|
|
|
|
 |
Interview with Stephen Kijak
Interviewed By: Kevin Serra
|
|
|
We met up with director Stephen Kijak after his New York film premier of Scott Walker: 30 Century Man at the IFC Center and chatted him up about the American release of the documentary film. The film plays this week till Dec 22nd. The film will then hit LA in January, and SF/Oakland in February. |
|
|
For tickets to see Scott Walker: 30 Century Man in NYC till Dec 22nd visit www.ifccenter.com.
When did the idea of making a documentary on Scott Walker come into play?
I had been a fan since 1990, when Fontana first issued his classic albums on CD for the first time. I had fallen in love with his orch-pop ‘60s epics (those four numerically-titled late-60's albums "Scott" 1 through 4.) When "Tilt" came out in 1995 it was a very different Scott Walker—the evolution was fascinating. I started ruminating on a film then. And about ten years later, when I heard he was about to make yet another album, it just felt like a "now or never" moment.
Did you hear that other people had tried to make a Walker film (and failed) before starting the project?
Yes. I was surprised it hadn't been done, at least in the UK. There was a 20-minute piece done for "The Late Show" but it was very brief—not that in-depth—although he gives quite a good interview for it. I wanted to go for something a bit more expansive that covered as much of the career as I could fit on screen, from the glorious doom-pop of The Walker Brothers right into the making of his new album.
Who were some of the people you got on board that helped sell the making of the film?
Well, we attached Bowie as our Executive Producer and that was a huge help. He really does love Scott—he's a great advocate for lesser-known musicians. Then Grant Gee was signed up to shoot and edit with me. I was a fan of his Radiohead film and he was commissioned to do a short film about John Cale that was just excellent. Sadly, the record company shelved it. But it had the vibe I was looking for. And Scott likes Grant quite a bit as well. It was a good fit. Graphic designer Graham Wood (another favorite of Scott's) was asked to contribute motion graphic sequences. As for other "names" that helped push it more into the spotlight ... we have Radiohead, Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn - all the usual suspects!
Funny story about how David Bowie was introduced to Scott though dating one of Scott's ex-girlfriends.
He's actually never met Scott, believe it or not. But yes, he went out with a girl who once dated Scott and she apparently played Scott's albums obsessively. David was jealous and then he thought, “actually, this guy has an amazing voice.” He definitely learned a good deal from those records. Eno told me that there was a point when listening to Scott helped David find a more muscular way to sing—that it actually caused a shift in his performance style. This was around the "Berlin albums," when people were starting to rediscover Scott. But you can hear the influence all over Bowie's career. But he really does pay homage, and then a million people steal from Bowie, so it's an endless cycle of influence and inspiration.
How long did it take from concept to finish to make the film?
A long damned time. I first tried to contact Scott's management in June 2001. The film premiered at the London Film Festival in October 2006.
What was it like at first shooting the footage of the making of "The Drift?" Was Scott open to having you around with the gear or did you have to be discreet about filming?
We were like wildlife photographers. I wished there had been bushes in the studio for us to hide behind. At first he seemed aware of and just slightly uncomfortable with the cameras. But as the day wore on, and he got more into the work, he seemed to start to forget we were there.
What was your favorite interview in the film?
Aside from “The Big One” with Scott himself, I'd say Angela Morley. In a former life, she was one of the string arrangers on Scott's solo albums, creating some of the most over-the-top, breathtaking arrangements on record, especially for Scott's Jaques Brel covers—songs like "Jackie," "Mathilde," "My Death." This is someone who was working in recording studios from the early 1950s, so she has seen a great deal of how recording has changed over the years. The things they achieved on those recordings are simply amazing—the sheer force of the orchestrations is something you just don't hear today.
What is your favorite Scott Walker song and album?
Impossible question! But off the top of my head, his rendition of Brel's "Next," from “Scott 2” still sends a shiver. And "Cue" from the recent "The Drift" is beyond description. Terrifying, but has an amazing gravity. I go back to that one a lot. It's the bass. It's always about the BASS. (First song I heard was 1969's "The Old Man's Back Again." Talk about a bass line...)
I heard there were some American Scott Walker musicians who didn't get to make it into the film because you were stuck in Europe. Who were some of the artists that missed?
I would loved to have included Neko Case, Bill Callahan, Laurie Anderson, Mike Mills from REM, Jim Thirlwell … there are so many. I was trying to plan a sequence with artists from Louisville, KY. We have some musician friends there and they all love Scott. You can't do it all.
I hear the film did very well across the pond back in 2007(?). What was the big delay on bringing the film over to the US?
The US has always been slow to wake up to Scott Walker. This time it was just distributor negotiations that spun us off into limbo for 11 months. Terrible. But we finally handed the film to some friends of mine, the good people at Plexifilm, so at last it will see the light of day.
I thought the film came out beautifully. I think you'll bring Walker lots of new fans. Was there anything you would have done differently if you could go back?
Oh, absolutely. I'd still be editing today if I had the chance. The American fans sequence, would have liked to have done that; the "teenaged Scott on Broadway" story; maybe would have sliced off “The Drift" review quotes at the end; I would have left Neil Hannon in (he does, however, have a valued place on the DVD extra bits)—I mean, the list goes on and on. You're never really finished and never really happy with a film, ever. It always seems to continue to evolve in your head. I think about quantum-physics and string theory a lot when I meditate on this problem (just google" Calabi–Yau manifolds"). The countless permutations a film can exist in is frustrating, especially with the documentary.
Will there be a sound track to the film?
Working with Lakeshore Records to produce a tribute album, hopefully released in early February with artists like Bee & Flower, Damon & Naiomi, Ulrich Schnauss, Dot Allison, Little Annie, Saint Etienne, Jarboe, Nicole Atkins, Peter Broderick and others.
And Universal are meant to be releasing a Best of Scott Wilson digital only soon—all his classic 60's stuff is mainly only available on import still. It's a real shame.
When does the film get released on DVD and who's putting it out?
May 2008. Plexifilm.
What was your favorite record of 2008?
Hmm. So far, the Deerhunter record (with the bonus disc). But Wild Beasts "Limbo, Panto" may overtake it.
What's next in your cue, film wise?
Hoping it will be this sort of "desert-noir." Doing a narrative—a thriller. Simple. With lots of old Emmylou Harris songs. Radha Mitchell is attached to star. Working on putting that together.
For more info on the film including showtimes visit www.scottwalkerfilm.com/blog. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|