Jon Peters: In an interview I found, you were quoted as saying “I always wanted to make a horror film, but not with bloody axes and chain-saws. An anonymous fear should rather creep up at you.” I find that interesting, because many would consider your Nosferatu an anonymous character of fear creeping up on a victim from your 1979 film. What defines horror to you and what differentiates the horror between these two films?

Werner Herzog: I think that My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done is clearly different than Nosferatu, which was set in the structures of a genre film. What you were quoting is exactly what I really wanted to do, having some anonymous of fear creeping up on you and that what defines the film best.

Jon: Is that what intrigued you about the loosely based true story on Mark Yavorsky?

Herzog: Yes, but in a way but of course, it was also just a great, strange, story there. There was a great, strange connection between this ancient Greek tragedy and his murder case of matricide, with a strange element of standing still and music. So there’s a whole bundle of things that were fascinating to me.

Jon: How did this story come to you?

Herzog: Through a collaborator of mine, Herbert Golder, who is the co-writer. He is a professor of classics at Boston University and has quite often been my assistant director and he crossed this murder case because he’s fascinated in staging Greek dramas. Like in this play, the lead has to murder his own mother and Yavorsky ended up murdering his mother with s stage prop sword. So we rewrote the screenplay together, with a huge amount of background documentation, revelations by forensic scientists, and just piles and piles of documentation. I just got lost in this and told him let’s just fart this [screenplay] out together, otherwise I wouldn’t know how to do it. We were in Europe and I told him I’ll take you to this place in the mountains of Austria, so you can go before we write this together. He looked at me and said: “I’ll give you five days.” [laughs] And we wrote it together.

Jon: I understand for a brief time you met the real Mark Yavorsky. Did you this process productive or hindering at all, especially since he was argumentative and even created a shrine to Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)?

Herzog: Upon meeting him, I immediately understood that it was a mistake. For a film maker, sometimes it’s best to stay away from your sources. It would have been completely disruptive continuing to meet him at the maximum security facility he was at, you could tell he was just not kosher. Stay away from him, keep your distance, created your character from him, and that’s what I told Michael Shannon. He was very interested in hearing the tape records and even wanted to imitate his voice, and I said: “You will not have access to him, we have to invent the character, invent him new, shape him our way, by you, Michael Shannon.”

You do this types of imitations if it’s like a Muhammad Ali. You have to have Ali’s ravings, rants, raps, you cannot invent him. But Mark Yavorsky you had to invent.

Jon: How and when did you know you wanted Michael Shannon for the Brad McCullum role and was his theater background that made him an intriguing choice for a role where the character?

Herzog: I only saw Michael Shannon in one film prior, and I’m sorry I don’t remember which, but it wasn’t the film that he got the Academy Award nomination [Revolutionary Road], and I saw him and immediately said that’s the right man to do the film. I contacted him and said let’s warm up, since I was doing Bad Lieutenant and had a strong part for him. I said: “Do this and let’s warm up, see how we are together.” After we were done with that, he received the Academy Award nomination, and I was very proud of him. He had no problem with the burden of being the central character in the movie. I completely trusted him.

Jon: Is that because of his theater background?

Herzog: I didn’t even know he had a theater background until we did this film.

Jon: How and when did David Lynch come to you for this collaboration, and if any, how was it working with a film maker like Lynch?

Herzog: Eric Bassett was the producer and he had worked with David for ten years and David Lynch was present at a discussion talking about making films with a contained budget but with the best of the best actors and he caught fire wanting to help or to push the film along. He is a dream. He has a credit as an executive producer. He wasn’t on-set or had a hand in the screenplay, but in spirit we were close and his enthusiasm some how pushed it over the brink and got it into production.

Jon: How close were the productions of Bad Lieutenant and My Son, My Son?

Herzog: They were partially overlapping and initially I planned on doing My Son, My Son first. Bad Lieutenant somehow stumbled into me and there was a very narrow opportunity to do it, due to Nicholas Cage’s schedule. I jumped into it and decided to do My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done afterward.

Jon: Besides your connection to the Urubamba River, what was it about the story and Michael Shannon’s character that made you want to go back there for some scenes, when the production was all the way in San Diego?

