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indieWIRE - ”I was going in the direction that all indie directors go,” said filmmaker Guy Maddin, reflecting on his career. “It was fun to do a U-turn and go in the opposite direction. Ironically, if I go to Hollywood, I’d be happier going this way. I’ll get there on my own strengths, if I get there at all.” Maddin, talking to a moderator Dennis Lim in front of a crowd that gathered at the Apple Store SoHo Sunday night (co-hosted with indieWIRE), is referring to the primitive nature of his recent films, most particularly “My Winnipeg,” which is making its U.S. debut at the Tribeca Film Festival this week.
“My Winnipeg,” described by Maddin as a “docufantasia,” is a portrait of Maddin’s hometown. Following a character named Guy Maddin (though played by Darcy Fehr), the film reinvents Maddin’s life, with actors hired to play his siblings and mother at the actual apartment he grew up in used as part of the setting. Partly based in reality, partly based in myth, the often hilarious (and surprisingly accessible) film is a unique exploration of self, family, and community through more of a poetic truth than anything else.
“What I tried to do with the film is present facts as facts, then I certainly expressed many opinions because the city’s broken my heart so many times,” Maddin said. “And then there are many legends about the city that are either held to be true or are popular stories many Winnipegers. It’s a mixture of those things. And then it’s sort of held together by a grout of feelings that are sort of turned into poetic facts. It’s really important that the feelings be spot-on. I mean, whose really keeping track of Winnipeg’s statistics.”… [Full Story]
