UNC-TV ONLINE: North Carolina Visions:

Past Filmmakers

Simone Keith
Heavier Than Air
(Premieres November 22, 2003, at 11 PM)

Interview Questions:

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

As a native Brazilian, I grew up with Santos-Dumont as the father of aviation. So when I moved to North Carolina in 1995, I was surprised to see that someone else was claiming the same title. My dad came to visit me later that year and he also was very surprised by the Wright Brothers’ claims and encouraged me to do some research on the matter. It was not until a few years later after hearing about the first flight centennial celebrations planned for 2003 that I was really convinced to produce Heavier Than Air. What better time than this to present another perspective on the history of aviation? In my mind I was setting out to prove that Santos-Dumont was really the first in flight but as my research developed, I discovered that the differences between the American and Brazilian claims focused primarily in the way people define ‘flight.’ It became clear to me early on that this was not the way I wanted to go with the documentary. Santos-Dumont was bigger than the controversy and I wanted people to know who he really was instead of getting hooked on the controversy.

2. How long did the production process take?

I started the research for Heavier Than Air shortly after I had enrolled in a master’s degree program at North Carolina State in 1999. Since I had a background in broadcast news I decided that producing a documentary would be easier for me than writing a 200-page thesis. I seized the opportunity in every class to research and write something about Santos-Dumont. When taking a summer history class about US-Latin American Relations, I wrote a paper comparing the Wright Brothers and Santos-Dumont and how Americans had perceived the Brazilian aviator. During a screenwriting class, I wrote a full-length screenplay as an exercise to explore the emotional aspects of my subject as well as to develop a sense of storytelling. I also received a research grant from the Multidisciplinary Studies Department to travel to France and do my research there since Santos-Dumont had done all of his flying experiments in Paris. Then, I finally wrapped it all last summer (2002) with a trip to Brazil to record some important interviews with Santos-Dumont’s great niece and his biographer.

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

My greatest challenge in creating Heavier Than Air was to find a way to tell Santos-Dumont’s story to an American audience. I didn’t want people to get bogged down by the technicalities surrounding the controversy but instead I wanted them to identify with him as a human being. As a result, the personal journey approach to the story became my first choice of narrative. Another challenge was deciding what to include in the film. I had collected so much material on him during my three years of research that it became very hard to decide what was necessary to include in the documentary and what was ok to leave out. The amount of Santos-Dumont’s photographs available in different archives made my choices very difficult. They were incredibly beautiful and my desire was to include them all.

4. What is your favorite memory in creating the film?

I will never forget the day I spent at the Air and Space Museum in Le Bourget, France. I had contacted the curator of the Santos-Dumont’s collection, Monsieur Stephane Nicolaou, to interview him and to ask for access to those kinds of papers and documents that are normally not on display for the general public. After I had recorded the interview, he asked me to wait a little in his office. When he got back, he was holding a folder containing several original letters written by Santos-Dumont to various people in France. I guess he saw the surprise on my face because it was not until he told me to go through the letters that I actually reached across the table for the folder. Wearing no gloves, I gently took one of the letters in my hands and ran my fingers over Santos-Dumont’s famous signature… It was absolutely magical!

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

I really hope that viewers will fall in love with Santos-Dumont the same way I did. He was an incredible human being, an extraordinarily gifted inventor and a man who desired to share his inventions with all mankind. If people walk away after seeing Heavier Than Air with a desire to learn more about who he was, I’d be very pleased with that.

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

People are very touched by the personal way I chose to tell Santos-Dumont’s story. The issue that seems to intrigue viewers the most is the fact that Santos-Dumont is not well known in the United States. They want to know why I think that is. People also seem to connect with him on a very personal level.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers?

Although money plays an important part in the making of a film, it is not everything you will need to produce it. Be creative! I am not a proponent of getting into debt for the sake of your project but I think that sometimes creativity is what people really need instead of money.
Seek partnerships with people who have an interest in your subject matter. A well-chosen partner can open doors for you that may lead to an important interview or may be simply beneficial in the knowledge that they can share with you.
Be prepared to sacrifice a lot of your personal time while working on your film.

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

I have partnered with a friend to produce a documentary about Ernie Shore, a North Carolina baseball player who was a friend of Babe Ruth and pitched a perfect game for the Red Sox in 1917. My real desire is to keep producing documentaries that involve my two countries: Brazil and America. I plan to start researching a story about a bunch of confederates who left the South at the end of the Civil War and formed a colony in Brazil called “Americana.”

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

Heavier Than Air is my first independent production. Although I have had little experience with the film industry in NC, I am really excited to see the many festivals and other venues that promote and showcase independent filmmaking in our area. North Carolina Visions, Full Frame, Video Happenings, are just a few of the great opportunities available to independents here in North Carolina.