MetroArts/Thirteen

I'm DA PENNEBAKER. I'll be your host as Metro Arts 13 goes to the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reed theater. Major support for Metro Arts 13. Non commercial cable service. Channel 13 has been provided by Rosalind P. Walter. And viewers like you. Thank you. I. Guess. For us. There is no script. We never write a script. We don't know how to write the script.

And the process of filming is really our. Research. And in the end that's how you find out who your character is going to be. And you can't go back and do it again if that turns out you know that you found a good person. So you have to do it on the spot. So you're constantly going down roads that you're not sure you want to pursue. And the direction if you directed it would be a disaster. You have to let the people you're filming direct it so in that sense there really is no direct. We don't know how to direct films directing films. Plus there's another aspect that's always interested me which is that when do you go to a play and you become part of the audience and you sit in a seat and you watch something that is completely directed. There's no nobody makes up any lines or you know everything is right on the nose. And you watch it but you you watch what you want to watch. Well for us that's the camera role now in a movie. The camera is

absolutely as scripted as much as any of the actors. So whatever the camera does it's already known in advance so there are no surprises so the audience going to a movie sees something that's already been completely done. There's nothing left open for them to to get in and scratch around whereas in our movies I sort of think that a person watching it feels you know five people watching it may all see a slightly different movie. And that's what should be. That's what we're trying to do. Hello. D.A. Pennebaker. Welcome to the Metro Arts 13. And the film Society of Lincoln centers and Walter Reed theater as part of its goal to present the best in world cinema. The film society hosts the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival every June our first program TONIGHT premieres here last summer. This film by Aaron mathy chronicles the everyday troubles

and triumphs of the Ortiz family. Myra either Monica or three daughters of a Dominican immigrant family living in Sunset Park Brooklyn. Now my American girls the Dominican story. No. Americans interactive shell game in. The. Next dawn. Over an intimate look at one family. I. Got. All my working for me or for my ability to culture. There's always something going on in life that people live in here it's like an old town and three. Very different. Doctors. And every time I I'm proud of AM I mean I and my American girls a Dominican story.

And stay tuned following this program to find out how you can share your point of view. Major funding for PLB has been provided by the John D and Kathryn MacArthur Foundation to increase public awareness of independent film and video. The National Endowment for the arts. And contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you. For the last 30 years the Americans have been the largest and fastest growing immigrant group. In New York. And there are virtually no phones about the Dominican immigrant experience my American girls is the story of the Ortiz family a Dominican immigrant family living in Sunset Park Brooklyn. The family consists of Saundra and Battista who are the mother and father and three daughters. My was 14. I was 16 and Monica is 21.

And each daughters kind of going in a different direction. A lot of people say once they've seen the film it they really feel like they've they've had intimate contact with a world with a family that that they would never have had before and that's special. It's like going somewhere that you would never that you wouldn't have otherwise. And so one of the benefits of. Just focusing on the family and their relationships is that you really you really get to know them well and you begin to extrapolate from that what are what are larger themes that are universal from this what else does what else do I have to learn from this family. When I was a little girl in Dominican Republic My daddy used to tell me that I'm really like you and what is he. Which means if you die you have him saying look you have died. Well I'm going to die blind. But maybe you're going to kill me

first. But. I. Decide to get married one week. And. Then. We get everything ready in three days. I can't believe this. And right now we are sad. You know what it's like like trying to find any people to go somewhere. My name is Sam that are two years my family came to this country and we live in a sense some support group. I mean my husband is down here. We have three daughters. I guess. My race to him too. So.

I guess it's just me and my niggas 21. This is the case for this family. It's always something going in this house. It's always something. I got three weeks left that I'm Zeina great. I was studying. Nothing. I come outside. Whole

block. I run the. Lock. Like crazy. Like. I think I feel comfortable. This is because everybody gets along is flying is actually the cause of this action if I know. It's my senior year and things are pretty easy because I'm only taking four classes. It's good because I have time to do all the things that I want to do. Like one track you have made every weekend and. I'm in a dance class which is really cool. And then I've got an on campus job working on the Columbia Web site and I'm getting a little bit of study. Actually things are a little stressful right now.

I've been pre-med for four years. I always thought I wanted to be a doctor but then I started to take some acting classes and from regle got me into doing this play in Italian. I totally love it. I mean were the leaves. Anyway I think I want to be an actress now. And it's hard my entire life I've dreamed of making a lot of money so my parents could return the Dominican on public. And I know my mom's got to be a little bit disappointed because she had our hearts and me being a doctor and I'm doing the acting thing which is kind of crazy. But. I know I'm. Twenty one. It's fun. I know. What I want to do. I'm a typical middle child. That's what I'm learning in college because I don't know where I fit in me to my Monica. Monica. She went to conveners. Majored in neuroscience. And now she's back. Myra is. A

get old to me because she's always a confidant. I was with my cousin. I don't want to be like anybody else in my neighborhood. The kids drop out high score isn't really bad enough. And like they dropped out of college. You have a kid. Like six two. You know and I sort of want to break away from that. But there really is we have a lot harder than a lot of other kids. The kids that say oh my parents this were parents that were half as bad as I do because they're my sisters and I were the first generation was born here. You know in United States My parents are from the public so. They can't sit there and talk to me about Huckleberry Finn or like Charles Dickens or you know they can't do it because he never had that education so. It's not easy. And then from 5:00 in the morning to 10:00 11:00 o'clock at night is not easy. My parents made me work him because we was very poor. They

have many children. You know I have four brothers and sister. I was the oldest. And that was a lot of work. So I came to school in America when I was engaged in my and. My duty to. What I good know is the best. Way. To leave in. This war. Every day I woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning. Our job is out to the job being up to the door. My job. To. Be dream Saundra. We spend so much time in the hospital. We should be there by now. I like my job. I never lied and never got sick. I go to war. When people come in do you think they find more and more any industry.

