I am mainly a writer, although I spent some years as an improv acting teacher, among other things. I’ve written screenplays, novels, plays and recently finished executive producing/directing an album of a musical called These Are the Times. I was the lyricist and Grant Johnson, the remarkable composer.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I’ve always wanted to be a filmmaker, especially once I started writing screenplays professionally and realized filmmaking was a director’s — not a writer’s — medium. The turning point in my career as a filmmaker was when I decided to capture the comedic stories that chronicled the history of comedy in the U.S., as told by the comic/director/teacher Howard Storm. Then it was no holds barred to make my feature documentary, Eye of the Storm,happen.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I think cinema — actually, all the arts — can help inspire change in society. But I don’t think art alone can do it.
-What would you change in the world?
I hope people could start treating each other with more compassion and respect for their common humanity. The divisions are what is making it so difficult to solve the world’s most existential problems, as well as what is keeping us in a state of perpetual wars.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I think smaller films will find their niche in streaming services, but that larger films will command the theatrical experience, more reminiscent of the mid-nineteenth century with moving panoramas that captured the attention of large crowds than the meaningful, story- and character-focused movies of the 70s. I also thing that serial movies, much like TV series, will have a place in streaming. Sadly, a lot of the power of movies will be lost when people won’t have the experience of seeing a film in theaters, but my guess is that, all around the world, festivals and small theaters will rise up to find a way of giving that experience to the audience that wants it.
I started writing songs, singing, and playing instruments at a young age. I have always been passionate about music, art, and songwriting. I moved to Nashville in 1995 to pursue my songwriting dream. I was a staff songwriter with four music publishing companies in Nashville, TN. I’m fortunate that many of my songs have been recorded by Christian music artists and groups over the last 20 years. I bought my first DSLR camera about 13 years ago and started creating short videos. I instantly fell in love with storytelling through this medium. I freelanced, creating documentary-style videos for businesses, churches, and artists, and then was offered the opportunity to direct and edit my first feature-length documentary film, in 2015. I recently worked with a crew to shoot my fourth film.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I was inspired to become a filmmaker when I started editing for other peoples’ projects and discovered that this medium felt similar to music – the rhythm, pace, emotion, and cadence. I loved it and wanted to create films.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I do believe cinema can bring change. I’ve been moved by films that have inspired me to want to do more to help people. Films have inspired me to learn more about people and ideas I didn’t know about before viewing the film. Films can share truth and lies, and people can be persuaded to believe the truth and lies portrayed in cinema. It’s a powerful tool.
-What would you change in the world?
I’d hope to share stories that would help people feel more compassion and empathy for others.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
Doors continuing to open for more women to be leaders in the film industry.
I am a thrill seeker from Vancouver, BC currently working in network television as an assistant director. When I’m not working, I love to be active, ride motorcycles, and make my own movies. Spending time in nature, doing yoga, and eating good food is essential in keeping me grounded while working long hours and pursuing my dreams. I consider myself to be curious and adventurous though also deeply introspective. These days I spend a lot of time contemplating how we can all thrive as a society while living in greater harmony with the Earth. I used to live in Tokyo as well as the mountains of central Japan which greatly informed who I am today
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
My journey of becoming a filmmaker has been a long and windy one. In high school I studied acting and was a part of the drama department though later when I was in art school, I was a purist and focused on painting avoiding digital and film studies. This was all valuable training though it wasn’t until I was travelling around India with a digital camcorder that I fell in love with moving compositions. When I returned from that trip, I started focusing on video editing and incorporating corporate videos in my marketing consulting work which morphed into shooting musicians and music videos which morphed into documentary filmmaking. These explorations unearthed a dream I had as a child of making movies after being mesmerized watching The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, and Annie. I then studied Film Production at Vancouver Film School where I realized that this is what I am meant to be doing, it brought me alive in terms of work. I am fueled by creating and working on film sets.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I absolutely do think that cinema is an essential part of global shifts within societies and liken the modern filmmaker to the medicine man from prehistoric times. Instead of gathering around a fire we gather around a screen and important ideas and concepts are introduced to us and are re-affirmed in a three-act visual story. Film can elevate the underdog, empower the defeated, and shine light on stories otherwise left in the dark. They start conversations. Through cinema we can empathize with a diverse range of peoples from around the globe. Movies can also be a cautionary tale like the myths of ancient civilizations.
–What would you change in the world?
