⁄The First Few Phrases
An interview with filmmaker and art director Drew Lint about LA, Toronto, the surreal and his new short film.
Drew Lint returns from vacation to breath life into a short film that’s been percolating in the back of his mind for a few years. He’s got a few art and set direction projects on the go, but this is one that demands completion.
Lint’s IMDB profile is long and varied. His most recent work, which dropped last week, was on Young Empires video White Doves as Art Director with Zazu Myers.
Perhaps the term liminality best describes this profile. It refers to a state of between-ness during which old rules no longer apply and new ones have yet to be decided on.
Andrew Weir: What was the weirdest thing about your vacation?
Drew Lint: I’d say LA in general. It’s the weirdest city I’ve been to. It was weird being in the city that is essentially the backdrop of everything that comes out of America.
AW: How would you describe your work to someone who’s never seen it before?
DL: Whether it’s writing or directing film, photography or even production design, I like the idea of blending the surreal with the real. I’m very influenced by that space. I also work very metaphorically and a lot of my films contain very little dialogue. I guess that’s just the way I think of stories. I just don’t think of dialogue, I think of images and mood. So, it would be interesting to explore more traditional narratives. The new short that I’m working on now has a couple of lines, so that’s exciting.
AW: May I ask more about the dialogue?
DL: (Laughs) Yeah, I think there are only three lines. The film is very dreamy. But I’m referencing a lot of gay archetypes. I’ve never really made anything that’s really touched on gay themes at all before. I just have the urge to do it, so why fight it? I’m applying these older ideas and archetypes to a story that makes sense for me today. I’m sort of applying them to my own beliefs and feelings and exploring how they translate to the present day.
Anyways, it’s pretty fun. It’s sort of a new direction for me. There are a lot of things that I like about film. It’s the first non-dance film I’ve made in a really long time.
AW: How are you going to distribute this one?Yeah I’m coming to a point where I’m questioning what the best way is.
DL: In this day and age (laughs) there is sort of the mindset that festivals are where films are screened and were they become these bits of magic and of cinema art. But at the same time you can reach so many more people on the Internet. No one really knows what the best way is right now. And everyone’s kind of feeling it out.
AW: Can you speak a bit to the Toronto experience?
DL: In a lot of ways my work is very tied to Toronto. Toronto’s pretty small, which is good and bad. It feels like home. But its size is also detrimental: there’s less opportunity to make things that are noticed internationally. There’s a lot of temptation to move to New York or LA or London. It’s pretty easy to get a 3-year work visa…
AW: Do you have any advice to young filmmakers or artists just coming out of school in Toronto?
DL: I guess my only advice would be to take it easy (laughs). Mentally. Be willing to take whatever opportunities come. And continue to be a positive force. If you want things to happen for you, make them happen. I’m not sure if that’s good advice or not.
