We caught up with award-winning director Chai Vasarhelyi to discuss her newest film, documenting the extraordinary life and work of international super star Youssou N’dour.
Chai will host Q&A sessions at the Village East Cinema following shows on Friday & Saturday (details & advance tickets).
Q: WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO MAKE THE FILM?
A: I wanted to make a film about Africa that would challenge the way in which the continent is currently portrayed in the media. Africa is not just about poverty, disease and war. It is a beautiful place with an incredibly vast and diverse history. I felt that music would be the best place for me to start and, while I did not know a lot about Youssou’s music or the West African musical tradition, I was completely taken by him - as a musician and as a moral leader. He is an incredibly captivating and driven performer, with a voice like an angel, who represents to millions of Africans the possibility of living successfully by one’s convictions. Sharing a tolerant side of Islam also became one of my most important motivations.
Q: WHAT IS THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF YOUSSOU IN THE UNITED STATES? A: Youssou is extraordinarily famous everywhere in the world, but less well known in America. He wrote and performed the official anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, however here in the US most people know him through his collaborations with other artists such as Peter Gabriel with the song “In Your Eyes.” He is probably the most famous musician people haven’t heard of. To the African Diaspora this film represents a very intimate look into the personal life of an icon - to those who are discovering him for the first time, I hope this is a moving story that complements the power of his music.
Q: WHAT INITIAL REACTIONS ARE YOU RECEIVING TO THE FILM? A: The film has been very well received at film festivals throughout the world and has won several audience awards. The audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s so interesting to see the way these very different people (from Telluride to Abu Dhabi) respond to this personal story. Music fans who know Youssou’s music naturally seek out the film. Many also find him an inspiration because of his activism and his strong religious convictions while others simply thank me for ‘making a film with such a positive story about Africa.’ But African American and Muslim-American audiences often come up after screenings and tell me how much they identify with Youssou’s personal story. I made this film with the hope of sharing Youssou’s story with a wider audience that may not already be familiar with his music. It has been a very hopeful experience, watching others discover Youssou’s inspiring story for themselves often walking away with a renewed hope about the West’s relationship to the Muslim world. I made this film with the hope that it may contribute to a dialogue about Islam and the west; it’s truly gratifying to see audiences responding and discussing the issues addressed in the film. Ultimately, Youssou’s story is a compelling example of how each of us has the power to change the world.
The Angelika was happy to chat with director Monty Miranda & lead actor Spencer Berger of SKILLS LIKE THIS - opens this Friday at the Angelika NYC!
Q: SKILLS LIKE THIS has been a hit at film festivals around the world - can you tell me about that experience? Monty: The festivals provided an opportunity to see amazing films that deserve a much wider audience. So many people (who submitted films) have “day jobs” and are really struggling – it’s impressive to see their work when they can’t necessarily do it full time. As for SKILLS, we were concerned that our story wouldn’t translate across the pond, but the response was extremely positive, even to the subtle bits of Americana.
Spencer: Neither of us speaks Polish, but apparently the jokes killed. We still have no idea how they translated, but the interpreter assured us they were perceived as intended…
Kaufman’s SYNECDOCHE, NY opens November 7 at the Angelika Dallas & Angelika Houston and on November 14 at the Angelika Plano. In Dallas, Charlie Kaufman graciously stopped by while promoting his directorial debut.
The film stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Cahterine Keener, Michelle Williams, and Emily Watson.
Read Tom Maurstad’s Review in The Dallas Morning News Read Amy Biancolli’s Review and Eric Harrison’s Interview in the Houston Chronicle
Charlie is wished a Bon Voyage by Angelika publicist, Jo Ellen Brantferger
Writer/director Nanette Burstein, the mastermind behind this summer’s much anticipated documentary AMERICAN TEEN, sat down with us during a trip to Dallas. Winner of the 2008 Sundance Directing Award, Burstein’s film is an innovative and often hilarious documentary set in small-town Indiana, and follows four real-life high school prototypes – the jock, the popular girl, the emo-kid and the geek – through their senior year of high school.
AMERICAN TEEN opens on August 1 at the Angelika Dallas and Plano - Don’t miss it!
A MAN NAMED PEARL is the story of Pearl Fryar, a prolific topiary artist in the small town of Bishopville, South Carolina. Fryar, who comes across as one of the most giving and sincere (not to mention talented) people on film in quite a while, was courteous enough to chat with us, as was director Scott Galloway about the making of the documentary. Both men will also be at the Angelika New York on July 18th (opening night) for an additional Q&A with the audience, and we really recommend that you go - A MAN NAMED PEARL is a refreshingly genuine story that may just renew your faith in the human spirit.