Herzog: In fact, the real story, Mark Yavorsky was in Pakistan and he came back changed. He was in some real bad places which are causing major issues in Pakistan now. I wanted to go there for those scenes to film, but it was becoming clear it wouldn’t be wise to pack up and take an American movie star into Northwestern Pakistan in such a volatile area. We would have been prime time targets. So what would have the next best raging river? I said “Oh yes, I know the Urubamba in Peru. I’ve been there a couple of times, so let’s go there.”

Jon: You shot the film with the RED ONE camera, yet you were displeased working with the camera. Can you explain how the camera was chosen, the frustration using it, and the final product it produced?

Herzog: I wouldn’t say frustration, but there was a couple of things. Number one, I’m a man of celluloid and it still has superior qualities. The RED camera was at that time still an immature camera, it was basically a huge computer and you couldn’t just shoot, it always had to boot. Also, the camera doesn’t have the mechanical precision as say the Panavision cameras, and there was the system of the lens’ and how to hold the lens’. But it’s okay, I saw a point in saving money and shot it with the RED. I’m sure the Red camera has improved meanwhile.

Jon: Another key collaboration on the film was with Peter Zeitlinger. Can you explain working with Peter for the eleventh time and what he brought to this film?

Herzog: He managed, even thoug I don’t think he had ever worked with the RED camera either. The bigger problem was with the sound since we were not very far from the San Diego Airport, and we had like 60 second intervals to shoot before 10-15 minutes of roaring airplanes over our head.

Jon: My Son, My Son and Bad Lieutenant share some thematic links, but I noticed the position animals play in the films. From the iguanas and alligators in Bad Lieutenant to the flamingos and ostriches in My Son, what do you think are animals relationship to their environment in an urban setting, as compared and opposed to some of your films exploring man’s relationship with nature out in the wild?

Herzog: Well, your question is coming too heavily. [laughs] But in my films I always loved working with animals and directing animals. I can’t really explain if there’s any big systematic thinking behind it or the big master plan behind it. I love animals and take Bad Lieutenant, they’re the weirdest of the weird. In my new film about the caves [The Cave of Forgotten Dreams] you even seen a radioactive alligator! It’s as wild as it can get.

Jon: You narrated a Ramin Bahrani short film called the Plastic Bag that will be on the DVD. When I talked to him (here) a long while ago, he was very eager for the film, and the final product was a touching film. Can you explain working with Bahrani and on the film?

Herzog: He is such a talented young man. When it comes to these younger guys like Bahrani, who admire my work and if I can help them, I’ll be there anyway I can working for them.

Jon: Finally, your next is a documentary called The Cave of Forgotten Dreams which is about the Chauvet Cave. You had some unique working conditions for the film, yet even with those restrictions you chose to also film it in 3D.

Herzog: It was very difficult because we could only move on a two-foot walk way and could never step off. So, the strange thing is we are shooting it in 3D, but the cool thing is we all had to line-up in a straight line, one-dimension like. There was no way around it for the crew, we’re all lined up in one-dimension, so they’re in it a lot.

Jon: As a director who has been working in the field for decades, what was the appeal of 3D for this film and what do you think are the pros and cons of the format?

Herzog: You have to see the film and in less than three weeks at Toronto at the festival you can. It was a wonderful choice to shot it in 3D. You’ll know it when you see it, let me not explain all of the details. Some 3D is good, otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered. I will not do a romantic-comedy in 3D! I think you know what I mean.

First Look Studios is releasing My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done on DVD September 14th and look for a wider release for The Cave of Forgotten Dreams in 2011.

They offer plenty of classics like Planet of the Apes and The Searchers, but let us pick some of the more interesting titles you might overlook in Killer Film’s Top 10 Netflix Watch Instantly’s!

Jon:

5 -Skills Like This

I originally reviewed the film on DVD (here), and I’m happy this great little comedy is now on Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ channel for all you can enjoy. What if you were good at stealing? This clever and humorous film has a neat Denver flavor to it and was a SXSW darling.

4 -King Corn

This little documentary was a precursor to Food, Inc. as it follows to guys who were interested in seeing where a kernel of corn goes. They soon find a shading business in which High Fructose Corn Syrup and government subsidiaries are the enemies to our obesity epidemic.  There’s lots of great selections in their documentary channel, but put this higher above the others.

3 -God Told Me to…

Looking through the horror genre, Netflix’s selection feature a lot of C-grade crap, but this smart little 1970′s gem should be your ticket for some late night thrills. Larry Cohen directs this great film, one of my favorites from him, and it all leads to a thrilling and unexpected conclusion.

