Beginning Friday, August 16, you will have the rare opportunity to see a documentary double feature in a theater: In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey and Approximately Nels Cline. But you shouldn’t go to Cinema Village in NYC just because it’s a double bill, you should go to Cinema Village because you will see two good films about two exceptional artists, both of whom happen to play guitar.
You should go because you’ll hear beautiful music. Go because you’ll come away comparing and contrasting the films and their subjects for days: the Fahey film spanning a lifetime to tell its story about a brilliant, eccentric “primitive” composer; the Cline film documenting some recent recording sessions to show his formidable versatility, inventiveness, and artistic restlessness. (Cline is the lead guitarist of Wilco, but there is no Wilco here.) And if you’re someone who’s ever picked up a guitar there’s really no excuse for you not to see these films. I had the good fortune to be able to ask the directors of these films a few questions, and I thought it might be interesting to ask them exactly the same questions, so here now, my mini interviews with the directors of these two films, James Cullingham and Steven Okazaki.
James Cullingham, director of In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey | Steven Okazaki, director of Approximately Nels Cline |
What inspired you to make the film? | |
The power and beauty of his music above all. I was already a fan when I met him in 1982. At that time, I made a radio doc about Fahey for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. I believe it was my second nationally broadcast piece. I really enjoyed meeting him. We stayed in touch for about 10 years. We visited when he played Toronto. He and Melody Fahey came to my place for dinner on one occasion. I invited a couple of guitar playing buddies who at first did not believe me when I told them Fahey was coming over. When he died in 2001 I did an obituary/tribute for VisionTV in Canada. In 2009, I was surprised to learn that there wasn't a film yet. I contacted Mitch Greenhill and Melody of the John Fahey Trust. Mitch liked my work and Melody had good memories of my spaghetti. We got the go-ahead and started working. |
Although I hadn't done a music doc before, music is important in all of my films. When I’m starting a project, whether it's about heroin or hula or the end of the world, I think about the soundtrack early on in the process and I’ll inject live music into the film whenever possible. Music sets the mood and influences how the viewer reads the images. And I’m just drawn to it. My wife and I made a film about the Minnesota state fair for PBS and I spent way too much time with the marching bands, it was so much fun. Even my very serious HBO film on Hiroshima is loaded with music. It starts with a terrific Osaka punk band called Afrirampo. Anyway, yeah, the film with Nels just happened. I was aware that Nels was in Wilco but I hadn't really listened. Then I heard his guitar solo on "Impossible Germany" and I was knocked-out. It’s so simple and beautiful, poppy and jazzy, it renews one's faith in rock 'n' roll. Then I listened to more stuff and I realized this is exactly the kind of musician I wanted to do a film with. I mean, he picks up the guitar and he's immediately physically and emotionally connected to the instrument, and out comes music that's moving, challenging and fun. |
Were you ever concerned that the audience for the film would be limited to guitar aficionados? | |
No. My hunch was that Fahey's artistry and character would appeal to a broad audience, if we could get the film made. I hope we made a film that appeals both to Fahey fans and people who never heard of him. After attending screenings on three continents and getting positive buzz from Australia, I think we succeeded but each audience member will have her own opinion on that score. |
Well, I’m not interested in making a film about the Eagles or big record company bands like that. But this is also not a guitar geek film. It’s for anyone who loves music. It has a wonderful range of songs, from crazy, edgy stuff to jazz to wonderful ballads with Carla Kilhstedtk singing and Ron Miles on trumpet. Okay, yes, Nels has an array of seventy pedals, switches and furry electronic thing-a-watts, but I have no idea what they do. |
The film is part of a double feature. How do you think these films work together? Any thoughts on why this kind of pairing doesn’t happen more often? |
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I think it's a great idea. Thanks to Kelly Clement at Mill Valley Film Fest who first wed the films at our USA premiere in October 2012 and to First Run Features for distributing the twin-bill theatrically. I think such pairings are common at festivals. I have no idea of how often they might occur commercially. I say if it puts rear ends in seats, do it. I'm happy to have the Fahey film out there with the Cline effort. I like that film and it has been fun to meet its producers. I look forward to meeting Nels who I believe will be in NYC for the opening. And of course I hope to meet Steven, but I can't recall if he is slated to attend. I hope so. |
I think it's a brilliant pairing and we thank James Cullingham for that. It was his idea to put our films together, to connect two unique innovative guitarists from two different times. Fahey pushed the acoustic folk guitar into uncharted territory. And I don't know a more fearless guitarist than Nels Cline. They share that spirit of adventure. |
The double feature opens August 16, 2013 at Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, New York, NY.
Images: (upper) John Fahey on Laura Weber's Guitar Show (1969). At one point during this archival footage (not the link, unfortunately) Fahey flicks the ash from his cigarette in the sound hole. Guitarists fetishizes the instrument (guilty); refreshingly Fahey never did.
(lower) Nels Cline from Approximately Nels Cline (2013).