The Film Center of the World

Christ, from watching the news recently you get the feeling that the whole world is falling apart, you see stocks crashing, parliament giving out public chastising’s in record numbers, greedy business’s; you might say ‘but where’s positive spirit ?’ – We can't all be that greedy and negative.

But in the UK culturally we have reached a new zenith. Following the Olympics, a new James Bond film, British Oscar winners, and the cracking of the American Billboard Charts - recently with Adele, and One Direction - all that negativity is a thing of the past, because here in Great Britain things aren't diminishing – their flourishing.

A new golden creative period has also embraced British independent cinema, proving that the most colorful ideas come with even more colorful characters.

Film director Fabrizio Federico has assembled a Sgt Pepper like cast of characters for his debut feature film Black Biscuit. A carnival of misfits, dreamers, and tumblers, a genuine ‘me and you’ of street superstars, a Phil Spector like wall of images seen through a kaleidoscope of ideas, sounds and life styles.

Speaking to Fabrizio has been like listening to a wild orchestra, and in the process finding out about beautiful ideas at a breakneck speed, compliments; and his be here now philosophy can be contagious.

Maybe he’s right. Life might have gotten out of hand for the materialists, but for the masses things are beginning to turn on.

You’ve followed an exciting year and made a feature film that will be is like a surreal time capsule in years to come, how do you see your creative input ?

Like a dream, I see it easier forgetting about winning competitions, and commercial desires and concentrating on what I see around me, and looking at a new generation. I travel a lot and whenever I see something beautiful I film it, and it’s like capturing living stardust……. kind of like Wagners ‘Liebestod’ moment. That’s what I want to get across to people and a new generation of filmmakers, forget the rules and re-invent them as you go along, that’s what artists should do and Im saying; go on try it - You want can be a filmmaker too.

Does having less at your disposal create a different outlook when making a feature film ?

Definitely, what comes out of it is usually more free spirited and subtle, but also more real. I don’t use a script I just meet characters and street superstars that I like and then I put them in a situation where they have to be themselves, and I wanted to meet people who burn at both ends and show the world that they're not bad people, just different. Why pretend to be a model citizen your whole life, we can learn from their spirit but sometimes not their situation. It was shot mainly on cell phones, the smaller the camera the more natural people are plus it’s cheaper faster and easier. I didn’t need big money or support, just a pure DIY life. If you want it, do it right there and then. That for me is the experience of making a film, Im not going to learn anything new if I do it sensibly, and I didn't want to waste time making money.

So has the myth making of films disappeared for you ?

The magic of what cinema can do to the viewer hasn’t but the reality of the push that goes on with making a film has. The state of mind you have to be in is like riding a ship through a storm, even though I didn’t experience the old Hollywood side of making a film I did experience the lack of trust that the authorities have on creative people, we’re on two different planets, I suppose it’s because their bosses have suspicious minds and that mentally spreads to the soldiers, freedom of speech has become very blurry, Pussyriot have proven that. The rush for me is meeting new people and going against what Hollywood shows us in films. Things aren’t what they seem, humanity still exists.

Your film looks like a real life journey everybody has to go through in life but you’ve updated the language of filmmaking. Is the unexpected always good ?

It depends who it’s unexpected to. Im not at home hatching a plan on how to make a film I just do it, because that was my dream, and the Pink8 manifesto was something I put together afterwards to encapsulate the experience I went through, so to give courage to people who want to make a feature film but are put off by going through the bureaucracy that the film business is known for. The film came out the way it did because I never followed a pre-planned path, , I don’t want to be politically correct I did what I wanted when it came to me. It was out of control in all the best ways, like an experimental conga line. Humanities journey hasn’t changed so why play it safe and pretend it has.

You seem happy to tell your stories without recourse to much standard storytelling dialogue. You use the images and the sounds to tell your stories, is this a new form for you ?

I think cinema audiences have gotten really lazy when it comes to making up their own interpretations in films. It seems like they always want it to be direct and if it doesn’t meet their preconceived expectations then it scares them. The beauty of films like Black Biscuit is that they stick with you forever, they become a part of you because they shake you out of your comfort zone, and that’s what a cinematic experience should be like, otherwise you might as well stay home and watch TV. I like the way the film has a ‘floating through the mind of a twenty year old’ feel, it’s supposed to be erratic and wild with no rules with Situationist elements, I like to surf different genres and break these so called ‘’golden rules’’ of cinema. It’s not like Im making it for the stuck-up BBC, I made it to empower people.

There are recurring moments – death of infants, drugs. Which are small, personal moments, are they rooted in autobiography.

Oh yeah, but I think those subjects are very universal, everyone has had drug experiences and we all have to face death at some point. The reason I bring up child deaths is because I see it as the ultimate example of a waste of life. When I heard that Eric Clapton lost his child to an accidental death, it just sent shivers down my spine. I wanted people to realize that they have the power to make something of their lives and don’t waste your time on earth, which goes with the films concept of Nirvana Now, and to make up your mind now and don’t just stand at the crossroads your whole life, pick a journey.

Did you decide on a colour scheme for the film? It seems as if the movie revolves around the whole colour palette ?

Not until it came time to edit the film. I wanted each colour to fit each scenes vibe. I remember seeing ‘If…’ and I thought it was brilliant how it went from colour to black & white, and ‘Performance’ and ‘The Last Movie’ blew my mind, I love those films. I like those schizophrenic

qualities to art because I paint and make music, so I don’t see any boundaries when it comes to creating. I just want to be everyone. It was a combination of Sgt Pepper and Smile by The Beach Boys and whenever I hear music like that I can’t not see the colours. Those albums were fearless and I respect that, the whole aspect of creating should be fun otherwise why do it. I don’t care when you hear about petty put downs about artists saying that their over indulgent, Avant Garde or pretentious, that makes me laugh because they're wrong. I think it’s beautiful when artists push themselves to create something new, because it means they’ve stopped thinking about being safe and pleasing the public. It’s more important to inspire people through primal strangeness.

Does your use of voiceover over tie with what’s happening right there on the screen, or is it more unconventional ?

I wanted the film to be very volatile, sometimes it does and other times it doesn’t . It’s there to enhance the trip, it’s up to the viewer to decide what to swallow, I just find it surreal having cult leaders giving you life advice, that’s what's bizarre about this voice over. It’s an experiment, the whole film is an experiment to create something new and to push the boundaries of cinema, but to be poetically outrageous and sophisticated at the same time. It was a very liberating chaotic opportunity to be pure.

How do you feel about your contemporaries and the climate in which you created Black Biscuit ?

I wanted the film to represent the times and be the epitome of todays youthful creative thinking. Even though there's been a lot of hassle going on in the world right now, the fight in young people hasn’t left them, bands like Wu Lyf prove that. If anything it’s made us stronger and more urgent in creating values that are different from the older generation; they’ve screwed up so we’re gonna create a new philosophy for ourselves, out with the material greed and lets embrace new ideals. I want everyone to rise up and start being creative again. It’s up to the young to teach the old to just give it away. Stage events and reinvent yourself. You don’t need universities, politics or fear just an inner drive to challenge the world.

What about your contemporaries ?

Good luck to them.