2 -Paradise Now

Some of you might have caught this back in 2005, but this brilliant look at two young Palestinians who are drafted as suicide bombers, get a raw look at a different side of the terrorist world. Looking for a good drama, you just found it.

1 -Chop Shop

I’ve been on the Ramin Bahrani bandwagon since this film, and while he only has three films under his belt, this is his best and most riveting. A little boy struggles to find the American Dream in a lost place behind Shea Stadium in New York. I really don’t want to talk about it too much, because the discover of this powerful, emotional, and warming drama should be left now up to you.

Donny:

5 – Pan’s Labyrinth

This is a beautiful film from beginning to end. Guillermo del Toro brings an amazing world to life and teaches important lessons in this picture, which merits multiple viewings.

4- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Another beautiful movie that sticks in your head for a long time after watching it. The fact that I can log into Netflix and watch this anytime I want to makes me smile.

3 – Fletch

Classic Chevy Chase! This is one of the best comedies I’ve ever seen. It’s got it all, cool disguises, hot ladies, an awesome hero, and a rocking soundtrack!

2 – Brick

This flick is one of the most unique movies I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen it at least 20 times and I’m not even a little tired of it.

1- The Breakfast Club

One of my favorite movies of all time! I get a sinking feeling if I don’t watch it at least once a year.

We’re getting a sense that this might be an on-going Top 10, but what are yours? Anything you would recommend to us to see and review? Let us know below in our comments section!

If you don’t have a Netflix account then click here to get one.

Each critic will admit to something different, but after you un-belt your pants, due to all of the food you just ate, sit back and relax, and let’s give thanks to these five, for making 2009 pretty cool:

5- The Return of Horror – It seems to run in cycles, every few years horror becomes good again, after a drought, this year was a stellar year. Now, to each their own, but I was pleasantly pleased with the vast majority of horror this year, ranging from studio films, indie, direct-to-DVD, everything seemed to click. Vampires are all the rage again, thanks (or not) to Twilight, but somewhere lost in the talk of vampires, was the re-emergence of the slasher. Robert Hall’s Laid to Rest featured a mean, slick new killer in ChromeSkull, violent, ultra bloody deaths, and felt like a proper film a slasher should be. Dave Parker’s Hills Run Red felt that way too.

In the mainstream, Jason returned in a decent remake and so did Harry Warden in a 3-D My Bloody Valentine. Cheap thrills, but lots of fun. For me, the slasher that stands tall this year was The Collector. Inventive, sick, violent, and a super cool new killer in the Collector, this flick hurt me. Huh? I took a dear friend, and due to the film’s intensity and level of gore, she put a death grip on my arm, so much so, that she left little bruises where her fingers were. Thanks Marcus Dunstan!

Slashers aside, Drag Me to Hell rocked, Grace was neat, Haunted World of el Superbeasto was worth the wait, Orphan surprised, Trick ‘r Treat is a new classic, Saw VI was an impressive capper, Paranormal Activity was the scariest thing since Bush was elected to a second term, Zombieland was all sorts of awesome, and while there were a few clunkers, can we say thanks for Horror’s return in 2009?

4 – Steven Soderbergh - Three diverse genres, three awesome films. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to get one good film every3-4 years from a director, but Soderbergh gave us three great films, and all completely different from one another. In Che, he gave us an epic 5 and a half hour bio on the radical Che Guevara. It’s a long sweeping film, covering two key areas of his life. Del Toro IS Che, and owns the role in a completely gripping manner. The battle scenes are loud and spontaneous, but just as interesting as the psychology of Che. Should be a great Criterion disc, when they release it.

Soderbergh.

The Girlfriend Experience gets Soderbergh in his “let’s pick up an HD camera, and film something” mentality, and he films the gorgeous beyond words, Sasha Grey. Interesting, clever, experimental, the film lands itself a month prior to the election of Barack Obama, finding conversation on the crashing economy on the tips of everyone’s tongue, even that of a callgirl. Grey is really good in her first non-porn film, and his HD films are always worth a look.

Finally, Soderbergh’s The Informant! proves 2009 was the year of Soderbergh, as this film does an about face from the prior two, and is a dark humored look at shady pricing in the food industry. I’ll agree these three films aren’t masterpieces and are at times a bit flawed, but I’ll be damned if Soderbergh didn’t give me something to talk about after seeing these films, making me thankful a director like Soderbergh doesn’t flinch at taking chances, and never repeats himself.

