve with narrative. It’s always good for the arts to experiment. I'm not talking about the avant-garde, because in most people’s opinion, film is a popular medium. When a mainstream director starts playing with expectations, then the form revitalizes itself in the eyes of the larger population. Being John Malkovich is this concept in effect. But, I don't know much else in the mainstream; I don't go to the theater every day to watch Fast & Furious. I mean, other then 12 year olds, who gives a shit (apparently lots of people judging by the numbers). It must be more exciting just to play the video game.
Sujewa: Let's see, I know of three active indie feature directors who are from an Iranian background: Caveh Zahedi, Ramin Bahrani, and you - are there as many Iranian-American directors working in Hollywood or in Television (that you've heard of)? And if not - or either way - do you think Iranian cinema influences Iranian-American filmmakers to tell stories in a certain "foreign"/"non-Hollywood"/"indie" way?
Amir: Truly, I don't know how many there are, those two are the highest profile, especially Bahrani these days. I also believe that Harmony Korine is half Iranian. Iranian cinema certainly might be an influence, but those directors are so different from one another. Maybe to the extent in which the narrative is dealt with. The similarities, or through line between us, might be our insistence on adding documentary style elements into narrative, and maybe for some of us, a persistent self-reflexive instinct. Is there a line differentiating doc and fiction anymore?
My hope would be that as ethnic American directors, that we don't just repackage the type of work that appeals to just a film festival going audience. Especially some of the overtly sentimental elements induced by some Iranian cinema. I'm not exactly sure how to quantify that, only that authenticity remains central to the work, and not as maybe, just for critical effect. My focus at this time is more about the assimilation of the ethnic entity than the strict identity cliché. Again, this comes down to the notion of subtlety and restraint. It’s hard to keep from working the clichés when dealing with the obvious. Also, the culture of assimilation will remain a primary concern moving forward.
Sujewa: How do you feel about Mumblecore films & filmmakers? Are there marketing/publicity/career-building lessons to be learned from that group of indie filmmakers - stuff that may be useful for other indie filmmakers in developing their careers?
Amir: Ah, the Mumblecore question. First, let me get this out of the way, Mumblecore might refer to a social group more then anything. Second, is there a definable set of things that make a film Mumblecore? Maybe a certain lack of context, some ironic elements. Could it be DIY approach? With all that said, when you see it, you go, oh yeah, that's Mumblecore. So, with that out of the way, well, I want to be careful in how I word this, as to not be taken out of context. As far as cinema goes, and in comparison to say, Neo-Neo realism, Mumblecore might be a more original entity.
Neo-Neo Realism is just what the word implies, a newer form of what De Sica was doing in the late 1940’s. Mumblecore has elicited more excitement, and involvement to a younger generation then the aforementioned because it gives them an entry point, and it feels contemporary. That is a grand compliment. At the same token, much of the work is a little pedestrian for my taste (but who gives a shit what my opinion is). Regardless, I salute those filmmakers for also saying fuck the system, and continuing despite any related backlash, and regardless of critics. Time will sort all this shit out. Till then, you do what’s in your heart.
Sujewa: Did you enjoy coming out to New York for a few days to work on Brooklyn Fantastic recently or was that just a very painful experience?
Amir: It was a little bit of both. Also, it was more then just a few days Sujewa. Susan and Ryan were very fun. I didn't enjoy Chinese take-out much. Also, you have a way with waitresses.
Sujewa: That's a nice cryptic & fun answer - we'll explore that topic more when we do your Brooklyn Fantastic interview in a few months. Back to Whale - I thought the film was unique & very interesting - not like most other indie or Hollywood movies being made at the moment in America - what led you to use the methods that you used in Whale - including the use of documentary type footage, and at times almost an observational/security camera type footage where it feels like the camera is recording events unfolding in front of it without being guided by an operator, and sequences where a character is directly addressing the camera/as if he is being videotaped by another character in the movie - using those approaches as opposed to using the regular narrative story telling method of just characters interacting with each other in traditional scenes?
Amir: The methods used in Whale were my grand personal journey to figure out what DV cinema meant to me. I have always thought of Coppola's Fat Musician (Filmmaker) quote. What happens when you deconstruct the division of labor in film production, put the gear for an unlimited time into the filmmakers' hands, and let them do what they will, but still restrict the film to certain rules, mostly, not to bore the hell out of the audience.
As much as I love the films of Tarkovsky, we are far from those ideals now (maybe then too, I unfortunately wasn't around then). It’s a different world, so my question was, how to reach people but keep a certain, distinct voice. How to create an original product when we are often told that it won’t work? With all the tools and techniques available, why do we still insist on rehashing the same product over and over again? Certainly, from a careerist perspective, I see why, and only the bravest souls can keep the ideals of change or progression. Its always a losing battle, so as Gus Van Sant does, one for them, one for yourself. That’s the modern auteur.
Sujewa: There is a Neo-Neo Realist quality to Whale except it is not dull/deeply serious or at least did not feel to me like it was attempting to convey a somber, reflective "realism" at all times - there is a quite a bit of humor in the film - did that arise naturally out of your personality/the process of making the film or was that intentional/planned? Or, to put it another way, did you at first conceive the film as being just a drama type film as opposed to, in my opinion, the drama/comedy/journey type film that it ended up being?
