Fifteen years is a long time in the film world, and I never

Transcription

Festival Director
Elliot Grove
Festival Producer
Jesse Vile
Senior Programmer
Suzanne Ballantyne
Programming
Damjan Bogdanovic
Jamie Greco
Elliot Grove
Andreja Kmetovic
James Merchant
Ronni Raygun
Jasper Sharp
Dominic Thackray
Jesse Vile
Editor
Yinka Graves
Designer
Dominic Thackray
Assistant Producer
James Merchant
Events Co-ordinator
Joe Pearshouse
Sponsorship
Simon Farley
at Sponsorship By Design
Print Traffic
Tessa Williams
Rory O’Donnell
Technical
Chris Thomas
Website
Heenesh Patel
Festival Assistants
Zach Boren
Jules Garnett
Raindance Training
Will Pearce
Public Relations
Nick Leese
at Organic Marketing
Official Photographers
Isma Arif
Andreas Tovan
Xavier Rashid
Volunteer Co-ordinator
Nour Wazzi
Additional Reviews
Issac Alexander
Smita Dey
Alan Diment
John Ribbins
Ramchandra Solanki
Alison Wrigley
Fifteen years is a long time in the film
world, and I never imagined that we
would have grown and developed so
much. I attribute this to two facts: that
Raindance has the most talented team
of hard-working individuals I know – all
passionate about film and filmmaking;
and, we have had the most wonderful
films submitted by exciting filmmakers
from the four corners of the globe.
This year sees a cornucopia of bold,
fresh independent international cinema,
the best lineup we have had in our 15
year history (and we have had some
vintage years). In addition we are graced
this year with the presence of Jonathan
Caouette, who is making a documentary
of our 15th anniversary for Canon.
New this year is Raindance Online
in association with Tiscali: festival films
and highlights streamed full screen
and hi-res on the internet. We are also
launching a new venue: The Rex, home to
advance screenings of award-nominated
films and special events.
Added to this mix are a few parties. You
can sleep when it’s over.
Elliot Grove
www.raindance.co.uk
Print
National Screen Services
Stones the Printers
Poster Collage
Gee Vaucher
Opinions expressed in this
magazine are the sole
province of the writer
concerned and therefore
do not necessarily reflect
those of Raindance
GESTALT [FORM FOLLOWS FUN]
VENUES, MAP & SCHEDULE 4 JURY PRIZES 7 THE JURY 8
JEAN-LUC GODARD 14 RYUICHI HIROKI 19 JOHN SINCLAIR 24
PENNY RIMBAUD 32 RONNI RAYGUN 40 NOLLYWOOD 45
MASAO ADACHI 46 SHORTS BEFORE FEATURES 49 SPECIAL EVENTS 51
GODARD RETROSPECTIVE 55 HOMEGROWN CINEMA 57
RAINDANCE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 61 UNITED STATES OF EUROPE 65
WAY OUT EAST 71 GLOBAL CELLULOID 75 NORTH AMERICAN INDIES 79
DOCUMENTARY 85 SHORTS PROGRAMMES 91 INDEX 96
OUR THANKS TO
Rachael Courtney, Clare McCollum and everyone at Cineworld,
Kim Mortimer, Alice Clary and everyone at Diesel, Rob Andrews,
Jon Salmon, Jodie Haskayne, Debbie Reynolds, Ross O’Sullivan
and everyone at Tiscali, Kattarina McGrath and everyone at Delta
Air Lines, Sally Reid and everyone at Ascent Media, Jaia Lloyd,
Erin McGookin, Emily Mortimer and everyone at Soho Images,
Jens Hack, Melanie Dubois, Sasha Naod and everyone at Canon,
Jules Stevenson, Claire Walton and everyone at GSP, Paul Logan,
Adam MacDonald, David Ramsammy and everyone at National
Screen Services, Robin Charney and everyone at Adobe, Agata
Kacperczyk and everyone at The Rex, Jessica Turner, Tanya Gerber
and everyone at Neil Reading PR, Angi Kuzma, Matthias Postal,
Carl Schoenfeld and everyone at SAE Institute, Simon Winter
and everyone at HMV, Jess Holliday and everyone at Fossil, Chris
Houghton, Everett True and everyone at Plan B Magazine, Adam
Barriball, Tinka Bose and everyone at Cobra, Kevin Karlsen, Jeremy
Johnson, Patrick Stewart and everyone at Getty Images, Nick
Franks, Julian Grace and everyone at Gibson, Anne Guidera and
everyone at Kodak, Luigi Mammolini, Vita Moltedo and all at the
Italian Cultural Institute, Candi Perez, Olvido Salazar Alonso and
everyone at Instituto Cervantes, Jeremy Barraud, Susan Meehan
and everyone at the Daiwa Foundation, Fionnuala Waters and
everyone at the Sasakawa Foundation, Joe Utichi and all at Rotten
Tomatoes, Petra Luckman and everyone at The Independent,
Clare Elliott and everyone at GP London, James Mullighan, Tamsin
Wright, Jess Search and everyone at Shooting People, Sian Walker,
David Tew and all at Stones the Printers, Mariayah Kaderbhai, Dora
Gorman and everyone at BAFTA, Claire Geddie and everyone at
Stellar Network, David Pope, Becky Bazzard and everyone at the
New Producers’ Alliance, Danny Miller and everyone at Little White
Lies, Georgina Wilson-Powell, Laura MacDonald, Charlie Phillips
and everyone at FourDocs, Davide Scalenghe and everyone at
Current TV, Mark Ross and everyone at the Diorama Arts Centre,
Andy Whittaker, Anna Oribe Godas and all at Dogwoof Pictures,
Zara Ballantyne-Grove, André Burgess and everyone at Crucible
Media, Angela Flintham and everyone at Team Global, Johanna
von Fischer, Tessa Collinson, Deena Manley, Issac Alexander,
Rebecca O’Brien, Ken Loach, Ann Cattrall, Benitha Vlok, Masha
Vasukova, Art Ryzkoff, Lindsay Henderson, Simon Hunter, Patrick
Tucker, Jonathan Caouette, Candida Richardson, Shizuka Hata,
Basil Khalil, John Tobin at EM Media, Zak Brilliant and everyone at
Icon Film International, Annette Jordan, Elisar Cabrera and all at
High Point Media, Edinburgh Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival,
Elia Rulli, Clive Bradley, Désirée Ballantyne-Grove, Julian Richards,
Kiyomi Nakazaki, Keiko Funato and all at Unijapan, Metrodome
Distribution, Martin Myers, Miracle Communications, Sam Nichols
at Momentum Pictures, William Clarke and Danny Perkins at
Optimum Releasing, Soda Pictures, Hamish McAlpine, Laura De
Casto, Phil Cairns and all at Tartan Films, Hubi and everyone at
