|
"Illuminations" Vol. 1 | Issue 4
Independent filmmaking has long been the vessel for those who want to release artistic and thoughtful film without the presence of a studio or distributor ruling over their content. In that, independent filmmakers are given much more leeway with their work than any other directors. Of course, there are some more commercially based filmmakers who seem to be able to get away with murder in their films, mostly due to their previous experience. You are only as good as your last film, after all. But, I digress. It is truly a fascinating experience watching an independent film: when reality is turned on its head, when you are provided a different taste to savour, when your world is suddenly that much weirder. Thrilling stuff. The only trouble is, people are too quick to call out their government and cultural industries over ignoring independent film, both distribution wise and providing financing to the production crews. In this, they are ignoring the successes that do exist.
Michelle Millette knows only too well what can befall an independent film: she and a crew of people got together a few years ago and shot the feature film Douglas, but technology through lack of financial support failed them and they ended up losing 900 gigabytes of footage. Without infrastructure, many productions fail to get off the ground, get completed or find any sort of success in the film industry. That said, the determination and passion to get the films made often overcome these adverse occurrences: for example, Douglas begins its re-shoot this year with a fresher mind and an eye for victory. The loss of the first shoot of Douglas may have been devastating, but there’s a certain kind of dedication that creatives have when they drag themselves off of the floor, dust themselves off and march once more into the fray.
These kinds of stories, of failure turned success, crop up occasionally within the entertainment industry, but there is often not enough coverage available for independent filmmakers and their stories. As a result, the majority of the public do not even know half the time that independent film exists and is available for them to watch! Yes, not all independent films get wide enough theatrical release, and yes, not all of them are successful, but they are still there. For my own personal means, I believe that independent films provide a far more interesting experience precisely because these teams have gone through so much to get them created. They are infused with the passion of the team--often a far more exciting experience than watching films by directors who seem much rather to be doing something else.
Gary Yates, director, producer and writer of the heist film High Life, gave a talk this week in one of my classes, and the thing that struck me the most was his passion to get things done, and his calm attitude in going about it. He knows what the industry is like and how it ticks, especially right here in Canada, but he does not let it get in his way. As with anything you want to create, you have to keep pushing until you find success, and even then the push never stops.
I know it sounds horrible, but I feel that independent film needs to have these obstacles to overcome. Of course, I might feel differently when I begin working on professional independent productions, but for now I think we need to stop griping and start looking around at the film we do have available to us.
In the meantime, be sure to check out these Independent Films:
The Squid and the Whale
High Life
Welcome to the Dollhouse
If you have any favourites, feel free to share them by posting a comment J.
Trackback(0)
 |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed