Top Five Filmmakers

Narrowing down our list of fifteen filmmakers was a bit of a task, but here is my pick for the five that I am going to contact (Please note that all contact information has been omitted):

1. Georgina Lightning

Country of Origin: Canada (Native American Filmmaker)

Filmography: Older than America (Director, 2008), Hanbleceya (Producer 2005), SawTooth (Producer, 2004), and DreamKeeper (Producer, 2003)

Biography: Lightning was raised with an abusive and alcoholic father, a trend that has become far to common amoungst Native American families. She attended a white school, along with her sister, which forced her to become a tough woman, a trait she would find very helpful. She cam to Los Angeles to study acting after she realized that was the best place for her to pursue her career. After arriving and getting a feel for the industry, she decided to take her fate in to her own hands and began working as a director, writer, and producer, as well as continuing her acting career (www.cowboysandindians.com).

I would really like to interview Georgina Lightning because she has taken major steps as both a woman and a Native American by directing a feature length film. She also has a lot of experience to draw from when making her films, and I would like to know a lot more about that experience and how it relates to her work.

2. Gurinder Chadha

Country of Origin: England

Filmography: Bend it Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), Paris je t'aime Quadis de Sine (2006), and Angus, and Thongs and Fully Front Snogging (2008).

Biography: Chadha is an English-Indian filmmaker, who's break out film Bend It Like Beckham, which was loosely based on her own life, made her a sough after female director (www.filmmonthly.com). Many of her films have some link to her Indian heritage in some way or another, and they often force people to examine their own prejudices.

Chadha has made herself into a prominent director despite the fact that she is a woman, and makes film that are both thought provoking and commercially successful. While her films vary, they have a common theme that she draws from her personal life, which is often times very hard to do. I think she would make an interesting interview subject because I would like to understand how she balances facts from her life with fiction in her films.

3. Chris Wiegand

Country of Origin: Great Britain

Bibliography: Federico Fellini and The Pocket Essential French New Wave

Biography: The most I could find about Wiegand is that he has written for many publications, including Boxoffice Magazine, getoutthere.bt.com, Spike and The Richmond Review (www.kamera.co.uk). He has also written the two books listed above, and maintains a blog for The Guardian (www.guardia.co.uk).

I am interested in interviewing Chris Wiegand because he is very knowledgeable on the French New Wave, which is one of my favorite movements in international cinema. I also think his take on the French New WAve will be different than that of older writer's because he is of my generation and therefore has had a different experience wit the movement.

4 . Vincenzo Natali

Country of Origin: Canada

Filmography: High Rise (2011), Splice (2009), Cube (1997), Paris je t'aime Quartier de la Madeleine (2006), Cypher (2002), and Nothing (2003)

Biography: Vincenzo Natali is a graduate of Ryerson University, and is currently a storyboard artist at Nelvana Animation Studios. He has also founded his own production company, Headspace (www.zoominfo.com).

Vincenzo Natali has a very interesting visual style as a director, and I would like to interview him to learn how he developed this style. As an upcoming director myself, I enjoy learning how other filmmakers develop their unique film voice.

5. Tom Tykwer

Country of Origin: Germany

Filmography: The International (2009), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), Paris je t'aime Faubourg Saint-Denis (2006), Run, Lola, Run (1998), True (2004), and Heaven (2002).

Biography: After completing high school, Tykwer was rejected from numerous film schools all over Europe, which lead to him moving to Berlin. There he worked as a projectionist until 1987, when he was named the programmer 'Moviemento' cinema. This allowed him to move into the role of contact point for German directors, as well as gave him the opportunity to read screenplays and interview his favorite filmmakers. He did not consider making his own films until Rosa von Praunheim challenged him to turn his life experiences into short films. Once he accepted the challenge, he was a filmmaker for life (www.tomtykwer.com).

I would like to interview Tom Tykwer because I am not only a fan of his Paris je t'aime segment, but also his film Run, Lola, Run, which I was introduced to while at Stephens. That film has stayed with me since my freshman year, because of its unique story line, and I would like to understand how the writer/director came up with that idea and many others.