3- X-Men: The Animated Series on DVD…finally! – Well, what took so long? Seriously though, the rights issue debacle kept this wonderful series in limbo forever. Luckily, I’m not the only rabid fan of this show out there, as this was the most request TV series around, and thankfully, Buena Vista/Disney listened! With all the hype for these discs, one thing was lost to us: would they hold up after over a decade of being out of syndication?

The classic animated show returns.

Quickly, after popping in Volume 1, the answer was yes, they are still as good as they were all those years ago. Sadly, there’s no extras on these discs, but lucky for you, I’m a huge nerd for this wonderful animated show, and if you search around, I got interviews with the producers, writers, and voice cast, making me incredibly thankful to relive each of the episodes forever…in constant loop…forever…and ever.

2 – Ramin Bahrani – Goodbye Solo is a superb film, one of the year’s best, and yet why are only myself and Ebert championing this great, young American independent director? Last year, his Chop Shop was one of the best reviewed movies of that year, and again, with Goodbye Solo it too, is one of the year’s best reviewed films. What is it with Bahrani that we love? He is incredibly sincere, and it shows within his films. Mature characters that are wholly American, even if their nationality is not of European descent. Bahrani usually works with so-called non-actors, and has a very still approach to his visual style, all of which sucks you up into the story he is telling. Powerful, moving, and all independent, I mean true, blue independent.

Bahrani directing.

He’ll shoot a movie with a $1.oo or $100,000, doesn’t matter because the end result is so moving and well-done, all you can say is thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bahrani for making a superb film in Goodbye Solo and being a true filmmaker. You know characters and stories worth telling, and you don’t cheat the audience or the characters. Hollywood is too shortsighted for your talents; do what you do, and continue, because your film is perhaps the best film of 2009.

1 – Blu-ray – Isn’t it silly to give thanks to a format, nearly three years old? They finally got it right this year, after finding themselves through innovation and quality. Discs are cheaper now, players have came down in price, and our favorite films have come out in stunning HD. What’s not to love? Sadly, the weak economy has put a damper on Blu-ray, because people, at least half, are strapped for cash, and currently DVD works for them. Also, Blu-ray has been fighting a tougher enemy than HD-DVD was: Digital downloading and online streaming. Despite the economy and downloading, Blu-ray is a head, and here is why:

First, the economy. Now, times might be tough, and something like a $20-$30 disc isn’t a top priority for some. Cool, but recessions always end, and we love movies. As soon as the economy picks up a bit more, and disc and player prices keep this new lower price tags, the Average Joe (a key buyer us film fans forget) will jump on board. Why? Well, he/she has already bought the HDTV, and has enjoyed either seeing HD movies via cable or satellite or have witnessed an upconverted DVD. It’s cool, and with these lower prices, and that $1000-$3000 TV sitting there, he/she will want to maximize that unit.

Two, don’t underestimate us film fans. We love movies, and Blu-ray is offering our favorites in 1080p, sometimes in stunning restorations, and solid extras. The collecting mentality can be squashed by the majority’s decisions, see Laserdisc’s quick life that was lost to DVD, but DVD made everyone into a collector. Collectors are gamers too, and the PS3 is the best Blu-ray player on the market.

Third, Digital downloading and online streaming will only cut into the rental market, not home video. I know, there are some saps that illegally download films, and I don’t know why. Why would you do that, when you forked over over a $1000 for an HD TV, maybe over $300 plus on surround sound, a $50 or more HDMI cable, to watch a shaky cam in Thai subtitles or a shoddy 480p copy, when you shelled out that much on that equipment? You really want to sit in front of your computer all day watch a film? Not me, and not people who love the cinema. I’ll admit, if that’s one thing that is holding back Blu-ray, it’s the fact that there’s a handful of things to do, in order to get the best picture and sound. First, a quality HDTV that’s 1080p and preferably 120HZ. Next, surround sound, and one that’s a separate receiver, with a speaker set, and a 10 inch sub. Then the cables, and a player. Expensive, yes, but worth in the long run.

