On the Road Again

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
by DAVID STOCKMAN

As WIM WENDERS winds his way down the New South Wales/Victorian highway system to Melbourne, DAVID STOCKMAN takes a truck stop with the German filmmaker and discusses his penchant for Sam Shepard and Cuban musicians.

In the film industry it's rare to find a director who has carved a path of consistent success over several decades. It's even rarer to find a filmmaker who has managed to achieve this success in both the fields of documentaries and feature films. One of these few is German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Wenders has consistently brought to the screen interesting, varied and successful films, which some say puts him at the forefront of his generation of filmmakers. Success through films such as Paris Texas, Wings Of Desire and Buena Vista Social Club has given Wenders the standing he enjoys today. Few independent directors can attract the kind of collaboration with Hollywood actors, great screenwriters and musicians.

When talking about the relationship between feature and documentary cinema, Wenders is enthusiastic. "I think they complement each other in a way I can only recommend to my colleagues who are only involved in fiction. It's such a thrilling thing not to have 200 people behind you, organised like an army. To be out with two or three people; confronted with reality is the most healthy thing you can do, it can give you perspective."

One of the things so endearing about Wenders is his humility and this 'perspective' that he talks about. Many filmmakers of the baby boomer generation are critical of the flood of films being generated from the recent, digitally inspired accessibility. In contrast, Wenders is excited by this recent direction in cinema, a trend he thinks is reintroducing content and expression to cinema. "Digital cinema will truly be a revolution which will turn the field upside down. You're already seeing this through documentary cinema. Today if you're gifted and you've got something to say, you can theoretically reach a worldwide audience."

On the flipside, while Wenders is encouraged by new technology, he thinks the amount of new films is seeing many talented people fall by the wayside. "There are more films produced now than ever before but less than 10 percent of these filmmakers ever make another film, which shows just how competitive it's become."

Wenders is currently in the country attending the Australian International Documentary Conference in Byron Bay. After taking a road trip (a means of travel he often 'romanticises' in his films), Wenders will be talking to Melbourne and Sydney audiences at the Popcorn Taxi "fireside chats". He sees this role in education and industry participation as an integral part of his role as a filmmaker. "I'm involved in teaching at a film school in Germany and places around the world. The pleasure is talking to these people and seeing the new generation grab the chance to reinvent film. It is an exciting time in filmmaking."

While powering a career in filmmaking is difficult for most, Wenders' prolific career continues. For the next project, he's teaming up with actor and screenwriter, Sam Shepard. Previously, the two worked together on one of Wenders most successful films Paris, Texas. Wenders and Shepard are already two years into writing their second project with the working title Don't Come Knocking, which Shepard will star in. Wenders and Shepard are writing the script scene by scene, without a planned plotline, a method Wenders describes as "a strange process and a beautiful process"

It is surprising in many ways that the two have not collaborated since the 1984 project but Wenders says the success of the collaboration made the pair tentative about reuniting. "Of all the writing/directing relationships I've had, that's the perfect one. We were both a little scared to revisit it. We have a great understanding of what we want and how we can achieve it." Wenders admits another issue in teaming up with Shepard is the inevitable comparisons with Paris, Texas. "I'm ready to wipe them out. Paris Texas was a very different story, Sam and I haven't worked together in 20 years and I think this project will be very different."

In many ways, Wenders relationship with Shepard is indicative of the way he makes films. He abandons the notion of the director being the auteur and having complete control over a movie. Wenders describes the need for including everyone involved in making a film and giving them the freedom to express their artistic talents: "I found that from my own experience people only do their best if you give them a certain freedom and if you trust them. I've never believed in the concept of the director being the one that creates it all. I sometimes feel, as a director, I'm the travel agent for everyone in the film."

Wenders will be hoping Don't Come Knocking will be more successful than his previous film Million Dollar Hotel. The film received criticism before its release from one of the principal cast, Mel Gibson. 'Our' Mel described the film as being "more boring than a dog's arse". Not surprisingly most of the ensuing press coverage about the film centred on Gibson's remarks, rather than aspects of the actual film.

