Continued from Part 3 of the Michael Vass interview with Sundance noted director Dennis Dortch
Michael Vass : Well its all yours that’s true. Do you think that in your next film since this is more of an art house film are you going to look to the future to main stream traditional Hollywood or are you going to stay in more of the art house film direction?
Dennis Dortch : My next film that I am setting up right now and writing is going to be a mix of art house and commercial. I don’t think I’m ever going to go straight commercial it would just bore me. So I’d like to make money I’d like to make a living but I think at the same time when you try to do something that’s not you and try doing commercial your going to fail like you're not don’t doing the best you can do any way. My next film is definitely going to be a bigger film and a little more traditional in having more of a plot line maybe in the story, but I think the approach is going to be exactly the same.
I mean its going to say kind of that art house feel. I mean Steven Soderburg has probably the career I’d most likely follow that makes sense. Where he can go back and forth between Shay which is an art film, an epic art film. You know Erin Brochovich and then go do another small independent film and then do something else. All these films and retain their sensibility. Remain art house to a degree, you know what I mean. So I think that’s probably what I would like my career to follow. So I can have my hands in both worlds where I don’t feel boxed in on anything. I have that white script coming too, that’s going to break the mold a little bit.
Michael Vass : I imagine that was something that was going to come down the line at some point.
Dennis Dortch : It didn’t interest me at first until my lawyer brought the idea to me and I just really went with it. And I think probably coming out with Black & Sexy and the next film will be a surprise for me but I will definitely do it my way. But my heart really is in making black films always.
You know these kettle black films, how people say 'oh you only want to make black films'. No, I want to make good black films. I like black people but we’re not doing enough of our own films so there’s plenty of material and there’s plenty of opportunities. I think if you make good black films you’ll definitely be working, its just if you make a bad black film then your not.
Michael Vass : Well here’s something you touched on something that’s very important. Because you’ve gotten the recognition out of Sundance which is well deserved, is that influencing the… has that helped you in getting your next film? Are you looking forward to getting other work? Is that working for you? Or…
Dennis Dortch : Oh yes certainly. Its opened a lot of doors and has got people looking at me. I mean if I had the same film at another smaller festival or black festival per say , I would still have not gotten the attention I’ve got now. Its just something about Sundance and major film festivals that really opens the doors for you with the same damn film.
Michael Vass : Are we possibly going to see some of the bigger black actors and actresses or are you still looking to work with people who are lesser known and build them up? I mean if you can have Denzel in a movie would you go with him or a lesser known actor?
Dennis Dortch : Not at this point in my career, I mean if it happens I’m not going to sneeze at it and go ahh no. It hasn’t even crossed my mind because of the way I approach the film is very realistic. I like the characters to meld, the actors to meld to the characters. You don’t know who they are you just let form.
Denzel is such a good actor you just recognize him so much that my first instinct is not to use him. But you know there is a certain point in my career where you know the box office potential will be a factor. Then I’m going to have to consider the casting. And quite honestly this next film I’m thinking about is probably going to be set up somewhat bigger than my house as far as a studio. And that will probably come up but for now I will keep it out of my mind because I want the characters to be more themselves.
Michael Vass : You don’t want them typedcast, like Morgan Freeman. You look at him and you have this image of gravitas immediately. So your trying to stay a little bit away from that?
Dennis Dortch : Exactly I don’t want to write for an actor per say, I want the actor to act for the roll.
Michael Vass : That makes perfect sense and if Denzel reads this he should keep an eye out for the future. Because I think you both could do some great work together.
Coming towards the end of this I just want to ask you a question which is some what more detracting from what you’ve actually done. But something that I always find interesting to ask.
I find it very important you mentioned presenting a very positive image of African Americans. There’s a lot of things that are being said and to see that more of us are making positive statements is always important to me. But there are also a lot of things that we have not said. Are there issues or humanitarian aid that you’d like to emphasize or are looking to emphasize at some point.