I don’t mean to sound like a sales rep for Blu-ray. I am and will always be, a film fan. Blu-ray offers me my favorite movies, regardless of age, genre, color, black and white, the best possible experience. Blu-ray got it right this year. Watchmen from WB was a superb disc, Repulsion from Criterion proved why Blu-ray is the format of choice for black and white films, Up was so good it hurt my eyes (in a good way), I could go on and on, about my favorite discs, but I just got to thank this format for being the end all, be all in home video for years to come.

That’s what I’m thankful for this year, what about you? Feel free to leave a comment or email me at jon@killerfilm.com

The Film:

I pray Hollywood never steals away Ramin Bahrani from the independent scene. Goodbye Solo, his third film, might be his finest yet, but more importantly, it’s abundantly clear that he is one of America’s best directors working. Then again, maybe Bahrani can inject some originality into Hollywood? Three quiet masterpieces into his career and I bet only critics know of him. Let me enlighten you.

Ramin Bahrani is a director that works with his actors months prior to shooting. This approach gives us characters that live and breathe before and after we visit them during the course of a 90 minute running time. This approach isn’t new, but it creates a pseudo-documentary feel to the subjects, something that I think he now owns. He also focuses on stories that we should call Americana, but aren’t your typical subjects for that term. The melting pot that is America is so rarely explored with intelligence, Bahrani could be making his own genre up. Man Push Cart (his first feature) focuses on a Pakistan man living and working in New York City. In Chop Shop, one of my personal top ten films from 2008, Ale is followed as he lives and works within an unseen community behind Shea Stadium. Goodbye Solo is no different; Solo is an African working in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as a taxi driver, with bigger aspirations. Bahrani eyes pockets of life in places we don’t normally see, and I find it refreshing. America is all about its multiculturalism, yet we really only seem to hear about clichéd stories on typical struggles. But Bahrani isn’t concerned with what’s a minority or simple stuff like that. While his films focus on minorities on the surface level, deeper down, his films talk about life or a way of life, in America.

Goodbye Solo might seem simple. We’re introduced to Solo and his passenger William in the taxi as William offers him a $1000, no questions asked, to take him in a week to the top of the mountains. Solo asks why, and William tells him its none of his business. Bahrani explores deeper issues, like regret, friendship, and respect, within this setup. The film will stay with you long after you leave the theater, much like his previous two films, and I credit that to his work with the actors months prior to shooting. Souleymane Sy Savane as Solo is a force of power, highly energetic, likable, a hopeless optimist, Solo is more alive in these 90 minutes than most characters are ever explored. There’s resonance to the performance, a sense of pain hidden underneath Souleymane’s wonderful smile. His little boy wonder and curiosity about William’s doings are contagious. Solo is a guy I wish I could know.

Speaking of William, played by Red West (a former Elvis bodyguard!), there’s so much angst and sadness in his eyes, you too want to help him like Solo. You get this sense of years of pain bubbling under the surface, only to have Bahrani find him and cast him. We, film goers, will see some great performances this year, but mark my words, you won’t see two more emotionally powerful, realistic performances than these this year.

Goodbye Solo is a great, great film. Go see it for the acting and if you’re a drama fan, but you’ll appreciate it long after the viewing because of where the characters go. Bahrani and his cinematographer Michael Simmonds have such a keen eye to linger on faces and shots all in service of the theme or story. Solo and William have lived long before we met them, and you’ll be wondering about them long after the film ends. This approach to Bahrani’s films show his passion, dedication, and his keen sense of purpose on the creation of a film. That’s why Bahrani is our, America’s, best working director.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: Lionsgate has released a solid presentation for the film. The audio serves the film naturally. We won’t get much audio ambiance since that isn’t Bahrani’s style, so all we can expect is clear audio for the dialogue, and we get that. The picture is really good, capturing all of the colors and lighting, as seen theatrically. Good job on this film.

Commentary: Bahrani is teamed here with his cinematographer, Michael Simmons, and be prepared for a great track, full of information. Bahrani is very knowledgeable and warm is his delivery, making it feel like a comfortable lecture. Anyone interested in his films and style, this is a must listen.

Trailers

Conclusion: I feel redundant, but Goodbye Solo is a really great film that you need to seek out immediately. Lionsgate’s DVD is pretty good too for fans. Highly Recommended.

The Film: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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With all of the praise Ramin Bahrani has received since his debut film Man Push Cart was released in 2005, like Roger Ebert proclaiming his debut is on par with Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, as a vital new voice in cinema, one can forget that he has made these films without the help of studio financing.