That will follow this story. You've got to work hard everybody with this calling. Everybody. Is. Looking. Yep. I don't get it. I. Think. I'm gonna wait. For. Me. To. Get on me. I've told my parents that they should really think about my going to the doctor's office at night. I mean their lives are crazy enough without having a second job. When they make an extra hundred bucks a week I'm like that hundred extra bucks a week is.

Causing you no time with your kids. Because when they're out working there's just no control at home. Too many distractions from my night the TV the telephone friends coming over and people calling you from outside to hang out. I mean it's just crazy at home. When I used to live there I used to have to take my chemistry book into the bathroom and read on the toilet just to get some peace and quiet. I know that mommy you probably want to build a house in the Dominican Republic. I mean so Dominican kids come to this country with the idea that they're going to work temporarily and make their money and then go back to live in their dream house. But they've made this their home now and they have to think about the present too. I live my life. And I. Like that because it was Monica and they will have no foreign money. COLMES.

She is today's show. She grows on her role as a hawk while you know will bestow forbidden phrase things. Might get sued by my blondish. I say you and I want to be now into doing your homework. But she's writing writing and writing and writing. And you think you do her homework and I don't know what you're writing because I don't know English. And they should take advantage for that. Because you know I'm not going to check the whole homework. I wish. I didn't mind and the money got second and third of money go and bust. My. Hurry up. This is for the party for money could soon be making a surprise party in two weeks. But you want to have a gun. Food is finally in Italian food. And I didn't have a many and 50 people. Really friends in the hospital and they all want to go. Oh. My. You know. I am going.

We have a lot of food a lot of drinking and dancing. Everything. I want to dance a little bit. It's time to dance soon because we are so proud of my. To. Eight years ago. My mom gets all excited that I run track and I've broken a couple of school records. Even when I went to college is a big deal because I was the first in my family to go. But it's like when you think about it. My mom was the first one in her family to leave the camp. They had no running water no electricity. She's got like 14 brothers and sisters and she just got on a plane. Picked up and left and came to this country where she didn't know anybody. I mean she had no place to live. She had no money. She had nothing. I mean. That's a big. Step. I mean going to college is no big deal. I'm getting nervous. I usually don't get any people.

My mom and everybody that comes here you know not knowing what they're going to find what the life is like. It's incredible. It's both my parents they came here to work and to better the lives of their children all of us live our lives that's what they did. And I'm taking advantage of. You. I'm definitely the most removed from Dominican culture out of everybody in our family. I mean I was never too involved in the Dominican scene at my house.

I never had any Latino friends like my sisters do. I mean I still dance Miranda. But I was into other things too. And that's basically because of the institutions that I've been part of my entire life. I've been in private school for the last 10 years. There's not too many Dominicans and private schools. I'll tell you that much. I mean it can be hard sometimes. You have people asking you stuff like Dominican Republic where is that. It's an island in the Caribbean and Dominicans are the largest immigrant groups in New York. So many of them come here because the Dominican Republic is poor. Was their race. I mean what are you guys were black like me were white like my sister Ida. And oh. And what's that. It's a Platinum. It's not a potato. It's a big cut banana. And it's our national food. You get used to being a little bit on the outside and having to explain yourself. It's not bad it's just. There's always something going on in our house that people live in.

It's like a whole for the Dominican Republic. I don't even know how many people living here anymore. I can't even keep track of this. That was the basic There's my uncles. And Christian on the first floor. It's my uncle Leo because my daddy dear baby Angie and my grandma. Then there is the I need the baby John noise. My aunt monium her baby living on the second floor. And then there's a squirrel on the top. Well is going to sign in our family playing bingo dominoes. And a lot of them need help translating stuff and writing letters from English no matter what time of day you see people coming in and out of here. It gets annoying when want avoid. I forgot to pay my bills. So when I came from good. Homes. In Miami how I live when I was there. So. It's ok for me.

We have a camera my this when I write this. We have a Kindle on my morning. It may take a day honey. They make. Me wonder why he even this in. I can't find anything you want. He looking at these pages twice a day in the morning in the afternoon every night. Also Bill I love show you when I come in and see the picture. Here. We're building a house in the making with the money that we're saving. You see the blue water lost their house over there. This is a beautiful beautiful beautiful.

