Page
1 / 2 / 3
- Next
AE:
Is the process of making Puccini for Beginners
much different from when you made 2 Girls?
MM: Well, the world of independent filmmaking
is very different now. InDigent shoots digital, and we didn’t
have digital in 1995 - I shot that on film. So that’s
one big difference. There are also a lot more indie filmmakers
now then there used to be. InDigent itself is kind of an
extraordinary phenomenon, they’ve seen a lot of success
in the last few years, with Pieces of April, for
example, which earned Patricia Clarkson an Academy Award
nomination.
AE:
You shot 2 Girls in 21 days…
MM: Yes, and we’re shooting this
one in 18 (laughs). The budget for this one is $150,000,
so it’s very fast, very on-the-fly. 2 Girls
was made for about the same amount, but that one was shot
on film.
AE:
Have you had any problems getting funding for this film
given its subject?
MM: No because InDigent is a small company,
already financed and associated with the Independent Film
Channel (IFC). We make the movie for nothing and it’s
sold on the open marketplace. If somebody buys it, it’ll
be in the theaters. If not, it’ll end up on IFC. So
I didn’t have the kind of financing problems I’d
have had if I decided to go with a bigger budget or private
financing.
AE:
Is that one of the reasons you decided to work with InDigent?
MM: Yes. Gary Winick the director of InDigent
was and has been a great fan of mine and a great supporter,
and he’s a straight guy and all he could say was “I
see a great comedy here. I see a really humane, touching
story.”
AE:
What changes have you seen in independent films, particularly
when it comes to lesbian content?
MM: When I was casting Puccini for Beginners five years ago for October films, there were several
actresses trying out for the film who were concerned about
kissing another woman, and this time around that didn’t
even come up once. So perhaps that is a cultural shift.
I do believe our culture moves more quickly than the entertainment
business does. That’s why it really is good that there
are shows like The L Word and lesbian and gay characters
on shows like Six Feet Under.
But
that’s me talking as a filmmaker…that part of
me that’s still activist is deeply concerned about
the state of the nation, and about the anti-homosexual forces
gathering as we near this next election. I don’t know
what role pop culture will play in helping us move forward.
I hope it’s through cultural work that we are able
to make a political impact.
AE:
What did you think of The L Word?
MM: I wasn’t able to keep up with it
because it’s on at the same time as The Sopranos,
but my mom watches it and she’s gotten very involved
in the story. I finally did watch one episode with her and
said “Mom, I can’t believe how much sex there
is!” and she said “Well, it’s a very sexy
show!” I don’t really like seeing sex that much
on TV myself, but
I am really happy when there are lesbians being seen in the
world.
AE:
What are your favorite TV shows?
MM: I
like our show, of course, but also Six Feet Under,
The Sopranos, Sex and the City when I got a chance
to see it, I like Third Watch which I see as extremely
operatic. I’m more a music, NPR type of person, though;
you’ll find that most people in television don’t
get a chance to actually watch much TV.
AE:
How was the transition from working on films to writing
for television?
MM: I
think the biggest transition for me was getting used to
working with people again when I was used to working alone.
I’m very gregarious in nature so I found myself very
happy in this environment because I work with a very fun,
very smart group of people. There are four women on the
staff, they’re great; one of them’s a dyke,
she’s great. It’s a really wonderful environment
overall. I’d say the biggest adjustment was just going
to an office everyday.
AE:
How many episodes have you written on Without a Trace?
MM: It’s very hierarchical in TV,
so I came in as a staff writer. But I did write one script
I’m really really proud of in January 2003 called
“Maple Street.” The show is about the FBI’s
missing persons bureau, and the episode I wrote is about
two girls who go missing who are aspiring filmmakers. Then
I did another one this year about a girl violinist who is
a prodigy, then I co-wrote another one about a family traumatized
by a woman’s rape years before.
So,
totally different material than the stuff I write on my
own. It’s a procedural drama/cop show with virtually
no comedy, which makes the comedy I'm doing now really fun!
Page
1 / 2 / 3
- Next
