Art Film Talk

Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick have been producing high-quality television (My So Called Life, thirtysomething) and film (Legends of the Fall, Blood Diamond) for quite some time. Recently the duo launched Quarterlife, a contemporary coming of age series being streamed on the web along with an integrated social network. A significant aspect of the show is that unlike most television properties today, the producers retain full creative control and ownership. In addition to being available on MySpace and their own web site, they recently made a deal with NBC to air the show next year.

I talk with Herskovitz about the origins of the project, its significance in the context of the writers strike, and what's different about producing for the internet compared to traditional film and television. Related to this interview is "Are the corporate suits ruining TV?," an editorial by Herskovitz which appeared in the Los Angeles Times on November 7, 2007 in which he argues that Network control and media consolidation are wringing the creativity out of entertainment.

Photo credit: Elisabeth Caren/quarterlife, the Art Film Talk theme music was composed by Colin Owens.

 Art Film Talk #23 Marshall Herskovitz [27:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Zev Berman co-wrote and directed Borderland, which opens today (Friday November 9, 2007) as part of the 8 Films to Die For Horror Fest taking place in 350 theaters throughout the United States. The film, based on true events, tells the story of three Americans on a road-trip south of the border who tangle with a cult practicing human sacrifice. We talk about the origins of the project, genre issues, casting, and the cinematographic techniques behind the look of the film. Borderland is his second feature-length film.

Borderland: Cast: Brian Presley, Martha Higareda, Jake Muxworthy, Rider Strong, Damian Alcazar, Sean Astin; Screenwriter: Zev Berman, Eric Poppen; Producers: Randall Emmett, George Furla, Lauren Moews, Elisa Salinas; Original Music: Andrés Levin; Cinematographer: Scott Kevan; Editor: Eric Strand; Production Designer: Tim Galvin; Set Decorator: Pachilu Moreno; Costume Designer: Monica Araiz.

 Art Film Talk #22 Zev Berman [24:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Florian Borchmeyer is co-director of Havana: The New Art of Making Ruins (2006, German title: "Havana - Die Neue Kunst Ruinen Zu Bauen") which won the Special Jury Award at the 2006 LA Latino International Film Festival.

This unique documentary traces the reflections and thoughts of a group of Havana residents who spend their days living in buildings on the verge of collapse. There is more to Havanas ruins than the facades romanticized in countless films and documentaries, their beauty resides in the poetry of its ruins and in the stories of the people who reside in them, serving as a metaphor for the gradual collapse of the city and Cuba's political system.

Havana: The New Art of Making Ruins is available from Cinema Guild. Credits: Produced by: Matthias Hentschler, Florian Borchmeyer; Screenwriter: Florian Borchmeyer; Director of Photography: Tanja Trentmann; Editor: Birgit Mild; Sound: Frank Schreiner.Produced by: Matthias Hentschler, Florian Borchmeyer; Screenwriter: Florian Borchmeyer; Director of Photography: Tanja Trentmann; Editor: Birgit Mild; Sound: Frank Schreiner.

Special thanks to Elissa Mintz who edited this episode. Theme music by Colin Owens.

 ArtFilmTalk #21 [16:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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David Tames talks with David Redmon (Director, Producer, and Editor) and Ashley Sabin (Associate Producer) about their documentary film, Mardi Gras: Made in China (2005, 72 min.). The film presents a fascinating critique of globalization by following Mardi Gras beads from their origin to destination. David Redmon take us from the revelers on Bourbon Street where he askes the question, where do the beads came from? to the factory in China where they are made and back again.

Mardi Gras: Made in China was among the best documentaries to emerge from the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and it is screening in colleges this fall. Visit the Mardi Gras: Made in China Web Site for information on screenings and copies of the DVD. The home video the DVD will soon be available.

This is part one of the interview. The conversation continues in the next episode with a discussion on the decision to self-distribute, the technical aspects of the film, and what's next for them. The interview was recorded on April 30, 2006 in the Boston Public Garden on the weekend of the Boston premiere of the film.

 Art Film Talk Episode 17 [16:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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David Tames talks with Chris Paine, director of the new film Who Killed the Electric Car, at the 15th Woods Hole Film Festival.

The film chronicles the life and mysterious death of the GM EV1 electric car, examining its cultural and economic effects and how they reverberated through the halls of government and big business. In 1990 California passed the Zero Emissions Mandate (ZEV) which encouraged the commercialization of the electric car. But the electric car threatened the status quo. The film tries to get at the truth behind its demise through interviews with automakers, legislators, engineers, consumers and car enthusiasts. The film is currently in theaters, so see the film and tell a friend.

Coverage of the Woods Hole Film Festival will continue in the next episode.

 Art Film Talk Episode #14 [12:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Colin Owens talks with Jeffu, the director behind the Film "Day of the Cabbage." The film is finishing post-production and will feature an all-vegetable cast, a cabbage villian and bushels of protagonists. Jeff's work is informed by Jet Li, as well as monster movies, William Wegman and others. "Day of the cabbage" will be released shortly and will be available for viewing at a film festival or farm stand near you.

Direct access to interview: artfilmdesign-2005-11-08 (MP3, 12:16, 5.41MB).

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