Beautiful place. Maybe you say you want to go there. You want to go. You. Know I don't want to stay the same. You want to stay there. We never know. For. Sure. I think this is one day in my life. Maybe not for Monica or for me. Why. Can't. I be. I never see so many people on one place at one time. And so many people that I read of

from college. Oh my God you see all the famous people there. We still have these mean that when there's something right here in this country today. On. Sunday May we never feel this going my country. So I made this up. Now it's time to be part of it. We feel very happy.

Money can going to come soon and so many people they know. You. Know when people not understand that this is a private body. It's funny people live on time for piety. I think going to get a. Lot. Of. You. Get to.

Where. You were. In the world. Yeah. Getting ready for summer school because I kind of feel that. I was very lazy lazy. And. I call my friends. So know. This. Is actually not all that bad. I'm used to it. I mean like I'm used to feel embarrassed to see you it would seem. Really. My cousin when he or she goes for English so she just came off the bench on the whole you know

from Diyar. It's like she goes she needs to learn to. Come home at 12:30 is no better. This is for me. So am I supposed to be for like children no signs no books allowed. How. Do you get money. I now cause. My dad is the good doctor. Didn't you know. Man I need a job. Could you tell me why you want to work on McDonald's. I come in here all the time. And. I just think be ready. I know I like a newspaper. Have you had any previous work experience.

Well. This is where we shoot me first. So. I'm going to. Go. And. See if we can get. The. First shot. Getting on my nerves. No I mean come on. Ronald McDonald. Anyone can do this job. You've moved into this cozy apartment on the Upper East Side. I took a shower in the kitchen but it's kind of cool because we're in a really nice neighborhood and we can walk around at like midnight and it's actually pretty cheap for New York City. After graduation I got a job at a big Internet company. I design web sites. And. They call me the technology administrator because I also help out doing other stuff. Do you have files this image files of one of the comic books. No I don't think my parents know what the Internet is and if I tell them I just

created a Web site they're like OK. Well you make money that's good. Either they don't care about it it's just that it's not their world. Call. Them after work and on weekends I'm auditioning for 110 130. And if you. Really want to make it I mean the job is fine and everything but I want to give acting a real shot some doing an independent film and we'll see what happens with this film kind of a crazy experience. At one point the director ran out of film so he started telling us to speak really really quickly. Anyway there was a lot of time to kill between scene so I spent most of my time just hanging outside with the crew. Where are you from. In the Dominican Republic. Oh. Frank Rescorla American Republic. Yes. And my lifestyle was so different then with the. So. You can't even. Use mine. But that's the thing that it's different that people see

Dominicans. Because my lifestyle isn't my thing. I love my military you know. So I mean we're changing. I remember when I was. I turned 16 and had all my friends like a surprise birthday party and all my friends were sitting around were talking and. I'm. Like she's always like you know she's like this is your party. All you people sitting down talking like our party right now you have to dance here and I know I'm drinking now you don't drink you're not doing any life right now. I know you're going to come over and we can talk you know have a cup of tea or coffee and have a good time have some dinner. No not now not acceptable. That's not me. The fact. That she might. Want. To. Hang out with Hispanics.

So. She doesn't really have a culture. As we have like the whole family. Yeah right. Like I was at a dance party Saturday night. You see I was playing bingo. I was like. You and I was like This is fine. Later today my cousin came over and took them to the fight. There was a little group of us you know we had fun was a party that were clearly. The fired members of the family were in the backyard of my house just being gadol. You know I'm a barbequing and my father was saying. I don't like their soul ghetto they're black. They think they still are going to really. Do.

For me and my. Staff. Work. I want to. Listen. To them. Why don't you do it in two years. I got a way into my high school. What are you talking about. These. Things high school. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. I. Might finish high school here and work hard and show me. One. A. College. Years. Something. Like. A. Girl. I just say it's a third world country. It is true. I just feel like that because she was

born here might use they might be a son. They like the opportunity in this country. So I think. Because. They. Use. The rest of my family who knows I bring almost all my brother and sister here and they like to work. You can work in my classroom. So in the life here in New York. So you have to write and say that and. Say that indeed Saddam Hussein said I want to say. This is in English. I don't want to.

I want to learn English. I want. To know. No. Listen I want to learn I want to learn English. Good seeing you here. Oh. A lot of immigrant. Families in high you know in their country and they come here for a better way of living. My mom she was like never selfish. You know her family the world. So the first thing she did was try to get them all here as long as you can because you want them to progress. Because of her. And her whole family's here has their own life. Like I can just imagine what it would be like if they were still stuck over there. And I never told my mom that I'm proud of her but you know I am.

Happy they happy. OK. Originally I went to high school every single day. Most of. It all down to. The. North. And here we go. OK. All. I do. Summer is over. I remember I was on my case starting school high school actually I'm a lawyer going and what have we lost. Learners just like a whole new environment.

