Director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass - pt 2

This is the continuation of my taped interview with acclaimed director and writer Dennis Dortch. You can see the first part of the interview at Sundance director Dennis Dortch interviewed by Michael Vass.

To see the review of the award winning film by Dennis Dortch, go to DVD Review: A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy


Michael Vass : The truth is truth.

Dennis Dortch : It may not be the truth for everybody but its certainly something that exists in the world. Its apart of behavior. I have not thought about him in years. You asked me that question and he is probably the guy that turned on the switch on for me to make it ok for me to do what I do, and think what I think, and do it the way I want to do it, you know?

Michael Vass : Would you include him in say the heroes or people who were inspirational in your life that have helped create the directorial vision that you have now?

Dennis Dortch : I would if I could remember his name. I should add George Lopper. He was my creative writing teacher in my senior year and I almost flunked out that year. I had all good grades but, you know, I had a girlfriend who kind of took my attention away.

Those two people I would definitely include them as my heroes and inspiration. I almost forgot about Nikki Giovanni. I had just discovered Nikki Giovanni for the first time. I was in an AP Class in high school, and literally there was two black people in this entire thing. We had a half black school but in this class there was only two if us. So your looked at as being special or whatever and I was reading books that I had never been exposed. I was reading Nikki Giovanni and he [George Lopper] was like ok if that’s what you want to read that’s cool. Giovanni was saying some pretty strong anti-white stuff and he was cool with it. He’s white and the whole class was white, but he was like if this is something your interested in then I’m going to let you go with it. So defiantly I think those three people would probably be a heavy influence on me to be myself.

Michael Vass : I can understand completely. I’ve had a couple of teachers like that myself. I think they are really important. Besides just going to school, having a teacher somewhere along the line that gives you that opportunity to expand on besides what is there is really critical. That’s what I’ve always felt.

Going back to the movie, and looking at the order of the film. Was there a purpose in the way you put the order of all the vignettes together?

Dennis Dortch : I had a slightly different order of my first cut and the writing it was a little different too. My goal really was to make it feel like a mix tape. So sometimes you know when your mixing songs together you go by the feeling and the beat. If I do something different in the vignette that I put together then it’s the feeling and the beat, the rhythms, how they flow, how you feel about them.

I would lay them out and watch and see how they made me feel, you know. The only thing majorly I changed in my final edit was American Boyfriend - the last one. It used to be second to last and I had Tonight part 2 to be last. And what it did was have a real sleepy feel to it so it was like…

Michael Vass : Too slow.

Dennis Dortch : Yes literally, and it was like a real somber ending. I had a test screening. Really I thought it was my premier but it turned into a test screening after I thought that it didn’t quite work with the audience. I didn’t embody the concept. It just felt like kind of a somber ending. So I ended up changing the ending. That was the only thing that I sort of you know changed.

Michael Vass : Well I liked the way it ended because that was a real big positive and it starts with a big jolt. As I said before at least for me it was a big jolt. Because it’s so different what we are getting there and then it ends with the American Boyfriend and that was pretty much the best of the vignettes. The one I like the best. It’s very positive to me. Very up lifting. Very... break through. I don’t know how to explain it exactly but it was very positive, I liked it a lot. So I agree with your order.

I was just wondering if there was that. I noticed that your going in many different directions through out the entire film. Were you trying to emphasize one type of over all theme through out the entire movie or was it one theme. Besides the idea of being black, being sexy, relationships can be more multi-dimensional than what’s been exposed already. Besides that theme was there anything else you were tying to get through?

Dennis Dortch : No that was really basically the cohesive thought I was going for. The goal was really to make each one feel different. And then do something different. I was literally trying to make a mixed tape on film. That was my real goal.

Michael Vass : Ok well it worked it’s a different approach because you really just don’t see films that really do that. At least if there were they are probably really very old because I have not seen anything like that in quite some time, quite some time. Nothing even close.

You also picked a great cast, I mean you really had a great cast. Chonte Harris - I really liked her a lot, I think she did very well. Alphonso Johnson as I said he’s one of the reasons I loved the American Boyfriend section. The section with Julian, I forget his actual name…

Dennis Dortch : Jerome Hawkins

Michael Vass : Yes. That story line drove me nuts. Tonight part 1 and 2 and its very... I guess harsh is the word. Cause your kind of dealing with child sex. In a way. Did you have trouble filming that? Was that a difficult one to write?

Dennis Dortch : It was probably not difficult in the sense of any angst but it was difficult to try to get it honest. You know, it actually changed several times. But the outcome is the same to a degree. And I talked to the actors before hand about their own experiences. Even the talking to the girl her first time, was with an older dude and she was under aged, they all identified with it. I just played on it, I mean I have a different ending …

Michael Vass : I saw that…

Dennis Dortch : And there is the extra that I just cut out thought it was kind of a cop out to me.

Michael Vass : You think so?..

Dennis Dortch : I’ve heard from people like these older black gentleman that like the alternative ending…

Michael Vass : That would be me… I’m old and I like the alternative ending.

Dennis Dortch : They told me ‘like oh another older black man, I didn’t want to see another negative of a black man this and that.’ And my wife echoed ‘it reminds me of [her] first time.’ Or some have said its sounds like what happened to my first boyfriend. It depends on your perception.

You know it’s quite funny how the same film effects people depending on what their experiences are, what their agenda is. How some people are like "oh god I wish you weren’t going to do this" and then others were like, "this reminds me, this is so real." I think this was my goal.

I had an actor who is semi known, who I was sort of pursuing for playing the role and he didn’t want to play it. He said I just can’t play this role because he does not even get his comeuppance; he does not even go to jail. Nothing happens.

How many times do you see a guy go to jail for statutory rape? It does not may any sense. It’s not going to stop anybody from doing it either by playing it realistically. The only time you’re going to have the conversation about it, it’s got to be somewhat controversial true and honest. And I’m not trying to save the world or say its ok. I have a daughter myself who I don’t want that to happen to. But I have to be honest with myself, with what my goals were, and portray things honestly. I could not take away from the uncomfortableness of it. You know?

Continued in Part 3...