Vertigo Films, Yume Pictures, Gareth Tennant and all at The Works,
Peter Furze, Richard Larcombe, Jane Lawson, Penny Woolcock,
Sandy Lieberson, Tessa Ross, Jemma Rodgers, Tim Bevan, Michael
Madsen, Mick Jones, Miranda Davis, Marky & Marion Ramone,
Michael Mongillo, Will Stevenson, Dean Goldberg, Annette Jordan,
Nick Leese, Junior Foster and everyone at Organic, Roger Burton
and Tai from the Horse Hospital, Simon Channing-Williams, Brian
Tufano, Jonathan Harvery, Edward King, Henry McGroggan,
Melinda Walker, our Patron Saint this year Gee Vaucher, Penny
Rimbaud, Alice Smith, Layke Anderson, Sam Béart, Oli Harbottle,
Alis Cox, Emma Luckie, Rachael Castell, Jesse Galle, Tim Beckett,
Ronni Raygun Thomas, Yumiko Tahata, Belle Thackray and all the
volunteers and interns who have helped us oh so much
PRINCIPAL SPONSOR
MAJOR SPONSORS
MAIN SPONSORS
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
CULTURAL PARTNERS
Raindance Patrons
Nick Broomfield, Jonathan Caouette, Henrik Danstrup, Mike Figgis,
Terry Gilliam, Ken Loach, Dave McKean, Martin Myers, Alan Parker,
Jonathan Pryce, Marky Ramone, Vanessa Redgrave, Mark Shivas
Raindance Film Festival
81 Berwick Street
London W1F 8TW
MEDIA PARTNERS
T +44 (0)20 7287 3833
F +44 (0)20 7439 2243
[email protected]
www.raindance.co.uk
FIFTEENTH RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
3
Learn
SPANISH
Spoken by 400 million
people worldwide
Easy to pick up
VENUES & MAP
CINEWORLD SHAFTESBURY AVENUE
13 Coventry Street, London W1
Box Office 0871 200 2000 / www.cineworld.co.uk
Tickets £9.20 / £6.50 [before 5pm] / £6.00 [concs]
CINEWORLD HAYMARKET
63-65 Haymarket, London SW1
Box Office via Raindance on 020 7287 3833
REX CINEMA + BAR
21 Rupert Street, London, W1
Box Office Films and events at The Rex are unavailable to purchase
individually. Access is exclusive to Raindance Rex pass holders. Book
passes via Raindance on 020 7287 3833
Concessions at Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue are available
with proof of entitlement to Raindance Rex pass holders, students,
disabled people and senior citizens. Please note that this programme
and prices are correct at the time of going to print. Unforeseen
circumstances may entail alterations. Details posted at box offices
and www.raindance.co.uk
102 Eaton Square
London SW1W 9AN
(Near Victoria Station)
0870 780 4579
Courses for everyone
- all times & levels
Online courses
Official Spanish
DELE diplomas
www.londres.cervantes.es
[email protected]
Free film screenings and
cultural events from Spain
and Latin America
Library with 30,000
books, films & CDs
The Instituto Cervantes is the official Spanish
Government language and culture centre
verticalad.indd
1
FIFTEENTH
RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
4
5/9/07 13:46:00
FOR ALL ABOUT RAINDANCE
FILM COURSES PLEASE VISIT
WWW.RAINDANCE.CO.UK
SCREENING SCHEDULE
CINEWORLD SHAFTESBURY AVE 4
CINEWORLD SHAFTESBURY AVE 7
REX CINEMA & BAR
CINEWORLD HAYMARKET 1
19:30 Weirdsville
TUES 25 SEPT
18:30 Children
20:45 Bog of Beasts
19:00 Manufacturing Dissent
21:15 The Amazing Lives of the Fast…
15:30 Quickie: Adobe Flash CS3
18:30 Special Guest Screening: Ken Loach
21:15 The GoodTimesKid [Advance]
THURS 27 SEPT
14:00 Bog of Beasts [Repeat]
16:30 Shorts: The Politics
18:30 Kodak Cinematography M’class
20:45 Drink Up!
14:30 The Amazing Lives of… [Repeat]
17:00 Flames in the Looking Glass
19:00 Day Watch
21:30 This Filthy World
15:30 Quickie: Adobe Photoshop
16:00 Manufacturing Dissent [Repeat]
18:00 Delta Reception [Private Party]
21:30 The Devil Dared Me To [Advance]
FRI 28 SEPT
14:00 Drink Up! [Repeat]
16:30 Shorts: Documentary 1
18:45 Valerie
21:00 Waz
14:30 Day Watch [Repeat]
17:00 The Cream
19:00 Being Michael Madsen
21:30 In Search of a Midnight Kiss
15:30 Quickie: Adobe After Effects CS3
16:30 Frank & Cindy [Advance]
20:00 Adobe Filmmaker’s Party
22:00 Viva [Exclusive]
SAT 29 SEPT
12:00 What The Snow Brings
14:15 Yokohama Mary
16:30 Canon HD M’class: A Dod Mantle
18:45 Congorama
21:00 The GoodTimesKid
12:30 Shorts: The Relatives
14:45 We Are Together
17:00 Shelter
19:15 Special Guest: Michael Madsen
21:30 The Devil Dared Me To
14:30 Adobe Masterclass: Audio Mastering
16:45 Up At Lou’s Fish [Advance]
19:00 La Antena [Advance]
21:15 Twenty To Life: John Sinclair [Excl]
SUN 30 SEPT
12:00 The Devil Dared Me To [Repeat]
14:15 The Man Who Would Be Queen
16:30 One Two Another
18:45 Parents
12:30 Shorts: The Urbanites
14:45 Off The Grid: Life on the Mesa
17:00 Shorts: The Thrillers
19:15 The Killing of John Lennon
14:30 Notre Musique & The Old Place
16:45 Adobe Masterclass: HD for Indie Film
19:00 The Book of Revelation [Advance]
19:30 Quickflicks
MON 1 OCT
14:00 One Two Another [Repeat]
16:30 HDFest: Shorts
18:30 HDFest: We Are the Strange
20:45 Tovarisch, I Am Not Dead
14:30 Killing of John Lennon [Repeat]
17:00 Up At Lou’s Fish
19:00 Turks In Space
21:15 Uncle’s Paradise
15:30 Quickie: Adobe Premiere Pro
16:30 Twenty To Life: John Sinclair [Repeat]
18:45 Exhibit A [Advance]
21:00 The Boss of It All [Advance]
TUES 2 OCT
14:00 Uncle’s Paradise [Repeat]
16:30 U & Me & Tennessee
18:30 Stellar Network Panel
20:45 Summer Scars
14:30 Turks In Space [Repeat]
17:00 Kenedi Is Getting Married
19:00 Bunny Chow
21:15 Under the Mosulin Bridge
15:30 Quickie: Adobe Audition for Sound
16:30 Crazy Love [Advance]
18:45 Current TV Panel
21:00 Ex Drummer [Advance]
WEDS 3 OCT
14:00 Summer Scars [Repeat]
16:30 Shorts: Documentary 2
18:30 M
20:45 South Coast
14:30 Bunny Chow [Repeat]
17:00 TBC
19:00 La Antena
21:15 The Book of Revelation
15:30 Quickie: Adobe Flash CS3
16:30 The Amazing Grace [Advance]
18:45 NPA Producers M’class: Tim Bevan
21:00 Special Guest Screening: Mick Jones
THURS 4 OCT