Myself I do a lot of promotion of the work towards Darfur and the Child Soldier Prevention Act which you may or may not be familiar with. And a few other issues; is there anything like that, that your looking at that you either privately or publicly maybe emphasizing in the future?
Dennis Dortch : You know I’ve thought about a documentary form and make something a bit more narrative. This is more of a broad issue its not really a particular specific issue. Black on black crime, that’s something that I care about, because I do work in the child delinquent system and I just don’t like seeing kids sort of glorify gangs or violence or treating people in a certain way. It seems more difficult but seeing real kids believing this stuff and having a warped perception of what a real black man is and what a man is, that really bothers me a lot.
Its really our down fault overall and as people in this particular country we just are not organized and moving forward. Even having our own distribution system for our own stuff is really rooted in distraction by mosaic bull shit.
I know we’re kind of sort of sick and insane from the slave trade and a lot of issues that we have and some other races in this country do have. But I just think it handicaps us more than any one else. I think literally we are the first people on this earth , we’ve got the greatest minds and the greatest athletes and the greatest talent. Everyone wants to be like us, but we have this real sickening disease of being degenerate to ourselves. Those of us who were raised around it either got out of it or aren’t in it is great.
But kids growing up in it may not know what it means to be a man. You know a man is someone who takes care of his people, his family. That’s probably an issue I’d like to hit on probably in a narrative feature, in a documentary at some point. But those are some of the things I care about for me.
All the other issues I do care about, but it goes along with the honesty thing like the politics you can only be so honest. But it’s… a lot of it falls under the umbrella…but if your talking about art the biggest thing is going to be black on black crime. Us killing each other that is a small percentage but in the percentage that we are doing it and not seeing that as our brother or our sister, really its just kind of doing someone else’s work. It seems crazy to me, you know.
Michael Vass : No I understand that completely. I follow a lot in the writing that I do so I can understand the direction that your coming from. I agree that’s one of the big issues out there and I’ve addressed it a lot and I’ve been yelled at about it a lot. But its good to have that out there and speak about it so I understand completely.
Along that same line is something else which is more akin to what your doing. For those who are looking to get into the industry either as an actor, writer or director, and knowing that Hollywood is so two-faced in a sense where they maybe promoting a whole bunch of movies that maybe very liberal but at the same time there is almost ...what? Five percent of people of color in front of or behind the cameras when you look at the entire industry as a whole. For those who are looking to come up into this industry to become actors to become writers to become directors or a camera man or a sound man ...what ever it maybe. What in your experience would you say would be a way for them to do that? Are the opportunities getting bigger what do you think about that? Is there something you can say to them?
Dennis Dortch : Well you know I’m still outside the Hollywood system, I don’t even have an agent you know what I mean. I’m not really in the system, I’ve never worked in the system. So I don’t know much about the system and I don’t really think you have to be.
Michael Vass : So there’s another path ?
Dennis Dortch : There is another path, and its an interesting time for entertainment in general, it’s the era of DIY, the do it yourself film making. I mean literally we all have a cameras to HDV’s and they're affordable. All the equipment you need to do it yourself and the internet is suddenly exploding. I mean NBC, ABC everybody is getting online. Its almost the same playing field but it’s a little bit slanted towards the industry. But there is still a way to get in and do your thing if you have something different. Do it. You don’t have to try and get into the system if you have the talent.
People that get into the system know that they can do it and they have the talent and the gift of gab and they really know how to play the game. But for those of us who don’t, like me, if you have a vision then Hollywood will come to you. You know what I mean because they are always looking for the next new voice, the next new commercial thing. So all you have to do is do your thing.
I could have waited for an investor but I just took the money out of my house and made my film. I don’t have time and I’m not waiting. I have my collection of friends, my philosophy from college, and people that are sort of creatively my match; and they sort of share my sensibilities. We all got together and made the film. So that’s the way to do it is just make the film.
Michael Vass : Ok, that makes a lot of sense.
Concluded in Part 5
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