Amir: This might just be a subjective response. Also, I do not find the Neo-Neo Realist films dull at all, although they are not expressively original, which is not meant in a derogatory way. As for Whale, I didn't make the film out of any genre. And also, the film deals in realism, on a personal, more forthcoming way, then in maybe a Neo-Neo Realist way. It’s just a different form of realism, because somehow, it is out of a subjective lens. Whale is not Cinema Verite by any means, but can go into it and does often. That is how new media works. When you introduce all those elements, then it breaks away from a concrete mood. In life, we deal with humor all the time, no matter how dire our circumstance, so maybe that’s where those funny moments came out in. The film also doesn't deal with matters of life or death (as when dealing with poverty), but a certain middle class dilemma. It might not be as sensational (overrated anyway), but the film does deal directly with a generation.
Sujewa: Whale points out the fact that its characters are aware of economic & racial/ethnic realities of life in America. How has the amount of money you have access to and how others react to you as far as you being "non-white"/other affected both the type of movies that you've made/your decisions to make certain movies/tell certain stories as opposed to others and your development as a filmmaker/career development? Do you think, in 2009 America, it is still easier for some people to "make it" in the film business due to either their ethnic background & perhaps gender & it is still difficult for others who are not a part of those favored categories? Or is it pretty much a level playing field now, in your opinion?
Amir: Again, I have found that the idea of race, and certainly economic realities in this film would be subjectively interpreted depending on one's own view. Certainly characters play the race card, but Cameron is fully integrated into a "whitewashed" way of getting on. Cameron is first an American, and an Iranian second. Suburban culture is formed by homogenization and regionalism, more so then ethnicity.
Also, one can't deny that they are living in what many would dream is paradise, but we are aware that even in the middle class, there are different economic realities, especially when you are still not able to get by on your own. There is certainly a type of desperation in some of the characters in the film.
Now back to the question, Bahrani's (and many others) success proves that everyone has a chance. Although, maybe it comes down to the stories you are trying to tell. It's never a level playing field, but if you are determined, hustle, and continue to be proactive, your time will come. The scale in which you work is another story all together, I’m certainly not going to guarantee your safety, be forewarned.
Sujewa: What's been the reaction to Whale so far? Especially from your friends who are not typically into art/foreign movies?
Amir: Well, it’s been very positive. While I was cutting it, I feared that it might be too esoteric, so I scaled down the length, and adjusted the pace. The fact that people who are mostly into Hollywood films have dug the film gives me great pleasure. Ultimately, I don't want this film only being watched by the art house crowd. That defeats its purpose in many ways.
Sujewa: What are the current distribution plans for Whale?
Amir: Well, we shall try the world of the film festival first. If they pass on it too frequently, I will turn to the web, VOD and DVD. I stand by the film, and you better get the fuck out my way, and I mean this in a very gentlemanly manner.
So, took a couple of days, figured out how I want to use this blog now (as little as possible, only for projects that I am directly involved in, more here). And, after speaking with a few people & getting some requests, the Feed is back on, so the blog posts will show up at various places once again, whenever they do happen.
From now on I'll only be blogging about my own projects or about, sometimes, certain projects of collaborators (people who work with me on my projects, or projects of others than I work on). I think these new limits will help me cut down significantly on blogging - making more time available for making & distributing my movies.
"Later I spoke to Tess Hughes-Freeland, assistant editor for Fingered, Richard Kern’s 1986 violent porn-as-antiporn film starring Lydia Lunch, who remarked that today’s explosion of instant DIY moviemaking—via digital outlets such as YouTube—mirrors the spirit of the Super8 moviemakers. She also praised Danhier for the comprehensiveness of her approach to chronicling that dynamic time."
Over the last few years - starting in '04 - I've done quite a bit with blogs: posted over 2,000 entries, made new friends, made a doc about blogging (screened it in NYC & made it a part of the recent Atlanta Film Festival) & learned a little about engineering & managing indie film publicity. Now I plan on applying a similar productive approach to making & distributing indie movies - less blogging, more film work in its place.
So, in that spirit, coming very soon (working on these items now, should be up on the web w/in the next 7 days):
- Both movies available in their entirety with the help of a new e-commerce solution for indie filmmakers that's in its beta phase - for those who want to contribute some $s towards the projects & or do not want to see the movies as separate episodes.
- The same "new/experimental solution" will offer the movies as on-demand DVDs for a low price - for those who want the movies in that format.
[The DNO DVDs made through DiscMakers are also on the way - should be ready to ship those out in mid-May, - those will be marketed to a wider audience, beyond the blogosphere/web]
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It's easier to blog than to make & distribute movies (but ultimately filmmaking & distribution is far more rewarding for me), so hopefully I can bring a similar level of high productivity to filmmaking & distribution over the next few years that I brought to blogging over the last four plus years.
