3 posts tagged film

(Bug Davidson) 

bug: Hey hey! 

Morty: How are ya!

bug: Very good thanks! A bit sleep deprived but good! 

Morty: So, you’re in school now, right?

bug: Yes, I’m doing an MFA at the Museum School in Boston. 

Morty: Was filmmaking always what you wanted to do? 

bug: I have always wanted to be involved in filmmaking, it always has been the biggest challenge to me. I do mostly work in moving image but I am now moving that into multichannel gallery work as well

Morty: What does it mean for you to move into the gallery setting?

bug: Right now it feels complicated! But, I think that in the future, it will allow for me to make work for a different kind of viewing that can incorporate the body, and space. I really love theaters, and watching films inside of them, but I am also interested in the relation of moving images in space, and the viewer moving thru that space.

Morty: Yes, so you’re working on more of that right now?

bug: Indeed. Recently, I put up a three channel video install at the 4th Wall Gallery. The installation is titled “Martindale” and is a colaboration with Two Left Feet Dance Company.

Morty:Why do you say filmmaking has been the ‘biggest challenge’?

bug: It takes about every craft you can imagine to make a film…you must think about light, music, feeding people, transporting people, sound, performers, fundraising, the list goes on. It is that much harder on a tight budget. But I think that it’s a blast! I love the circus of it! 

Morty: Was it a hard choice for you to decide on getting your MFA?

bug: It was. I have been out of school since 2006 and have huge debt from that situation. But, in a way, as a working class artist, that allowed me to say why the hell not! It is a great opportunity for me to focus.

Morty: What is the MFA program at the Museum School like for film?

bug: Well, it is very open here as to discipline, so it is certainly more art school than film school. I am surrounded by painters and photographers and sculptors, some of which work in video. So, it is a tremendous way to learn about art as practice, research and interconnectivity.

(Bug Davidson on set) 

Morty: Let’s talk about your work. First, If someone wanted to see your full works how can they find them?

bug: I am in the middle of restructuring my website now, so I should have my work available online by this summer!

Morty: Wonderful! A lot of your work is experimental in certain ways. What attracts you to experimental film?

bug: A lot of my work is experimental, yes. I have a hard time thinking about long narratives, especially in relation to queer imagery. I am in it for those moments you want to capture but never can… so maybe it is the impossible that interests me. I also program an Experimental Series in Austin called Homoscope - and I often say that short and experimental format and queer film go together so well - why should we be shoving our stories into a three act structure anyway? There is so much to explore outside of that format.

Morty: Experimental work often has this connotation to it…so many say ‘oh, experimental film is just blobs and colors on the screen with skreeching music, i hate it!’. I watched a lot of experimental film at the MIX Festival in NYC and it was a slow burn for me to really fall in love with it, but I eventually did. 

bug: Well, it ain’t for everyone that is true. I remember the first time I saw Tarkovsky’s “The Mirror” it was a packed theater and when it was over the lights came up and I was so goddamn thrilled, seriously, thrilled! Then I realized I was one of three people left in the theater. But ya know what, I felt those three of us were fucking cool as hell. And with online video and so many images in our field of vision everyday now, it is getting even harder to watch experimental work, or even something that moves slowly. But, I love the MIX Festival. I think that there is an atmosphere there that is like nowhere else, and the people too! And when the lights go out at MIX I know those are my people. I know I am gonna have great conversations about film after, so, yeah I guess I am fine that certain folks would rather not watch, there are plenty of things out there to entertain.

Morty: As a filmmaker does it sometimes feel like…a little push to make things a teeny tiny bit more narrative, more commercial?

bug: Absolutely! It is an industry after all, most people make films for money and most people watch them for entertainment and escape. It is just a different way of looking at things. I love me some Hollywood films too, and I am totally interested in making a feature that is super entertaining. I love both disciplines, and therefore make the distinction.

Morty: Do you plan on teaching at all or have any other plans after school? 

bug: I could be passionate about teaching film history possibly or theory. I like learning and I like people so I can think of worse jobs! Right now, I just keep funding my filmmaking habit, one way or another. I do have a feature in the works with my long time collaborator Holly M Lewis and I think after all this art it may be time for a good West Texas style Apocalypse movie. So, that is the plan. I am extremely excited about the characters she has written. There are great multi layered trans people as well as trans actors I am excited to work with again in other roles.