But I'm really worried about making more people because you know I can meet fires like this. You know I'm like the. I. Finally got to show McDonalds but I'm totally me stupid because I should be studying my junior year. I know my responsibilities I know I'm working and I know I need to do my work in school so I can have a job. I know how much. I get it every single day. Every single one of my teachers. And the principal does lectures and lecture. I get it. Stupid. I don't want to work. Don't affect my life. Like everyone slacking off or whatever. Will be successful. Any more. This isn't exactly what I thought I'd be doing. I mean the three little pigs you know I want to make it I want to

make it now some doing this children's theatre it's bilingual so I can put my Spanish to use. It's a little frustrating I just not really the kind of acting that I want to be doing. Mean you can't even see my face. I used to think it was great that I did so many different things. I have so many interests. But then one of my track coaches said that I was in danger of becoming a jack of all trades master of none. And ever since then I've been trying to focus more. So now I'm just trying to act and have one job and dance a little and volunteer here and then some. I mean you know run on weekends. Oh God Monica you so come home every single day from school. This girl will not see the light. She would lock yourself up in her room and she would be like God don't bother me I'm sorry. Crap. I'm not the type that's like always at home.

I'm not one of them. It's hard when telling your mom what you shouldn't do with her kids. But as parents they have girls right now. And I know that aren't totally dedicated to school and I know their way of doing it their way of saying that I'm not here isn't enough. Maybe Monica on the right when she say. Is my fault because I know that. Take care of my room after school. So I want to try this. We had to do the best I can. First thing I want to say to you is she's not achieving the results I would like to see you achieve. I gave her a 60 which is what I call a seesaw grade. She didn't give me enough material to pass through but she certainly didn't deserve failure. So the 60 would be the middle of the sea so she deserves a lot more and she should deserve a lot more. She should get a lot more than that. I want to tell you your problems. Is a problem focusing.

She's fifty four inches forty six. So she's not doing very well. She would get higher marks on test if she paid attention to details. I don't know how much time she spent studying. On the exam. She got to 29. Around really concerned about her. Do you see her staying at home to working half an hour and then has all these. You know I came in to say that you know some time I get mad really mad because I get in the same way the game starts you will lose good is not my day. When I was a little girl then I had to be in charge for we will finally have 15 games and it being just a little. She was she got nothing to do only study and they look. When made this weekend her do it. OK. Why is he thinking. Why is he OK. So you see him this weekend to

finish this. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. OK. Bye bye. He doesn't like. The idea. Oh OK. I'll be fine. I know.

I'm tired. I can't be there all the time and I can't run their lives. You have to draw the line at some point. It makes you feel horrible but you have to create some kind of distance. And I think that a lot of Latinos in this country that are trying to make it here the struggle to. I. Don't. Say that my hands are going to here are trying to. Get. On. My. Laptop on Monday. Try.

Oh we're getting ready to go to the mini I have been looking at my parents house all the time are we going to bring so many thing because they need it. They buy a lot of things for the house we buy clothing we buy for him and it's Christmas so I let him some present for the children. They own these people and they all raise and. Really live on the beach. So I have to do a lot of shopping. With patchy fog tonight tomorrow. It's not that I hate going downstairs to American public it's just that I'm really busy now. You know with my job and with acting and I've got a couple of auditions lined up. So it's going to be really hard to make it down there. I'm. Kind of putting off telling my mom though because I know she really wants us all together down there. There's this big family reunion and everything.

So why are they leaving. Oh my God I can't wait to go to my country. You see it is. I love this. No but I'm tired of this snow right now. I want to go. To. Hot weather. We just have the back of the thing. And so we want to be on the beach a real beach. So you go to. An outdoor market. Like. You do. Oh. I'm. Good.

OK. I'm ready to. Tuesday. Monica tell me that she I want to come with us. It's like for years. This is not coming down there with your family. And we have a home right now but I know you not want to come. I have friends and you're not going to matter because you have a lot of work. So it's a real American girl. Yep. The first thing I like to do when I'm here is we love you Daddy and see some of the where you used to live. When I moved to New York and 1975. Two months

after I was living in there I seen my daddy $200 and he buy a cow for me. And. I like the real milk. So I had to make the call because I don't know how to do it. Are you kidding me. Oh. My. God. Oh my god. I'm getting a lot. Of goodies. This is my mommy and daddy house. I beat my parents to Brooklyn five years ago so they can work. And now they've decided and they live here. But they made this house with the money from New York. One of my favorite things about Diyar is the milk it's so different from the milk you get back in New York where we dip into this case. It's so good.

And then we got all my little cousins running around. Only in the yard could you find a house that has more people living in it than my house some of. I. Feel so different on here for like a totally different person. I was like I need people to pinch me to see if I really get in here. That was probably the fresh air or maybe just the atom will do. But I feel like we are here and I feel like we're independent like we're going to win or do we want to. Be every year for Christmas. We give you some food to poor people who even here in the country. You know my daddy and my brother they divide the joint and I put all the food together. The baby. Write this is at least.

I made him about 35 40 finally some of the time they have to piece some of the family they have 340. One. Day. When I born here I was I was very poor and. Sometimes I haven't had time to read. I think gave me. The opportunity now to help somebody I feel comfortable with that. When I leave here living in the mountains. We have an old car so I never see the beach before in 50 years. So now we're making a day in the beach and I'm really happy because here in New York it's snowing right now.

And I can see my body. I. Think. The first thing I like when I get here I remember. How. I. Was. In New York. You you can. Have a job. It means the. People who got to know you in the morning you. Wake up and say good morning everybody saving money and that's why you're only here scares me. I'm sorry. I'm pushing everybody. I feel like. I'm ready to see me because. When I'm. When. I was a little better so I

tried to. This is. Our house always ready to make like where you go. And I'm so really happy because. This is I'm from for 25 years. And.

