Director Interview with Robert Lang
October 22, 2009
LL: Give us your “elevator ride” pitch: the concept for your film in three sentences or less.
RL: Talented, smalltown girl comes to the big city, initially hates it, but finds friends, community and her kind of music in an unpretentious, alt country basement tavern.
LL: You’ve seen Serena perform before but what did you learn about her from the shoot that surprised you?
RL: I didn’t realize Serena grew up just a few minutes up the road from where I now live. And she really carries that small town, un-ironic freshness with her – Serena’s smart, perceptive… and, man, can she sing!
LL: Any advice for other filmmakers on how to make a great 4-minute film?
RL: Well, it’s a different challenge from a long-form film. And since this is the first short film I’ve made in many years, I’m no expert. But this is how I work: love your subject, be inquisitive and open, figure out the story you want to tell — and then keep it simple. You’re not going to make Citizen Kane in 4 minutes.
LL: Do you have a favourite secret bar/hideaway in the city?
RL: I live in the country now, so I use the city differently now than when I lived here and had my favourite neighbourhood haunts and after-hours clubs. These days, I’m always discovering new places in the city. While making this film, I spent time at the Communist’s Daughter and the Dakota, both of which are pretty cool.
