film the guitar

"The Guitar" is a story of one woman's spiritual, emotional and creative transformation. One morning, "mouse-burger" Melody "Mel" Wilder (Saffron Burrows) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, fired from her thankless job and abandoned by her boyfriend. With nothing left to lose, given two months to live, she spends her entire life's savings renting an empty palatial loft in the Village. Thinking she'll never have to pay the piper, she lives off her credit cards, fills the loft with the fanciest products, sensually engages both the parcel-delivery man (Isaach de Bankole) and a pizza delivery girl (Paz de la Huerta) and teaches herself to play the electric guitar she's craved since childhood. These life affirming experiences transform her irrevocably.
- IMDb.com

How would you behave if you had to confront your own mortality? Especially if you were young, in your twenties or early thirties, how would you react if you learned you had less than two months to live? These questions create the point of departure for Amy Redford’s whimsical fairy tale The Guitar, a thoroughly engaging, almost-mythological allegory that is fueled by the exceptional performance of Saffron Burrows and executed with style by its director.

One morning Mel, a mousy, harried New Yorker with a thankless job and an even-less-appealing boyfriend learns that the tumor in her throat is cancerous; the diagnosis is terminal, so it seems that both her job and her relationship are kaput. Rather than lying down and dying then and there, she embarks on an endless spree, the kind of self-indulgent wish fulfillment that we have all fantasized about.

Written by Amos Poe, and based on a real story, this beautifully realized parable speaks volumes about living. Overflowing with an energy and vitality that belie the initial darkness of its narrative, The Guitar is a transcendent respite from the turmoil of our troubled times. It is sure to capture both your imagination and your heart. 
–Sundance Film Guide

ExP: Michael Roban, Damon Martin
Pr: Bob Jason, Hayward Collins, Amy Redford, Amos Poe
Ci: Bobby Bukowski
Ed: David Leonard

'The Guitar': Amy Redford directs tale of redemption
By Ellen Fagg
The Salt Lake Tribune Article Last Updated: 01/19/2008 09:25:20 AM MST

Amy Redford knows her name will bring attention to "The Guitar," which premiered Friday at the world-famous film festival her father founded. But she hopes the film's redemptive story will find its own audience.
    Ask about issues of favoritism, even nepotism, and Redford faces the questions head-on. "I'm sure that people might have those thoughts," says the 37-year-old actor-turned-director. "The comforting thing I know is that the process, the selection, has nothing to do with that. I believe in the democratic template they use to choose movies."
    Her father says "The Guitar" was selected on its own merits, describing the work as "very much a Sundance film."
    "She will probably have a rougher time than anybody," says Robert Redford. "It's very, very low-budget. She did it on her own. It's something pretty exciting for me. It's something I balance because it's my own daughter, but I'm pretty proud."
    In a career working as a TV, movie and stage actor, Amy Redford knows her last name has gotten her invited to the table. But like other industry kids, she knows the weight of that privilege, as well.
    "It takes double the effort to be able to be seen in your own light," she says. "You have to work twice as hard to prove you're not there for your handout."
    She's not even the first Redford kid to have her work screened at Sundance. That would
be brother James, a screenwriter credited as one of three directors of "The Kindness of Strangers," a 1998 documentary about organ transplants.
    "The Guitar" soars on the sunken eyes and etched cheekbones of Saffron Burrows (''Reign Over Me" and TV's "Boston Legal"), who delivers a gritty performance as Melody, a young New Yorker who sheds her own skin and becomes somebody new after a terminal cancer diagnosis. "A whimsical fairy tale," is festival director Geoffrey Gilmore's summary.
    As Melody runs up debts she doesn't think she'll be around to pay off, she befriends delivery people, buys a guitar that represents a long-forgotten childhood dream, and eventually transforms a rented loft into something like a womb. When the woman throws her old clothes out of the window, and later swaddles herself, mermaid-like, in sheer curtains, such scenes show off Redford's directorial eye.
    Despite a lifetime steeped in conversations with her father about the value of storytelling, Redford found it difficult to claim the authority of being a director. In the early days on the set, the actor wanted to apologize to every director she had ever worked with. "I found it very difficult to call 'action' my first week," she said. "I felt like the biggest fraud."
    But she was inspired by the story, written by indie filmmaker Amos Poe. For a time, she considered taking on the lead role, but realized she would rather tell the story than be in it.
    She's thrilled to come home to promote the film - and the lead performance - which carry personal significance. "As she discovers the guitar," Amy Redford says, "I think I discovered my own."
    Next screening: Monday, 6:30 p.m. Peery's Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd., Ogden.