I want to start using this blog a little differently, so, the feed going out from here will be cut off soon, meaning, if you read this blog primarily at indieWIRE's blogs page or at another place that uses the feed, you may want to bookmark the blog if you want to read stuff here in the future - once the Feed is off the posts will not be showing up at iW page, etc. Thanks.
a scene from an upcoming sci-fi movie - a modern day location - the mcdonald's - is surrounded by a hologram/force-field emanating from the military installation inside the nearby mountain, creating the illusion of a late 1960's type (undeveloped/no buildings, wooden electricity poles, open highway, quality of sunlight, etc.) surrounding. one of the traverlers do not know this - trouble waits.
An interview with French filmmaker Alain Cavalier, at Dizzidenz.com blog. From the interview:
"You studied at IDHEC. What led you to move away from “traditional” narration to a purer style today?
It’s the mental path you take when you’ve used a tool in a certain way, and suddenly you try something else. The narrative, the script, predictability, shooting the film, actors who take charge of their emotions, the crew, the production, the cost, our economic relationship with the world… freedom is strictly economic. All of that mixes together and eventually, with lighter and more refined equipment and tools, you manage to better define the scope of your work and avoid certain conventions you used to take pleasure in using. You don’t disown them, but they just don’t fuel you anymore. They don’t inspire you. And you sort of have the illusion of renewing yourself, that you’re following the successive metamorphoses of your life, and so are your films."
And by "hanging out" I mean I am going to the An Evening with Jim Jarmusch event tonight. Should be fun. Here's info. on the event from the Museum of the Moving Image website (it's sold out, but, you know, some people might not show up & there maybe some space so if you live in NYC & love Jarmusch movies, might want to show up & see if there are any "no-shows"/available seating):
"SPECIAL EVENT An Evening with Jim Jarmusch Thursday, April 23, 8:00 p.m. At the Cantor Film Center, NYU 36 East 8th Street (between University Place and Broadway)
Jim Jarmusch, whose brilliant and laconic style has made him one of America's most distinctive filmmakers since his debut with Stranger than Paradise in 1984, will participate in a conversation with clips moderated by Chief Curator David Schwartz. In addition to an exclusive look at scenes from his remarkable new film The Limits of Control, which was photographed by Christopher Doyle and has an ensemble cast including Isaach de Bankolé, Paz de la Huerta, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Bill Murray, the evening will include scenes from Stranger than Paradise, Mystery Train, Night on Earth, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and Coffee and Cigarettes.
Tickets are sold out. For more information call 718.784.4520."
A new interview with Amir Motlagh (his first feature Whale is now making its way across America in the form of screeners, soon to be at film festivals no doubt, see Whale trailer here) at BRAINTRUSTdv. Here's a taste of the interview:
" BRAINTRUSTdv You’ve said that L.A. doesn’t have a community of independent filmmakers like you’ve seen in New York. How does your isolation affect your working methods and the films themselves?
Amir Motlagh It’s hard to find the same isolation that was afforded before the web. Now everything is displayed in lightning speeds on the web, and everybody knows what everyone else is doing. The connectivity is good, but is also problematic because of the insular nature of independent film and the interwebs. That’s why we are developing schemas faster then ever, to categorize and reference things that are immediate. To develop, some distance needs to be in place between the community and the individual. That’s why I have been largely absent from the web and in fact enjoyed my residence in Los Angeles. It provides me a sense of solace from continual discussion and also from having to see what all my contemporaries are working on all the time. So in that way, I feel that my concepts are not tainted—a better word might be influenced—to the degree that maybe some New York filmmakers have to deal with. Again, the downside is also taxing. Without a community, who do you look to for career growth, support, education and inspiration? I am coming to the point of having to answer that question. The solace is beginning to bother me, and having been to New York recently for an extended stay, the feeling of community is strong. In Los Angeles, we are dealing with Hollywood, so that trains the soul to react to things under the larger umbrella of the BIZ. Also, it seems like networking these days involves lots of cocaine, which I am not that interested in. Again, I am older than I was yesterday."
Here's a brief intro to the cinematic festivities that await you in Baltimore, MD next month:
"Maryland Film Festival has announced its 2009 line-up, including Opening Night hosted by Bobcat Goldthwait and its Closing Night title, Kathryn Bigelow's Hurt Locker. The festival will take place Thursday, May 7 through Sunday, May 10 in beautiful downtown Baltimore, screening more than 40 new features and more than 80 new short films -- representing documentaries and narratives; live-action, experimental, and animated; domestic and foreign; underground, indie, and Hollywood.
Opening Night (Thursday, May 7, 2009), as is a Maryland Film Festival tradition, we will spotlight a variety of short films, including new work by Eric Dyer (screening a work-in-progress), Jay Zimmerman, Michael Langan, Andy Cahill, Julia Kim Smith, Marc Kess, and Jim Jacob. Bobcat Goldthwait will host the event, and included in this program will be his own short Goldthwait Home Movies.
The Closing Night (Sunday, May 10, 2009) film will be Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, winner of the 2008 Venice Film Festival SIGNIS Grand Prize, with Bigelow presenting. "This film represents moviemaking at its highest level," says MFF director Jed Dietz. "Kathryn Bigelow has an amazing track record, and she has brought all her skills as a filmmaker to bear on this intense and entertaining story."
