Eric Lavallee: Name me three of your favorite “2017 discoveries”
Daryl Wein: 1. Clean My Mac 3 – a program that frees up storage space on your computer. It’s literally the greatest thing ever created.
2. Film Struck – the Netflix for art house films. Finally.
3. Theracane – just google and buy immediately.
Lavallee: Not unsure if White Rabbit appropriates the street block a la Slackers and/or Tangerine, but could you briefly discuss more tactile aspects of the character of Sophia in relation to her environment, and perhaps how environment informs her artistic endeavors.
Daryl Wein: Sophia is like a street shaman, investigating, searching, probing. She appears where you least expect her. In grocery stores. Malls. Street corners. Waiting for someone to listen. To hear her. She gives her art away for free in the hopes the community and the world around her will give something back in return. Perhaps simply understanding. Or compassion. She asks questions others are not asking. She wants to disrupt our collective apathy. Shift power dynamics. Illuminate injustices that have happened on our streets. She uses her own megaphone as a tool to open people’s eyes wherever she can find space.
Lavallee: You’ve always had an hands on MO with your oeuvres (meaning producing, writing), but with Blueprint, and now White Rabbit, you’re taken on cinematography responsibilities. Is it a question of creating more intimacy, practicality, or does it elicit a more creative freedom in terms of look/performance?
Daryl Wein: I realized I missed the filling of being a kid with a digital camera and running around filming things that I found interesting. Somehow as productions got bigger and more people got involved, I lost some connection to what I loved so dearly. I wanted to find that again. I was always scared of DP’ing. It looked so hard and complicated. I have realized that so many of the things that scare me are often the most important things to run towards. So I picked up the camera and started playing. Before long, I was focus pulling for myself and framing shots in exciting, new ways. I felt like I was able to craft the stories I was trying to tell even more specifically. And much more from my heart. It was also a function of just wanting to get out there and make stuff more easily. Less people to depend on. I love doing as much of it as I can because the creative reward is that much greater.
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