Morty: I’m curious how you identify regarding gender.

bug: I identify as a trans person, and a queer person, not attached to a specific gender.

Morty: Have you set out to make movies which expose the audience to non normative gender types?

bug: I think that could be said, and I also think that one could see my own trajectory as an individual in the films I have made thus far. The expressions I’ve made on screen have gotten more subtle as I have grown as a director and an artist. I have been extremely lucky to work with some amazing performers: Ben McCoy, Caitlin Lowell, Devon Bouvier, KT Shorb, Andrew Citino. I think one of those challenges we talked about earlier for me is finding the right performers. And I have been very lucky with that.

Morty: Does your gallery work and your film work come from different types of inspiration? 

bug: I think the gallery work is a chance to really shake out some images that won’t leave me alone, or that I think are particularly beautiful, but it is very close and sometimes interchangeable with an experimental short film. I would say I commit to shooting something because I can’t imagine not doing so, because some part of it will not leave me alone.

Morty: Your short, Miggy n Lil, is one of my favorite queer short films to come out in the last few years. How did this film begin for you? 

bug: The story grew out of a Mexican comic book where the hero cuts off fingers of villains. Holly would read it to me for kicks. So the comic and my idea of a butch butcher. Holly and I often work like that together, I’ll describe little scenes and she weaves the story together through the images or moments. The Texas landscape will always be in my stories. Austin is home and I can never stay away long.

Morty: How did you get funding to finish Miggy n Lil? 

bug: It was a moment where I was lucky enough to have a private funder! It was a great time making that film and in some ways, even though The Terrorist She Freaks of Texas came first Miggy n Lil will always be my first film…my first talkie where I had a great big crew to make it happen.

Morty: Who are some filmmakers you really love?

bug: Sadie Benning is a root. Isaac Julien and Christian Marclay are pretty astounding. I just missed Silas Howards new film by a few days at SXSW but I am excited to see it! Visually Tak Fujimoto is a favorite, and Declan Quinn, both are cinematographers that I think have the stuff. Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler remind me of what is fun about life. I’ll stop there.

Morty: Great list! Ok, stock question: do you call yourself a “trans / queer artist” or does that feel too limiting?

bug: Tough one! Well, I do, because it seems to be a theme in my work quite a bit…and I think that when you make work about something that will happen anyway. Like, if I made huge baskets out of safteypins, people would say “There goes that crazy punk safteypin basket artist.” 

Morty: Hilarious answer but true. Ok, last question. What are some things you would say to a trans artist who is new to the scene and wanting to make fantastic films!

bug: Just keep making films, and find a way to get what you want while staying flexible. But most importantly keep making.

Morty: Yes! Thank you for the chat! Keep me posted on your new work! 

bug: Thanks so much for the chat! I love the Bodies Of Work format so far and it looks like you are getting so much great content. Good luck with the project! 

Morty: Thank you so much! 

CHECK OUT BUG DAVIDSON’S WORK RIGHT NOW! 

Stay in touch via Facebook: Hybrid Vigor Productions 

Bug’s earlier work can be seen on this reel: http://vimeo.com/19279610

Kortney: Hi.

Morty: Hey!

Kortney: How are you?

Morty: I’m wonderful, and you?

Kortney: Excellent.

Morty: So, I wanted to first ask you about your film, Still Black.

Kortney: Sounds good.

Morty: What got you interested in making Still Black?

Kortney: I wanted to make the film because there was, and continues to be, a dearth of trans representation that deals with black bodies. Still Black was produced in 2008.  Around that time there began to be a boom of trans narratives making their way into both mainstream and indie media but they centered on the experiences of white folks. I wanted to hear other perspectives. I was 27 years old when I began production on the project and it was a moment in my life where I was moving away from the “genderqueer” identity and becoming more comfortable with my trans ID. So there was also a personal reason I wanted to make the film.

Morty: How did you go about finding the men for the film?

