Ry Russo-Young, who many will remember from her role in Joe Swanberg’s Hannah Takes the Stairs, was a prize winner at two of the last three SXSWs - she won the jury award for best experimental film for her Psycho deconstruction Marion at the 2006 fest and shared a special jury prize for Orphans at the 2007 edition. Orphans hits DVD next week via David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s brand new label Carnivalesque Films. She chatted with us this week about Why Does Herr R Run Amok?, what working with the band “The Virgins” on her new film You Won’t Miss Me was like and why concert films aren’t really for her unless Amy Winehouse or The Rolling Stones are in them.
What films or television shows have you seen recently?
The Pool by Chris Smith at Film Forum, Man On Wire, Fassbinder’s film Why Does Herr R Run Amok?, The Dutchess, Day Of Wrath. I recently saw Hal Ashby’s movie Being There with Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine.
Which ones stuck with you and why?
Why Does Herr R Run Amok? stayed with me. I’m not yet sure why exactly… the style, the performances and then the brutal ending all came together like an elegant effortless dance. The whole time I was watching it I was completely enraptured and wasn’t sure why or where it was all going and then BAM the movie hits you so hard in one clean action and then the brutal truth becomes crystal clear. It’s pretty amazing.
Does your interest in them have anything to do with your own work as a filmmaker?
Oh yeah, of course. I like to watch things that will inspire me and push me. I also watch a lot in order to figure out how certain people did things in their films, how a scene was covered or the way a plot unfolds.
How often do you read fiction? Do you wish you read more?
I do wish I read more but have also been reading more frequently recently and I have to say, it feels great to stimulate my brain in that specific way. I read some fiction like Factory of Facts by Luc Sante, but I also like memoirs, diaries, biographies and the newspaper. I read something everyday, even if it’s something small like a paragraph size entry from the diaries of Robert Musil. You can just pick it up anytime and be given a little anecdote or sliver of insight.
What would be your ideal literary adaptation and why?
Ah, well, there is a book I recently fell in love with that would make a great New York movie. I found the story, characters and landscape to be riveting. I could see the scenes unfold as if I were watching them on a screen. The story has a relevance that speaks beyond specifics and becomes primal, like The Godfather. I can’t say much more but maybe later…
How, if at all, has reading informed your filmmaking?
Oh, that’s a tough one! Right now I’m working on a screenplay that’s adapted from a short story and what I loved about the story was the way it dove into the characters subconscious point of view and jumped from the exterior to the interior worlds. This is something we can also do with filmmaking using tools like voice over, POV and dreams. I think this first appealed to me in literature before I realized how it could be utilized in film.
What are you listening to recently?
Roland Kirk, an album called The Inflated Tear. Also Elvis, MGMT, Bruce Springsteen, The Fiery Furnaces, Golden Animals, The Stance Brothers, “Youth Group.”
If you could collaborate with one musician on a film, who would it be and why?
I’m not sure. In the movie I just finished You Won’t Miss Me, I worked with the band The Virgins as well as several other musicians who act in the film. The band acts in the film in addition to playing their music within the narrative of the movie. The lead character, Shelly Brown goes to see and band called The Virgins and then goes back stage afterwards to hang out. For You Won’t Miss Me I also worked with Will Bates who composed the perfect score for the film.
What would be the ideal pairing for you if you were to make a concert film?
I’ve never been a big fan of concert films, I’m usually kind of bored by them. I think I prefer films like Gimme Shelter that include and are about a concert but are maybe not a strait up “concert film.” I’d be interested in working with Amy Winehouse because her music is soulful but also because it would be interesting to watch her the moment after she walks off the stage.
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