sally potter
at 15:59, 2 May 2005
Posts: 193
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WHAT IS MAINSTREAM?
I consider YES to be for anyone and everyone who recognises something of their experience, story, or interests in the film. Just as the characters cover a lot of bases (irish/american/lebanese/white male english/teenage girl/scottish/carribean/etc) so there are many voices and points of view, each speaking their own truth, each trying to listen and understand the other. This, in my view, means it is truly, and not cynically, mainstream.
The problem as a filmmaker setting out to try and make what we usually think of as mainstream cinema is that it is a 'risk-averse' industry, wanting to do only what it knows will succeed financially, as the budgets are so large and there is so much at stake. For someone like me who wants to take risks with form and content, it is therefore a difficult way to go. Life is too short to compromise or do things you are not passionate about and each film seems to take three or four years of my life, full-time, so i had better choose subjects that intrigue me and find the necessary forms, experimental or otherwise, to tell the stories. Having said that, i would love as many people as possible to see the films and enjoy them. I am an entertainer and communicator by trade and hope to generate pleasure for people.
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