Please introduce yourself.

I am Amy Redford. My current job is getting this film out of the nest and gearing up for the next one. I have been an actress professionally in theatre, film and television for the last decade. I grew up in New York City, schooled in Boulder, Colorado, San Francisco and London. I now live in Downtown New York City.

What were the cicumstances that lead you to become a filmmaker? What other creative outlets do you explore?

As a kid I witnessed the process of my Dad making films and the extraordinary cast of characters that came together to make it happen... I found myself drawn to the nomadic and creative life that that implied. I have explored many different areas of the industry, including acting, and knew that I ultimately wanted to begin directing. What led me to actually having the opportunity to do it was a combination of luck, timing, and stubbornness.

Throughout high school and college I developed a strong interest in photography. I began taking pictures in grade school and started printing in college. I still take a lot of photographs. I am trying to make the switch to digital, and failing.

How did you learn about filmmaking?

My first hands-on-experience in filmmaking was "pulling cable" for a film shot in Tuba City, Arizona. The rest of my practical experience has been as an actress and having the opportunity to observe... many times learning as much from my disasters as from the succeses.

What prompted the idea for this film and how did it evolve?

I was introduced to Amos Poe by the writer Nicole Burdette who thought I might have interest in a script he had written. Amos told me the story that it was based on and then sent me the script. I knew it was a great part but I kept firing myself and hiring other actress's in my mind. The idea of helping an actress go on that ride was exciting to me. I realized I didn't want to be in it, I wanted to tell the story. It was optioned at the time. Then when the option became available I jumped. Amos agreed.

Please elaborate a bit on your approach to making the film.

I suppose my number one concern was to have the capacity to hire a really great crew. I made myself a producer so that I could do that. Being a first time filmmaker I knew I was on a steep learning curve, and I knew it was going to be important to be able to communicate conceptually, if I was limited technically. I couldn't have been in better company. As far as casting is concerned Avy Kaufman came on board as the casting director. When Saffron Burrows came up as a possibility, Avy had nothing but great things to say about her. Saffron and I had a great meeting and I knew she was my Mel.

"The Guitar" director Amy Redford. Image courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in developing the project?

My biggest challenge was navigating the financing. I was very fortunate that John Sloss and Sarah Lash from Cinetic Media got behind the film after seeing an early cut. I knew that if they were on board I could tell incoming investors to breathe a little easier. Then I found a couple of angels who helped me out.

What are your specific goals for the Sundance Film Festival?

I suppose my personal goal is to stay grounded enough to enjoy being there. I will be surrounded by some really talented people and I want to remember the experience instead of it passing in a blur. It is an extraordinary opportunity and I want to be present for it. I would be lying if I didn't say I would like to see the film sold to the right buyer.

Please share your thoughts on the state of independent film today.

It seems that the approach of Indie films has shown its practical viability in the last few years. Making films that are beholden to the story and the characters and trusting the filmmakers... Many independent filmmakers have learned the currency of using inventiveness to problem solve. It's a pretty good model for success as far as I am concerned.

What are some of your all-time favorite films?

This sounds like a cop out, but I like films that fulfill their promise... I was raised on films ranging from "High Anxiety" to "High Noon". In addition, I got to witness the dignity and compassion in my father's films. I appreciated all of them because they delivered on their promises, no matter how varied their intent might be. I think there is a lot of room for many different kinds of films. I know I need to be entertained on a variety of levels. I still tear up in "Bambi".

How do you define success as a filmmaker?

I suppose it goes back to the idea that I accomplish the task that I set out to achieve. Making this film taught me that it is important for me to really believe in the story that I am telling. Sometimes when the chips are down that is your only sustenance.

Please tell us about any upcoming projects?

I am working on a project called "Face Value" about Hedy Lamar, George Antheil and their mind-blowing accomplishments in Hollywood in the early 1940's. Also, I have a television series that is in the early stages of development, a musical film and I am involved in the development of the story of Eva Cassidy.