I want to make dangerous films. I want to make films which unravel people. Films which push them out of their comfort zones. Films which take risks. Films with characters that question society’s values. What is accepted as the norm and why?
Filmmakers like Lars Von Trier, Jean-Luc Godard and Rainer Werner Fassbinder challenge(d) what we accept as justifiable characters and actions on film, and in life. Their films have shocked, offended and ran the gauntlet of criticism over the years, but their work is also highly personal, passionate, and sensitively approached. Cinema still has the potential to change and enlighten. Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘A Short Film About Killing’ notoriously influenced the decision to scrap the death penalty in Poland. Filmmakers too often play it safe (I’ve done it myself in the past) when in reality it’s a medium which can still be experimented with stylistically, narratively, and on a larger scale – calling for political change, and shifts in public opinion (race, sexual orientation, gender inequality, and acceptance).
Although my past few films (particularly ‘NARCISSIST’ and ‘TIME AND PLACE’) have seen a shift towards less safe/more exploratory filmmaking, I feel like I’m entering a new phase completely. More in-your-face, less comfortable filmmaking, designed to shake an audience out of their stupor. A new phase which will hopefully be considered a shift toward ‘Dangerous Filmmaking’.