14:00 South Coast [Repeat]
16:30 Shorts: The Romantics
18:30 Exhibit A
20:45 Phantom Love
14:30 The Book of Revelation [Repeat]
17:00 Silver Jew
19:00 Straight8
21:15 Bakushi: The Incredible Lives…
15:30 Quickie: Adobe Photoshop CS3
16:30 It’s Only Talk [Advance]
18:45 FourDocs: Penny Woolcock
21:00 Super-8mm + Live Performance
FRI 5 OCT
14:00 Tesla and Katharine
16:30 Shorts: The Offbeats
18:45 The Boss of It All
21:00 Crazy Love
14:30 Exhibit A [Repeat]
17:00 Life In Loops
19:15 Once
21:30 Ex Drummer
15:30 Quickie: Adobe After Effects CS3
16:45 Viva [Repeat]
19:00 Day Zero [Advance]
19:30 Shooting People Pub Quiz
22:00 Blitzkrieg Bop [Exclusive]
SAT 6 OCT
12:00 Belle Epoque
14:15 Uranya
16:30 Red Like The Sky
18:45 Frank & Cindy
21:00 Prisoner/Terrorist
12:30 Shorts: The Animated
14:45 This Is Nollywood / Panel
17:00 The Amazing Grace
19:15 TBC
21:30 Day Zero
14:30 Éloge de L’Amour
16:45 Adobe M’class: Perfecting the Scene
19:00 SAE Masterclass
21:15 Mala Noche [Exclusive]
12:00 Prisoner/Terrorist [Repeat]
14:15 Dolina
16:30 The Inheritance
12:00 Shorts: The Surreal
14:00 It’s Only Talk
17:30 Oh Saigon! & Bolinao 52
14:30 Once [Repeat]
16:45 Adobe M’class: Getting It Out There
WEDS 26 SEPT
SUN 7 OCT
BAFTA
19:30 Live!Ammunition! & Party
CINEWORLD HAYMARKET 1
19:30 Paranoid Park
Please note that this schedule is correct at the time of going to print. Unforeseen circumstances
may entail cancellations and/or alterations. Details of changes will be posted at the box offices
and full festival listings are available from www.raindance.co.uk
5
FESTIVAL JURY PRIZES
To recognise the outstanding achievements of the filmmakers showcased at the 15th Raindance Film Festival, a
number of jury prizes are awarded. The winners will be announced before the screening of the closing night film
Paranoid Park (see page 82) at the Cineworld Haymarket on Sunday 7 October at 7:30pm.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters [Japan]
La Antena [Argentina]
The GoodTimesKid [USA]
In Search of a Midnight Kiss [USA]
Once [Ireland]
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Crazy Love [USA]
Frank & Cindy [USA]
Off The Grid: Life on the Mesa [USA]
Tovarisch, I Am Not Dead [UK]
Twenty to Life: Life and Times of John Sinclair [USA]
BEST UK FEATURE
Exhibit A
The Inheritance
The Killing of John Lennon
Summer Scars
Waz
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
The Demonology of Desire [USA]
Dragonflies [Poland]
Dunny [USA]
Quincy & Althea [USA]
Real Men [USA]
BEST DEBUT FEATURE
Bunny Chow [South Africa]
The Devil Dared Me To [New Zealand]
Drink Up! [Spain]
Ex Drummer [Belgium]
Valerie [Germany]
BEST UK SHORT sponsored by Delta Airlines
Cherries
The Girls
Over the Hill
The Truffle Hunter
Yours Truly
UK SHORT SPONSORED BY DELTA AIRLINES
Delta Air Lines supports the Best UK Short Film Award with a prize of two return tickets to anywhere in the USA.
It was designed to give UK filmmakers the opportunity to attend screenings of their film at US festivals. Last
year’s winner, Osbert Parker, made it to Aspen Shorts Fest where he was awarded the best animation prize.
TISCALI SHORT FILM AWARD
The nominations for the Tiscali Short Film Award for the best UK short under ten minutes by a debut filmmaker
is: Amelia and Michael, Badmouth, Blood on His Hands, The Collectors and Isabel. The winner will be presented
with a cheque for £1000. Viewers can watch each of the entries and vote for their favourite at www.tiscali.co.uk/
entertainment/film/shortfilms/raindance.html
From top to bottom
The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters,
La Antena, The GoodTimesKid, In Search of
a Midnight Kiss, Once
SAE DIGITAL SHORT FILM AWARD
Films shortlisted for the SAE Digital Short Film Award must have been entirely shot and edited using only digital
means of production and must demonstrate a unique approach to filmmaking using new digital technology. The
nominations this year are: Badmouth [UK], The End [Portugal], Forna [UK], The Stronger [UK] and Beauty is the
Promise of Happiness [UK]
CANON BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD
This year sees the introduction of a brand new award that focuses on the work of the cinematographer. The winner of the Canon Best Cinematography Award takes home a brand new Canon XH A1 HD camera. The award will
be chosen by a panel of established cinematographers. The nominations this year are: Dunny [USA], Dragonflies
[Poland], Pop Foul [USA], The Stronger [UK] and The Truffle Hunter [UK].
ADOBE ANIMATION AWARD
2007 marks the creation of the Adobe Animation Award for best animated short film. The winning film will be
chosen for its originality and technical proficiency by the Raindance jury and an Adobe animation specialist. The
nominations this year are: Animal Book [UK], Glitch [Canada], Pushkin [UK], Whale [UK] and Yours Truly [UK].
DIESEL FILM OF THE FESTIVAL
For the fourth year running we are very excited to announce the Diesel Film of the Festival prize. The winners of
last year’s award, Kasimir Burgess and Edwin McGill (Australia), were selected for their unique and original style
of filmmaking as well as demonstrating a strong passion for their art. Diesel supported their win by funding their
project to produce the 15th Raindance Film Festival trailer, which can be seen at www.raindance.co.uk
7
THE FESTIVAL JURY
Andrea Arnold was the recipient of the 2005 Oscar™ for Best Short Film for Wasp. Her feature debut, 2006’s
Red Road, was the only first feature to be nominated for the Palm d’Or at Cannes and picked up the Cannes
Jury Prize, five Scottish BAFTAs, two BIFAs, The Sutherland Trophy, Best British Newcomer at The London Film
Critics Awards and The Carl Foreman Award at the UK BAFTAs.