Right now I think I'm. Finally going to get it. So. Let me show you the house. This is my room from. Me about this. He's probably. Going to be like the little living room like a little bit like me. People get from this. From going to be available for that room. And this room which is just a little over here. The other like like the back we all say I know. I eat up all my yard. That I. Really see something. Different. So you go outside. We. Think. Of.

The. I mean. Go Will. Go where. I go. And now we have a television channel and they saw me walk and see me go. Now I look like a Taurus. And they interview me they ask me how come they are youth and how I feel like come back to come out. And. Say. Thank you. Yeah. I go I say I think. And. I was sitting here when I was. 17.

Years old. And it's the same with. The same. For. The. Same. Laundry change for just the same. Same. Way that I leave but I'm like. 25 years ago. The truth is I always miss this place when I leave. I love seeing people like walking around barefoot carrying concertos on their head full of clothes. And a wash. You know. I miss everybody just like all together. Well so the real big difference is waking up to roosters awake in a car alone. His family says matter to go in a row. A lot of people we have my arms cooking up a big storm and rice is a of food and together we have everybody just likes working together. When I

was mopping Yes crazy. The thing is I know half the people that are coming here just come for the fullers to freeload. They're not even related. I want to make sure I take pictures of all these people that are going to be here because you never know when you're going to see them again. Some of them are just so old. And I want to be able to remember them in many many years on. Me. And the family reunions. Each family presents itself to the group.

So we have a year from now from Somalia from San Francisco and also from another letter from people from Cabrera and for the city center. And I have the opportunity to meet some of them my needs because I never have. We have like two hundred and fifty people. A few people here. I that was a very nice family. You know. It's not easy coming back. But I'm used to by now. For me New York means work and we've got to do is always the same. I dream about going back to my country. But I haven't for some.

Time. We have no money. So we're. Having a baby shower. My brother had. His friends. And. Now the little girl on the phone. So it's a girl. Like me. You can call me and she. Wants to be our man just like I'm going to school. No. Oh that's good. I know. That's good. I read all this the first day she gave us the book she did that. So I split it with my friend smart and we wrote about

it. At least he he's. Taking part of his life insurance policies should. He have to try to maximize his sovereignty over. Our. All. Those. Way. Way. Beyond me. I'm talking all the time how are we going to get out of public and we going to do and fun you know but it's really hard because my daughters to stay in America.

She has so many friends here. I would have gone to God forbid if she had a very good job here. I mean. If I go back to the again I'm going to live in my family OK. But my main goal is to be happy. Be. Happy. And this goes for. You. Don't go away because nobody wants to hear your point of view about this program and

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Or the most extraordinary performances from around the world. 13. In. Maxwell Anderson at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It's a sign of a great deal about

Director of Sales about the modern Bellot Director of Public Affairs and you're watching Metro City. Welcome back to Metro Arts 13 in the Walter Reed theater. I'm D.A. Pennebaker the new lyric video festival is one of the many annual events of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and is now part of Lincoln Center's summer festival. It's a showcase for serious and groundbreaking video in New York City. Electronic Arts intermix is a pioneer now celebrating its thirty first birthday its international collection ranges from the 1960s to the present and includes the works of some of their artists. The work of Christine Lucas has been seen here several times. Now electronic arts makes. On. Taxes.

Taxes for food clothes and. Shoes. That's as close to. The. Road. Taxes going down through the. Roof. So. Can you just. Put it on like a. Place to grow from. 6. 8. Through. School. Or. W. O. Pay. Interest.

Yes went to. Dairy free. No. No. So sorry I was. Going through. The. Now if you would like to stay in office for all of us for injuries more. Teams and threw them. For parts and crews and. Into full. Travel schedules and resolutions. And to. Bring them technical forestieri. Q What. Does. Is going to move. Your Day.

Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi. Power outage. You know. I. Had a. Question a technical question that I. Never used a power outage. Every. Day. You know. Outside of I felt. Really depressed. About. Things haven't been the same thing. Right. Right. Right there right there right. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right now. For

you. So. Like I was saying we. Were. Out. So did I. Ever. Hear a word. Or. Two.

About. See.

THE FIRST. P a r k. Was spelled correctly. That was. For. Boy. And you spelled all you t right. But when it came to page. Spelt it. B b b c h. Which is. There's a dog called speech. But. The correct spelling is the same. So it should it feels B B A C. That's. The. Difference. All. I remember it the next. Day.

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All you people. Will be. All

all all. All for all those who. You're. Watching Metro 13.

Is. The. Shock of. The side of the society. I'm Willett's Hartshorn director of the International Center of Photography I'm request the director of the National Museum of the American Indian. And you're watching. Metroparks. 13. Welcome back to Metro Arts 13 and the Walter Reed theater. I'm da Pennebaker. This year marks the 40th Annual New York Film Festival.