For me the world needs more empathy and understanding, especially of ‘the other’, we are so polarized which sets us as a society backwards. I believe that communication grounded in empathy could de-escalate the current conflicts on this planet. I wish we
would stop engaging in destructive measures and war. If I could change just one thing it would be that we all have awareness that all life is precious.
Then there is the elephant in the room; we must take radical action on climate change which would mean we would all have to change our lifestyle for the greater good of all. We need some serious leadership in this department.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I like to think that in 100 years we still gather to watch great films. VR is gaining traction though I caution that immersive technologies have potential to further isolate us when we have already lived through times of great isolation. Even with tech advancements I hope that cinema continues to be inspirational and community building, inspiring dialogue and change rather than purely be an escape in one’s bedroom.
I also hope to see the film industry fully embrace green technologies. Film productions in Vancouver make efforts to be sustainable though the industry can dive deeper into cleaner energy consumption. I’m hopeful that we have gender parity and sustainable production practices within the next few years.
I’m pretty sure that in the next 100 years we will be making space movies in space!
I am a London-based photographer, writer, and filmmaker. I was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy; then, I immediately moved to Riccione with my family, where I have lived most of my life. I then moved to London three years ago for university, and I’m currently studying at UAL while freelancing for different things. I work on anything that catches my interest and attention, privileging low-budget, independent films and documentaries, as well as art and fashion-related projects.
-What inspired you to become a screenwriter?
I have always loved listening to and telling stories. I have always been the person in the room asking people how they met or where they’re from. I’ve been writing things since I can remember but growing up, I have been more and more drawn toward visual storytelling and film. So, for me, becoming a screenwriter was the natural combination of my passion for writing stories and for film.
Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I do believe there is a strict relationship between what we see on a screen (which can be a film, a documentary, or even news broadcasting) and our lives. The moving image has a very specific way of imprinting itself in our minds and influencing our everyday thoughts and actions. That’s why filmmaking is such a complex art that involves so many people. What I believe we need right now to bring better changes to society is a more varied and diverse film industry. This means new stories, directors, actors, and influences. Like every kind of art, cinema has the ability to portray the zeitgeist and shape it at the same time, so it’s essential that, as filmmakers, we understand our surroundings to create something new and hopefully bring something valuable to society.
–What would you change in the world?
We are all living through very complicated, difficult times. Therefore, what I hope to see in the following years, not only in the film industry but across all creative and non-creative industries, is a more open approach to hiring and giving chances to younger generations. We are often asked to take risks, while the people that are supposed to give us an opportunity are the ones who are not taking them. The creative industry lives off of new, fresh ideas, so for it to thrive, new, fresh generations must be involved.
–Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
Being a relatively young art form, I believe that film will change a lot in the future. This doesn’t mean that we are going to lose what can be considered the ‘traditional’ form of cinema, but the industry is definitely evolving and looking at many different options (such as streaming platforms, social media series, etc.). There is still a lot that can and needs to be done, and I am definitely very excited to see what will happen in the industry in the future.
Daniel Shehata is a European writer/director with a new, mind-bending, revolutionary vision. My brother and I humbly grew up as small town boys with an Austrian mother, an Egyptian father and an extremely powerful longing for a life in a big city.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I shot my first short film for a course during my BA in English and American Studies at the University of Innsbruck where I discovered that my character traits would be a great foundation for the challenging life of an independent filmmaker. However, the moment that ultimately inspired me to become a filmmaker was the audience’s reaction to my film. I’ve got giggles, oooh’s, and a lot of questions as well as applause – that was it – I was hungry for more and it never stopped ever since.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
The cinema is an efficient church. Anyone can enter the cinema and have their moral compass seriously challenged so that they have to overthink and reflect on their way of life. Some films are high-octane motivators and some films make you laugh until your stomach hurts and you’re reminded of the joys of life whenever you’re down. The cinema brings change to society – it is indeed for us filmmakers to navigate that change – and that’s no bs.
-What would you change in the world?
If I was in a position of high political power I would provide women in developing countries with a great education so that they can raise a generation with more hope and a better perspective on the given opportunities. Maybe, I should make a film about that…
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
At the moment, the film industry is at the brink of providing a more immersive experience than a mere screen in front of an audience. Virtual and augmented reality as well as AI make that possible and will play a defining role in the future. With these technologies, I see that it will become easy to make what we nowadays consider high-budget productions for everyone who wants to make a film. If we want to keep real places – cinemas – alive and thriving, we always need to be able to provide an experience the viewers can’t have in their living room at home. I am a strong believer in the reinvention of the classic medium film to reinvigorate the film industry which is why I will make and show my next film “Pentonville” in a way that hasn’t been seen by anyone ever before and is indeed a world-first. If we don’t reinvent the classic medium we call film, the film industry will turn into something unrecognisable and trivial to us film buffs and filmmakers.