Oli Harbottle produced the Raindance Film Festival for three years from 2003 to 2005. He is now the film
release coordinator at Dogwoof Pictures, one of the leading distributors of independent film in the UK.
Jonathan Harvey is an established cinematographer who is also a head lecturer at the National Film and
Television School.
Mick Jones is a musician and music producer. He was the lead guitarist in The Clash and was inducted into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. He formed Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts in the mid-80s, and also
produced both albums by The Libertines. His current project is Carbon/Silicon, a band with Tony James.
Edward King is the content producer of the MySpace Film Channel and MyMovie MashUp: the world’s first
user-generated feature film.
Sandy Lieberson was the president of major studios 20th Century Fox from 1979–1980 and MGM International
from 1989–1993. He is also a renowned film producer whose credits include Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell’s
Performance and Terry Gilliam’s Jabberwocky.
Iggy Pop’s career has spanned over thirty years. Films he has appeared in include Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee &
Cigarettes (Raindance 2004) and John Waters’ Cry-Baby. He is currently on tour with the reformed Stooges.
Anthony Quinn has been film critic of The Independent since 1998. Before that he was film critic of The Mail on
Sunday and arts editor of Harpers & Queen. He also writes for The Daily Telegraph and The New York Times.
Jemma Rodgers is the founder of Junction films and a BAFTA award-winning producer. She has developed
several scripts under the Junction Films label across both comedy and drama. These include the first ever produced original screenplay by Irvine Welsh and his screenwriting partner Dean Cavanagh, Wedding Belles.
Tessa Ross has been the head of drama for Channel 4 since 2000 and the head of Film4 from 2002, and in 2004
become controller of film and drama. Projects she has commissioned include This is England, The Last King of
Scotland, The Motorcycle Diaries, The Road to Guantanamo and Shameless.
Davide Scalenghe started his career at CNN International. After a stint at Time Out, he moved to NYC and
worked at MTV International. He quickly became the point-person in London for all US productions, working on
shows such as The Osbournes, VH1 Bands Reunited and All Things Rock. He left MTV to produce the award-winning hit show of 2003, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (UK and US), and supervised the international productions.
He now manages the VC2 (viewer created content) Outreach department at Current TV.
Brian Tufano is one of the UK’s leading cinematographers. His work has included such significant films as
Quadrophenia, Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and East Is East. More recent projects have included the teen drama
Kidulthood and Amy Heckerling’s forthcoming I Could Never Be Your Woman. He is currently filming an adaptation of David Hare’s play My Zinc Bed, starring Uma Thurman and Paddy Considine.
Joe Utichi is the editor of Rotten Tomatoes UK, the influential reviews website for films and video games.
Penny Woolcock is a writer/director. Her films include the recent Exodus, Mischief Night, The Principles of Lust
and The Death of Klinghoffer. She has also made documentaries for television including The Wet House and
Shakespeare on the Estate. She’s currently developing a musical about gangs in Birmingham.
8
Creative Clarity
Canon is proud to support independent
moviemaking at the 15th Raindance
Film Festival.
Raindance celebrates the spirit of cutting-edge
film and so does Canon. Our camcorders are
the tools that help moviemakers bring their
ideas to life.
Call it Creative Clarity.
CANON AT RAINDANCE
Canon’s activities at Raindance include
sponsorship of a new award that
recognises Best Cinematography
in a short film. Judged by a panel of
leading DoPs, the most exciting new
cinematographer will receive a Canon
XH A1 – the indie moviemaker’s
camcorder of choice.
Canon is also hosting a special HD
Masterclass and we’re delighted to
welcome Anthony Dod Mantle, one of
Europe’s most respected DoPs, as host
for the session. An HD pioneer, Anthony
was one of the first people in Europe to
shoot on the XL H1.
Anthony is joined by Stefan Ciupek,
a leading HD guru. Close collaborators
on a number of projects, many of which
were shot on Canon HD, Anthony and
Stefan are our dream team: and if you
want the lowdown on HD production,
the Canon HD Masterclass is not to
be missed.
Make sure you also visit Canon’s
HD Touch & Try stands, located
in London’s Trocadero Centre over
six days during 27-29 September and
4-6 October. Canon experts will be on
hand to demonstrate the ins and outs
of our HD range.
Anthony Dod Mantle
Stefan Ciupek
Canon wishes you a great festival.
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model shown FS4244 • info line 08702 246 633 www.fossil.co.uk
DELTA AIRLINES & RAINDANCE
DELTA SPONSORS THE RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING
Last year Delta supported the Best UK Short Film Award which sponsored the winning filmmaker with two return
trips to any US mainland destination. The award was designed by Delta and Raindance to give the winning filmmaker an opportunity to travel to film festivals in the US, in order to showcase their film.
Last year’s winner, Osbert Parker, who won the award for his mixed-animation Film Noir, travelled on Delta to
Aspen Shortsfest where he collected the Best Animation award for his new short film Yours Truly which is one
of the five films competing for this year’s Best UK Short.
Delta also supported the Raindance Director in Residence event with Chinese director Zhang Yuan who presented his latest award winning film Little Red Flowers, a story of a young boy revolting against his teachers and
the adult-enforced conformity around him. After the screeing, Zhang Yuan took questions from an audience of
aspiring filmmakers.
In sponsorship with Delta, the 2007 Raindance Director in Residence features Japanese independent icon filmmaker Ryuichi Hiroki who will have three films screening during the festival.
Osbert Parker collects his trophy for Film Noir,
having won the Best UK Short, sponsored by
Delta Airlines, at Raindance 2006
This year Delta Airlines are pleased to announce its US filmmaker’s showcase which allows three selected US
filmmakers the opportunity to attend their screenings in London. The filmmakers featured are Michael Mongillo
(Being Michael Madsen), Azazel Jacobs (The GoodTimesKid) and Alex Holdridge (In Search Of A Midnight Kiss)
and were selected by Delta for their originality and their demonstration of a strong independent spirit.
DELTA AT A GLANCE
Did you know that Delta is the number one US carrier across the Atlantic, flying to the US from more European
cities than any other US carrier. Delta serves the most domestic US destinations of any airline and is the only airline to serve all 50 states. Delta offers up to 8 flights a day from the UK to Atlanta, New York JFK and Cincinnati
with quick, hassle-free onward connections to over 230 cities in the USA and beyond.