In addition to new films from Barry Levinson (who will present his PoliWood alongside Matthew Modine), Joe Swanberg, Shane Meadows, Craig Baldwin, David Redmon and Ashley Sabin, Cory McAbee, Ry Russo-Young, David Russo, David Lowery, and Kris Swanberg, the eleventh Maryland Film Festival will also present Seventh Moon, the latest horror feature by Eduardo Sanchez (of The Blair Witch Project); So Yong Kim's Treeless Mountain; The Deagol Brothers' Make-Out With Violence; Christophe Honoré's Love Songs, chosen and presented by John Waters; and the rarely screened documentary Nina Simone: La légende, chosen and presented by guest-host, musician Ian MacKaye (of Minor Threat, Fugazi, The Evens, and Dischord Records fame).
The State of Film Criticism discussion on Saturday went by fast - it was an hour long but it felt like we barely got started on the topic. Moderator Noralil Ryan Fores did an excellent job I thought - working in both her own questions & questions from the audience re: several matters: recent changes in the world of film criticism, the increasing number of film blogs and how that relates to the world of print film criticism, how each of the panelists got started in writing about film, stories & events related to film criticism from decades past - as remembered by Molly Haskell & Michael Sragow, advice to new filmmakers re: getting reviews, plus discussions re: several other relevant items. Atlanta Film Festival videotaped the discussion, so, we may see it on the web at some point soon. Being a part of the panel was a great experience for me (my first panel!) & it was educational. Enjoyed meeting Haskell & Sragow, looking forward to discovering their work.
Special thanks to Amanda Haynes for taking the photos. Photos Copyright 2009 Sujewa Ekanayake/Wild Diner Films.
Check out a short video featuring Chris Holland (Film Festival Secrets) & Heidi Van Lier (The Indie Film Rule Book) talking about the selection process at film festivals - at ATLFF site.
Even though I am not a believer of any religion, I am all for taking great ideas from any area of human thought, perhaps re-branding them if need be, & then using them to try to solve current problems in the world/trying to make the world a better place to live. Because I think all knowledge - whether it is ultimately sold to humans as secular or divine - is a part of human intellectual work & heritage. So, basically, non-believers should feel free to take great ideas & practices from religions & use them & also believers should feel free to do the same with ideas & practices that are at the moment branded as primarily secular or agnostic or atheist ideas.
A week or so ago I was speaking with some Buddhists (Sri Lankan family members & their friends) about what I see, comparatively, as lack of activity on the part of Buddhists world wide in helping the poor. Certainly not as much as I see Christians doing. Since it's always tricky discussing/debating possible weaknesses or shortcomings of someone's religion, specially when the said discussion is happening among family members, I think we closed the discussion with a family member saying that Christians are able to help the poor because they are rich & most Buddhists are not & me saying that at first Christianity was not a religion of the rich/empires/colonizers/whatever (which is one major way the West is looked at by people from "non-western" countries such as Sri Lanka). Anyway, my point being, it is interesting that a religion focused on the other world also does a lot to help the poor in this world.
Fast forward to this morning, I was waking up, coming up with my grand plans to save the world - or at least refining those plans (also those morning plans may have included some not so noble plans including watching Vicky Cristina Barcelona :). Anyway, my girlfriend Amanda asked me what I was up to, and I told her about my plans to try to re-brand humanism (already done, I am calling my version Positive Human or Positive Humanism, more info. on PH soon) so that it may be useful & accessible & exciting to more people world wide & that discussion lead to me finding out about Christian Humanism (thanks for the info. Ms. Amanda).
Not sure how I missed this in history class, but I did. Anyway, there was a point in the development of Christianity where the focus shifted from the next world to this world or helping people in this world on top of focusing on the next world - the history of Christian Humanism may have the exact dates & may provide the detailed story of how a religion focused on a savior from another dimension & life in heaven/not on Earth also became a religion that does a lot to help the poor in this world (even if it is as a recruitment device in some cases).
"Christian humanism may have begun as early as the 2nd century, with the writings of Justin Martyr. While far from radical, Justin suggested a value in the achievements of Classical culture in his Apology[2] Influential letters by Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa confirmed the commitment to using pre-Christian knowledge, particularly as it touched the material world and not metaphysical beliefs. Already the formal aspects of Greek philosophy, namely syllogistic reasoning, arose in both the Byzantine Empire and Western European circles in the eleventh century to inform the process of theology. However, the Byzantine hierarchy during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) convicted several thinkers of applying "human" logic to "divine" matters. Peter Abelard's work encountered similar ecclesiastical resistance in the West in the same period. Petrarch (1304-1374) is also considered a father of humanism. The traditional teaching that humans are made in the image of God, or in Latin the Imago Dei, also supports individual worth and personal dignity."