I am a filmmaker living in Little Rock, Arkansas. I was born and raised in the small town of Russellville, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Little Rock. I graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Filmmaking. For the last six years I have been working in the commercial world as a videographer and editor. Before that, I worked in production on numerous feature films across the state and in Los Angeles.
But to really answer the question “who am I?” – I think I’m still figuring that out, and will be for the rest of my life – as will we all. Simply, I’m a film geek who loves everything about movies – the history, the technical aspects, the philosophies and theories. I’ve been obsessed with movies since I was a kid. Outside of filmmaking, I like long walks on the beach, deep, meaningful conversat – oh wait, this isn’t a dating profile. Hahaha. Joking aside, I’m just a guy who likes to have fun in all aspects of his life. I like to travel and go on adventures, see and try new things. The older I get, the more monotonous things seem to get – as we all fall into the routines of daily life. So I like to do anything I can to shake it up and make things interesting. And I have seen how this also bleeds into the films I make. It’s so easy to make a movie these days – and most stories being told are just ones being recycled over and over again – so to me, with my approach, it’s about giving the audience something unique, fun, and interesting that they hopefully haven’t seen before. That excites me and drives me, and hopefully the audience shares in that excitement, too.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Ghostbusters, Terminator 2, Wayne’s World, Jurassic Park, Tales From The Crypt. All of these came out when I was a kid, and all of them impacted me a great deal. When I was about 4 years old there was just something about movies that drew me to them. I don’t think I found them, I think they found me. I would watch everything I could – for hours and hours and hours. And then I would mimic the actors and actions that I saw. I would dress up like a Ghostbuster and pretend I was catching ghosts around the neighborhood, or I would dress up like Ash from Evil Dead and act like I was vanquishing demons. One time I even ran around pretending to be Nicolas Cage in Con Air while Phil Collins’ song In The Air Tonight played on repeat. From then on, I was just obsessed with movies. My parents and grandparents would take me to our local video stores (RIP) every weekend and let me roam around for indefinite amounts of time. I would look at all of the VHS boxes and study the artwork, who acted in the films, who produced and directed and distributed them, when they were made, so on. As I got older, I realized “Whoa! You can actually do this for a living!” So around the age of 13 my parents gave me my first camera (complete with editing software). I would roam my suburban neighborhood filming anything and everything. My buddies and I would make crappy little movies that were spun off of well known films – like Blair Witch Project. This all allowed me to learn the fundamentals of filmmaking early on – the ins and outs, if you will. So, to wrap back around to the actual question, I was inspired to make movies because creating stories and garnering reactions are fun. It’s what drives me. Everything I watched growing up had an impact on me and garnered a reaction from me. It was fun to get lost in the worlds that these filmmakers created – so much so that I wished they were real and tried to act like I was a part of them. I have just been trying to replicate those feelings and experiences for others with the works that I now make.
–Do you think cinema can bring a change in society?
Answer: I do think that cinema can bring a change in society. We’ve seen it happen before and it will continue to happen. Filmmakers, since the beginning, have used the medium to tell stories to bring to light injustices in the world. Get Out, Schindler’s List, Do The Right Thing, Boy Erased, Dog Day Afternoon, etc… The list goes on and on. These films spark a conversation that can then spark action and change – even if it’s someone just looking deeper inside themselves and reflecting on who they are or wish to be. Films can spread awareness on issues and problems that are hindering and impacting us all, whether we realize them or not. Let me put it this way – it all starts with one person and one film. One person can see a film and it can inspire them to lead a movement that then changes the world. Nelsen Mandela is a perfect example of this. While in prison, he would watch In The Heat of the Night and was confused when the film randomly and abruptly cut in the middle of one scene to that of another. The scene in question was when Sidney Poitier’s character Virgil Tibbs slaps a white man after being insulted by him. The slap had been edited out. So, when Mandela found out what exactly was missing, it lit a fire under him and helped him keep going during his prison sentence. Mandela then went on to end apartheid in Africa. Cinema and art has the power to change things.
-What would you change in the world?