Delta Airlines operates service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection
flights to 328 destinations in 56 countries. Since 2005, Delta has added more international capacity than all
other major US airlines combined and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 transatlantic markets. To
Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 600 weekly flights to nearly 60 destinations. Delta is a
founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 481
worldwide destinations in 105 countries.
13
– THE ACE OF SHADES –
JAMES MERCHANT FINDS MUCH OF
THE SPIRIT OF RAINDANCE IN THE
WORK OF JEAN-LUC GODARD
O
F EVERYTHING THAT HAS ever been said or written
about Jean-Luc Godard, you can be sure that nobody
has labelled him as merely ‘alright’. Certainly, to many
of today’s filmgoers, his works may appear to be cold,
distant, even self-indulgent. His unconventional, highly
intellectualised works may not appeal to some. And of
course writers, cinematographers, amongst other vital crewmembers may
curse the day he championed the word auteur. But to many filmmakers
and fans alike, Godard will always be among the most significant post-war
directors and one of the key cultural influences of the twentieth century.
Coming to the production side of cinema via criticism, along with his
Nouvelle Vague contemporaries Rivette, Truffaut and Rohmer, Godard
14
approached his craft with a wealth of knowledge before him, something
he regarded with great importance. In an early essay he makes a significant point on how Orson Welles was one of the first directors to have
been born after the popularisation of film, and hence had to ‘study-up’ on
what had been done before, unlike other key visionaries such as Lang
and Eisenstein (who experienced the medium from its infancy through to
the emergence of synch sound). Throughout his days as a journalist, it
is reported that he watched around 1000 films a year (even more than
a Raindance programmer). When the frustrated and helpless Jean-Paul
Belmondo turns to a framed photograph of Humphrey Bogart for solace in
À Bout de Souffle (1960), the image points to Godard’s own acknowledgement of the golden age of Hollywood and all that preceded it.
Anna Karina and Jean-Luc Godard on the set of Alphaville (1965), courtesy of Optimum Releasing
If Godard had forty years of filmmaking to contend with, today’s indie
filmmakers have it even harder. But that makes the emergence of original
and interesting ideas even more exciting. Every year we consider more
than 800 feature films and 1500 shorts for the festival, of which around
seventy to hundred of each will make the final line-up. Every film we view
has its merits, yet there are those who triumph against the odds of limited budgets. Films are endlessly discussed, debated and more often than
not argued about. However when the final schedule is unveiled there will
always be the constant presence of innovation, originality and boldness of
vision, factors that sum up the films of Godard.
Scour any internet message board devoted to the man and there will
always be a post from an avid, usually young, possibly a bit pretentious
cinephile who desperately seeks advice as to which Godard film s/he
should start with. Please note I make no judgement, for I was there myself
not so long ago. I likened the director’s canon to the discographies of Bob
Dylan or Leonard Cohen, they appeared so impenetrable due to the abundance of entries and yet demanded exploration.
Settling on 1965’s Alphaville, a film located within his narrative-based
period, I found myself challenged, astounded and rewarded. Where else
could you find a genre-bending dystopian view of Paris without the use
of sets, or such bizarrely original ideas as the death penalty issued via
automatic rifles in a swimming pool amongst synchronised swimmers?
Even more noteworthy to me was its defiant attitude towards any notions
of what I thought cinema was or should be. Shots were edited in an
15
Stills from Notre Musique (2004), courtesy of Optimum Releasing
unconventionally jagged way, the dialogue drifted in and out of existential
contemplations, and the climax featuring the inversion of the film to display
a negative effect, left me simultaneously confused and stunned.
As my explorations progressed I was continually taunted and re-educated by this defiant attitude that permeates his work. In the publication
Godard on Godard he freely admits that he is essentially an essayist
whose preferred medium is film due to the aesthetic possibilities offered.
What better way to imply ones frustration at the state of the French bourgeoisie, than by tracking a near apocalyptic traffic jam for a full twelve
minutes without a single edit, as in Week-End (1967)? Even in Le Mépris
(1963), arguably the closest to mainstream cinema he ever ventured, the
colourful palette and stunning mise-en-scène are intertwined with the
metaphorical subtext of producer Prokosch (Jack Palance) and director
Fritz Lang’s fight over artistic integrity versus marketable value, reflecting
Godard’s own thoughts and concerns in relation to the inner workings of
the film industry.
Since joining Raindance I have found this defiant attitude to be at the
core of the company’s ethos. In a prominent sense we have been noted
for proudly screening provocatively controversial features, such as this
year’s brutal yet technically stunning Ex Drummer, or films entitled Fuck
the Disabled (Raindance 2003) and Wristcutters: A Love Story (Raindance
2006). More importantly however,
the festival has always sought to
challenge perceptions of cinema,
looking to discover filmmakers
who use any means necessary to
materialise original ideas. Films
shot on mini-DV are judged as
fairly as those shot on 35mm. During a scene from 2004’s Notre Musique,
Godard himself is asked ‘Can the new little digital cameras save cinema?’
The director remains silent, seemingly inviting the audience to contemplate
the potential of new cinematic technology and its impact on the film form.
Raindance proudly gives filmmakers the opportunity to demonstrate their
talent, regardless of their chosen format.
Aside from the confrontational content, Godard’s work is also laden
with imaginative scenes, sharp dialogue and interesting characters. Une
Femme Est Une Femme (1964) shows the director mixing elements from
Hollywood musicals with his wry sense of humour to create a stunning piece
of thought-provoking, feel-good cinema. It can also be noted for its referential nod to Jules et Jim (1962), where Jeanne Moreau’s character from
Truffaut’s film appears briefly, decades before Tarantino established a connection between the Vega brothers from Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.
Shades of the film are also prominent in this year’s The GoodTimesKid,
where elements from all aspects of film history are met with post-punk
attitudes, in a tale of stolen identities and human chemistry.
As the title-card reads at Week-End’s bizarre yet worryingly satisfying
climax, ‘End of Cinema’ seemed to signify the end of the director’s interest
in narrative cinema. Moving instead to deeply political works that resemble
dream-like snippets of thought, the films retain many of the mesmerising
qualities that characterised his earlier career. A fine example of the beginning of this period is 1968’s Sympathy For the Devil, part Rolling Stones
documentary, part political essay. In a year that is defined for its political
significance and output of great music, the film demonstrates Godard’s
melding of pop and high culture within his own experimental framework,
blurring the lines between documentary and fiction. In the post-Blair Witch
world of independent cinema where the importance of fact against fiction
is considerably debated, his works take on a new light of influence.
