Cinephile Interview Series: Writer/Director Kevin Hejna
Kevin Hejna has directed some amazing films over his career, such as; Power Play (2016), Angel and the Stockbroker (2018), Marked (2018), and Saving Grandpa (2018). Of course there are many other films he’s written and directed as well. I’m happy to share this informative and insightful interview with a longtime friend of mine.
Q- We talk a lot about classic films like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). How important do you think visual literacy is in filmmaking?
A- “I think it’s very important. For the first 30 years of filmmaking, there wasn’t sound. Several great filmmakers; John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, and Fritz Lang started directing when films were still silent. And thus, they had to think visually to tell a story. When I went to film school, between 1999 and 2003, we were still being taught on film. In my case Super-8 and then later 16 mm film. The first couple of films I made were without sound, which is a harder thing to add in a non-digital recording and projection system. It ended up being a great way to learn, because it forces you to walk in the footsteps of Ford or Hitchcock. Like them, I was forced to tell a story visually, without the crutch of sound.”
Q- Tell me about your creative process as a writer and director. What inspires you to create?
A- “It varies. And I suppose if I have a process, it’s being open to inspiration wherever it occurs. Sometimes it’s an actor, or a genre, or even a screenplay, in the few cases I don’t write. It’s also recognizing filmmaking is difficult. If I am not madly in love with an idea, it’s best not to proceed. If I don’t love it, how am I going to convince a cast and crew to love it, or later an audience? Finally, I try to put something of myself into the film, even or especially if it is disguised, and not recognizable to the audience.”
Q- Do you have an all-time favorite classic film, something you think is a must see?
A- “That seems to change all the time, but my traditional top 4 are Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). However, I have been thinking a lot recently about how The Wizard of Oz was made in such a confluence of events in film history. It was made in 1939, which is the year it seemed the R&D phase of filmmaking ends, films seemed to come into their own that year as an art-form. The musical and fantasy genres coexist here in an interesting way too. You can see cinemas past top genre and future top genre working together in a harmony that seems unique. You have a film where you can see where cinema was in the past and also where it was going in the future. It’s interesting.”
Q- You've made so many films in Pittsburgh. Why do you think so many creators like yourself are drawn to the city?
A- “The cost of living is good, and you have a very supportive community of your peers. It seems, even though I wasn’t born here, like home.”
Q- What was one of the more difficult productions you've been a part of? What made it particularly challenging?
A- “The first film I directed; God Is Laughing (2015). I’ve made harder films, but that film was about trying to overcome personal terror and inadequacy. And then lead a team of artists, most of whom were more experienced than me. After God Is Laughing I believed I could make a film on some level.”
Q- So tell me... Truffaut or Godard?
A- “Truffaut. For Jules and Jim (1962), Day for Night (1973), and maybe it’s unfair to include acting, but his performance in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Q- What are you working on now? Tell us about a recent project of yours.
A- “I just completed a puppet film for the 48-hour film project; Orson! And the Quest for Wish Fulfillment (2019). We are performing a final post-48 polish of the film now. I am working on two screenplays. Kim’s Birth, a sci-fi film about, well birth. Also The Circular Circus, which is a fantasy film in a circus environment.”
Q- What's a guilty pleasure movie that you'd be reluctant to admit you love?
A- “Lady in the Water (2006). I know. Believe me I know. That is one of the greatest cases of cognitive dissidence I ever had with a film. I read the reviews, saw the film, agreed with the reviews, and still loved the film anyway. Then I saw the film three more times, in a movie theater, trying to reconcile the two. I’m probably a large percentage of that film’s box office take. Ultimately, I couldn’t figure it out and needed to stop paying to see it. All I can say is, maybe the lesson is that there is a difference between loving something intellectually and loving it emotionally.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Kevin for many years now. We share the same nostalgia for film, and it’s wonderful to be able to feature him on my blog. Please check out the links below to find his work and more information.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4222119/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hejna-30a60b2b
https://youtu.be/2UvJVqmiJ20
Interview transcribed on 9/7/2019.