Wenders seems quite forgiving about Gibson's comments, "I think Mel regrets that slip of his, and was only out to make a pun. I'm happy that the film will be showing in Melbourne next week along with One Dollar Diary (a documentary about the making of MDH). Million Dollar Hotel didn't get the recognition it deserved partly because Mel wasn't happy with it. Seeing it again without the pressure on it at the time, maybe in this context it will allow people to see it in a different light to when it was released."

In contrast, Wenders 1998 film Buena Vista Social Club received universal acclaim. The example of Buena Vista Social Club is exemplary of the impact Wenders' films have had on a worldwide audience. Wenders and long-time musical collaborator Ry Cooder famously tracked down the forgotten Cuban musicians featured in the film, sparking a revival in this previously popular music. After the film's release, the elderly musicians featured have enjoyed astounding success, touring around the world and achieving record sales measured in the millions from the eight CDs launched in the wake of the film's release. "It's a very rewarding thing when film can influence life, luckily enough for the better. They have survived the success, which is not always the case. These people really have lived 80 years to see their art and their music blossom."

While many of Wenders' recent films have been made within the American film industry, he is still heavily involved in German cinema. "In Germany like in many European countries, time has been hard, but at the same time a whole new generation is there to go on and move into the new age of film. There's a whole new generation of about 20 or 30 directors, with more ideas and more content."

Wenders sees this new wave of German filmmakers as restoring heart into cinema. "Content is coming back in a big way. The '90s was all about glitz and glamour. I think in the next few years cinema will be seen again as a form of communication and exploring our planet."

It's hard not to feel optimistic about the direction of cinema when one of its leading lights, someone who should be hardened, speaks with such unbridled enthusiasm.

Wim Wenders' passion is addictive.

Wim at a 'fireside chat' at PopcornTaxi

"Watch the films, meet their makers"

Popcorn Taxi is a regular, non-competitive event which showcases independent film and video of all types and plays host to high-profile guest speakers. Since November 1999, the event has been held weekly in Sydney, and fortnightly in Melbourne since October 2000.

Independent feature films, shorts, animation, music clips, TV commercials and experimental works, from video to 35mm film, are all screened at Popcorn Taxi. Programming changes from night to night, keeping the event fresh and loyal audiences coming back.

Wherever possible, filmmakers attend the event to speak with the audience. Often this is the director of the film, however, a great effort is made to put focus on actors, cinematographers, producers, designers and other people involved in the filmmaking process. Popcorn Taxi is not a club or a film festival - there are no prizes. All are welcome, especially aspiring filmmakers and film-lovers. Popcorn Taxi promotes its events, sometimes at short notice, to its email subscribers (7,500+ in Sydney and 4,000+ in Melbourne).

The film industry has responded to Popcorn Taxi as a mechanism for "giving back" to the Australian film industry. Guest speakers to date include actors Ewan McGregor, Susie Porter, Bryan Brown, Claudia Karvan and Geoffrey Rush, directors Bruce Beresford, Richard Franklin, Anthony Minghella, Kimble Rendall, Wim Wenders and Mike Figgis, cinematographers Don McAlpine, John Seale and Dion Beebe (Holy Smoke) and producers Jane Scott (Shine), Jan Chapman (Lantana, The Piano), Martha Coleman (Praise), Glenys Rowe (Feeling Sexy), Rick McCallum (Star Wars) and Ross Bell (Fight Club).

Popcorn Taxi is an initiative of Sydney filmmakers Matt Wheeldon and Gary Doust, with Michael Agar as the third director based in Melbourne, and survives on box office revenue, corporate and government sponsorship. Corporate sponsors include Kodak, Soundfirm, FACB, Sony Style, Audio Sound Centre, Panavision, thecomedychannel, Fox Studios Australia, Cinevex, Atlab, Lucasfilm and Rising Sun Pictures.

Popcorn Taxi has also embarked on a number of strategic partnerships with like-minded industry organisations for special one-off events, including the AFI, ASDA, SPAA, ScreenSound Australia, ACS, St Kilda Film Festival, SBSi and Australian Writers Guild.

In 2000, Popcorn Taxi was recognised for its efforts by winning the Byron Kennedy Award for most outstanding contribution to the Australian film industry in the AFI Awards.

For more information on upcoming shows, check out our website: www.popcorntaxi.com.au