And, from the In The Renaissance section:
"Christian humanism saw an explosion in the Renaissance, emanating from an increased faith in the capabilities of Man, married with a still-firm devotion to Christianity. Plain Humanism might value earthly existence as something worthy in itself, whereas Christian humanism would value such existence, so long as it were combined with the Christian faith. One of the first texts regarding Christian humanism was Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's Oration on the Dignity of Man, in which he stressed that Men had the free will to travel up and down a moral scale, with God and angels being at the top, and Satan being at the bottom. The country of Pico's nativity, Italy, leaned heavily toward Civic humanism, while the firmer Christian principles took effect in places other than Italy, during what is now called the Northern Renaissance. Italian universities and academia stressed Classical mythology and writings as a source of knowledge, whereas universities in the Holy Roman Empire and France based their teachings on the Church Fathers."
On my way back from the Atlanta Film Festival at the moment - had a great time at the ATLFF on Saturday, The State of Film Criticism Coffeehouse Conversation went really well (the hour flew by, event was well attended, great audience & panel & moderator) - learned some things, met some great people - ATLFF taped the discussion so we may see it up on the web at some point. Photos & more notes, & links, from my visit to Atlanta later today.
Saw Moon at ATLFF, really good movie - links, clips, & notes soon.
Also met up with We Fun team & Buster team - more on those films soon.
Special thanks to Noralil for being an awesome host & Team ATLFF for creating a great film festival.
"Paul Gilroy’s Postcolonial Melancholia is a deeply engaging exploration of this question. The book, Gilroy’s most recent assault on both racism and the concept of race, examines Britain’s urban centers to extend the cosmopolitan anti-race project he began in his influential books, There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack and Against Race. Here, Gilroy applies the Freudian concept of melancholia, as it was adapted by German social psychologists to explain Germany’s postwar reactions to its “loss of a fantasy of omnipotence.” He argues that, while Britain attempts to deny the contemporary effects of its imperialist past, it has effectively reaffirmed the colonial order, with its racial divisions, through the post-9/11 “politics of security.” At the same time, this reaffirmation neglects the spontaneous and vibrant multiculturalism that has emerged in British cities and that might, Gilroy argues, provide a “bulwark against the machinations of racial politics.”"
And, several paragraphs later:
"Convivial multiculturalism would be promising if Gilroy’s aim were to supplement strategies grounded in black collective struggle rather than supplant them. But despite his defense of claims for reparations, Gilroy discounts black solidarity as a morally viable path to antiracist democracy. In particular, Postcolonial Melancholia caricatures black nationalism as totally derivative of European nationalist thinking and inextricably connected to colonialism. To Gilroy, nationalist ideology is the corner into which Africans were hemmed by the “distinctive geometry of colonial power,” in which Europeans divided the earth along racial lines and gave each racial or ethnic group “its own space where it is at home and can identify itself.” Beginning with the anticolonial theorists, Gilroy argues, black nationalists have been complicit with their rulers by “translat[ing] the terms of their national liberation back into the very same moral economy . . . [of] Europe’s colonial order.” Relying on Frantz Fanon, he suggests that an “inverted but essentially similar adaptation of the settlers’ racialized mentality” among “the resentful and angry natives” continues to do damage even after colonialism’s demise. Having precisely the same roots in the colonial racist order, Gilroy concludes, black nationalism and white supremacy must be ranked equally, along with a “variety of depressing options in the unwholesome cornucopia of absolutist thinking about ‘race’ and ethnicity,” by the superior ethics of planetary humanism that recognizes “the universality of our elemental vulnerability to the wrongs we visit upon each other.” (It is not clear why the Enlightenment concept of humanism is capable of redemption from its colonial European pedigree whereas nationalism is not.)"
We Fun is an insider's look at a small group of bands that have come to international prominence in the last year. Atlanta area bands like the Black Lips, Mastodon and Deerhunter that started playing at house parties and offbeat local venues are now playing festivals around the world. It is the story of the Peter Pan syndrome reaching critical mass and the creativity that follows. It is also a portrait of how a scene develops, in this case the Atlanta indie rock scene. It starts as simply with talented musicians who just want to play their music with no compromises, followed by venues that make themselves accessible to new and rising acts, and fans who take ownership and pride in helping to nurture a burgeoning community. Eventually, the rest of the world notices. There is fire, fireworks and still more fire, odd stories from the road, the how and why of performance, and all variety of what these artists call "fun."
The videos are specifically about serving in the Israeli military vs. conscientious objectors - but outside of that limited context the videos are dealing with an important universal human issue - the obligation to the nation vs. obligation to the individual's sense of right & wrong (or just not wanting to kill other humans & or get killed). I think both videos make their point well/each is a great propaganda tool/device for their respective perspectives - check them out at this Sepia Mutiny post.
(ultimately, i think, it is nearly impossible to have a country w/ out having a good military or just a military period, so hopefully enough talented & driven people will find their sense of right & wrong to be compatible with military service so that nations can exist - at least until we all collectively decide to give up war in like ten thousand years or so :) - that's what i think about this issue at the moment)
Interview with director Steven Soderbergh re: his new movie The Girlfriend Experience - at Village Voice (from 3/17/09, by Aaron Hillis - in case you've read that one already).
