Lounge
April 13, 2015
INTERVIEW | Patti Smith & Director Sebring: Part Two
Patti Smith & Director Sebring: Interview Part 2
Patti Smith's "The Physical Act of Drawing Words"
Patti Smith. Emerging in the 1970s, she has continuously stimulated the music scene with her unique musicality, her angry poetry, and her performances that adhere to her own style. Revered as the "Queen of Punk," Patti is also an artist active in diverse fields such as poetry, film, and photography, a social activist, a mother, a daughter, and a woman. The documentary film "Patti Smith: Dream of Life," which brilliantly captures Patti as "a person, a woman," is finally being released in theaters nationwide, starting with Theater N Shibuya.
Our magazine conducted an interview with Patti Smith and director Steven Sebring. In this second part, we delve into Patti Smith as an artist.
Text by OPENERS
The Meaning Behind the Title "Patti Smith: Dream of Life"
Hearing the title of this work, "Patti Smith: Dream of Life," fans of Patti will likely first think of the album of the same name released in 1988. It was co-produced with her late husband, Fred Smith, and marked Patti's return to music after a hiatus. This title, which Patti and Steven decided on together, was apparently chosen while sharing sake, the only alcohol Patti enjoys.
"We had a few title候補, but none felt quite right. So, I decided to use the title my late husband, Fred, gave to our last co-produced work. Fred is no longer with us, but I wanted to leave something of him in this film. 'Patti Smith: Dream of Life' is a title I chose in his honor."
yoshie tominaga(MILD inc.)
The Physical Act of Drawing Words
Throughout the film, Patti improvises narration over footage shot by Steven at key moments. This is less "narration" and more "poetry," mirroring exactly what Patti is doing within the film as captured by Steven. Patti describes this act of weaving words as "the physical act of drawing words."
"When I was young, I wanted to be a poet or a painter. I tried writing poetry, but it wasn't enough. I wanted to raise my voice, I felt so much more energy. It was the same with painting. When I started, it would spill off the paper and continue onto the wall. So, I ended up on the path of a 'performer,' though I never thought I could sing or perform. But becoming a performer was the result of the immense energy within me pushing to 'get out.' I'm still surprised by this environment. But by becoming a performer, I've been able to go to various places around the world, see many things, and meet many people... That's truly wonderful."
Photo by Steven Sebring
Patti then added:
"So, I want you to listen closely to your inner selves. Don't make excuses like 'I'm too busy' or 'I can't do it.' If you feel 'something,' just try. Let that 'something' out. It doesn't matter if you're good or bad. I was a terrible singer too. But I had immense energy within me, and I was aware of it. The result of that energy coming out was simply rock and roll."
How did this "physical act of drawing words" appear to Steven?
"When she spins words, it's very spiritual, emotional, and it stimulates and ignites the imagination. Perhaps that's why I was able to keep at it for 11 long years (laughs)."
Destiny is self-designed, yet a series of fortunes and misfortunes interfere.
At the beginning of the film, over footage of Steven's horses running in slow motion, Patti calmly says, as if enlightened: What a fitting expression for Patti!
Watching the galloping horses, the words came to her effortlessly.
He explained that "a series of fortunes and misfortunes interfere" also applied to Steven's situation while filming this movie, recounting the hardships he faced at the time.
"It was incredibly difficult because I was doing everything myself. The microphone attached to the camera fell off, there were constant accidents. And there were many scenes I couldn't use because I was shooting something really good, but the film ran out suddenly, and I had to say 'Stop.' So, the editing process was truly challenging. But those struggles made this film more creative."
As the interview drew to a close, Patti spontaneously picked up a guitar and performed an improvised lyric change of "Grateful" (from the album "Gung Ho") and "My Breaky Heart" (from "Tramp").
"Many journalists write things about me that aren't true or are just their predictions, and they forget that I am 'a person,' and they forget my humorous side. So, I hope this film conveys more of my human side. People expecting a 'punk rocker's autobiography' might be disappointed, but I think many people will love this film."
As she speaks about this work, which she herself loves, the documentary film "Patti Smith: Dream of Life" shows not only Patti Smith the artist but also many aspects of her that we have never seen before. This was made possible by the collaboration between Patti and Steven, whose chemistry was evident even during the interview. Patti's presence in the film will be invaluable to her fans and will provide positive energy to those who did not know her well before.
"Patti Smith: Dream of Life"
Director | Steven Sebring
Producers | Steven Sebring, Margaret Smilow,
Scott Fogel
Cinematography | Philip Hunt, Steven Sebring
Editing | Angelo Corrao, Lynn Poliito
Starring | Patti Smith, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Sam Shepard, and others
Country of Production | 2008 American Film
Running Time | 1 hour 49 minutes
Distributor | Transformer
Publicity & Distribution Cooperation | ZAZIE FILMS
Official Website
http://www.pattismith-movie.com/
Now showing at Theater N Shibuya and Cinemaart Shinjuku. Opening September 19th at Theatre Umeda and other theaters nationwide.
Tokyo Hipsters Club x "Patti Smith: Dream of Life"
Collaboration Photo Exhibition "Patti Smith / Scene of Life" Held
The exhibition will feature large-format photographs by Steven Sebring and private shots of Patti Smith taken by photographer Yoshie Tominaga in NY and during her recent visit to Japan.
Period | September 4 (Fri) - September 27 (Sun)
Venue | Tokyo Hipsters Club FREE SPACE
Admission | Free
http://www.tokyohipstersclub.com/html/
Photo by Steven Sebring