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NAME:
Filip J. Rymsza
TITLE / ROLE:
Writer / Director / Producer
COMPANY:
m31 films (www.m31films.com)
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Sandcastles (a.k.a. binary blindfolded brides)
Eden (TV) director
LIVES:
Arlington Heights
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We first met Filip Rymsza after a preview screening for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and he rather quickly struck us as being one of the more knowledgeable and enthusiastic film buffs we've met.
Rymsza's background is an interesting one – having studied philosophy, cinema and writing with some of U of C's best (including poet Mark Strand), he made the trek over to Europe and ended up working on a bunch of feature film projects around the continent, including most notably a bit of work as Second Unit Assistant Director on Roman Polanski's "The Pianist."
So we were excited to see his first feature length piece "Sandcastles: aka Binary Blindfolded Brides." Filmed in Chicago using local cast and crew, the film is one of the most stylistically and intellectually ambitious locally produced works in recent memory.
In part, the film is as masterfully shot and thoroughly imaginative as anything we've seen, locally or otherwise. At other times, it comes off as a little pretentious, quite possibly because Rymsza references philosophers we simply haven't read. Either way, "Sandcastles" bears the mark of a young Chicago filmmaker with very real talent and a clear willingness to take rewarding risks.
We picked his brain on "Sandcastles," its upcoming predecessor "Dustclouds," and a few great undervalued films.
You just recently completed post-production on "Sandcastles" and have had some preview screenings of the film. How has it been received?
Very well. People have been so affected by it. Couples would go home and argue about it for days, ultimately referring to me to settle their disputes.
You see, people really internalize this film, and their interpretation becomes a direct reflection of who they are. Some people weep tears of joy while others feel psychologically assaulted. So, whatever the reaction, it’s been unanimously strong. And, following a private screening, attended by many Polish media outlets, the Polish media really championed it.
One journalist, for a New York daily, called it “the cinema of the future.” I doubt there’s much truth to that, but it’s still nice to hear.
The film focuses on issues of identity, referencing the works of several prominent philosophers. How does your academic background influence your work and when do you leave it behind?
My curiosity, dare I say "intellectual curiosity," preceded any immersion in academia. I read a lot of philosophy during high school. And since that course wasn't offered, I arranged an independent study with a teacher who was willing to sponsor it, and then, I set up my own curriculum. Basically, I journeyed wherever my investigations took me.
The next school year, I started taking night classes at a local college; Introduction to Philosophy and the like, but, without that liberty, to take my curiosity wherever it desired, vertically or horizontally, the experience resulted in tedium.
I entered the University of Chicago a philosophy major, but I eventually structured my own curriculum, taking an assortment of cinema, art history, psychology, and literature courses, with filmmaking as my grand, all encompassing, objective.
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006: Filip Rymsza
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