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STEVE LOUDEN
interviews
JACOB STRUNK
January, 2005
PART ONE
Jacob Strunk was recently interviewed by Steve Louden. The full text is as follows. The published interview will be cited when it is printed.
1: Where do you get the ideas for your films?
Stephen King talks a lot about this question in his book On Writing. The answer, to the best of my knowledge, is: I don’t know. Ideas, philosophical statements, emotional snapshots all float around in some dark, hidden space until they’re ready and then – like some miraculous feat or magic trick – they make themselves apparent. More so, they make themselves necessary. The films I make, the stories I write, are not things I find cute or quaint or smart or even challenging. I make the films and tell the stories I feel I have to. So, there you go. Cryptic enough for you?
2: Do you model your work after any other directors or writers, or do you
travel your own path?
There are certainly influences. Any artist who tells you differently is lying – to you and him/herself. These can range from logistical to aesthetic. After all, long before the Enterprise was in print, Aristotle broke down all stories into a few fundamental conflicts and those hold true today. A story of unrequited love in 2005 contains the same basic emotional elements it did in 1005. The question is, do you – as an artist – have something to say about it that is inherently and only yours? If you’re rehashing old ground or doing little more than tweaking what’s come before, perhaps hiding it with visual gimmicks, well, then it’s time to find a new job.
3: Do you have a fascination with the macabre?
I don’t think so. I have a fascination with darkness. I have a fascination with the intrinsic characteristics of humanity that most people overlook or try to ignore. My philosophy of filmmaking – and storytelling in general – is this: In order for my audience to garner a true appreciation of the beauty I want them to see, I must drag them through the darkest recesses I can find. People tend to get stuck on the darkness of my work, but it’s there for a reason. It all points to something greater.
4: Why do you enjoy leaving your audience with unanswered questions?
I don’t assume to know the answers to all the questions. People are very complex entities and when I’m exploring them in my work, I have to concede to the fact that human nature is built of unanswered questions. That sounds lofty, I know, but the day someone can tell me what love or grief or joy or sadness really are, perhaps I can start filling in more gaps. Until then, I am a firm believer that some things are better left up to the viewer. Who am I to tell them what to think or feel? Manipulation of the audience is the greatest crime a filmmaker can commit. That said, there’s a fine line between honesty – for which I’m always striving – and gimmickry, that is, leaving holes in your story to make yourself look clever. That’s cheating and in my mind it’s unforgivable.
5: What do you enjoy most about making a film?
I like being able to say things to people. That’s what it comes down to. If there was a way for me to articulate all the vague grand statements in my head and just go door to door telling people what I think, maybe I wouldn’t have to spend so much time and energy doing this. None of us would. I love making films. I love telling stories about people. I love seeing and feeling others connect to what I’m saying. In terms of what I enjoy most of the actual act…it all starts with writing, and that came before anything else for me, but being there in this magical space with great actors and watching this thing just materialize out of the ether, that’s fucking intense. That’s great. The spontaneity and the trust in that space never cease to amaze me. To this day.
6: What do you dislike most about making a film?
Money. Dealing with money. I hate it. In films and in life. Money separates us all and keeps us from connecting with each other the way we should. Celebrity is the same way. Dealing with celebrities is like trying to scale a brick wall with your hands tied behind your back. A great deal of them are where they are because they have incredible, unequaled talent. But not all.