Jean-Luc Godard is in praise of love was the closing night film last year. Over the years many of his wonderful films have been shown at the festival. Among them breathless contempt Alphaville and even when we distribute it to the end in the seventies I worked with Gaddaar in a film called 1 AM which later became 13:00 a misadventure We enthusiastically shared in 1980 Luke sat down with Dick Cavett to talk about his influences. Directors Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock and his admiration for Jerry Lewis. That interview is our next program. Funding for the following program has been provided by this station and other public television stations and by a grant from the Chubb group of insurance companies. It's.

Given. An unusually large studio audience I think because word got out to film students that some of them are cutting classes to be here today so we won't show you on camera and keep you out of trouble. My guest tonight is the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard and he is invariably called and often Terry the genius of film and picture breathless. They always say that it changed the grammar of films. Critics always say that what they seem to mean by that is that he broke all the accepted rules of movie making shots didn't match film had there were no jump cuts there would be fragmented dialogue or shots taken with a handheld camera that moved occasionally. And yet the result was a very moving

experience for moviegoers filmgoers and I guess a milepost in the technique of filmmaking the art of filmmaking that year was 1959. Since then Goodbar has had a prodigious outpouring of unusual outstanding movies. His new film. This year is called Every Man for Himself and it's still another movie very different from any of his other films and shows the rapid turn over style which his fans have come really to associate with the methods of communication. My guess is you don't want to be welcome please. A brilliant filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. It's. A. Good day. The word comeback has been used about this film that I guess I mean it may be the first time what you might

call commercial feature that you've done in some time because that word come back and you are in any way that way in a sense because our never went away. Maybe I was boost way. And to me I'd say well the reverse of come back what what did it come forth. Oh go forth or continue it. And I just couldn't just continue going on. Yes. Yeah. So it isn't it isn't you know sense of no return to something that the critics are talking about this what I've read about the current film. See it is full of despair. It's a word that's come up in four out of five reviews pessimism. Do you see that who's. Will take what will a man or woman. I never noticed when I read this section. I think they were mainly men because they identified two girls mainly to male to female characters and one main character and I think the man he identified more with a man

and because of that they say it's full of despair and seemed to reach a majority of the two women which had absolutely no reason to spend their moves. And I think it's unfair to the movie. But I may find an explanation because there is for the director and for myself as a director of the movie there was no complaint feeling or complaining about something. And it was not to complain about something as the word the business model of the war in the Middle East and you think there was no complaining in this movie and because of that you see the real motivation was without nothing surrounding it. I mean motivations you know reality and maybe it's tough to say because you know killers did it. And so you think there must be some dispel something just because it's tough because the characters aren't complaining they must have given up they're just coping with us coping with reality. But no complaining about

nothing. There is a feeling it's interesting that you said were they men or women the greater the women in the film which I saw seem to cope and use your word better than the man. And certainly the prostitute and they resigned to what she does or she's distanced from it. I mean it's hard work like any kind of work today. I mean even having just a small conversation piece about a movie light and sets Sarah with money I mean it's kind of hard. It's difficult to be casual and normal. And TV is hard. I don't know for the audience but so the girls are more casual Yes. I think women are more natural today than men. And more natural Yeah. Yeah better adjusted able to endure life better. I think they have better ideas.

What do they mean when they say you seem more sympathetic to the women in the films. No not that you know the male characters my name and his first name isn't my father's name but I don't identify with it. And he's a TV private contractors a TV producer I'm a movie producer so. But I think it's more like a social status. So it was honest for me to give my name in some place of the movie whether or not or whether a character whether a car I don't know but the moves and the motivation of the two women which led to a different kind of move or maybe the same moves to a different kind of speed. And the problem with the man he has no speed. One of the women is going too fast. The other one is going too slow and the man is just not moving. And that

may be the issue of the despair but there is direction with the two other ones and it's small. And to me there is more. Auto biography. You say in the woman character. I never hesitated. None of my movie even he was the first one who was teensy but she was an American girl. I gave her my lines and very often I have problem with the actor because. They are obliged to say my lines not Shakespeare and not an objective but my lines. And very often because it is a woman they object because they feel. But I think I'm just giving the lines to the actor when I think it's right whether it is a man or a woman. What do you do with the actress who says a woman wouldn't say that. Well now I think maybe if we have a good relationship may be a

difficult one but good maybe I'll listen to them all and may be I think that my lines are not so good but maybe that is good enough that what let's work let's work let's work it more. Let's study it. Maybe we will discover something. So you're not the sort of director who would say this woman would say or no wash at all. For example I always try that at least for example. I wanted I wanted because in the coal business very often the girls names are not there's a way to give their real names. And so I ask Isabella do you do you accept to give your real names the first name. And the way she's saying it because it's a real name we understand it's a real name and she's not like the other girl saying my name is Matt really no. Natasha Kloed Yeah you know those kind of fancy names.

