http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2010/02/05/soundtrack-for-a-revolution-bill-guttentag-interview/
February 5, 2010
By: Chris Jancelewicz
The civil rights movement of the 1960s in the southern United States
is well-documented, but usually via grainy, incomplete footage that
fails to tell the whole story. Enter documentary filmmakers Bill
Guttentag and Dan Sturman, veterans of the industry whose latest
venture, the documentary 'Soundtrack of a Generation', follows the
rise of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his core of believers. What makes
this documentary stand out is Guttentag and Sturman's approach
instead of focusing on the strife and horror of the times (which they
examine, but don't dwell on), they zoom in on the music that helped
the people through.
The power of song cannot be underestimated. African-Americans have
used this channeled energy for more than a century as a method to
help cope with the immense anguish of slavery, segregation, and
abuse. Musical artists like Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, and
The Roots all contribute to the movie, adding their songs as
vignettes throughout. With one poignant moment after another,
'Soundtrack of a Generation' shows us the great lengths America has
gone in the past half-decade. It is no surprise that this film was
shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Original Documentary Feature.
Moviefone sat down to talk with Guttentag about the creative process
behind the film, the charisma of Martin Luther King, Jr., and what
the presidency of Barack Obama should mean to the country at large.
The film was very visceral.
Good. That was the intent.
I don't know if many people realize the extent of the pain and abuse
that African-Americans suffered during this period in history. Your
footage really captures the moment.
Some of the footage is familiar, and some of it we restored. There is
even some that hasn't been seen before ever. Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s mug shot, Rosa Parks' mug shot, some of the shots of the bus
bombing. I think the quality is a lot better than we've seen in the past.
What was your impetus for making this movie?
Part of the reason for making this movie is that this is an
incredibly powerful story, a really important story. I think it's
bigger than just the United States it speaks to places all over the
world. It's being forgotten. We've shown it at schools, ranging from
elementary schools to some of America's finest colleges. People don't
know the story. It's not that they aren't smart students, it's just
that they haven't been taught it. We're trying to reach a new
generation with the film, as well as connect with the generation that knew it.
And that's why music is in there, too. One, it's part of the DNA of
the movement. One hundred percent of the people we interviewed
started singing at one point or another. Also, I think it's effective
at pulling in a new audience. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine
go down. Someone may watch for Wyclef Jean, but leave with the story
of the movement.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s charisma is enormous; you can feel it
through the footage. Was it difficult at all to capture his hugeness on film?
I think that what happens in a lot of films is we get little snippets
of people, and you don't get a sense of the power. We tried, in this
film, to let the speeches go on a little bit longer, really tell the
story, the ups and the downs. He is a truly extraordinary person, and
I think sometimes he's not as understood as he should be. There was
no difficulty capturing the charisma whatsoever. It was there for the taking.
Of all the footage you viewed for this film, what was the most
harrowing for you to see?
There was footage that was good and bad... we have one shot of the
murdered civil rights workers in Mississippi, and it's shocking to
see. Of course it's horrible to see that photo, but on the other
hand, by looking at it, it makes you think about the terrible end
they met, and that is powerful. The power of the footage is both
negative and positive. Some of our most powerful stuff is the footage
of the sit-ins in the department stores. They're sitting there while
people are throwing things at them, attacking them, beating them up,
and they're just sitting there with a look of conviction and
there's absolutely no violence in return.
How eager were the musical artists to sign onto the film?
Very. I think many people have varying levels of knowledge of
history. We showed the musicians clips of the movie, around where
their song would be featured, and they responded really well. They
donated their time, and 42 percent of what this film makes is going to charity.
Did you have a song that you personally liked the most (without
choosing favorites, of course)?
[Laughs] It's like selecting which child you love more! I liked them
all. One of the ones that was most moving to me was The Roots. It was
so upbeat and innovative. Same thing for John Legend. We knew it was
the emotional core of the film. I loved hearing all of these songs
recorded in a new way. It was actually very touching to see it all happen.
How did you come to include Obama in the movie? Was that a
last-minute decision, or was it planned?
It was a last-minute thing. We were mixing the film during the night
he was elected. We realized that there is a direct connection between
the marchers of the bridge in Selma and Obama becoming president. You
have to acknowledge that, in a way, when you think about it.
Forty-five years ago, Martin Luther King was saying "I have a
dream..." and through his efforts and those of untold millions of
people who walked, marched, or gave their lives, that dream was
realized. At that point, it seemed like the right thing to do in the
storytelling of the film.
During Obama's inauguration, there were a lot of tears from people
who obviously lived in Martin Luther King's time. After seeing this
movie, those tears never seemed more justified.
Absolutely. The United States is not a perfect country, and I don't
think anyone in our film claims it is. But it's definitely a changed
country. And it's changed because of what you see in the movie
without those people and their bravery, conviction, and courage, we
would be a different nation. I believe we all owe it to them.
What's next for you?
I have a book coming out called Boulevard, a novel about teenage
runaways in Los Angeles. It's coming out in the US and Canada on February 15th.
--
'Soundtrack for a Revolution' will screen at Toronto's Doc Soup on
Wednesday, February 17, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. at the Bloor
Cinema. The movie will be released in Toronto on February 19th.
.
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