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| SXSW '08 Interview: "Agile Mobile Hostile" Directors Tricia Todd and Eric Matthies |
by William Goss
The "Agile Mobile Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams" Pitch: "Andre Williams has written and recorded hit records and has worked with music industry legends, including Berry Gordy, Ike Turner and Stevie Wonder. Andre has also struggled throughout his life with addiction, poverty, homelessness and the legal system. Throughout his 72 years, Andre has never stopped driving his creative visions forward, regardless of cost or consequence. But during the course of a single year, these consequences turn out to be heartbreaking and severe as his addictive history catches up with him."
Describe your movie using the smallest number of words possible.
"Agile Mobile Hostile" is a documentary about one of the great living legends of American music that most folks have never heard of. To learn about Andre is to reflect on 50 years of rock and roll from a perspective seldom seen, while simultaneously following the ups and downs of his life that reflect the human experience.
Is this your first trip to SXSW? Got any other film festival experience?
Eric: First time to the film festival part of SX, having attended the music fest in the past. Our previous film, "Ayamye*", premiered at Santa Barbara and toured with the Bicycle Film Festival.
Tricia: My family is in Austin, so the festival was always a good way for me to see friends. Since most of my friends came for the music part, I tended to time my return home to coincide. My favorite part of the festival is being able to come to Austin to see family and eat Mexican food.
Back when you were a little kid, and you were asked that inevitable question, your answer would always be "When I grow up, I want to be a..." what?
Eric: Fire dept. rescue diver.
Tricia: I always wanted to be on the S.W.A.T. team. I liked the outfits.
Not including your backyard and your dad's Handycam, how did you get your real "start" in filmmaking?
Eric: First film project was a 16mm movie for Alva Skateboards in 1986. Went on to shoot music videos for Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Public Enemy and others before gravitating toward documentaries in far-flung places.
Tricia: While I was in school at the San Francisco Art Institute. After that I moved to Los Angeles & became a personal assistant for a Hollywood star & got to spend time on sets. I fell in love with all aspects of film making.
Do you feel any differently about your film now that you know it's on "the festival circuit?"
No.
Of all the Muppets, which one do you most relate to?
Eric: FRAZZLE, cuz he's crazy but still smart.
Tricia: Kermit… he likes to ride bikes & so do I.
During production, did you ever find yourself thinking ahead to film festivals, paying customers, good & bad reviews, etc?
Yes, and then wake up from the dream/nightmare.
How did this film get rolling at the beginning? Give us a brief history from writing to production to post to just last night.
Love for Andre. Idea to make film. Find Andre. Get Andre's permission and participation. Start shooting next day in Chicago. Continue shooting, interviewing folks important to Andre's history and following Andre to shows, recording sessions, etc. After nine months, Tricia began to string out the selects and create the rough outline of the film. We shot for an additional 5 or 6 months, got Michelle (editor) on board. Had some test screenings, brought in Scott on graphics, powered through to the finish.
If you could share one massive lesson that you learned while making this movie, what would it be?
Be ready for anything. The doc you start out to make needs the ability to breathe, grow, live and change, and you need to be willing and able to adapt to that.
What actor would you cast as a live-action Homer Simpson?
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Say you landed a big studio contract tomorrow, and they offered you a semi-huge budget to remake, adapt, or sequelize something. What projects would you tackle?
Not a big fan of remakes and sequels, I'd create an adaptation culled from a variety of film noir, graphic novel and documentary stories.
Finish this sentence: If I weren't a filmmaker, I'd almost definitely be...
Eric: A chef.
Tricia: A writer.
Have you 'made it' yet? If not, what would have to happen for you to be able to say "Yes, wow. I have totally made it!"?
I strive to make tomorrow better than today.
Honestly, how important are film critics nowadays?
Informed, researched criticism is always of value. Opinionated infotainment is what it is.
You're told that your next movie must have one product placement on board, but you can pick the product. What would it be?
A bicycle.
You're contractually obligated to deliver an R-rated film to your producers. The MPAA says you have to delete a sex scene that's absolutely integral to the film or you're getting an NC-17. How do you handle it?
I'd fight to keep it in.
What's your take on the whole "a film by DIRECTOR" issue? Do you feel it's tacky, because hundreds (or at least dozens) of people collaborate to make a film - or do you think it's cool, because ultimately the director is the final word on pretty much everything?
It's true that many people contribute to the final film, but films are not made by democratic process. A good director respects their crew and finds ways to ensure that everyone gets acknowledged for their collaboration; ultimately, those people cannot do their best work unless the leader – the director – has clarity of vision and confidence in themselves and in their collaborators.
In closing, we ask you to convince the average movie-watcher to choose your film instead of the trillion other options they have. How do you do it?
Andre's music has already touched your life without you knowing it's Andre. His story is an anecdotal history of our culture, his path is familiar to anyone who has struggled with success, failure, vice and ego. Anyone can write a fantasy, adapt a comic book or retread an old plot – documentaries give us inspiration and entertainment that comes from the core of everyone's experience – real life.
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Eric Matthies and Tricia Todd's Agile Mobile Hostile will play as part of the 2008 South By Southwest's "Special Screenings" slate. For more information, click here.
link directly to this feature at http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/feature.php?feature=2434
originally posted: 03/05/08 10:04:30
last updated: 03/05/08 10:06:53
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