Over the past week, Prairie Tales artist Trevor Anderson (Rock Pockets, Rugburn, Dinx, The Island, The High Level Bridge) has been in Berlin with his latest short film, The Man That Got Away. This film, like many of his others, is a personal documentary exploring the family legend of Trevor’s Uncle Jimmy– an Alberta farmboy-turned Broadway dancer who is rumoured to have been in rehab with Judy Garland. This film is a musical (music by Bryce Kulak), befitting a story that is so rooted in that genre. The Man That Got Away doesn’t qualify for Prairie Tales 14 (it’s 10 minutes too long), but it will have its own success, beginning with the DAAD Short Film Prize, awarded to Trevor in Berlin. En route back to Edmonton, we corresponded via email about his film and the Alberta premiere, set for February 25 in Edmonton.
PT: How did The Man That Got Away go over in Berlin?
The Man That Got Away went over big in Berlin! I couldn’t be more pleased. We had 8 screenings total, which is more than any other short at the festival. The audiences are huge and engaged here, we’ve had sold-out screenings, turning people away. I’d estimate we’ve played to maybe 4000 audience members while we’re here. The screens are enormous, in huge movie palaces. The projection is perfect and German. The audiences have been very responsive, laughing, gasping, some people have cried. Each screening has received whistles, cheers, and two rounds of applause, at the beginning and end of the tail credits. I’m delighted.
PT: Do you think that German audiences respond differently than Canadian ones?
The majority of the audience at the festival is international, with English as a second language. I was worried about this because the lyrics are dense, it’s a very languagey film. But they’re really into it. Quieter during the film than I expect a North American audience to be, which alarmed me at first until I realized that they’re just concentrating to follow the lyrics and don’t want to laugh over the next line. When I snuck a peek at their faces and saw them smiling and sitting forward in their seats, I realized we were gonna be okay.
PT: This is perhaps the longest film you’ve made. Feature someday?
I really like the syntax of short films, and hope to always make shorts. That said, I’m gonna use the DAAD scholarship to take some time to write, and see if I can develop a feature length script also. No promises, though!
PT: It’s also moving back to the magic realism of The Island. Would you call The Man… a documentary? What is the line between doc and fiction?
I call this film a musical documentary, or sometimes I say it’s a hybrid film. In my artist talk at the Canadian Embassy I called it “Expressionist Documentary” which I really like and think I might keep using. In the case of this film, the subject is a family legend, so I’m interested in exploring the mystery of that, drawing attention to the vague places in the story, the points where I’m not sure what’s true and what isn’t, as my source material is second-hand. Are my sources getting the story right? Was Jimmy telling the truth in the first place? How much am I embellishing to make my film? I’m really interested in this stuff and want to amplify it instead of downplaying it. Making it a musical really separates it from voice-of-God, journalistic documentaries, and makes sure I have some skin in the game.
PT: Same goes for multidisciplinary: music, dance, theatre. Comments?
In this case it really fit the subject matter: Jimmy was a Broadway dancer who met Judy Garland in rehab. Of course it should be a musical! I’m really happy about that because it allows me to draw on my background in theatre and music to make something in a really collaborative way, where I get to work with friends from the theatre, music, and film scenes.
PT: How can people see the film?
I hope people will come to the Edmonton screening and soundtrack release on Saturday, February 25 at 5pm at Metro Cinema. Tickets are $20 available in advance at http://igg.me/p/60409?a=68825 or at the door. The $20 price includes the CD soundtrack, which features the original cast recordings and remixes by Chad VanGaalen, Cadence Weapon, Cameron Sound, Bebop Cortez, Jered Stuffco (DVAS) and Lyle Bell (Shout Out Out Out Out, The Wet Secrets, Whitey Houston).
More info about all this, the screening, and the DAAD Short Film Prize at www.dirtcityfilms.com