Kortney:  I was living in Chicago at the time and put the word out through queer organizations in the city. I also ran a very popular blog at the time called blac(k)ademic, which helped to publicize my call for participants. I had no problem finding willing subjects as I was flooded with emails and phone calls from men who desired to participate. Word of mouth also helped a lot.

Morty: I really enjoy the different perspectives in the film - did you go about looking at each story in the way they blended together?

Kortney: I wanted to bring a diversity of voices into the picture. I wanted to make it very clear that although as black men we share similar experiences navigating the world, at the same time, our experiences are very unique and important. I think as a filmmaker producing images of blackness it is very important for me to avoid monolithic narratives of identity.

Morty: I’m curious what the men in the film thought of the movie

Kortney: They loved it and continue to be very grateful for the opportunity. When beginning the project, one of the players, Ethan Young, emphasized how timely and important the project was. This was left out of the final film, but to express his support of the film, he got the title tattooed on the back of his head.

Morty: Wow! I love that!

Kortney: Yes, it was amazing. We both eventually got tattoos that night.

Morty: So, now it’s 2012. How far do you think we’ve come in shedding more light on trans people of color? Both in the mainstream media and beyond?

Kortney: I think things are moving along—much slower than I would like, of course. However, I am grateful for the many folks who are really doing the work of making trans folks of color visible. Whether that be through the simple platform of YouTube or big film projects.

Morty: You’re seeing a lot of visibility on Youtube?

Kortney: Actually, for trans folks of color, YouTube is a very powerful space.

Morty: I want to talk more with you about new media in a minute. Getting back to your film – you have screened it in dozens of festivals and universities, as well as won a few awards. What has this experience done for you?

Kortney: It has done so many things. Mainly it has only proven what I already knew: that there is an urgency and desire for audiences of all types to know alternative black stories; to be introduced to an image of black men that they are not used to. I also think that the film has helped me to grow as an image maker. As you know, being an artist makes you so vulnerable to public critique and having the film travel to so many places and interpreted by so many people has made me so much wiser.

Morty: Has it opened other possibilities for you as an artist?

Kortney: It’s been really helpful in terms of my work as a scholar. I’ve been able to be seen as an “expert” in my field in a way that traditional academic work cannot do.

Morty: What are your fields in academia?

Kortney: African American studies and Performance studies. The film has made an important intervention in both considering there is but a handful of work aimed at black trans folks in the academy. The film has been able to travel in a way that boring academic papers cannot.

Morty: I agree, depending on the audience.  Black trans history in academia is not well publicized - can you discuss with me some basics?

Kortney: Basics as in..?

Morty: Those in academia working on black trans academic work?

Kortney: I know that Enoch Page has done some sociological work on the black transgender experience and produced an article. Also, my mentor, E. Patrick Johnson in his book Sweet Tea, interviews a black transwoman. But there is little to any academic attention given to us. I think it is because the field of African American studies has been concerned with a revisionist history that attempts to return humanity to black individuals but does so in a way that promotes black respectability—or a conservative way of looking at blackness. Many scholars who do work on queer identity have a hard time introducing scholarship that goes beyond what the field is used to—gay/lesbian or straight. While in my department in Northwestern, I was working with top scholars who, though might have some understanding of gender theory, were blown away with the idea that one could transition.

Morty: The conservative nature of African American studies is an impediment to discussing trans anything?

Kortney: In my opinion, scholars of the field truly struggle with incorporating trans theory in their work. To be clear, I say this not to imply that black folks are more homophobic/transphobic. In terms of the academy, the field of African American studies and its politics of respectability continue to marginalize the experiences of queer individuals, especially those who are trans. It’s taboo, still, in 2012.

Morty: Do you feel a part of your work is to combat this?

Kortney: Yes, of course. Being who I am as a person has made it difficult navigating through a field that excludes my experience. I find it an obligation to challenge this and to encourage others to think beyond themselves. I want the field of AFAM to “catch up” to other disciplines that include heavy gender/sexuality/race analysis.

Morty: You hold a PhD from Northwestern. Have you or are you going to be professing?

Kortney: I’ve decided that being a professor in the academy is not the path I want to take. I want to be able to fully commit to my artistic practice and going through the stress of applying to and suffering through the academic job market is so unappealing to me.