Scott Galloway, Director
Q: How did you first hear about Pearl’s garden, and why did you think it warranted its own documentary?
A: I owned a production company and we produced a show for the Turner network on the best gardens of the south. One of the four featured stories was Pearl Fryar’s topiary garden. My good friend Brent Pierson produced the piece and he called me at the end of the shoot and said, “There’s more to this guy’s story than five minutes of television will allow.” I was a bit skeptical. You hear that occasionally from a producer right after a shoot and over time their enthusiasm wanes. But Brent is different. He’s an excellent story-teller and he didn’t relent. Every two or three weeks he’d bring up Pearl. “You have to go down and see him. He lives just two hours from Charlotte. I’ll fly out from Los Angeles.” Finally, I agreed to a weekend in Bishopville.
The Angelika was privileged to speak with Pearl Fryar, the gifted topiary artist and humanitarian featured in the upcoming documentary A MAN NAMED PEARL, about his work, (both artistically and charitably), his background and why he decided to be a part of this film. Mr. Fryar stepped away from his garden in hopes to promote his message, his film, and his scholarship foundation, and our interview with him is below.
Q: What did you think when the directors first came to you and asked to make a movie about you and your garden?
A: The movie came about because of a television show I did - the viewing audience was to vote on the best garden out of 4, mine being one of them. I didn’t think I even had a chance and I didn’t even vote for myself – but I won by 54%. So then they presented me with the blue ribbon as a part of another TV show, and they told me “we can’t tell the story in 5 minutes so we’d like to do a movie.” And I said, “no way”, because I didn’t think I have enough to do a movie about it. But they kept on, so finally I agreed because they said they had to raise the funds for the movie, and I didn’t think they’d do it…but they did and that’s how the movie came about.
Q: What did your family think? Were they excited for you?
ELSA AND FRED director Marcos Carnevale took some time to answer a few of our questions about the film. The film, an uplifting tale of two completely different people who yearn for the same thing as they approach the end of their lives: one last chance to find happiness, opens at the Angelika New York on June 27.
Q: Can you describe ELSA AND FRED in your own words?
A: Elsa & Fred is a story about two people who, at the end of the road, discover that it’s never too late to love or to dream. Elsa always dreamed of a moment that Fellini had already envisaged: the scene of “La Dolce Vita” at the Fontana di Trevi. The same scene without Anita Ekberg in it but Elsa instead. Without Marcello Mastroiani but with that love that took so long to arrive. Elsa’s dream was also my dream: all my life I wanted to meet Fellini. It’s a story that teaches us that it’s never too late to live what we haven´t lived yet.It invites us to live with no fears.
Q: Why do you think that the emotional conquests of elderly people are always so endearing?
We had the privilege of interviewing Guy Maddin, director or BRAND UPON THE BRAIN and MY WINNIPEG and one of the most interesting minds in the film world. He talked about everything from his neediness as a narrator, what it means to be Canadian, and how he feels about blindingly hot underwear models. Check it out below.
Why do you like to do the live performer/orchestra thing…Why include live elements?
BRAND UPON THE BRAIN was the first time I did it and I kind of liked the transformation going on inside of me. I have all these state supported films and artists, so [normally]you feel like a filmmaker, with all the bad connotations that word has, and you feel like you’re making film for yourself - self-absorbed, selective, for a small audience. But when you introduce the live element, all of a sudden you feel like a showman and you really do want to make a connection with an audience. You really feel it when it’s live, because you don’t want any of the live performers to die on stage, so you really do become a showman that gives a shit. You just really care a lot, and at the end of the show the beer tastes unbelievable because you’re so relieved that you got through it, and then the adrenaline is there for the next time and usually I just finish a movie and watch it once or twice at the most and then file it away, but live shows, I was going nuts, I was watching them every night because each one is a different narrator and each one is a little different, it’s like a real experiment and experience to see the tiny differences, because the narrator plays such a small role, but makes a huge impact to set the tone for the whole thing -so it’s this big experience to me.
But I also just realized that there was far more or fewer empathy, I guess because they were scared something might happen, or desired that something might go wrong… maybe a certain part of everyone wanted something to go wrong…everyone sort of wants to see someone fall flat on their face- I don’t know, this kind of weird suspense you get from watching someone live.
We caught up with award-winning director Chai Vasarhelyi to discuss her newest film, documenting the extraordinary life and work of international super star Youssou N’dour.