And of course, soon to be gracing the top of every film site in the western world (i got the embed codes from Filmmaker Mag's post - thanks FMB), the trailer for TGE:
(note: prostitution = wrong/unhealthy, destructive (generally) - don't do it kids, arty movies about prostitution = could be good)
Go here to Atlanta Film Festival's website to watch Indie Film Blogger Road Trip (the whole 99 min. film, not just the 20 min. segment that was made available through Blip.TV & Vimeo a couple of nights ago). You'll have to register with B-Side (fast & easy) in order to watch the movie.
"In the feature length documentary Indie Film Blogger Road Trip independent filmmaker & blogger Sujewa Ekanayake (Date Number One, DIY Filmmaker Sujewa blog) travels to several U.S. East Coast cities in the Summer of 2008 and discusses the thriving world of indie film journalism on the web, related Internet writings & other matters relevant to the indie film community with over a dozen bloggers who write about indie film and or media professionals who rely on indie film blogs to accomplish their daily work. Subjects discussed in the film include: professional development and breakthroughs as film journalists, the intersection of race and indie filmmaking, the role blogs play in keeping indie film fans & writers who do not live in major cities connected to the scene, several takes on the amount of participation by women in both the indie filmmaking world & indie film blogging world, debates regarding the value of blogs when compared to traditional/print media reviews and articles, the effect of digital production on minority filmmaking, several view points on whether the indie film blog world is an actual community in a traditional sense, motivations for blogging about indie films, benefits of blogging about indie films, difficulties involved in being an independent blogger or journalist, questions and many answers regarding whether blogs are ultimately a positive thing or a negative thing for the indie film world, promotional & distribution strategies adopted by makers of independent horror movies, the role blogs play in supporting work done by media production organizations, screening events, film festivals, and museums, what the near future may hold for both indie filmmakers and indie film bloggers.
And if you are in Atlanta this Saturday 4/18, there's more re: IFBRT - from the Atlanta Film Festival:
"Join the Conversation: After watching IFBRT Join us Saturday, April 18, 4:00 PM for The State of Film Criticism: A discussion with Baltimore Sun movie critic Michael Sragow, film scholar Molly Haskell, and blogger and IFBRT director Sujewa Ekanayake.
Participants include: Noralil Ryan Fores, editor, ShortEnd Magazine Michael Sragow, writer Molly Haskell, writer Sujewa Ekanayake, Indie Film Blogger Road Trip Gil Robertson, writer
"The Opening Night Gala is presented by Turner, and sponsored by Film Finish and Macquarium. VIP Reception hosted by Amnesty International
Based on Howard Zinn’s groundbreaking, best selling books A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States chronicled the rich history of dissent in our country, presenting the story of America through the eyes of those rarely heard in mainstream histories. Prior to a speaking engagement at the University of Georgia in 1998, Howard Zinn explained that he had set a goal of starting a "quiet revolution" when writing A People’s History: "Not a revolution in the classical sense of a seizure of power, but rather from people beginning to take power from within the institutions. In the workplace, the workers would take power to control the conditions of their lives.” A People's History, a stubbornly dissident work, has become a major success: it’s sold over a million copies; been adopted into the curriculum of some high schools and colleges; and received the Prix des Amis du Monde Diplomatique.
Told in a series of live readings and reenactments featuring performances by Hollywood A-listers Josh Brolin, Marisa Tomei, Danny Glover, Jasmine Guy, Viggo Mortensen, Kerry Washington, Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Sandra Oh, Sean Penn, Rosario Dawson, Don Cheadle, and musical performances by Bob Dylan, John Legend, Eddie Vedder, Chris and Rich Robinson, and Bruce Springsteen, this unique film pumps up the volume of Zinn’s “quiet revolution.”
In Attendance For Opening Night Gala*:
Josh Brolin
Eddie Vedder
Michael Ealy
Jasmine Guy
Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes)
Chris Moore
Howard Zinn
Pre-Screening: VIP Reception Hosted by Amnesty International (Must have Premium ticket to attend)
Post-Screening: Opening Night Gala Party at The Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University
In this segment of Indie Film Blogger Road Trip we are introduced to film journalist Anthony Kaufman - he talks about a career breakthrough moment. Following the opening titles, filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake introduces the project, explains why a documentary about indie film bloggers was made. The first bloggers that we visit in our road trip are Brooklyn, New York based Tambay Obenson (The Obenson Report) & Brandon Harris (Cinema Echo Chamber). Some of the subjects discussed in that first visit to Brooklyn include: networking & Black film blogs, one African-American indie filmmaker's reaction to the first major wave of publicity regarding the Mumblecore "film movement", digital filmmaking & its effect on minority filmmaking, the film "I'm Through With White Girls" & marketing challenges faced by some movies by African-American directors, and the overall nature of the film blogger community - the question of whether it is an actual community in a traditional sense is asked. Segment ends on the road in North Carolina, where the next segment takes place.
Any film that uses a man in a bear costume could be a sign post to cinematic genius, in my opinion, so, here's Episode 1 of a show called Jordan & Bear:
Except maybe for 1 or 2 ATLFF related posts, taking a break for a few days while I finish up various things so that I can head to Atlanta & enjoy the mighty Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) next week. So, see ya, for the most part, next Thu 4/16 - when I will be live from The ATL for the fests' kick-off.
