Past Filmmakers

Dr. Renée Vincent
Conversation with Kafka
(Premieres October 25, 2003, at 11 PM)

Interview Questions:

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

Humbly, I think the film came up with the idea of me.  Kafka, the author of the short story upon which the film is based, would certainly argue that so many synergistic elements transpired that eventually, the last "leg" of the "metamorphous" would be a director. 

The genesis of the project begins at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where I teach. I walked by a classroom where students were projecting a film they had shot in Super Eight with a 35mm Anamorphic Lens.  They were howling with delight.  I looked into the room dumbfounded.  I was amazed by the fact they had married a lens twice the size of the tiny camera and projector.  My amazement turned into wonderment when I saw the "big picture image" they had gotten.  I briefly thought, "someday there should be a project for this."

"Someday" was six years later. I was invited to accompany honors students to Prague, Czech Republic.  Among the students were five actors and many others well versed in Kafka, from a Senior Seminar taught in the English Department. The students were looking for projects....   I begin to read about Kafka, a native of Prague, and his psychological thriller short stories, and thought they would make challenging scripts for actors.  When I saw travel brochures of the historical figures and the enormous span of the Charles Bridge, I knew this would be Kafka's choice of set. Yet, How could we capture all of it? Then I remembered my former student's and their strange ideas of joining Anamorphic wide lenses to unsuspecting cameras. 

Then came a landslide of ideas and help. My former students became the Director’s of Photography and decided to shoot in 16mm with 35mm Anamorphic Lenses.  I adapted the first short story written by Kafka; Joe Dunton Camera assisted us with camera equipment; Kodak gave us the film stock; CineFilm/CineTransfer in Atlanta, (Ron the amazing colorist) figured out the 16 Anamorphic transfer headaches and color arch for the piece; UNCW was exceedingly generous and a zillion other agencies helped to get us to Prague, the bridge and home.    

2. How long did the production process take?

The process took 2 years. 

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

Pre- Production: challenges were:  Traveling internationally with 22 honors students, 3 crew, 22 cases of film equipment, 44 suitcases through three countries and six customs checks and arranging travel, insurance, lodging, and legal paperwork for an international carnet (passport) for the equipment.

Production challenges ranged from:  shooting with available light, cold weather, no tripods allowed on the bridge, shooting in between tourists groups strolling along one of the most popular and beloved bridges in Europe and bridge security.

Post-production challenges such as: Creating ways to seamlessly blend the locations in Wilmington and Prague into one look; Finding excellent labs to experiment with 16mm Anamorphic transfers, color correction from saturated color in the beginning moving to black and white at the end and finally the unbelievable journey through five formats taking the whole project to 35mm.  Oh yes did I mention money?

4. What is your favorite memory from the film?

One late cold night on the Charles Bridge after two disappointing days of rain and tourists, my hopes were fading on getting a key shot of the antagonist on the bridge.  At 11:50PM, ten minutes before the Czech government promptly turns off the lights on the bridge, the tourists went home, it stopped raining, and gray clouds slowly drifted and revealed a full moon over the powder towers built in c. 750 on the bridge.  So now my crew and I have a saying “Be patient you might get the moon, a full one at that.” Much of this memory thankfully is in the film.

5. When someone has finished watching the film what do you hope they take away from the experience?

I hope the film will impress the viewer about the power of place in our lives and how it shapes an artist's world as Prague forged Kafka's work. Perhaps the viewer will revisit Kafka's stories having seen the film and have more clues in understanding this cryptic modern master of mental terror. 

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

One of the most intriguing descriptions of the piece was...."Conversation With Kafka is a psycho-visual crossword puzzle which takes 22 minutes to work and the rest of the night to worry about."

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers? 

Before the film labs all become museums; work once in film.  You may be the last generation to tell the tales.   Travel, stand on the dirt of many continents; look at the world through your own eyes... then the camera. Develop a strong sense of faith, tenacity, and never, never lose you sense of humor.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on.

I have two pieces in development: one documentary on a Buddhist monk and his work in North Carolina and one fiction piece in Super 8 Anamorphic.   Currently, I am in Chile, South American on a Fullbright Hays assignment and I hope to document a short piece on our time here for the Fullbright Hays Foundation. 

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

I live in a North Carolina coastal town.  I am sensitive to tides, particularly, the economic and political tides generated by markets and how they affect the film industry here.  It is my hope in the "ebb and flow" of economic recovery, that the film industry, national and state governments will embrace international detente and innovative ways of bringing film work back to the United States, and back to North Carolina.  Filmmaking is a part of North Carolina's cultural and economic heritage.  When the tide turns, I hope filmmaking will be a vibrant part of our future.