Mario Falsetto has taught film studies at Concordia University in Montreal for over twenty years. He has published three major books in the past decade, including: the comprehensive analysis Stanley Kubrick: A Narrative and Stylistic Analysis (2001), the anthology Perspectives on Stanley Kubrick (Praeger 2nd edition, 1996), and Personal Visions: Conversations with Contemporary Film Directors (2000). Liza Béar is a New York-based writer, filmmaker and activist. In the seventies she co-founded and edited the legendary conceptual art magazine Avalanche. She has taught at the films schools of Columbia and New York University, and her film interviews have appeared in Newsday, the New York Daily News, Ms., Elle, Salon.com, the Boston Globe, and other large-circulation metro dailies. She is a contributing editor at Bomb.

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The massive investments made in Hollywood today mandate tight studio controls on mainstream cinema. As a result, one must often look to alternative outlets in order to see a movie intended primarily as art-or even as a sincere effort at entertainment-instead of as a simple source of revenue. Foreign and independent movies thus often play the role of bellwether for the Hollywood studios that are unable to experiment themselves: behind the look of the studio smash Sin City, for instance, was the rigorous pulp style of Road to Perdition; before the sadism and cynicism of many current thrillers and horror movies there was the work of Neil Labute; and where would Hollywood's plots be without the harsh, fragmented narratives of Guillermo Arriaga and Alejandro Inarritu? By looking at these films, and at the people who created them,we can obtain a clearer sense of what movies really are at heart, and what they may still want to become. Elaborate measures are thus taken everywhere and at all points to maintain a grip on the public's imagination, but the more adept Hollywood becomes at giving the public what it wants, the less any given studio is able to say anything new or truly innovative. Inside of the United States, this means looking to independent films; outside of the United States, it means filtering through an enormous mass of movies and moviemakers. In Volume 1 of this revealing set, Mario Falsetto presents extended interviews with nine of the most prominent independent film directors working in America today; while in Volume 2, Liza Béar gives prominent international filmmakers the opportunity to address essential issues surrounding creativity and production in a number of different geographical setting and contexts.

Résumé
Few people have a true understanding of what it takes to get a feature film made and released. How does a film progress from idea to finished product? How do film directors interact with other creative personnel? This work provides answers to these questions through a collection of original career interviews with nine film directors.

Contenu

Volume 1 Dialogues with Independent Filmmakers Mario Falsetto Introduction Sam Mendes, Boy Wonder Goes to Hollywood Neil LaBute, Sexual Politics, Violence, and Mormons John Dahl, Guns, Cars, and Fast Women: Film Noir and Other Genres Gus Van Sant, Art and Commerce: A Constant Battle Nancy Savoca, Ethnic Voices, Working Women, and the Struggle to Make Movies Anthony Minghella, Hollywood International, Epic Visions, and a Love of Words Alexander Payne, Nebraska Is a State of Mind Michael Polish, Double Vision (and Imaginary Places) Julie Taymor, Theater, Film, and the Power of the Imagination Filmographies Index Volume 2 Beyond the Frame: Dialogues with World Filmmakers Liza Béar Foreword by Laurence A. Kardish Introduction by Robin Andersen Gleb Panfilov,Tema Shawn Slovo, Writer, A World Apart Chris Menges, Director, A World Apart Atom Egoyan, Director, and Arsinée Khanjian, Actor, Speaking Parts Brigitte Rouan, Outremer [Overseas] Gillian Armstrong, The Last Days of Chez Nous Lucian Pintilié, An Unforgettable Summer Chantal Akerman, On the Set in Brooklyn Abel Ferrara, The Addiction Jafar Panahi, The White Balloon Marleen Gorris, Antonia's Line Benjamin Ross, The Young Poisoner's Handbook Nicole Holofcener, Walking and Talking Karim Dridi, Bye-Bye Patrice Leconte, Ridicule Milos Forman, The People vs. Larry Flynt Jan Sverak,Kolya Judy Davis, Children of the Revolution Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Gabbeh Cédric Klapisch, Chacun Cherche Son Chat Miguel Arteta, Star Maps Masayuki Suo, Shall We Dance? Shirley Barrett, Love Serenade Rupert Graves, Profile Jim Jarmusch, Year of the Horse Alain Berliner, Ma Vie en Rose Takeshi Kitano, Sonatine and Hana-Bi [Fireworks] Wayne Wang, Chinese Box John Hurt, Love and Death on Long Island Sherman Alexie, Smoke Signals Michael Winterbottom, Welcome to Sarajevo Samira Makhmalbaf, The Apple Samira Makhmalbaf, Blackboards Fernanda Montenegro, Central Station Catherine Breillat, Romance Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke Zhang Yimou, Not One Less François Ozon, Criminal Lovers François Ozon, Swimming Pool Abbas Kiarostami, The Wind Will Carry Us Abbas Kiarostami, ABC Africa Wong Kar-wai, In the Mood for Love Alejandro González Iñárritu, Amores Perros Agnès Varda, The Gleaners and I Barbet Schroeder, Our Lady of the Assassins Jacques Rivette, Va Savoir Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Kandahar Wang Xiaoshuai, Beijing Bicycle Tsai Ming-liang, What Time Is It There? Laurent Cantet, L'Emploi du Temps [Time Out] Fabián Bielinsky, Nine Queens Juan Carlos Cremata, Nada Elia Suleiman, Divine Intervention Manoel de Oliveira, I'm Going Home Denys Arcand, Barbarian Invasions Ra'anan Alexandrowicz, James' Journey to Jerusalem Alan Mak, Andrew Lau, Infernal Affairs Ousmane Sembène, Moolaadé Ousmane Sembène, Transcript Michael Winterbottom, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story Bruno Dumont, Twentynine Palms Zhang Yimou, Hero Yacef Sâadi, The Battle of Algiers Appendix 1:Filmakers by Continent and Country of Origin Appendix 2: First Feature Films Index