Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3 st question. ry. We've got - everyone else 2. Um, let’s see, how ‘bout, uh, say, theme or message thal you thing you want to say to people > the “s” off that question; if you year later we could say “‘see the different things. First of all, this estions I have about myself and erstanding and awareness and solitary individual and how my se proximity affects me. But Or it’s important to me but ‘tant to me. And we have this to the future to say, “What will Vhat’s going to happen? Who’s know, all these projections and hether it’s like, you’re reading 1rotcard or... There seems to be ese self-help books, projecting , really, life is not like that. Life isible train runnin’ down these in’ along the tracks just lookin’ there might be a train right after in. So in a way, that’s part of it. as these situations, and he goes g out and then finally he’s on the ing to do something that’s really hima couple more seconds and hrough that door, there might be do this. Everything might solve k and say, “Hey, whoa. Hangon tant, you know, push push push. t. And also, you know, writing a nile there’s an incredible amount ion of the film, you form a family e film. And then when it’s over, nily and then you go off and you “Hey, how’s it goin’? What’s we're still workin’,” You know, oting the film, it’s finished. And ated... mean, I’m working as an dy, who's equally as isolated. 1e’d be working in an apartment lm Board or something, right? In common goals and we come back oin’?” “Oh, it’s goin’ great.” But punt of loneliness. I think I have -, I mean, I don’t think there’s anything wrong to being lonely. But this is such a never-be-lonely world. I mean, everyoneis... youknow, television is an incredible companion and, uh, you know, if you don’t have a party to go to Friday night, you sort of sit at home, “Uh, I wonder what everybody else is doin’.” And when you make a film, writing the screenplay, I was personally confronted with an enormous lone- liness. No one can help you with that effort. Ultimately, you have to sit down and work. Two months, three months, four months, six months, or whatever, saying, “Geez, what do I want to say here?” But in a way, you sort of say, “I don’t want to say something. I want to make an entertaining film.” So I’m really kind of apprehensive to interpret the at certain stages of the creative art. I mean, it’s, uh, people have this incredible, and what’s happened to me in the last two or three weeks is like hoopla hoopla and everything. And you know what? That's just so alien to me and my lifestyle. Ilive a very quiet life, I’m very bohemian, I’m very poor, I live in this little apartment, I eat bagels and now, all of a sudden, this thing, you know, we got this film which is great and I’mreally happy for the recognition it gives to everyone who’s worked on the film. Actors, these people who worked so hard, they can say, “Hey, I worked on The Grocer’s Wife, “and that’s great. And that’s all they can say but that’s great. And people know about the film and it seems all so glamorousand here I am, youknow, film or present a road map that says, at the main character. He’s such a lonely guy. And sometimes the film gets, in the middle of the film particu- “Well, gee, he’s trying togetat this and | 6 this and this,” but I just basically look mM WoO r as an Chiewirores IQlated Individual isn’t a car chase and a gun stick-up. This is a factory worker and he’s going to New York and Toronto and the Vancouver Hotel here and eve- rything and, uh... but really [know that probably in about three or four weeks, after the Montreal Nouveau Festival, which is gonna be a really enormous event this year, uh, be- cause they’re bringing in all the, they’re bringing in everybody, all the hippest of the hip, it’s called the makin’ his lunch... mean, this is what happens. And sometimes that’s in opposition to dominant cin- ema. Sometimes we have this overwhelming desire to be enter- tained or other times we’re, “Car chase, time for a stick up or a gunshot or something.” You know, I didn’t want to do any of those. There’s only one car in the whole film. People run around this town. You know, they’re carrying people around town and, you know, there’s no cars... there’s one car-it’s a 1968 Austin Cambridge, which is a taxi in this little town. And, uh, there’s no guns or drugs or gambling or things like that. It’s just a little chamber piece. It’s astory. And hopefully, it’s enough of a world that’s created that people get into it and have a moment of something different. It should be escapist in a way. That's how I see films. When I go to see films, I want to be transported, you know, Igo therefor a reason and, uh, if I can leave, uh, you know, when the lights go down and the screen comes up and I’m sort of drifting away and going with it, that’s a great film. If it stays with me, that’s a good film. And for me, the warmest thing that I’vehad happen in Toronto and in New Yorks that the people who’ve seen the film, very conservative people, middle-age, conservative, income earners, I mean, you know, uh, they’ve liked the film and they’ve also said that the images stayed with them. And I wanted to create a visual experience rather thana talky stage play onfilm. So there’s a lot of things that are unsaid in the film and, in that way, I meant it as an intensely subjective experience so that it might mean something different to you. There’s a lot of symboli- cally charged images in the film. Uh, and that places the observer in a privileged position because what those symbols mean to you is something that’s very different to all of us, so, you know, what I’m saying is, hopefully, it can be a hundred things to a hundred people. But it certainly comes out of my own experience as being a, you know, being isolated and alone, and being absolutely alone Celebration of the Hip. They’re bringing in Jarmusch, Godard, Greenaway, Wenders, Chantal Ackerman. ‘Cos this is their twentieth anniversary and they’re all friends with these program- mers, with Claude Chamberlain, and it’s gonna be enormous, these people are all gonna take part in the juries. So just the chance of them even seeing my film, just knowing that they might see the film has been, I just, I’m buzzed on that. And I know that pretty well, you know, pretty soon, in like four weeks, when winter hits, Montreal’s perfect for me as well because, when winter hits, you just basically stay in your room and work. TD: Yeah, there’s snow. JP: Yeah. And I look forward to that. I look forward to gettin’ back in and having my isolated solitary experience and seeing what comes out again. TD: Is film more important than life? JP: Man, film is life.