Museum of the Moving Image is presenting An Evening With Jim Jarmusch - go here & scroll down a bit for the info. From the AMMI site:
"An Evening with Jim Jarmusch Thursday, April 23, 8:00 p.m.
At the School of Visual Arts Theater 330 West 23rd Street, Manhattan Jim Jarmusch, whose brilliant and laconic style has made him one of America's most distinctive filmmakers since his debut with Stranger than Paradise in 1984, will participate in a conversation with clips moderated by Chief Curator David Schwartz. In addition to an exclusive look at scenes from his remarkable new film The Limits of Control, which was photographed by Christopher Doyle and has an ensemble cast including Isaach de Bankolé, Paz de la Huerta, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Bill Murray, the evening will include scenes from Stranger than Paradise, Mystery Train, Night on Earth, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Warrior Samurai, and Coffee and Cigarettes.
Tickets: $18 public/$15 IFP Members/$12 Museum members/Free for Sponsor-level and above. Order tickets online or by calling 718.784.4520."
Something that I've been wanting to do for a while is joining Independent Feature Project (IFP) - an organization that I first heard about in 1991 - the year I decided to become a filmmaker. Now that I am a member, looking forward to getting to know IFP better & participating in that community of filmmakers. From IFP's About page:
"What IFP does IFP knows where independent film is coming from, helped it get to where it is today, and has the experience and programs to advance its future.
IFP fosters the development of 200 feature and documentary films a year through Independent Film Week™, the Independent Filmmaker Labs™ and other activities.
IFP offers education in the art, technology and business of independent filmmaking through workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorships and Filmmaker Magazine™, the premier publication in the field.
IFP builds the audience for independent films by showcasing them in collaboration with other cultural institutions and celebrating them with the Gotham Awards™, the first honors of the film awards season.
IFP champions the work and advocates the interests of a network of 10,000 members in New York City and throughout the world.
In addition, IFP conducts special programs to promote racial, ethnic, religious, ideological, gender and sexual diversity. This, after all, is what independent film is all about: expanding people's points of view by exposing them to different ones."
" Evan Vincent: Please tell us more about yourself, your background, education and what you do.
Amir Motlagh: I am a filmmaker, more specifically, a film director. Initially, I started as an actor, spent a few years getting professional training (Stella Adler, Meisner, Strasburg etc.), then one day, came up with an idea for a film, got a few people together to help, hustled my way into some equipment, and made my first film, Dino Adino in 2001. That was the start of a long love affair with media creation. At that point, I also had a BA in Psychology from UCLA. In some strange misguided way, I thought that this would help me be a better actor. After another five films, some success, some failure, I went back to school to get an MFA, specifically in directing, at Chapman University, mostly to better understand the process of film directed, not just my way, but also in a way that’s been established through a hundred years. Education, any way you can get it, can only help motivated people grow as artists; that’s the bottom line. But of the same token, if I were to listen to everything that they feed you at film school, I would never make another film again. Thankfully, that didn’t happen to me. And, at this point, I have made ten films, which have played all over the world."
"...What new ideas are forthcoming from mainstream film criticism? In the Q & A Gerry, like the rest of us, couldn’t come up with many. On reflection, I wonder if the rise of academic film studies forced ideas to migrate to the specialized journals and the Routledge monograph. These ideas also had a different ambit—sometimes not particularly focused on cinema, or on aesthetics, or on creative problem-solving.
Of course ideas don’t move on their own. A more concrete way to put this is that bright, conceptually oriented young people who in an earlier era would have become journalistic critics became professors instead. The division of labor, it seems, was to aim Film Studies at an increasingly esoteric elite, and let film reviewers address the masses. It’s an unhappy state of affairs that we still confront: recondite interpretations in the university, snap evaluations in the newspapers. You can also argue that print reviewers, by becoming less idea-driven, paved the way for DIY criticism on the net."
The first movie - doc - about film journalism to play this year was my Indie Film Blogger Road Trip - which premiered in NYC in mid-February. IFBRT is focused primarily on indie film blogging - an activity practiced at close to the current level of hyper-productivity for probably only about 5 or so years thus far (perhaps over 5, less than 10 I think). The other movie about film journalism, featuring more established film journalists who have worked in various platforms (print & now web & print, also TV) for decades, Gerald Peary's For The Love of Movies, premiered at SXSW in March. Both movies are part of Atlanta Film Festival - happening in April (IFBRT will be available to view from the ATLFF site before 4/18 [will post when the film is up on the site] & I will be at the fest on 4/18 to participate in a discussion on film criticism, FTLOM will be screening at the fest on 4/18 - info here). Here's the trailer to For The Love of Movies & the opening 9 minutes from Indie Film Blogger Road Trip:
"Ballast is an example of what I call windshield realism, in which the camera stares out through a smudged car window (sometimes the wipers are going) as the barren landscape goes by — meant to convey the barrenness of the working-class characters’ lives. This should not be confused with stalled windshield realism, which defined the plight of Wendy in Wendy and Lucy; windshield transcendentalism, which Gus Van Sant employed in the endless overture to Gerry; or windshield blowhard egotism, which you’ll find in Vincent Gallo’s The Brown Bunny."
Just checked out the trailer & read about a feature called Buster - looks interesting, & it was shot on super 8 - something not usually done by indie feature filmmakers these days. Buster will be screening at the Atlanta Film Festival on 4/18 & 4/21.
"Buster is the story of a guy that anyone in his right mind would run away from, since Buster spends all his spare time provoking strangers into fights, then refusing to defend himself as they pummel him until they grow bored. The only one close to him is his brother Scott, who himself is trying to get his life together. Buster tries in vain to keep Scott next to him in his care free land of non-tax-paying-abusers, knowing he'll loose him sooner or later to Scott's much prettier and determined girlfriend Jesse. Buster can only beat her at fucking up and does so in a way that's very hard for Scott to ignore. Shot on Super 8, Buster is a film that is as scrappy as its protagonist. Whereas most independent film is moving towards sharper and crisper digital images, the use of an almost forgotten technology is refreshing and entirely appropriate for the story of a character whose mind and psyche is as scratched and grainy as the film it is shot on."
Since I am working with the Atlanta Film Festival (a large outside entity with greater access to marketing, publicity, etc.) to promote & grow the audience for Indie Film Blogger Road Trip I think my pure DIY days (completely self-reliant, using only resources immediately available to me for production & distribution) are over. But the general DIY approach - including having full creative control on projects (as much as possible in the collaborative medium that is film) & having ultimate ownership of my projects - will continue for all of my film projects - so at present my filmmaking & distribution practices are Post-DIY: heavily influenced by DIY practices but also working with outside entities as necessary. Since it is probably impossible at this point to change the diyfilmmaker blog address for this blog - my most used & read blog - I'll just keep things as they are for the URL but I changed the title of the blog from DIY Filmmaker Sujewa to Filmmaker Sujewa to reflect the current state of things where I am collaborating with outside organizations to promote my work.
*
Update on 4 x 2009 Project
Looks like I'll be able to complete the 4 x 2009 project (making & releasing 4 films in 2009) & may even be able to exceed that goal: Indie Film Blogger Road Trip & Date Number One are done & are being made available to interested audience members within the next 30 days (IFBRT through the web - from ATLFF & then Blip.TV & also on DVD, DNO on DVD), Brooklyn Fantastic is in production & I should be able to start submitting it to film festivals this Fall, and I've started work on the Breakfast In New York script - which I plan on shooting immediately after BF filming is completed & I plan on having BINY completed/being submitted to film festivals before the end of this year. There may also be DIY screenings for BF & BINY before the end of this year. On top of those 4 projects I've started filming material for my new doc The Sri Lankans In America - since we are only in early April at the moment I may be able to shoot & edit that doc this year, if not it will finish early-mid next year.
Occupy Wall Street film project links
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There's a collaborative film being made about the Occupy Wall Street
protests nation wide, get links to the project, & info on how you can help,
*here*: *...
Ninja in a bookstore
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A clip from one of the stories from my feature Date Number One (which will
one day soon hopefully will be available on DVD, etc.):
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New Project!
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So, while dealing with surviving day to day in NYC & other jazz, came up
with an idea for a fun movie with the help of a few folks at work/the day
job - an...
PODCAST: The Daily Buzz, Sundance Day 9
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Terence Nance, writer, director and star of *An Oversimplification of Her
Beauty*. Photo by Eugene Hernandez / FSLC.
The future of Sundance, the war on...
Observations on "White America" from all over
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"It's not an accident that the prank caller preys on a fast food joint, the province of minimum wage workers supervised by dues-paying lifers. Not only are e...
The “J. Edgar” Snub
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[image: J-Edgar.jpg]
When the left and the right agree on an issue, it’s often a sign of
trouble—they usually agree on the basis of different principles ...
Closing Bell: Another Flea Weekend
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The Brooklyn Flea returns this weekend to Skylight One Hanson with
clothing, antiques, food, jewelry, and more. (Here’s a list of all our
vendors.) Then...
Download a Feature Film for 5 Bucks!
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*Nick Bahash** produced and directed a feature film and is now making it
available for us for only 5 bucks.*
*Five Dates* was shot in one week on a $3,00...
12th San Diego Asian Film Festival Call For Entries
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Hello Filmmaker Friends, The San Diego Asian Film Foundation (SDAFF) is currently in it's call for entries period for the 12th San Diego Asian Film Festival,...
Making the time
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It’s been a long time since I visited my namesake on the world wide web.
Question – how do you make time to update yourself online when the real you
is run...
Shall we Kiss?
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There is a new film drawing comparisons to Woody Allen, so we thought to
draw attention to it. The name of the film is Shall We Kiss?
(HT: Tim S.)
Films in production: The Real Ben Stiller (working title, 2011, feature), Shaolin Slow Jams (2012, feature), Brooklyn Fantastic (2011, feature). Completed films: Indie Film Blogger Road Trip (2009, feature), Date Number One (2006 & 2008, feature), Capital Heartbreak & Sweetness: 17 DC Poets (2002, feature), Wild Diner (1999, feature), Fresh Coffee (1992, short).
Sujewa Ekanayake
