Show and Tell 2018 : Emma Penaz Eisner
Emma Penaz Eisner
Filmmaker
http://www.TheresMoreThanOneWayToSkinAMan.com
1. What’s your idea of perfect happiness?:
That doesn’t exist, so I don’t worry about it.
2. What drives you to make films?:
A desire to commit a lasting intellectual act of transgression.
3. Where in the world would you most like to be right now?:
On a roof in the middle of the night looking at the sky.
4. When inspiration is waning, and you feel creatively sapped, what do you do to stay motivated?:
Interesting question. This hasn’t happened to me.
5. What films are the most inspiring or influential to you at the moment, and why?:
Lost Highway – The way the film seamlessly unifies different actors into the same character is important to me because, while I often don’t have characters per se in my films, I do represent objects and ideas that I connect to each other or unify via themes and qualities inherent in them, and I admire the way Lynch reliably does this successfully with subjects as challengingly differentiated as human beings. Plus two out three of the bands featured in the sound track are my favorites (not Rammstein, sorry).
2001: A Space Odyssey – I love the irreverent structure of this film and its experimental soul. There is much more to say than I can write here. Dave is a foil for the progression of the “story,” the images strike as surrealist paintings, and so much more.
Alice – Svankmajer’s animation style is unique, and he pioneered animation of objects that should never move on their own. He creates a world in which everything is alive, and it makes sense that this is so in the film’s context. Watching a Svankmajer film is like returning to young childhood: The world is odd, disturbing, and charming. His work is the single greatest influence on my own.
Your top 3 favourite music tracks?:
Difficult to narrow this down, but as of today:
Kashmir – Led Zeppelin
From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea – The Cure
Shaman’s Blues – The Doors
7. What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?:
I haven’t lived long enough to have done something truly scary, but then again I don’t think most people ever do something truly scary.
8. What’s your greatest extravagance?:
The dish at the sushi restaurant near my house that has 24 pieces of sashimi.
9. What turns you on – creatively, spiritually or emotionally?:
Color and motion in the natural world, intellectual discussion about a complicated subject, and a really good bass line.
A final word?
The Russians did it.
P.S. Do you have any favourites or highlights from this year’s Alchemy programme that you’d love to give a shoutout to here?
Super excited for all the Svankmajer programming.
JAN ŠVANKMAJER SHORTS
INSECT