* This is an excerpted copy of this interview. A full length transcript is available in the vertical file collection in the library. YwazZOd NHOT Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3 question. xy. We've got - everyone ele Ui lee hot hy ey the or memeg th ou epee vetc rian tho" off that quetinsif you year later we could ay “soothe ferent thing. Fiat ofall this cations Ihave about myself and cetanding and awareness and. rotary individual and how my Or i’ important to me but tant to me. And we have this tothe fature say, "What will That's going to happen? Who's ad roteardor... Thereseemstobe cue sli-help books, projecting really fie no ike that Life ible rain runnin’ down these along the track jst loki there might bea rain right after 1. Soina way, tha’ part oft st thee situations, and he goes outand then finaly be'son the ingto do something that's relly ima couple more seconde and pough that door, there might be do this. Everything might solve and sry, "Bey, whos. Hangon tant, youknow, push push push, you forma family efilm. And then when i's ovr, then you go off and you ‘goin’? What's otngthefilm, it sfinihed. And ted.-.L mean, 'm working ean dy, who's equally isolated. ed be working in am apar inBoardor something, ight? In ommon goal and we come back nant ofloneines, Think Thave - Timean, I don’t tink there's anything wrong to being lonely. Buthisissucha never-be-lonely world. Imean,evoryonsa..youknow, television isamineredible ‘companion and wh, you know, if you don't havea party to goto Friday night, you sort of sit at home, “Ub, I wonder what cveryhody ele doin’.” And when you make fl, writing the ‘eroeaplay, Iwas pertonallyconfroted wth an enormous lone- ineas, Noone canbelpyouwith that effort. Ulimatly,youhave tositdown and work. Two months, three month, four months, ix month, or whatever, saying, “Goes, what do I want to say here?” But in « way, you sort of say, “don't want to say somthing. I vant really kind of apprebensvetointerpet the —— film or presenta road map that say, atthe main character. He's euch a lonely guy. And vometimes the film ts inthe middle ofthe film partcu- corte Tm working as al ian’ ea chase and a gun stick-up | factory worker and he's ‘makin’ hislunch...[mean thsi what happens. And sometimes thats in opposition to dominant cin- ma. Sometimes we have this overwhelming desire tobe enter: tained o other times we're, “Car chase, time fora atck up or {gunshot or something,” You know, I dida’t want todo any of ‘thote, There'sonly onecarin the wholefilm. Peoplerun around this town, You know, they're carrying people around towa and, you know, there's no ears. there's one carts a 1968 Austin ‘Cambridge, which a taxiin thistle town. And, uh there'sno une or droge or gambling or things like that. Ie juat lithe hamber psc, It'eautory. And hopefully t'senoughefa word that’s ereated that people gt into it and have a moment of something diferent. I shoal be eacapist ina way. That's how Tce file When goto soe film, I want tobe transported, you know, Igo therefor reason nd, uh, fTeanleave,uh, youknow, sen he igh dorn andthe een comes pad moto going witht that’ grat il. Iiteta tno that'sagoodfilm. And forme, the warmest thing that'v ‘happen in Toronto andin New York thatthe people who've een the film, very conservative people, middle-age, conservative, income earners, mean, youknow, uh they've liked the flmand they've alo aid thatthe image stayed with them. And T wanted create vualexperiencerather than a talky stage playon fil, So there's It of thing that are nid in the film and, in that ay, mantis an intensely subjective experience wo that it ‘might mean something different to you. There's alot of symbol cally charged imagen the lm, Uh, and that places the observer ina privileged position beatwe what those symbole mean to you is something thats very different tallow, 0, you know, what [Pmaaying iy hopelly it can be a hundred things to a hunded people. Butt certainly comes out of my own experience ae being ‘2, youknov, being lated and lone, and being abuolutely alone make an entertaining film.” So P Seirus Igglated individual this incredible, and what's happened to meinthe last wo or three ‘werk like hoopla hoopla and everything. And you know what? ‘That’justeoalien tomeand mylifetyle. live very quiet ife, T'myery bohemian, 1'm very poor, vein ths ite apartment, Teatbagee and now, allof sudden, this thing, you know, we got this film hich x great and I'mreally happy forthe recognition it ives to everyone who's worked onthe lm. Actor, thete people trho worked 40 hard, they can a4y, “Hoy, I worked on The Grocer’ Wife, “and that's reat. And thats allthey ean ay but that’ great. And people know about the film and teem allo ne glamorourand hereTam,youknow, {ing to New York and Toronto and the Vancouver Hotel here and eve rythingand, uh..butreally know thatprobablyinaboutthre or four sock, after the Montreal Nowveat Festival, whichis gonna be a really enormous event tie year, uh, be ‘cause they'ee bringing in all the, they're bringing in everybody, all secceieiae the hippest of the ip, it’s called the Clebration of th Hip. Thoy'cebringingin Jarmusch, Godard, Greenaway, Wendert, Chantal Ackerman, ‘Cos tht is their twentieth anniversary andthereal fiend with these program mere, with Claude Chamberlain, and it's gonna be enormour, thee people are all gonna take part in the juries. So just the chance of them even ssing my im, just knowing that they might ‘othe filmhs boon, [jst 'mburzed on that. And know that prety well, you know, prety son, in like four weeks, when ‘winter bite, Montreal’ perfot for meas well because, when inte its, you jue basically stayin your room and work ‘TD: Yeah there's snow. JP: Yeah, And Look forward to that. look forward to ttn’ back in and having my olated solitary experience and tecing what comes out agin ‘TD: In ilm more important than life? JP: Man, file ife* This is an excerpted copy ofthis interview A fl length transrit is availble inthe vertical fe cllectionin the ibrary. ;