|
1. What drew you towards this particular documentary?
I had been to Iraq twice to film a german armored car salesman.
During those visits, in May-July 2003, we saw the rise of the
insurgency and noticed that the media was treating the war like
a done deal. Over. Finished. Most people knew it was just beginning.
The soldier's story wasn't really told, at least not in an unconventional
way. We wanted to be able to humanize their experience. To show
the day to day. Highs and lows. To saty true to their experience.
2. How difficult was it in portraying an unbiased view of the war
while being positioned in both the United States and Iraq during
the shoot?
It is very difficult to overcome the urge to politicize the war.
While shooting, I often had to stop myself from verbally speaking
up or engaging who I was filming. That was primarily during raids
when you have very upset Iraqis in homes and you somehow want
to defuse situations etc.
As for bias, by the time we stopped editing, 8 people connected
to the film were killed. If anything, we now have an emotional
bias that is grounded in knowing those people.
3. How were you received by the military and by Iraqi pedestrians?
When I was with 2/3, my contact with Iraqis was limited to the
interaction soldiers had with them. That was the idea: to stand
in the soldiers shoes. On two previous trips to Iraq, I had very
different relations and interaction with Iraqis.
As for the Army, they accepted me. No issues.
4. What measures were taken by the military or yourselves to ensure
your safety? At any point did you feel that your lives were immediately
compromised?
We were responsible for our own safety. The most dangerous thing
then was getting to Baghdad. By my second trip to film 2/3 FA,
we had to take very severe security precautions for the drive
in. My life was in danger any number of times, but no more than
the soldiers I was filming, which is what you fall back on to
rationalize any danger.
5. Gunner Palace debuted at the Telluride and Toronto film
festivals. What impact did this have on you as artists and how
did it assist the film?
Telluride is a filmmaker's dream. At the festival, your film
is one of a few dozen, versus say 300 at TIFF. Telluride is a
great place to premiere an intimate work.
Toronto is a great festival and a great film town. We had great
audiences there which is very helpful when you are trying to sell
a film-which we did on the first day.
6. I believe Gunner Palace was originally slated for an "R"
rating, but was later phased into a "PG-13". Why did
this change? Did this cause dramatic alterations to the movie's
final cut?
The PG-13 was granted through an appeal from an R--which was
amazing to win. There was no cutting. It's the most profane PG-13
film ever. The R was for language and we argued that context was
crucial to consider. In this case the war-time use of harsh language.,
7. Michael Tucker : "I realized, looking at how young
the soldiers are, that these guys learned this stuff -- the aloha
shirts and everything else -- from 'Platoon' and 'Full Metal Jacket.'"
Would you say that Gunner Palace is a reflection of life imitating
art, or perhaps this was more of a tool used by the soldiers to
help cope with the dangers and surreal surroundings in which they
were placed?
In the beginning it was life imitating art. war is learned behavior,
what better place to learn than at the movies? However, over time,
with 3 KIA soldiers and 60 wounded, these guys started writing
their own script, their own movie. it's their experience. They
own it.
8. Over all else, what do you hope Gunner Palace will teach
its viewers?
GP won't change any minds. That's not the point. We hope that the
film humanizes the experience of this soldiers. They are, after-all,
only human. Imperfect. Some audiences in America have expected to
see an unblemished portrait. Others have expected to see a political
attack on the leaders of this war. All that GP offers is an intimate
look at a chaotic time and place form the perspective of some of
the young people fighting. Ten or twenty years from now, I hope
it will be valuable. For now, I think it is useful for people to
see just how chaotic Iraq is.
9. You shot Gunner Palace with digital equipment and edited the
movie both on site in Iraq and at home using Final Cut pro? Given
the choice between traditional film and digital technologies, which
has the greatest advantages?
We couldn't have shot GP on film. It would have been cost intensive.
On the hand, digital is very sensitive to conditions and wear
and tear. Iraq kills equipment--especially the heat. On the editing
side, you can't beat FCP. We were able to manage an intense amount
of material and were able to devise a fairly efficient work-flow.
In the future, with the advances in cameras and resolution, I look
forward to shoot on digital again.
10. What advice would you lend to up-and-coming film students/directors
interested in taking on documentary feature films?
I think you have to have a passion for what you are shooting. Even
if the film never sees the light of day, you have to be happy to
have made it. It needs to be important today and tomorrow. If it
does see the light of day, you have to be secure in you motivations.
11. You co-founded the "Nomados" production company, which
focuses on humanitarian documentaries. What can you tell us about
Nomados? What upcoming projects are in line?
We've shot all kinds of things. I started in Vietnam 13 years
ago. We shot humanitarian things in Bosnia and elsewhere. Before
the war, we were in Africa filming conservation projects for children.
The war was something we fell into. Both of us look forward to
returning to a softer subject. However, we will return to Iraq
in May...one last time.
12. What was the last great book you have read?
The Conversations : Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film
|
