Das Bleu

Wilder once said that “Writing a movie is a mixture of architecture and poetry.” By the grace of random chance, funneled through nature’s laws, my search for meaning in the cold cosmos involves writing [being an architect] and telling stories [being a poet]. But the passion to exist in the world of screenwriting and filmmaking came later in life for me, late in the sense that I was twenty-eight when I finally knew that I wanted to write and direct movies. Now, I must continually adapt my voice in my screenplays and films; therefore, every Das Bleu project requires its own language. In other words, I am committed and motivated to defining and refining my voice with every script and film I create rather than adhering to convention. Arguably, form and content are inseparable in my film work. If that means anything, then this self-reflection proves how important it is to have a voice as both a screenwriter and filmmaker.

When I am writing, I am not focused on succeeding or not, on whether I will be praised for it, on whether I will be loved and rewarded for it, or on whether people will know about it and be grateful to me for it. When I am writing, my soul is gripped by freedom and love. Joan Didion said: “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” This is how I approach screenwriting.

No matter the film I’m working on, it’s all about reassurance in human emotions and investigating life itself. Film is about exploring and asking life’s big questions—How do you feel? How much do you not know? Are you aware of yourself? As Cassavetes said, “A good movie will ask you questions you don’t already know the answers to.” Likewise, I’ve always been struck by William Goldman’s words of wisdom, describing a great movie as a series of impactful, satisfying moments held together by a coherent narrative and enough tension to keep the audience engaged. While it might sound a bit oversimplified, to me, prioritizing these individual moments, regardless of the genre, is essential for creating a compelling script with compelling characters that translate onscreen.

I am always investigating the ambiguities of human relationships with every script that I write. Similarly, when I am directing films, I am continuously discovering my motives for filmmaking. At the time of this interview, in between meetings, consultations, pitch sessions, and rewrites, I’m currently writing my last [short] screenplay, aka “Project 18,” about a university professor who goes mad, before I begin writing a Psychological Thriller feature.

To tell great stories is not to tell people stories that they want to hear. To tell great stories, one must help people figure out the stories they want by making sense of the stories worth telling. What will always make my [film]work and [screen]writing special is that style serves substance, not the other way around. Often, without any additional input, the different pieces of the stories I put in my screenplays seemingly click into place without my fully realizing it. It’s like when you’re dreaming, and your mind surprises you by creating unexpected connections that just seem to work in the context of a dream. Admittedly, it’s nice to realize that I don’t always have to know what’s going on, especially in the world of screenwriting.

Long ago, I realized that to live what could be considered a long life, you must unlock new worlds. Even moreso to sustain a long career in the film industry. One must be brave and willing to say something else, something different. Honestly, the most logical way to do this is by meaningfully spending time with people who don’t typically look, think, or act like you. I have the privilege of getting to know other people’s stories in my [screen]writing—people who don’t typically look, think, or act like me. My ego, believe it or not, is suspended more when I’m writing and directing movies. There is an unassuming [super]power in being present but unassuming, especially on set. Actors speak freely with me. It builds trust. It goes without saying that the film world needs more players who don’t lead with their statuses or feel compelled to tell people how important they are. True freedom, both in life and creatively, isn’t knotted to status, money, or power. True freedom is much simpler yet more complex than any of that. True freedom is being yourself. True freedom is a choice.

The film industry is all about saying ‘no’ to people, so inherently you cannot take ‘no’ for an answer. Therefore, I will always go where I need to go in the film industry. Because as long as I have the tireless desire inside of me pushing me to make films, and as long as images continually explode inside my head, I will make films at any and all costs.

When the story is strong enough, it becomes the product. What I am creating is emotion and connection. Underneath it all, those things should not be too hard to sell. Unfortunately, I think a lot of studios get wrapped up in the idea of the product alone, when the product is always primary. I hope that people watch my films and realize how they connect with others. In all sincerity, there is a mystery to the whole enterprise that one dares to become a screenwriter, let alone a filmmaker. What that mystery is inevitably can’t be explained.

“Once you have the audience captured—once they are playing that game with the people on the screen— this is like you’ve got them by the throat, you can’t let it go. You squeeze a little more and more and more. Don’t let them escape. Don’t wake them up. Don’t let them realize this is only a movie that they’re seeing.” Most importantly, learn to live with this quote for the rest of your [screenwriting] life: “I’m a writer. But then nobody’s perfect.”

Screenwriting will always be the means, not the end, of what I want to do in the film industry. My chief definite aim is to be one of the greatest directors of all time. Period.