Never mind splashy screenings for the likes of Baby Mama and Speed Racer. Tribeca '08 will largely be a forum for the Little Films That Can. And many won't. Some projects may have the money for a reasonably slick marketing push; some won't have enough coin to fly the director's family out for the premiere. Regardless of the camp into which they fall, we thought it only fair to allow the people in charge of these films, the directors, to appeal to our readers themselves.
We posed the same five questions to every filmmaker accepted into the festival and offered them the chance to reply. Below are the responses we've received, virtually unedited. (We've made a few snips for clarity; that's it.)
Delphine Kreuter, director of 57,000 Kilometers Between Us
1 Why should someone watch your movie, in 100 words or less? (Don't just paste in your marketing blurb. Persuade our readers.)
It’s like a UFO!
2 Without spoiling your plot, describe a scene in your film that audiences will love.
There's a walk that a young girl takes so that her friend can watch her from his hospital bed, experiencing life via a webcam.
3 If your protagonist were an animal, what would he/she be and why?
A bird, because she’s really small and light as a feather, and because she tries to fly away in order to escape the stupidity of the world around her.
4 What will surprise me about this movie?
Every minute, I hope.
5 How would describe your filmmaking style or philosophy? How is that reflected in this project?
Freestyle! I hold the video camera myself, like I do with my regular camera when I take pictures. I film in HD; that is my instrument, like a paintbrush for a painter. I try to capture reality using fiction, using what is written, what is played out and what is impossible. My style comes first and foremost from the necessity to create images and tell stories, without waiting for the money or the permission to film.