As a multiple nominated Independent Spirit Award nominee, Bahrani has championed his status within the American independent system, and has made three of the better American films that you perhaps haven’t caught. With the release of his third film, Goodbye Solo, on DVD today, Ramin Bahrani took some time away from his work on his untitled fourth film, and his new short Plastic Bag, to chat with me on Killer Film.

Jon Peters: In 2006, at Roger Ebert’s Ebertfest, you mentioned how many potential investors told you no for financing Goodbye Solo, and that you had to keep trying to find someone who believes in the project. Can you explain this process a bit more thoroughly?

Ramin Bahrani: The process is I move forward regardless of with or without money, because I don’t think money makes films, I think it’s people, rather a team of people, who believe in something, regardless of what the world says. I’ve made all my films this way and somehow they got made, and they all have been distributed and thankfully seen. I think it’s important, especially for young filmmakers not to censor their imagination for financial reasons, or pressures the world insist upon.

Jon: Now the opening scene of the film was done in about 25 takes. This is perhaps normal for a studio produced film, since those pictures have ample funds, but I’ve got to imagine it put a strain of such a low budgeted indie. Can you explain this relationship between the budget and the work ethic of the production?

Bahrani: The first scene is done many, many times, because it is one continuous shot. It’s the first scene of the film to grab your attention, so they can get invested into the characters. It’s something that is exciting for the actors, as they really respond acting against each other. I think the audience responded favorably. One of the ways films are made with a relatively modest budget is I do a lot of work myself. I do the casting and location work by myself, occasionally with a handful of people, and we didn’t waste money on unneeded things, and were really committed to making the film.

Jon: Goodbye Solo is a fantastic film, I might add. I’m sure people will find out more through your audio commentary on the film when it hits DVD, but I’m fascinated by your approach to filming this movie. Can you explain how you developed the style you’ve used here, as well as in Man Push Cart and Chop Shop?

Bahrani: Well, for the most part the three films, more so than any of them, it’s a classical style of film making. There is nothing extravagant about the camera; we tried to be very simple, very straightforward camera work, that’s more observational. That means there isn’t a lot of tracking shots or an excessive amount of editing or music. I really don’t want to be the star of the film, but for the characters or the story to be the star, and have the audience get invested in the emotional truths of the characters, and get moved by that, not by me the filmmaker.

Saying these things, it doesn’t mean the story is slow or not engaging, I’m glad audiences found it to be very engaging. It’s very tricky to do, when your staying simple. Trying to be true to the characters and what they are about, and hiding falsehoods, tricky camera work, music, but staying true as you can.

Jon: Red West and Souleymane Sy Savane are great in this, but they also are your first so-called professional actors. What made you go from non-actors in Man Push Cart and Chop Shop, to a casting call? Was it the script and the emotional need within the script?

Bahrani: To some degree yes. We did look for professionally trained actors for those two parts, and they just weren’t there. The part for Souleymane was actually for the real cab driver I followed around, but there came a time when he really didn’t want to be involved. He was a very humble person, and didn’t want the attention, though it matched his character. It ended up being a blessing, as Souleymane is very talented, and has moved on to a play on Broadway, then working on a new film.

Red West is just phenomenal in the movie, and I’m sure you know about his history with Elvis, being a stunt man with him, and that venturesome life really shows on his face, a man who has really lived. He might not be able to tolerate horrific things, like being in a nursing home.

Jon: After filming Chop Shop in New York, can you explain what it was like coming back home to Winston-Salem to film Goodbye Solo?

Bahrani: Oh, I really enjoyed it! I’ve always wanted to make a film in my home town. I was born and raised in Winston-Salem. I have a lot of people insist I’m Iranian, but I’m American, born and raised here. I’ve made all my films here, and I hope they’re seen as deeply American, about the fundamentals of what makes America great. It was a blessing. North Carolina is known for a lot of things, and one of them is hospitality, and they couldn’t be more hospitable. One of the differences in the film making process was unlike New York that was incredibly crowded; just constant action and busyness, with cars and people all over in the frame. North Carolina is very suburban, and Winston-Salem is really sparse and so the landscape became like their faces. Luckily, Red and Souleymane have great faces

Blowing Rock is really where the landscape becomes central to the story. It’s a real place, known for its powerful winds. I’ve been going there since I was a kid, throwing sticks off of the rock. It’s a very special part of the film, Blowing Rock

Jon: Yeah, it is. Can you talk about filming there? I imagine it was pretty dangerous have your leads so close to the edge as they were, with the wind gusts.