I would change inequality. It’s 2022 and racism and sexism are still running rampant. It shouldn’t be that way. We’re all just people. We all live, we all die. No one is more special than the other. And so it really steams me to see marginalized groups of people continue to be abused by the systems of government and by people in general. Look, there’s no way we can ever eradicate racism or sexism. As long as there’s good, there will be bad. But I wish we lived in a more tolerant world, and we’re inching towards one. But it seems like every time progress is made, something happens that then sets it back two steps. Women shouldn’t be told what they can and can’t do with their bodies, it’s no one’s business but their own. And if a kid is gay, or trans or anything other than what they were born – then let them be. If it makes them happy and it’s not harming anyone else, then it shouldn’t matter. We all just want to be happy and live our lives the best ways we can. Our time here is limited, so I think it’s all on us to do and be what makes us happy.
-Where do you see cinema going in the next 100 years?
Oh, man – 100 years from now, there’s no telling. The earth may have melted by then. I’m kidding (kind of). But really, just in the last 15 years alone we have seen a major shift in what we thought cinema was and could be. Netflix went from mailing out DVD’s to streaming all of their content, which then led to others doing the same. Now mid-budget films that we would have had in the 1990’s (like Good Will Hunting) are being made specifically for these services while theaters are reserved for $150,000,000+ budgeted comic book and action films. A lot of people are even watching movies on their phones or iPad’s now. It’s crazy. We also had the big 3D fad that came roaring back from the 80’s with Avatar. And now we can even bring the dead back to life to act in our movies or make older actors look young again (looking at you Star Wars). I think the technology will continue to improve and get better and better, of course. I think that most movie theaters in the next 10 years will just offer spectacle films – whether it be a big budget Marvel film or a low budget horror film (those make the big bucks). I hate to say it, but it feels like most things will be on streaming services. Which is sad. A lot of them look at entertainment these days as “content” which I don’t agree with at all. By calling it content, companies are devaluing the artistry. Content feels very throw away – something you easily digest and then move onto the next thing. That’s how a lot of great things become forgettable or even lost in the mix. On the flip side though, services like Netflix are giving world renowned filmmakers their chances to make some o their films. No one would have given Scorsese his $150,000,000 budget to make The Irishman other than Netflix, because a studio would be worried about eating the loss of that cost – understandably. Honestly, I wish things were still like how they were in the 90’s (the early Sundance days) – low to mid-budget films could be picked up at a festival that would launch a career and end up in theaters making a ton of money. Now the only low budget films in the theaters that turn that kind of profit are horror films or Oscar bate. All that said, I’m hopeful. It’s never been easier for someone to make a film and get it out into the world – the only catch with that is that the market is so saturated you need to find a way to stand out. With James Cameron getting ready to release his new Avatar films, I wouldn’t be surprised if we watched films via hologram in the next few years because of the tech he has been creating. I guess we’ll see, though!
Karen Stefano is a native of the island of Jamaica She is an award-winning actress/writer/director/producer who now lives in the New York/New Jersey area. She started her directing and acting career in the primary school directing and acting skits for her classmates, family and friends. After emigrating to the United States, she continued directing and acting.
She has been acting since the age of 6 with her first role playing Mary the mother of Jesus for her 1st grade school concert. She has studied at some of New York City’s finer schools: Lee Strasberg Institute and The Acting Studio; and has worked in such venues as Lincoln Center, playing Sondra in Lulubelle and Sydney on the Lower East Side, Carnegie Hall, and Yale University, playing civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer in Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou Hamer.
She directed her first documentary titled “Church Hurt”, followed by her short film “Why Wait”, which won numerous awards.
Karen’s new feature film After The Wait is the sequel to her short Why Wait and has also garnered a few awards on the festival circuit.
Karen received her Masters’ Degree in Scriptwriting for Film and Television from Regent University, and her BA in acting at Nazareth College of Rochester.
-What Inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I don’t think I ever intended to become a filmmaker per say. I was auditioning a lot but not booking anything and it was becoming discouraging. I was doing a play and had a conversation with one of the other actress’ who told me she was going for her MFA in acting. I thought about it for a second and then wondered why not? But in thinking it over, I thought why not create work for myself. So, I researched some colleges for script writing and found one that suited me perfectly. I enrolled and found that I loved writing as much as I loved
acting. After my first class assignment, writing my first script, I decided to produce it. And thus began my journey into filmmaking.
–Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
I believe we all have the capacity to create change in our little part of the society. Whether we choose to do so is another matter altogether. As a Christian, the films I create speaks to the heart of people. The struggles that we all face, and how we overcome those struggles, trying to do the best we can in our circumstances, Christian or not. I would like to see the love of Jesus change people’s heart. Think about it, if we all had love in hearts for other, just imagine what the world would look like.
–What would you change in the world?
I believe the better question would be, to as how I would change the world. I would like to continue making movies that inspire others to live their best lives.
–Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
Hmmm, good question. I’m not sure. Right now, we see a shift in how we view movies. It was always a big deal to anxiously wait for the release of a movie so we could rush to the theaters to watch it on the big screen. But now more and more movies are having limited theater releases and going straight to streaming networks; or just heading straight to a streaming network. As a filmmaker it’s always been my dream to have a theater release, to see myself and the work I’ve created on the big screen. I would like to say the shift might change, but with all the streaming networks out there, more and more people are inclined, it seems to watch a movie from the comfort of their sofas.
Arturo Márquez is a scrawny-looking guy from Mexico City. He is very empathetic, someone who knows how to listen, and enjoys it. He is somewhat contradictory, he feels; both introverted and extroverted, passionate and easy going, happy and sad, everything at the same time, and he’s still trying to figure out how’s that possible. Arturo is a pretty vulnerable and sensitive person, someone who cries easily with movies and books, and is always willing to help others.
–What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
I’ve always wanted to tell stories, I think that has been the great constant of my life. I have watched movies for as long as I can remember, they have always been there for me. When I was little, I used to imagine all these little stories in my head, and I always pictured them as movies. I wanted to draw them, but I wasn’t very good at drawing. I wanted to tell them, but I’m not that good of a speaker. When I discovered filmmaking, I realized that it was the only medium I didn’t feel limited, that it offered an infinity of stories and ways to tell them.
I don’t know who would I be without the movies that made me, that defined my worldview, that defined my personality and the way I think about other people. I think that’s why I want to make movies, “cause the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse”. I just gotta figure out what would my verse be.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?
Roger Ebert once said that movies are a machine that generates empathy. For me, our purpose as civilization is to be able to empathize with other people, and movies let you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams and fears. I want to make movies because I want to speak to people like movies have spoken to me.
-What would you change in the world?
I think every person out there, deep down, is a pretty vulnerable, shattered and damaged individual. Someone who wasn’t allowed to express their opinion or their emotions. Someone who might have been humiliated, or gotten hurt. Someone told them once, “you, and everything you are, don’t matter”. Emotions, opinions, worldviews, memories, are the most wonderful things we own; they are what make us humans. And there are millions of people that were taught to never show them. If I could change anything in the world, it would be that; I would make people realize that they matter, that their emotions matter, that they have a story to tell and that there are millions of people out there willing to listen to them.
-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
I think that filmmaking has been extremely democratized, and that’s a beautiful thing. Movements like the Nouvelle Vague or the New Hollywood from the 60s also came from more democratized ways of filmmaking, like easier access to filming equipment. I think that we are entering a new age of the film industry, one that is going to answer to an over-saturation of the film market with blockbusters. We as independent filmmakers might not have access to huge budgets or an army of a hundred vfx artists, but we have more than what we need to tell a great story. I think that the film industry is directing to more honest, grounded, realistic stories, that address what actually is going out in the world. Maybe the audience is going to divide and many niche markets, some for blockbusters, some for indie films, that I don’t really know. What I do know, though, is that art, that filmmaking, that life, always finds a way.
An actress, director, writer, screenwriter, producer, editor, poet, illustrator, mother, LGBT woman, and reassuming indigenous. She graduated in Performing Arts and does not believe in overview, which makes her a developing multiple artist, complete and abundant.
-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
From a very young age, I dealt with frustrations, sadness, happiness, and love by writing. There was in this writing certain loneliness stumbling upon the frustration that is to close the notebook. When my daily life was getting too small for me, I searched for an acting course and from there I understood what is the meaning of my life. Nowadays, the Brazilian audiovisual sector suffers from many political attacks on budget reduction and censorship. However, it has always been a place of difficult access and I realized that if I want to act and see stories that represented me and other minorities, I would have to make my own movies. In the beginning, it seemed impossible, because there is a premise that making a cinema is too expensive. But thanks to people like Rodrigo Brum, Felipe Koury, and André da Costa Pinto, I learned a way of making cinema in an independent way. And besides these amazing teachers who gave me strength and inspired me to do what I do, I also extend my thanks to the people who surrounded me after and keep supporting me, empowering me to continue, like my partner from Disgrama Filmes, Letícia Catalá, and my partner in life, Henrique Patuá who embraced with me the challenges since my first movie. These people are part of my beginning and current path through the audiovisual.
