tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

As you may have known by now, Terry Gilliam is currently working on his new film called The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Gilliam is perhaps one of the most acclaimed independent filmmakers of his generation, and up to now, he remains fiercely independent. Gilliam is also noted for his frank, honest views and in recent interviews, he never hesitated to speak his mind and express himself on many issues. Below is an original article written by the director himself, entitled The Joys of Independent Filmmaking. It was posted originally at the Dreams site, which is a resource site for Gilliam, and we thought it would be great to have it here at tMF. Being big on indie films, this article is a gem!

The Joys of Independent Filmmaking by Terry Gilliam

For most of you, the DVD of Tideland will be your first opportunity to see the film. It popped in and out of the major cities faster than you could pull your socks on, cinch up your belt, find the keys to the car and, once near the cinema, fail to find a parking space.

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It seems that without the blessings of sufficient numbers of mainstream critics, there wasn't much the American distributor, THINKFILM, seemed capable of doing to reach the public. Too many films to handle. No time to devote sufficient energy, or the passion and imagination required to inspire the public to take a chance on something different and demanding. They had other films that were easier to sell. They had to deal with corporate changes. They probably had lives to lead.

So with only a week to go before the film opened in New York, and without a poster or ad to be seen, I was encouraged by my daughter to take to the streets with a cardboard sign reading "STUDIO-LESS FILM MAKER - FAMILY TO SUPPORT - WILL DIRECT FOR MONEY" and a begging cup to draw people's attention to the impending release of Tideland. Not only did it work - we managed to get a large enough opening to generate a second and third week in the cinema - but also I made $25. Welcome to the joys and pain of independent film-making.

Tideland has turned out to be a very divisive film. People love or loathe it. Perhaps "love" is the wrong word, but the film does touch nerve endings that are not too often reached in the dark of today's cinema. We didn't set out to reach everybody, but we wanted to give encouragement to people with open minds and imaginations in need of support that they are not alone... or weird.

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For me it was a kind of litmus paper test of our current society. Are people able to think for themselves or are they so overwhelmed by buzz words, manufactured fears, sensationalized reality that they have lost touch with life? Can they see beyond the surface? Is a child preparing heroin for her father a child abused... or a loving daughter? Does a child have to wail and weep at the loss of a parent to feel her loss? Is the perceived vulnerability of a child merely a projection of our own fears?