Bahrani: Well, it was more dangerous than I realized. I didn’t know that Souleymane had a fear of heights! I had no idea when we made the film. He didn’t tell anyone. He also didn’t tell us that he couldn’t drive a car. We learned that pretty quickly, because he was an awful driver (laughs).

It took him like four times to get his license days before rehearsal began. He arrived in Winston-Salem and we began rehearsals, and Michael Simmons, who shot all of my films, and myself thought he was a really bad driver. Later, after filming, he confessed he didn’t get his license only days beforehand.

Jon: You’ve said your films are about hope, but are realistic in the realization of that. I find your films to be really American, culturally speaking . We’re a melting pot society, and while your films focus on foreigners, they are in fact Americans. We get this stereotypical imagery of America being a white, Christian nation, but characters like Ale [from Chop Shop]and Solo, are just as American as I am. What is it about American society that you find so appealing to create characters like Solo and Ale, let alone showing them in these environments that aren’t typically thought of, when we think of the clichéd American landscape?

Bahrani: I appreciate you saying that, and I think that the cliché comes from cinema being bored with itself, and their films. With the same stories, and images seen over and over again, it’s become hard to tolerate those films. They don’t provide us with anything fresh, and don’t resemble any world I live in or know about. And for worlds I don’t know about, I prefer for them not to be made by a computer.

One of the things that I think are distinctively American about the three characters [in Man Push Cart, Chop Shop, and Goodbye Solo] is firmness in their individuality. They’re all immigrants, of course, but it’s what’s made this country, as you correctly said, and is continually being remade, with the new populations of people. We’re seeing that politically now in our last election, and part of that is America’s fierce individualism, which has its positives and negatives. Here, its positives are the characters don’t seem to be connected to their parents culture, nor adapt to anything else, but strictly their own. This is for good or for bad, I really like that about all three of them.

Jon: Getting back to what you said about Hollywood films and their cliches…

Bahrani: I really want to clarify here. Not just in Hollywood, but in films in general, “Hollywood independents” have over the last decade, become very blurry. A lot of people are being tricked about what is an independent film. Even if it’s financed independently in the studio system, but doesn’t mean it is independent. An independent is created by an independence of vision, and a lot of what is being called an independent film, for me, doesn’t look any different from a studio film. It’s just financed in different ways. It’s very tough to read and an audience is tricked into what is an independent film, and it’s not really different from a studio film. It’s just made with a little less money, that’s all.

Jon: When a director thrives in the independent film making world, like yourself, fans of cinema are protective of that, and fear the leap-frog to Hollywood. Has there been a desire to go from these personal little films, to doing a studio feature? If so, do you think your style would be welcomed in that system or clash with it?

Bahrani: I have many projects that I’m working on, and one of them I want to do next year, and it’s a western. It’s done in my way, and doesn’t resemble a western that we’ve seen before. I like to remain independent and protected, and do what I want to do. Could that happen in a studio film? Probably not. I’m already working putting the cast together, and maintaining my independence, although I have had a great time collaborating.

Even with more established producers like those for Little Miss Sunshine, are the producers of Chop Shop. They were great to work with. They had great ideas and respected what I wanted to do, and I respect them as well. These are things that had do happen. The western is going to be a larger project with more known actors, and I still believe that it will be something fresh.

Jon: Can you talk about your new short film and your participation with the Venice Film Festival?

Bahrani: Oh, I’m excited to talk about that. We just finished the mix on it last night. The movie is about a plastic bag going on an epic journey to find its lost Maker, in the not-to-distant-future. It ends up going on a strange adventure, meeting strange creatures, and a brief love affair in the sky. It ends up with some other bags in a vortex, this real place, where this garbage has gathered. It’s a real thing, you can read about this North Pacific Trash Vortex, and the film is written with Jenni Jenkins. Of course it has ecological themes, but it is not an agenda film, otherwise it will not be good, though it that’s a part of it. It features an original score from Kjartan Sveinsson, the keyboardist for the Icelandic band Sigur Ros. The voice of the bag is someone very, very special and really well known. It’s a surprise for the premiere, so I cannot say. It is someone who I’ve respected and admired since I was a teenager, and hopefully, after the premiere you will hear who it is, and see it soon.

