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| VIFF ’06 Interview – Northern Lights director David Lammers |
Northern Lights at VIFF (www.viff.org) |
by Jason Whyte
“During warm summer days we see father Lucien and Mitchell fall out with each other. “Northern Lights” is a film with a small story and much atmosphere. My aim was to recreate the summer feeling in the North of Amsterdam. It’s not a film with a catchy tagline. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the movie, that’s what I would say.” Director David Lammers on “Northern Lights”, which screens at the 25th Vancouver International Film Festival (Which ends on Friday).
Could you give me a little look into your background (your own personal biography, if you will), and what led you to the desire to want to make film?
I studied film at the Dutch Film and Television Academy. I realized I wanted to make films when living in Russia for a few months, be it that I started out studying documentaries. Later I switched to fiction films, although my main source of inspiration still is the life I see around me, the way people move, talk, sunlight, dark night etc.
While you were making the movie, were you thinking about the future release of the film, be it film festivals, paying customers, critical response, and so forth?
First of all, I love watching good movies. So when making the film, the only question I ask myself is: Would I want to see this? I have made several shorter films now and from the reactions I got, I [truly] feel I can rely on my intuition with some basic rules of filmmaking I learned through the years. Furthermore, Northern Lights is a small budget independent film, so I didn’t have to deal with what private investors, studios, or what other commercial companies wanted the film to look like.
How did this project come to fruition? If you could, please provide me with a rundown, start to finish, from your involvement.
The film is funded by the Dutch Film Fund and public television. It was part of a contest for scriptwriters. I wrote the script in the late winter of 2004 and early spring of 2005 and we shot the film that summer. Post production finished one week before the premiere at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam in January 2006.
What was the biggest challenge in the production of the movie, be it principal photography or post-production?
[Due to] certain commitments we had to work rather quickly which was quite a challenge. There were times when I wished I’d have a bit more time to think things over, but I had to continue, trust the skills of my crew and myself.
Please tell me about the technical side of the film; your relation to the film’s cinematographer, what the film was shot on and why it was decided to be photographed this way.
I have worked with my cinematographer Lennert Hillege since film school. We graduated together and after that we shot several shorts and television films. We both like to take available light as a starting point. We were able to shoot on 35mm, which in Holland is not a guarantee when working with a (relatively) low budget. I also decided not have the film digitally color-corrected (digital intermediate) but to have the negative cut, like in the old days. Partly for budget reasons, but I felt this way I wouldn’t be tempted to give the film this slick look. Instead, I knew the film would have the natural celluloid look; crisp and with contrast between the different locations and times of the day. I love colour contrast.
Talk a bit about the festival experiences, if any, that you have had with this particular film. Have you had any interesting audience stories or questions that have arisen at screenings? (This can also apply to non-festival screenings as well, if you have had one.)
Of course I mainly hear the positive reactions. This area of Amsterdam has quite a bad reputation; many people who watched it were surprised to see how it looked. People from the area said: ‘Yes, that’s how we live.’ Vancouver is the first festival abroad I am visiting with this film. So I am extremely curious to hear the reactions of the audience.
Who would you say your biggest inspirations are in the film world (directors, actors, cinematographers, etc)? Did you have any direct inspirations from filmmakers for this film in particular?
Of course there is the big list of all time great directors. The most inspiring I find is current filmmakers who keep searching, developing their own style and who don’t rely on what has brought them success in the past and instead have their own style of filming. [As for filmmakers] Claire Denis, Michael Winterbottom, Bruno Dumont, Lynne Ramsay.
How far do you think you would want to go in this industry? Do you see yourself directing larger stories for a larger budget under the studio system, or do you feel that you would like to continue down the independent film path?
For the moment I prefer to continue making small, independent movies to further develop my own style of filming and my own way of story telling. If, one day, somebody with a big bag of money thinks my style is worth an investment I’ll gladly make a bigger budget movie.
If you weren’t in this profession, what other career do you think you would be interested in?
Policeman.
Please tell me some filmmakers or talent that you would love to work with, even if money was no object.
Agnes Godard, Al Pacino, Walter Murch, Tom Yorke, Scarlett Johansson, Philip Seymour Hofman, Massive Attack…to name a few.
Do you think that you have “made it” in this profession yet? If you don’t believe so, what do you think would happen for that moment to occur?
There are moments when such a thought occurs, and it lasts perhaps one day. I find ‘having it made’ quite a useless concept.
How important do you think the critical/media response is to film these days, be it a large production, independent film or festival title?
For large productions I think critical response is unimportant, due to the large marketing budgets. Like the inventor of the high concept film, producer Don Simpson, once said looking out over the crowd on a beach in Miami: “We decide what these people want to watch.” For other movies it is still important, although it also largely depends on the amount of weeks the theatres are willing to show a movie.
If your film could play in any movie theatre in the world, which one would you choose?
I was happy it was shown in the best theatres in Amsterdam, and it is still being shown in cinemas in the Netherlands, and at international film festivals.
Do you have an opinion on the issue of “A Film by (Insert Director Here)” ? Is this something you use? Many people collaborate to make a film yet simultaneously, the director is the final word on the production.
It depends on who initiated the film. Since I wrote the script and directed the film in my own style, Northern Lights has ‘A film by David Lammers’ at the start. But this is definitely not mandatory to me. It really depends on how big the creative influence of one person is. I myself do like to see films by certain directors; films that are so personal they couldn’t be made be anyone else. I find in logical that they have this title in the beginning.
What would you say to someone on the street to see your film instead of the latest blockbuster playing at the Paramount?
Care for something different? If you’re not in a hurry, come and see my film. It won’t disappoint you. I wouldn’t say anything else, as I believe in going to the movies knowing as little as possible.
No doubt there are a lot of aspiring filmmakers at film festivals who are out there curious about making a film of their own. Do you have any advice that you could provide for those looking to get a start?
I enjoyed film school as it was a great way to meet and work with people for four years; searching, creating, building long lasting relationships and growing together. That gave me a very solid basis to continue my career.
And finally…what is your all time favourite motion picture, and why?
This differs from time to time. I have been overwhelmed by Beau Travail by Claire Denis because of the atmosphere as well as the strength of sound, image and editing. Also, for the way the plot has been brought down to a minimum, leaving room for the essential elements of film: sound, image and editing.
But when I see for example Apocalypse Now, La Dolce Vita, A Woman Under The Influence and so forth, I can still think: is there a better film possible.
Note: This is the last of the interviews for coverage of the VIFF this year. Stay tuned for a wrap-up article early next week featuring the best, worst and comments about various other activities at the film festival.
The 25th Vancouver International Film Festival runs from September 28th to October 13th, 2006. To see when this film is playing, and for more information on other screenings, happenings and what is going on at this year’s VIFF, point your browser to viff.org. – Jason Whyte, jasonwhyte@efilmcritic.com
link directly to this feature at http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/feature.php?feature=1979
originally posted: 10/11/06 07:29:21
last updated: 10/11/06 07:32:08
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