Looking back at 2019 Filmmaker Interviews
Tuesday, December 24, 2019 at 9:00PM
2019 gave me the chance to speak to a few filmmakers about their films, their process, what they think their art contributes to the world. These filmmakers came from all over the world, and the breadth of their experiences and the topics they tackled is astounding. As the year comes to an end and we look back at the moments that stood out, here are some of the most fascinating insights I heard.
Recently The Farewell was not allowed to compete in the main film categories at the Golden Globes, and accepted only as a “foreign” film when its story is quintessentially American. After all the United States is a country of immigrants. Some people’s insistance on calling The Farewell foreign when it's so American just indicates that they don't think anyone whose 1st language isn't English is American enough despite their contributions to this country. When I talked to Lulu Wang during the summer, I asked her if she thinks her film being not entirely in English might limit its appeal...
Yeah. And I really think it's unfortunate in this country, if people do limit themselves because they're missing out on so much of the world. I mean in America we think of ourselves as the number one country in the world or whatever. And yet sometimes I often think that we're the most sheltered, most puritanical, and that is really sad. We would benefit greatly as a nation if we were actually more global.
In Synonyms an Israeli transplant to France asks his French friend to give him back his story, which mirrors the question that is now constantly asked in the culture; Who owns the rights to tell which stories? Director Nadav Lapid’s answer moved me to tears while I was transcribing the interview.
I think that the moment that he asked for his stories back he’s saying something like, they might not be so interesting but they are mine. This is the moment where in a way his existential project fails. Because if he wanted to be reborn as a baby in France with no history, well babies don't have stories. And at that moment he's recognizing his stories as the demonstration of self, of his identity. It means of course, that you have a past and you have to stop being a tourist because tourists don't have stories. They don't have a self. They only consume the stories of the place they are visiting. This is the moment of crisis with Paris and with his friends because they can not fully integrate him as an equal. As a person who has his own stories, they can integrate him as someone who worships their stories or tells their stories with an exotic accent.
Director Waad Al-Kateab, of the Oscar tipped For Sama, told me of the misconception that many have about refugees. Their dream was never to leave their homes, they were forced to leave.
One of the most important messages is about the refugees and why these people become refugees. It's not about just how many refugees are around the world, but why they were forced out. Something Hamza mentioned the other day, when we were young - us and a lot of people like us in Syria - our dream wasn't to be refugees in the UK in 2019. We wanted to stay in our homes. We fought to stay and even when we left it wasn't by choice.
Kenyan Director Wanuri Kahiu told me about becoming an accidental activisit when her queer film was initially banned in its native Kenya.
I think I'm quite a reluctant activist in that sense because all I was trying to do is make a love story, make a film. Then as a result of that we had to fight for the film and that made me an activist. But my plan has always been to create work and my advocacy is through the work. I want to reach people through the art that I create.
And finally two directors - Christian Petzold and Karim Aïnouz - spoke of their love for melodrama and how Rainer Werner Fassbinder and in particular Douglas Sirk’s Imitation of Life inspired them.
I saw my first Fassbinder movie when I was 20 - The Merchant of Four Seasons - total masterpiece. There was tenderness, brutality, dancing, music. It was so interesting but I was irritated because I liked movies like Taxi Driver at that time. Then I read that he found his way through watching the movies of Douglas Sirk. So I started watching all the Sirk movies. I fell in love with melodramas. I love the choreography of the scenes, the music. I cried at Imitation of Life, one of my most favorite movies. There’s a scene where the black mother can’t go into the club to see her white daughter singing. She is told she can go by the side door. The whole movie is shot from the side to emphasize that. Lana Turner is a star but Sirk shoots her from the side because the main story is the black mother/daughter drama. This is emotionally intelligent. Cineastic. That’s why I love melodrama.
One of my biggest inspirations is Imitation of Life, which is one of my favorite films, and I think it's highly political film. Or Ali Fear Eats the Soul, which I think is a super political film about migration, but from a very unexpected angle. I was trying to think of melodrama as a possible political strategy to talk about things that are relevant in the world today.
Reader Comments (3)
Thank you Murtada, this is a lovely summary of your interviews. I'm particularly going to seek out the work of Petzold and Aïnouz because anyone who is influenced by Sirk and Fassbinder is someone to seek out.
Cate Blanchett has campaign for the movie For Sama. Blanchett hosted a special screening as well
Manuel - that's exactly the intel I want to know! Thanks for sharing.