Director Interview with Anita Doron
November 26, 2009
ANITA DORON is the director of the feature The End of Silence and the documentary Finding Body and Soul. She has helmed music videos for Sarah Harmer and Prairie Oyster but has an open mind and curiosity about all music genres and a fearlessness to dive into unmarked territories – rock dives included.
LL: Give us your “elevator ride” pitch; what’s your film about?
AD: My goal was to be as authentic as possible to the music and place and whatever came of the meeting of Sebastien and the El Mocambo. It shows the meaning of the relationship between them and the effervescence of the coming together – the El Mo represents everywhere in the world one comes to break one’s perception of what music is and the process realize who you really are. It features a conversation between Sebastien and Nick [Sewell, his bassist] which I hope conveys the memories in a genuine exchange.
LL: You had met Sebastien before, so what did you learn on this shoot that surprised you?
AD: I first learned about Seb’s music through his mother – I spent about a year with her doing a doc about a play she was in. What surprised me this time was how much he talks about dance music and its role in his life. Also, that a big part of his development as a teenage human being included drinking his mom’s gin in a soccer field.
LL: What’s the secret to making a film that looks good on a small mobile screen and also the cinema?
AD: Being saturated and monochromatic at the same time. Docs can’t control colour too much but I tried with Seb’s film to stay within cyan and green and to contrast with colours that represent equally strongly.
LL: This is your third City Sonic film. What would you say is your favourite thing about the series?
AD: Going far enough with musicians for things to be stripped away and they are just themselves. You extract something, then film it. The other is listening to music and learning about the venues and finding something completely true to both.