Godard is one of the few remaining great directors of his generation, a
group that has sadly decreased this year with the passing of Bergman and
Antonioni. Yet unlike many filmmakers who came to prominence
following the New Hollywood period such as Coppola, Spielberg or
Lucas, Godard the man remains
something of an enigma. When
Raindance selected Jean Luc
Godard as their second retrospective director (following the success of
last year’s Kubrick events), we contacted his manager, barely expecting
a response. However a few weeks later we received a fax of our original
email, complete with hand-written text that requested three specific films,
signed Jean Luc Godard. Who were we to argue?
Raindance proudly presents Eloge De L’Amour, Notre Musique and The
Old Place, selected by the man himself. We hope they will continue to
inspire a new generation of indie filmmakers. r
‘But even more noteworthy to me was
Alphaville’s defiant attitude towards
any notion of what I thought cinema
was or should be’
Notre Musique and The Old Place play at 2:30 on Sunday 30 October at The Rex. Éloge de
L’Amour plays at 2:30 on Saturday 6 October at The Rex. See page 56 for details
17
Think you can write, produce, direct, edit and dub your own film to tackle climate change?
Good news. Your idea’s just been ‘green-lighted’ for production. Grab a camera, web-cam or
mobile and get started. That’s what ‘Green Shoots’ is all about. We’re giving every budding
Tarantino 60 seconds to save the planet. Be inspiring. Be entertaining. Believe you can make
a difference. And we’ll be picking the freshest, tastiest Green Shoot (1 minute or less) to serve up
for our viewers early in 2008. Closing date for entries is December 31st 2007.
Go on - impress the whole film industry, change the world.
Join The Bigger Picture.
Sky.com/greenshoots
Entrants must be 16 years or older. Further terms apply.
Below Ryuichi Hiroki, courtesy of Jasper
Sharp. All other stills from Bakushi: The
Incredible Lives of Rope Masters, courtesy
of Gold View Company
JASPER SHARP LOOKS AT THE WORK OF DIRECTOR
IN RESIDENCE RYUICHI HIROKI AND UNCOVERS the
pink origins of some of JAPAN’s top Masters
I
T OFTEN COMES AS a source of surprise to learn that many of the Japanese moviemakers currently plying their trade in the commercial industry originally started their careers making low-budget
theatrically-released sex films, known in Japan as ‘pink films’ (pinku eiga). Two of the best examples
are Yojiro Takita and Masayuki Suo. Takita graduated from making decidedly non-politically correct
slapstick sex romps, such as his contributions to the highly-popular Molester Train (Chikan Densha)
series in the mid-part of the decade, to helming high-profile mystical martial arts fantasies like The
Ying-Yang Master (parts 1 and 2, released in 2001 and 2003 respectively) and Ashura (2004), as well as the
samurai drama When the Last Sword is Drawn (2003). Meanwhile, Suo’s comic flare was amply demonstrated
in his porno pastiche of Yasujiro Ozu, the world-renowned director of films such as Early Summer (1951) and
Tokyo Story (1953), with the hilarious Abnormal Family: Older Brother’s Bride (1983). He later scored one of
Japanese cinema’s greatest international crossover successes with the heart-warming ballroom drama Shall
We Dance? (1996), the top-grossing Asian film ever to be released in the US, before it was knocked off its
perch by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and later subjected to an insipid Hollywood remake starring Richard
Gere and Jennifer Lopez.
Less successful but certainly significant are Rokur Mochizuki, whose moody pre-millennial re-envisioning of
the yakuza genre in titles like Another Lonely Hitman (Shin Kanashiki Hittoman, 1995), Onibi: The Fire Within
(1997) and Yakuza in Love (Koi Gokudo, 1997) rank among the best the decade has to offer, and Banmei
19
Takahashi, whose recent non-pink works range from Rain of Light (Hikari
no Ame, 2001), a recreation of the real-life violent internecine expurgation
conducted by members of the Japanese terrorist group the United Red
Army in the early ’70s, to Hibi (2005), the poignant story of a woman pottery expert whose son contracts leukemia.
Ryuichi Hiroki also began working in the pink industry in the early ’80s,
and has similarly migrated onto pastures new. His recent works such as
Vibrator (2003) and It’s Only Talk (2005) picked up considerable critical
plaudits on the international festival circuit. In style and content, the two
films are very much cast from the same mould. They both star Shinobu
Terajima, surely one of the most powerful screen actresses to have
emerged in Japan in recent years, and were written by Haruhiko Arai, a
prominent scriptwriter and the publisher of the important film magazine
Eiga Geijutsu, as well as the author of several books on Japanese cinema.
Both films are sensitive portrayals of the problems faced by modern-day
Japanese women who don’t quite match up to the impossible romantic
ideals that the media constructs. Shot very much from a woman’s perspective, one could perhaps ascribe to them the label of feminist.
It almost seems ironic then that Hiroki’s first film, released in 1982, went
by the sensational name of Sexual Abuse! Exposed Woman (Seigyaku!
Onna O Abaku). It also might seem surprising that the director sees his
work as belonging to a strict continuum, and that the only real difference
between his pink and non-pink work is not so much in the content, but that
they are produced for different audiences.
While it is a truism that the pink film is characterised by its sexual content, it doesn’t follow that all sex films produced in Japan are pink films.
Strictly speaking, the pink film is defined by the fact that it’s exhibited
in specialist adult-only cinemas. This therefore sets the genre apart from
films shot entirely for the video market (whether softcore or hardcore),
or films with strong sexual content, which are screened in conventional
cinemas, such as the glossy SM fantasies of the two Flower and Snake
films (Hana to Hebi) directed by Takashi Ishii and released in 2004 and
2005. The pink film network thus remains detached from the rest of the
Japanese film industry. It caters for its own distinct audience and has
developed its own conventions. Because the films are exhibited as triple
bills, they are roughly an hour in length and customers tend to wander in
and out of the theatre during the screenings regardless of where the films
start or end. Sex scenes appear at regular intervals, around one every ten
minutes to maintain the audience’s interest.
For the makers of these films, this format has several advantages. As
patrons are attracted predominantly by the sexual content of the films, the
directors are given pretty much a free hand as to what to do in the scenes
bridging the five or six nude numbers that make up the running time. They
can effectively make any film they like. It should be pointed out that the
vast majority of practitioners in this field do not exploit this flexibility. In
fact, though the pink genre still turns out just shy of hundred titles a year,
a scant few are of interest or merit, and one can infer that the directors
who have moved on from this market sector to what might be seen as a
more legitimate filmmaking career are the exception rather than the norm,
and have done so because of their talent and ambition. The other limiting
factors are that the budgets are notoriously low and the shooting schedules short. As Hiroki says of his early career: ‘The thing I liked about pink
films is that you are able to write your own scenarios and make them into
films very quickly. But there were also economic restrictions, so you have
to shoot everything in four days and there’s just never enough money to
make the films properly. But I don’t really make any distinctions between
the type of films I make. They’re all the same.’