What happened with Venice, was my first film premiere there, then Chop Shop in Cannes, then for Goodbye Solo back at Venice, and I received a Jury Prize there from critics. The head of the festival asked if I wanted to be on the jury for Best First Film, so I’m excited for that. So the short will open the Shorts Section on Opening Night, but won’t be in competition, due to my responsibilities on the jury for Best First Film. Yeah, it will be fun. I never been on a jury before and I’m looking forward to watching some good films.

Jon: Finally, can you talk about the nature of the film being made, hitting theater screens, then back to DVD, the whole cycle of that as a filmmaker?

Bahrani: The theatrical release was handled by Roadside, and they did a really phenomenal job. It was important, so audiences could see it on the big screen with an audience, and that always makes it enjoyable. Lionsgate is doing an amazing job on the DVD, and I really liked their artwork, and their energy into really making the DVD good. It’s great because the film had a limited release, and now gives audiences a chance who didn’t see it, because they lived in a small town, or heard about it on the Internet, so it’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it getting a new reception.

Goodbye Solo is now out on DVD thanks to Lionsgate. If you like, feel free to leave a comment or email me at jon@killerfilm.com .

I pray Hollywood never steals away Ramin Bahrani from the independent scene. Goodbye Solo, his third film, might be his finest yet, but more importantly, it’s abundantly clear that he is one of America’s best directors working. Then again, maybe Bahrani can inject some originality into Hollywood? Three quiet masterpieces into his career and I bet only critics know of him. Let me enlighten you.

Ramin Bahrani is a director that works with his actors months prior to shooting. This approach gives us characters that live and breathe before and after we visit them during the course of a 90 minute running time. This approach isn’t new, but it creates a pseudo-documentary feel to the subjects, something that I think he now owns. He also focuses on stories that we should call Americana, but aren’t your typical subjects for that term. The melting pot that is America is so rarely explored with intelligence, Bahrani could be making his own genre up. Man Push Cart (his first feature) focuses on a Pakistan man living and working in New York City. In Chop Shop, one of my personal top ten films last year, Ale is followed as he lives and works within an unseen community behind Shea Stadium. Goodbye Solo is no different; Solo is an African working in Winston-Salem, NC as a taxi driver, with bigger aspirations. Bahrani eyes pockets of life in places we don’t normally see, and I find it refreshing. America is all about its multiculturalism yet we really only seem to hear about clichéd stories on typical struggles. But Bahrani isn’t concerned with what’s a minority or simple stuff like that. While his films focus on minorities on the surface level, deeper down, his films talk about life or a way of life, in America.

Goodbye Solo might seem simple. We’re introduced to Solo and his passenger William in the taxi as William offers him a $1000, no questions asked, to take him in a week to the top of the mountains. Solo asks why, and William tells him its none of his business. Bahrani explores deeper issues, like regret, friendship, and respect, within this setup. The film will stay with you long after you leave the theater, much like his previous two films, and I credit that to his work with the actors months prior to shooting. Souleymane Sy Savane as Solo is a force of power, rarely seen in fictional films about fictional characters. Highly energetic, likable, a hopeless optimist, Solo is more alive in these 90 minutes than most characters are ever explored. There’s resonance to the performance, a sense of pain hidden underneath Souleymane’s wonderful smile. His little boy wonder and curiosity about William’s doings are contagious. Solo is a guy I wish I knew.

Speaking of William, played by Red West (a former Elvis bodyguard!), there’s so much angst and sadness in his eyes, you too want to help him like Solo. West seemed like he was ready to play William. You get this sense of years of pain bubbling under the surface, only to have Bahrani find him and cast him. We, film goers, will see some great performances this year, but mark my words, you won’t see two emotionally powerful, realistic performances this year.

Goodbye Solo is a great, great film. Go see it for the acting and if you’re a drama fan, but you’ll appreciate it long after the viewing because of where the characters go. Bahrani and his cinematographer Michael Simmonds have such a keen eye to linger on faces and shots all in service of the theme or story. Solo and William have lived long before we met them, and you’ll be wondering about them long after the film ends. This approach to Bahrani’s films show his passion, dedication, and his keen sense of purpose on the creation of a film. That’s why Bahrani is our, America’s, best working director.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars