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Image campaigns. Every network creates them. They're the promotional spots that tell the viewer, in a 30- or 60-second nutshell, what the style, vision and programming of a network is all about.
This series of five satirical spots, disguised as a behind-the-scenes look at the process of making the animated independent film Dance with Pain, was written and directed by a master of the genre, Bob Balaban (Gosford Park, A Mighty Wind. The filmmaker recruited other luminaries to help him pull off this clever conceit, including Seth Green, Jennifer Coolidge, John Michael Higgins, David Rasche, Susan Sarandon, Joan Rivers, Janeane Garofalo and Richard Dreyfuss.Interview with Jamie
Director of Dance With Pain
The
film's director, Jamie, sat down to talk about the inspiration for and creation
of Dance with Pain:
IFC: How did you come up with the concept of
Dance with Pain? Is this based on a true story?
Jamie: Oh it's absolutely
a true story. This stuff really happened. Olga was my grandmother. I remember as
a young child hearing my father tell us stories about her adventures. Polish
sausage factories are what they are today because of her. I vowed from the first
time I sat on my father's knee and heard her moving tale that someday I would
tell this story. Olga died fighting for the factory workers so I felt it was my
duty to spread the word of her fight.
IFC: So once you had the idea, how
did you proceed?
Dance with Pain - Episode
1- The Pitch Video
Link
Director: Bob
Balaban | | | Jamie:
The story practically wrote itself. It was like I was meant to tell this story -
the hardest part was really capturing the pain, the darkness of the story. But
my actors were all so involved. I mean, Nina, who played my grandmother, Olga,
she slept outside in the cold snow of Romania to capture the pain. She even used
real bullets so at the end when it came time to die for her efforts the camera
would really capture the pain of the moment. And I still think we could have
seen more pain and suffering.
IFC: You had some really great talent
fighting for this role and you chose a cleaning lady who had no acting
experience what so ever. What was your thinking behind this?
Jamie: Well
at first I was insistent that Susan Sarandon play my lead. But when Nina came in
with her big broom and she was Polish, I knew she was the one, she was Olga. So
I trusted my instinct and, well, I think the picture wouldn't be what it is
without her. And now she is set to film Pretty Woman 2. I'm just pleased
that it helped launch a career for a brilliant actor.
IFC: Dance with
Pain was so moving - you could really feel the pain of your characters. How do
you follow that up? What's next for you?
Jamie: Well Dance with
Pain was truly a moving piece - I think the pain you feel from watching that
movie is a testament to! my gran dmother's story and her life - but now I'm in
the process of making my next picture, Death of Hope. It's about depressing
characters doing depressing things and then they all die. My assistant nearly
committed suicide when she re-formatted the script for Windows.
Catch a
new episode of Dance with Pain on IFC each month or
in art house theaters nationwide. - The Independent Film Channel |