The other main drawback to working in the pink industry is that the
director has no say over how the film is marketed. The distributors choose
the titles, which seldom have anything to do with the content of the film but
are purely intended to be as sensational as possible in order to catch the
eye of would-be patrons. Hiroki’s early pink work was released under
21
‘While it is a truism that the pink film is characterised
by its sexual content, it doesn’t follow that all sex films
produced in Japan are pink films. Strictly speaking,
the pink film is defined by the fact that it’s exhibited
in specialist adult-only cinemas’
names such as Teacher, Don’t Turn Me On (Sensei, Watashi no Karada
ni Hi o Tsukenaide, 1984) and Pervert and Skirt (Chikan To Sukato, 1984).
Such titles and the rather grimy nature of most of the pink theatres mean
that these films predominantly play to a narrow, specialist audience who
are by and large not really concerned with the quality of the script, the
camerawork or the performances.
The pink industry began at a grassroots level in the early ’60s, a period
during which the long-established vertical production-distribution-exhibition system dominated by the Big Five major studios of Toei, Toho, Daiei,
Shochiku and Nikkatsu (a sixth, Shintoho, went bankrupt in 1961) began
breaking down, as cinema attendances waned under competition from
television. The major studios at this time operated an apprenticeship system, cherry-picking potential directors from Japan’s top universities and
grooming them over a ten-year period as assistant directors before allowing them to helm their own films. A career as a bona-fide filmmaker was
therefore an option denied to many.
In its early years the pink film of today was referred to as the eroduction
(erotic production). The genre was born through the efforts of a handful of
opportunistic producers who recognised a niche for independent productions, which could fill up the lower slots on double or triple bill programs
in the conventional theatres, especially in rural areas, that were left empty
due to the decreased output of the major studios. The films were cheaply
made and their appeal hinged mainly on their erotic content. Their directors were mostly drawn from what was then seen as the lowly milieu of
television, attracted by the possibility of making genuine films, no matter
what kind, for the big screen.
By the end of the decade the eroduction had mushroomed from a tiny
handful of four titles released in its first year of 1962 to a peak of 250 titles
in 1969. From the mid-60s up till now their number has made up a significant percentage of total domestic output, ranging between a third to half
of all films released theatrically. By the early ’70s the various independent
interests had merged to form a large alternative distribution network of
specialist adult cinemas, the films’ running times had reduced from the
standard feature-length of 90 minutes to about an hour, and the term
pinku eiga took over from eroduction.
In its early years, the pink genre offered an opportunity for less-well educated or less intellectual individuals to make films. By the end of the ’70s, it
offered one of the only chances for newcomers to learn the ropes of filmmaking. Facing a seemingly interminable decline, many of the established
directors at the major studios, in an ironic turnaround, moved from film to
television. But more significantly, the apprenticeship system that created
22
so many great directors, especially during the ’50s and ’60s, collapsed. All
of the major companies stopped taking on new staff to train as directors,
the only exception being Nikkatsu, who by this time, noting the success
of the pink film, had committed itself to making its own more generouslybudgeted erotic films under the brand name: Roman Porno (which ran
from 1971–1988). Among the directors currently active in the mainstream
who received their training at Nikkatsu are Toshiharu Ikeda, Takashi Ishii,
and most significant of all, Hideo Nakata, the man who unleashed a tidal
wave of J-horror with The Ring (1998).
During the ’90s, the pink industry was finally recognised as a breeding
ground for new filmmaking talent, with the emergence of a group of directors known as The Four Devils, which included Takahisa Zeze, Toshiki Sato,
Hisayasu Sato and Kazuhiro Sano. Unlike the previous generation, these
filmmakers attracted attention through their attempts to push the pink film
into the realms of high art. None have really gone on to achieve the same
degree of commercial success as their predecessors however (although
Zeze did direct the sci-fi spring blockbuster Moonchild for Shochiku in
2003). Instead they are predominantly making small independent works
for the arthouse market, with Zeze and Toshiki Sato periodically returning
to make films in the pink genre. The pink film today still attracts young
directors, although there are numerous other avenues into movie directing
nowadays such as via the routes of pop promos and TV commercials, and
it seems unlikely that any of today’s newcomers will ever make much of an
impact outside this genre.
The ’80s represented a vital training ground for commercial directors
like Suo and Takita, who are now making mainstream films for mainstream
audiences. These directors seem to have severed all links with their pink
filmmaking past. Their origins are seldom ever discussed, but perhaps this
is less to do with shame or embarrassment than the fact that their recent
films bear little resemblance to their earlier titles.
While Hiroki has also never returned to the pink genre, in contrast his
heart remains fiercely loyal to a more artistically-motivated independent
sector, a milieu in which he has been able to realise his more personal
projects and develop an oeuvre that is as consistent as it is interesting, and
in doing so has not strayed as far from his roots as some of his contemporaries. After a brief spell working in television during the early ’90s, Hiroki’s
first non-pink title came with the straight-to-video production Sadistic City
(MaMtai, 1993), which he followed with the athletic youth movie 800 Two
Lap Runners (1994), voted 7th best film in the year of its release by the
critics of the prestigious Kinema Junpo magazine. Which is not to say that
Hiroki hasn’t made his share of more populist works produced and dis-
tributed by major companies such as Daiei and Toho. In 1995 he directed I
Want to Make Love until the Ski Slopes Melt, a romantic drama set on the
snowy slopes of New Zealand, while more recently he made The Silent Big
Man (2004), the story of a mute teacher who goes to teach on an island
in the Inland Sea, and the teenage coming of age drama Love on Sunday
(2006). But it is important to bear in mind that these somewhat atypical
projects were undertaken as contracts solely for the money.
The film industry in Japan is notoriously tough to make a living in, so it is
rare that an independent director is able to support himself by making one
film a year. This explains the vast filmographies of directors like Takeshi
Miike, who flits between low-budget indie work, disposable straight-tovideo affairs, and more graciously-budgeted mainstream work. Though the
genres he works in, mainly violent gangster movies and action, are very
different from Hiroki’s dramas, in this respect the directors are similar.
With around 40 films to his name, Hiroki is a prolific director, albeit not
quite to the same extent as Miike. In 2004 alone he made The Silent Big
Man, L’Amant, Girlfriend: Someone Please Stop the World and a segment
in the omnibus movie Female (Fimeiru). Moreover his past films have all
been made for different markets and under different production circumstances. Midori (1996), for example, was produced by a consortium that
included Fuji Television, Pony Canyon and Tohokushinsha. Tokyo Trash
Baby (2000) was realised as part of a series of six low-budget stories
from different directors, all shot on digital video and produced by a company named Cinerocket. The films were intended as straightforward video
releases, but also received a tiny theatrical release on a single screen in
an independent cinema in Tokyo. He has also made several titles for the
straight-to-video market.
