Back in the land of yesterfar, I directed music videos for Ani Difranco. The two of us were knee high to a grasshopper in our careers. I knew next to nothing about cinema. One video recently surfaced on youtube. I’ve read all your comments about this being a cinema verite video or neorealism or back to basics simplistic anti-mtv… thanks, but, um, we weren’t that cool…
Truth is…
We had filmed a few videos along her East Coast tour and finally landed back in my Plateau apartment in Montreal, exhausted, with one roll of 16mm film remaining. We awoke one morn and on a whim she borrowed my favorite jacket and shades (def sign o’the times), we grabbed a java and hauled down to the Main. We decided to film the only song on her newest album that would fit exactly one roll of film. I only had my walkman (yes it was the land of yesterfar), so I sang it to her as I filmed down the street. Gadzooks I suck at singing. And yes, you are all correct – the passersby were completely unsuspecting.
So there you have it. One roll, one take, one shot, one song – no plan.
And yes there is always more to tell…