Morty: Right.

Kortney: The degrees I have really help people to take my art more seriously. It works very well on that level.

Morty: Let’s talk about your work beyond Still Black. What direction have you gone since making the film?

Kortney: Post Still Black, I worked on a couple of my own short experimental films. I’ve also began to take photography seriously and had my own show recently here in Oakland. Right now, I’m actually in pre-production of a film with a trans protagonist.

Morty: Wonderful, I’d love to hear more!

Kortney: The film is set in the gritty warehouse district of West Oakland and follows a young black male trans musician and his struggles with dating and love. With the amazing response of the film Pariah and the obvious thirst for black narrative films that introduce black queer identities to mainstream audiences, I know that it is a perfect time more than any to produce this project for the big screen

Morty:How will you go about funding?

Kortney: I plan to follow the same grassroots fundraising as I did with Still Black. This was before Kickstarter and Indigogo were so popular. I solicited funds online to produce Still Black and I hope to go the same way with PASSION (the name of the film).

Morty: Please do send me the information when you begin fundraising, so I can help get the word out. I have a stock question I always ask artists and writers: Do you call yourself a “trans artist/filmmaker” or does that feel too limiting?

Kortney: It depends on the context. I get asked a similar question as to whether I call myself a black artist or just an artist, too. I think for all of us with identities on the margin, what we call ourselves depends on what we need at the moment and what political act we want to convey. When the moment arises that I need to identify as trans in relation to my art, I do. But primarily, I call myself an artist in the spaces that will allow me to be just that.

Morty: What advice would you give to young trans artists today?

Kortney: I think it is important to let people know that trans visibility is multifaceted and that every perspective and voice is so important. No matter what the current hot academic trend is, there is no “right” way to be trans, just as there is no “right” way to just be. I think many people forget that.

Morty: Since you’ve seen the need to shed more light on black trans voices what can we do to accomplish this?

Kortney: We all need to actively do our research. I think for many people, they want the stories and narratives to find them. But that’s not the reality of our world. Yes, there are lots of black trans folks telling stories on Youtube but unless you look for it maybe you won’t know. I just think we all need to be more responsible and seek out what we don’t know or think doesn’t exist.

Morty: Is it possible, in your opinion, to build a strong community online?

Kortney: For sure. I’m 31 and have spent the majority of my life online. I know that had I not encountered the many voices of young black transguys on YouTube 5 years ago I probably wouldn’t be sitting here being interviewed by you. Online community building has changed my life for the better

Morty: With regard to doing our research, I’m really interested in a list of black trans art, literature and culture that has inspired you, including Youtube accounts you like.

Kortney: There is the work of brooklyn boihood, which I really respect. Also, Black Transmen Inc. is a new organization doing an important job of connecting folks with resources. Though they are not an arts organization, they are dedicated to showcasing the work of black trans individuals in all capacities. One cat who has inspired me so deeply is a young man much younger than myself who has a very popular YouTube following, his name on the site is Laidbaqq. He made an artistic video about his identity and it continues to move and remind me of why I chose to transition. I am a fan of his.

Morty: How about black transfemale artists, writers or Youtubers?

Kortney: I am in love with Diamond Stylz—another YouTube personality but she does comic videos and serious videos and all kinds of videos. I also appreciate the work of Monica Roberts - not a fiction writer but she keeps more mainstream audiences aware of black trans folks through her online publications.

Morty: Yeah, I read Transgriot, her blog. How about movies?

Kortney: The film UPeople came out around the same time Still Black was out. I respect that they included Ignacio and Tiq. I really love that one.

Morty: Any others?

Kortney: Not that I know of. Ignacio has made some work I like but I haven’t seen much else.

Morty:Hopefully this little interview will light some fires of inspiration.

Kortney: Hopefully! Because I wanna see and read more!

Morty: Yes! I do too.

Kortney: Word. Thanks again, Morty. Have a good night.

Morty: You too! Thank you so much for the interview.

For more information about the movie Still Black and other work by Kortney Ryan Zeigler please visit the following links: 

http://www.kortneyrziegler.net/

Trailer for Still Black