The most enduring trait in Hiroki’s work is his focus on the stifled emotional worlds of modern-day urban women, recounting their stories from a
female perspective. When asked why he concentrates on predominantly
female subjects, he plainly states that it is because the market for films
about women and targeted at women has been poorly catered for. And
yet, when pressed, he will admit that ‘Even when I was making pink films,
I usually described women who were strong-minded or selfish and there
would always be a weak guy who would get tangled up in some situation
with them. I always tried to describe liking sex and falling in love as two
different things. The most common narrative in my films is that a man and
a woman meet, they like each other and they fall in love and have sex, and
then the woman starts worrying: maybe I don’t really like this guy.’
These themes lie at the heart of the film I Am an SM Writer, released
originally in Japan as Season of Uncertainty (Fukei no Kisetsu).
Sadomasochism may seem a strange choice of subject for what in genre
terms is probably best viewed as a romantic comedy, but it is really only the
backdrop for a story which is predominantly concerned with male-female
relationships. It focuses on the character of the eponymous fetish novelist who is so tied up, if you’ll forgive the pun, in committing his own erotic
fantasies to the page, that he barely recognises, yet alone fulfills, his wife’s
emotional and sensual desires, leaving her to seek satisfaction in the arms
of her more physical but unsophisticated American tennis partner. It is
through his wife’s eyes that the story is predominantly framed, in this challenging and potentially offensive, though at the same time intelligent and
often highly funny film.
I Am an SM Writer certainly boasts its sexy moments but the nude
scenes are neither as lengthy nor as frequent as in the standard pink film,
nor are they as perfunctory. Here, they can actually be said to serve some
higher dramatic purpose, not just titillation.
There is another element in I Am an SM Writer which conveniently
brings us back full circle to our discussion of the pink genre. It is in the
casting of Ren Osugi in the lead role. A respected actor of both the stage
and screen, most familiar to Western viewers for his supporting parts in
the films of Takashi ‘Beat’ Kitano such as Sonatine (1993) and Fireworks
(Hana-bi, 1997), many of Osugi’s early appearances were in pink films.
He actually made his screen debut in Banmei Takashi’s Tightly Bound
Sacrifice (Kinpaku Ikenie) in 1980. He also appeared in a number of titles
aimed at gay audiences produced by the company ENK, formed in the
early ’80s by a former Nikkatsu employee. Osugi appeared in the first ever
gay erotic move, Beautiful Mystery (Kyokon Densetsu: Utsukishiki Nazo)
in 1983, which was directed by Hiroki’s former mentor Genji Nakamura,
and also appeared in several other ENK films in the company’s first year,
including Hiroki’s own Our Season (Bokura No Kisetsu).
The pink genre has played a crucial role in launching many a career, and
in the case of Ryuichi Hiroki in particular, should not be viewed as a shady
or distinct part of his oeuvre. As the director himself notes: ‘I didn’t change
so much as the circumstances around me. I don’t really care if you label a
film like I Am an SM Writer as a pink film, an indie film, a mainstream film
or whatever. It’s just the film I wanted to make. In that sense there hasn’t
really been a transformation in my filmmaking. I just want people who don’t
go to pink theatres to see my work.’ r
Bakushi: The Incredible Lives of Rope Masters plays at 9:15pm on Thursday 4 October
at Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue. M plays at 6:30pm on Wednesday 3 October at Cineworld
Shaftesbury Avenue. It’s Only Talk plays at 2pm on Saturday 7 October at Cineworld
Shaftesbury Avenue. Hiroki will introduce all the screenings. Please see pages 62 and 72
23
TRANSCRIPTIONS BY JULES GARNETT & YINKA GRAVES
THINK IT WAS IN Head On that Julian Cope talked about the
bag of ten thousand acid crystals that kept him entertained on
tour in America. I can’t really remember because it was a long
time ago that I read that book. But I mention it because this
year’s box of documentary submissions and requests was a little bit like Cope’s ten thousand trip bag, a little bit like that and I
spose, a little bit like Forrest Gump’s mother’s famous box of chocolates. Well there weren’t quite ten thousand documentaries this year, although
it certainly felt like it at times, and they certainly weren’t all pleasant experiences, and it isn’t quite true that I wasn’t quite sure what me or anyone else
was going to get when I pulled a DVD out of the box of docs. There were,
for example, at least seven films about the Dalai Lama this year. It was as if
the living God had been obliged to do nothing but talk to indie filmmakers
for the last twelve months. These were not particularly good documentary
trips nor were they much like Mrs Gump’s box of chocs, what I mean is that
with a lot of these films you knew exactly what you were going to get.
Anyway this is about one of those DVDs that turned out to be something of a treat, a real peach in fact. It felt like I must have watched about
300 shitty films in a row and was using other people’s rusty needles to hold
my eyelids apart. I reached into the box and pulled out another disc. Upon
this one was written in felt tip: Twenty To Life – The Life And Times Of
John Sinclair. A fancy cover jacket was neither present nor required. You
just knew the film was going to be terrific. It’s a funny old world and the
funny thing is that I didn’t even know there was a John Sinclair film.
24
So I research a bit about the film on the Internet. And one thing leads to
another and I discover that he’s in London for an interview with Headpress.
I procure his email address and the next day we’re on Old Compton Street
eating Eggs Benedict, me, John, my daughter Belle and good old Jesse,
the surrogate babyboomer from the Raindance basement.
‘Warner Stringfellow was a Detroit narcotics detective
who busted John the first time for reefer. So John decided
to write The Poem for Warner Stringfellow. The poem went
something like: “Warner, what are you gonna do when
your kids smoke pot? What are you gonna do when all the
lawyers in the world smoke pot? Warner, what are you
gonna do, you small-minded asshole?’”
Wayne Kramer, Please Kill Me
I’m sort of excited, but I remember a bit of advice someone once gave me
about how you should always do your homework on the day it’s given to
you. So, on the train on the way in, I speed-read Legs McNeil’s scholarly
masterpiece Please Kill Me one more time. And Wayne Kramer’s talking
about Warner Stringfellow as Sinclair’s nemesis, the guy who busted him,
but the film seems to suggest that the guy was called Vahan Kapegian. ‘That was the undercover agent who he sent after me.’
‘Ahh. So Kapegian was the guy who infiltrated the Artists’ Workshop.’
‘He was the undercover guy that called himself Louie.’
‘And Stringfellow was?’
Opposite John Sinclair, photograph by Michael P Smith
I
DOMINIC THACKRAY gets Eggs Benedict
with the man whose WORDS & EXPLOITS have
ILLUMINATED the underground for FORTY years