One. Yeah. I mean there's another thing I'd like that seems to be always said about you I'd like to hear you talk about and that is that. They always talk about distance that you keep your characters emotionally distance or to keep the audience at a distance and intentionally not too close. And I think much less now I think I'm coming more closer no less distance really. I mean I think so. And maybe the specs you know these pictures were fairly successful. I think it's because of that sometimes. I mean to look at things you have to go very far to be able to to have the possibility of taking a look of it. If you go too close like in advertising you know I mean you are so close to the products you don't see on the Mall that's why you have to name it because you don't see nothing. So you just name it. If you. I mean sometimes you have to go

even in a love affair. Sometimes you have to to put some distance to discover the love again. I think in making a movie which has to do with a distance with the distance the camera has to be full from what you are. Yes. Maybe I was too close in the beginning and then I went too far. And now it's small. There is more justice. You know sometimes in the middle of a scene you will cut completely elsewhere to some other place. But the voice keeps going. As an example in this film where during an intimate scene you suddenly cut to the people on the street. But the scene you keep hearing the scene but you're seeing something completely different shoppers people passing and then back but to me there is no real difference between the mention and sound.

They are just tools. And sometimes I mean. As I say even if it looks a paradox you you have to listen. You have to listen to the message and to look at the sound if I may say so and what to use it more like in the in the music or in the painting. That's funny because in movies you ask you also do movies a certain amount of things which you you never ask to to put away or to paintings or to or to music. I wonder why. I don't know but it has to do with something that people are reaction people have to your films. I'll say I I liked it but I didn't really enjoy it or I I knew I was seeing something good. But I didn't understand it. I wish it could be but I mean we live in a difficult society. I wish it could be and I will try harder because. But it's not so easy. I mean the audience has to be asked to do something too.

I mean very often just take I mean ordinary people working in I don't know when enough is something easy going or someone was selling let's say a hamburger. Well from what you know we know about Tembo. It's not very good me. Well when he's going to a movie whether to see one movie of me or one by Steve McQueen he's asking the best. But he doesn't really relate. He's asking to the fact that eight hours a day he's delivering a really awful cut piece of products. And so was Steve McQueen. He shouldn't do the same. Why not. And the audience should think they have. They have a responsibility of the making of movie. It's all much more responsibility and the making of TV because they are making that TV. I remember a quote from CBS head saying

he was laughing because he said the people thinks we are producing programs. Well only in second. First we are producing viewers. Producing viewers producing respect that. Could you clear up something that's a mystery for a lot of Americans. Jerry Lewis as much as is admired as a comedian. Awful lot of Americans are in the dark as to why he is so almost sanctified by Europeans particularly the French. As a filmmaker whole issues of cinema will talk about why you was at the time or not or where but we discovered the great quite a lot of many people in the motion we disc we said that each comic was a great movie maker. We said that for example I was criticised by the fact that I said that the recent Ashby movie was

not at all done by Nash but by the Lord of my company or even by their bank as a fellow remop hellish base. Yes this movie was made and it rather written that those people should understand that it's because of us that they they have their name credited about the title at the time which was 25 years ago for making our own survival. And to try to make the movie we wanted to make. We needed the help of some other people. We needed exterior help. We took it where it was possible. We said orc's is better than this one. OK. He's a great novelist as good as Faulkner. Howard Clark OC Howard Hawks we said each Goc he's a great novelist as good as Dostoevsky but it was a help from us and then we existed through them too. And we give them back credit because now you can see

our dog picture before us. It was it was not it was said Selznick. Big Show is our next big show. I mean when you were a critic you know which which I still am. Yeah sure. And Jerry Lewis I think is one I've seen these last movie hardly working. Which is I think not happy here. And to me it's a great Diedre is more of a painter maybe than a director. He probably doesn't even know that he's a great to me first is a continuation of the how do we Langdon and Buster Keaton and Chaplin this is working with space. It's not tracking like all those so called modern movie make making fancy with a camera. He's just interested interested in framing. He's a very good great man like great painters. He has a lot of sense of geometry to be a comic you have to be very capable in geometry. And today I mean his last

speech hardly working. Even the title is very honest. Yes. It's difficult to make a good teacher. You know and he knows and I think he should be supported. And one of his supporter. But most people don't go to movies to see framing and very technical. You have to say they want to laugh or be entertained but is he speaks through that you know you also find them funny very yeah. If not no. I think it's very funny even when it's not funny smell funny because it's. All I know he thrives on and enjoys the praise that he gets abroad and it's somewhat mystifying America always of course been a huge success here to find intellectuals praising him in Europe for example he has a lot of magazines. I think he has a great idea for the last movie was obliged to do it in Sweden. I don't know if he succeeded the day tardily the day of

the Croen. The crowd cried. And it's a picture about the Naisi concentration camp. They were using a clown to make the baby laugh when they were going in the gas chamber. I think it's I mean it's a beautiful idea. I you're referring to a film that I think has it's never been released in this country. It is not even being produced. Up to now yes. Problem. It's not finished. I stopped seeing it. He was obliged to go in exile. I mean always it's a good sign when good people go in exile from their country. It means there is something good in them. It's a good sign. It's a good sign. You say who does the subtitles for a film of yours. How does it get done. This were very carefully taken care off. They were done by Charles Bukowski the. American novelist which is not very well known

in America. And some of the sequence scenes of picture are coming from Charles Bukowski short novels and they were worked again by two friends which are about a day and I'll go to all French movie maker who lived here. So think of the subtitles for one song. Quite good. Just just an aside but I wondered how important spelling is to you because there's one moment when there's only one word in the subtitle and it's spelled wrong. Despair is spelled d. Yes. And while that's why I thought maybe it was a pun or said I don't like subtitles very much. I wish sometimes I would be just a presentation an introduction for example with. Someone like Norman Mailer would like my movie and would feel like to introduce me to the American audience right there on the screen for a presentation and maybe after the or dub version. But first a presentation an introduction.