-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in society?
Absolutely. From the poetic scope to the social. If it wasn’t such hope, I wouldn’t work with it. I refuse to do things in vain. As my friend Copioba wrote in the description of our audiovisual production company goals: “Our movies have not only the purpose to entertain, but aim to promote discussions/dialogues for the comprehension of society and paths for the plural beauties claim.”
-What would you change in the world?
Can I say the whole story? Well, I think there is a lack of love in the world. It is not about romantic love, that one sought since the Industrial Revolution, I talk about love as empathy towards the other. I would change everything. Power detention, I would put the minorities ahead of everything.
Photo by Gustavo Paixão
–Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?
In technological matters, I could not even imagine. But I hope in social and access matters, and cultural retake, it will be millions of steps ahead.
Frankenstein’s monster was an experiment constructed by infusing dissected body parts together and brought to life by an unspecified process. Ever a champion of auteur theory, it is as fitting as one of the creature’s fused limbs, that near the end of Jean-Luc Godard’s 2014 Goodbye to Language there is a sequence of Mary Shelley finishing her famed novel. I was lucky enough to see Goodbye to Language as a theatrical release when it came out in 2014.
Not that Godard’s films do not get screened at revival theaters often. In fact, I had just watched a double bill of 1960’s Breathless and 1964’s Bande à part at Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly theater at the end of August. But what made seeing Goodbye to Language particularly special, was the opportunity to see a new Godard film in theater. It is not overstating his legendary status, having influenced a number of the best contemporary filmmakers today, from Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and the aforementioned Tarantino (whose production company ‘A Band Apart’ is a riff on the title Bande à part). Although this week day screening wasn’t pacted, didn’t warrant a stand by line, nor was it built up as a momentous occasion, it felt like being part of history. It’s like getting to see The Rolling Stones in 2022. Sure, it’s not the American Tour 1972, but you will forever get to say you were witness to something culturally significant, important. In the spirit of Godard’s filmmaking career starting with Breathless, which popularized jump cuts for how unabashedly bold he was with his unconventional usage of them, his second to last feature film, Goodbye to Language radicalized the usage of 3D technology. Although Breathless is occasionally incorrectly associated with inventing the jump cut, Godard and his cinematographer Fabrice Aragno, quite literally created a new shot in filmmaking. The shots are two events happening simultaneously, overlapping with one another, and then eventually syncing up. There was no word for it. Aragno referred to it as “separation”. I saw Avatar and Gravity on IMAX in 3D and to this day I have never seen anything like what Godard did at 84 years old. When I saw this movie, in theaters, in 2014, in San Francisco, I was 23.
I was in film school. I was young, I am American, I love stories and plot. I probably walked out with a snide comment about what the hell I just watched, (although I do remember acknowledging the ‘separation’ shots at the time as revolutionary, which they were). Jean-Luc Godard passed away yesterday. I did not go back to celebrate his seismic impact on the history of this medium by revisiting A Woman is a Woman, Vivre Sa Vie, Pierrot le Fou, or any of the classic films he made during La Nouvelle Vague. I went back to Goodbye to Language, the Godard movie of my 20’s. And although the actors in the film didn’t end up being the next Jean-Paul Belmondo nor Anna Karina, they will forever be in a Godard film. This is a film made by someone who has nothing to prove, but who has to create. Who is excited, not afraid of technology. Who even in the face of new technology has to challenge himself and his audiences. I couldn’t help but think of making films as a teenager and turning up the high contrast or negative film effects on iMovie. It’s the thing either an amatuer would do, or a master completely giving into the freedom of experimentation would have the nerve to. And it’s something only Godard could have made. An auteur till the end, in the 69 minute run time it is pieced together, like Frankenstein’s monster, all of what you want from a Godard film: Dialogue that reads more as existential philosophy, perfectly subtitled that you could make a screenshot of any line and it would get thousands of likes on any artsy influencer Instagram account. Abrupt noises with harsh cuts to silence. Commentary on society, war, politics. A loose plot involving an affair. And of course, a girl and a gun.