Let me introduce and speak and comment the way was on film on the screen and most screen and it would be interesting. Yeah I think it's a third way to do it which I've tried to experiment with on the film. Don't feel bad about spelling. McCarver is spelled wrong in a headline in The Times today so apparently spelling doesn't count. You referred to some recent film as being awful because it was black and white. Or no maybe. Maybe it was because it was bad for black and white. Awful black and white. You're not opposed to making a black and white race clearly. Next Martin Scorsese picture in black and white will be very beautiful. I think maybe you thought Woody Allen could have been Woody Allen that made. I think it's. It's not a good black and white. You'd rather seen him say it could have been Manhattan color if he would have added something rather than. Nothing. I wonder why you want black and white. I think it's more. Literary idea than a need painting idea needs and

needing. Really black and white for painting reason. So eat some more. What a good make up. There are no scripts for your movies yet. Rob but not the way you are doing it here. I mean the actors don't receive in the mail a full script my next to script. Scenes. Yes they demand to fire them but there are only three words per page. Not know what she wants just know the beginning and beginning to work. Yes it's fascinating. Well I bet I could get a pretty penny for these. I guess. You'd be out of work for two years back it was so good. Are you game for another session like this. Because there are so many more things that I want to get to with you and we've run out of time.

OK OK. We'll see you on coming up. Next. Don't look. Good. For. Open. Funding for the Dick Cavett Show has been provided by this station and other public

television stations and by a grant from the group of insurance companies. On. Metro Arts 13 is the commercial cable arts service of 13. Any team New York you can access daily program listings at our Web site. W w w dot 13 dot org. Is the downtown River Festival presented by American Express

continues. It's the largest free arts festival in New York City history featuring music dance performing arts and much much. Bigger river NYC or. Something. For every. Possible response. On. Our journey of Cherry Lane alternative I'm George Clinton administration

so. I'm Kate rush and you're watching Metroparks. Welcome back to Metro Arts 13 in the Walter Reed theater. I'm da Pennebaker since 1972. New Directors new films a festival presented by MOMA and the film society of Lincoln Center has been presenting works by emerging directors over the years. They've included Wim Wenders Steven Spielberg John Sayles Spike Spike Lee Sally Potter Ken Burns Peter Greenway with Stillman and Agnieszka Holland. Our next program is an excerpt from Channel 13 annual film festival. Real New York. I said with some hesitation this was my first film. I.

See. So I know. I. Know. I. I.

Know. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

Whoa whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

Whoa. Whoa. Metro Arts 13 is the non-commercial cable art service of 13 any team in New York you can access daily program listings at our Web site w w w dot 13 dot org.

I'm frightened because the Repertory Theatre in Chelsea. You're watching Fox. And. Now at last. Welcome back to Metro Arts 13 and the Walter Reed 0. I'm da Pennebaker. The film society has a strong ongoing commitment to independent and experimental work. Our next program travels to San Francisco to meet filmmaker Craig Baldwin. He calls his film tribulation 99 a pseudo pseudo documentary. Finding his Craig Baldwin race and think watched negatively polarized energies to try to get the upper vibratory 666 millionaire at the same

frequency human thought. I'm really a collector. I enjoy watching films and collecting films and film filmmaking came out of a need to reorganize the material I collected. So people have a treehouse and some people to fill the whole culture is wasted so much of my life. I added the film here in this studio using 16 millimeter filled. My whole theory is based on adjacency and to put things close to each other that relate to each other much like a visual artist would put together a collage. The lady gave me the found footage film making is a kind of historical filmmaking. What I'm interested in is the ability to intervene in the material and not just be a passive

recipient. States. History. And. So it's just a struggle. I can say agitatedly the total score of the US find the little is what I call redoing it looking at excavating. And once found will frame it will bring it into place with a proper title and sound. Saucer sightings. Occasioning in Palm Springs a KHL craft lands at nearby Edwards Air Force Base climbing to visit his dentists. I can still reach the click on point your vehicle takes a test spin but is prevented from releasing his findings. Fear and panic. Many of the films that I've used have been from science fiction films old science fiction films

are attractive to me because they have the element of fantasy. For me the idea of space and science fiction films it has less to do with reality than in possibility. The space of my films is the space of the imagination. Space. Time. In 1999 the build up of my contacts reaches critical mass. Ice caps not continents on chosen ones rejoice at the prospect of the apocalypse as a sign of our future Kingdom. Today has led us to everlasting life a new Jerusalem. From brightly almost 2000 rest

day. Hallelujah. In. Metro Arts 13 is the commercial cable art service of 13 w any team New York you can access daily program listings at our website w w w dot 13 dot org. OK that's our program for tonight. Pennebaker next time on

Metro awards 13 more programs on the art of the motion picture from the film society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reed. Good night. Major support for Metro Arts 13 has been provided by Reisling Walter