The Documentary Art of Filmmaker Michael Rubbo

Front matter

The Documentary Art of Filmmaker

Michael RUDDO

THE DOCUMENTARY ART OF FILMMAKER MICHAEL RUBBO D. B. Jones

Contents

Illustrations Acknowledgments

Introduction Purpose and Method

Learning the Craft The True Source of Knowledge These Days; Early Films at the NFB

Chapter 1

1.1 Rubbo with Stanford classmate Bonnie Sherr (later Klein) circa 1965. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo.

1.2 The Stanford Book Store. Screen grab. The True Source of Knowledge These Days (1965). Courtesy of Stanford University.

1.3 The Stanford Computer Center circa 1965. Screen grab. The True Source of Knowledge These Days (1965). Courtesy of Stanford University.

14 A Stanford football player recounts his Mississippi summer. Screen grab. The True Source of Knowledge These Days (1965). Courtesy of Stanford University.

1.5 “Could you do the kiss again?” Screen grab. Lonely Boy (1961).

The National Film Board of Canada.

1.6 Befuddled photographer. Screen grab. Lonely Boy (1961). The National Film Board of Canada.

1.7 The two “teachers” prepare their lesson. Screen grab. Sir! Sir! (1968). The National Film Board of Canada.

Chapter 2

2.1 Dick Hughes. Screen grab. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada.

2.2 “Would you like an ice cream?” Screen grab. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada.

23 “Tm a hundred percent yours tonight, baby.” Screen grab. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada.

2.4 The Coconut Monk. Production photo. Sad Song of Yellow Skin

(1970). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 3 aA Blaker insists on more information. Screen grab. Persistent and Finagling (1971). The National Film Board of Canada.

3:2 Sheila reminds Rubbo that he’s agreed with Blaker’s every suggestion. Screen grab. Persistent and Finagling (1971). The National Film Board of Canada.

3.3 Sheila asks Rubbo if he’s pleased so far. Screen grab. Persistent and Finagling (1971). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 4 4.1 End of opening shot. Screen grab. Wet Earth and Warm People (1971). The National Film Board of Canada.

4.2 Last shot of the film, under credits. Screen grab. Wet Earth and Warm People (1971). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 5 om Francis Sutton. Production photo. The Man Who Can't Stop (1973). The National Film Board of Canada.

5:2 Joan Sutton working on the roof. Screen grab. The Man Who Can't Stop (1973). The National Film Board of Canada.

ao “Oh, Michael, then you were being insincere.” Screen grab. The Man Who Can't Stop (1973). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 6 6.1 “The capitalist and the Socialist.” Screen grab. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada.

6.2 The three men debate the Cuban system. Production photo. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada.

6.3 The debate continues. Production photo. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada.

6.4 “Twenty-five-to-one to put a film on?” Screen grab. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada.

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CHAPTER 7

Tal George Springate. Production photo. 7 Hate to Lose (1977). The National Film Board of Canada.

7.2 Nick Auf der Maur. Screen grab. J Hate to Lose (1977). The National Film Board of Canada.

T3 Devastated campaign worker. Screen grab. 7 Hate to Lose (1977). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 8

8.1 Rubbo (r) with Jean-Louis Robitaille. Production photo. Solzhenitsyn's Children . . . Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada.

8.2 “Maybe you make films but don’t read a lot.” Screen grab. Solzhenitsyn’s Children . . . Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada.

8.3 Bernard-Henri Lévy holding forth. Screen grab. Solzhenitsyn’s Children... Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada.

8.4 “It’s very easy to be pessimistic.” Screen grab. Solzhenitsyn’s Children... Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 9

gi Jean-Guy Moreau transforming himself into Réne Lévesque. Screen grab. Yes or No, Jean-Guy Moreau (1979). The National Film Board of Canada.

9.2 An easy relationship. Screen grab. Yes or No, Jean-Guy Moreau (1979). The National Film Board of Canada.

9:3 Daisy, pre-op. Production photo. Daisy: The Story of a Facelift (1982). The National Film Board of Canada.

9.4 “Here comes the pull.” Screen grab. Daisy: The Story of a Facelift

(1982). The National Film Board of Canada.

Illustrations ix

CHAPTER 10

10.1

10.2

Atwood pulls a paper bag over her face. Screen grab. Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984). The National Film Board of Canada. Sketching beside the lake. Screen grab. Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984). The National Film Board of Canada.

CHAPTER 11

11.1

11.3

Rubbo directing Rufus Wainwright. Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1988). Still photograph by Jean Demers, courtesy of Productions la Féte.

Rubbo on break with “Vincent” (Tchéky Karyo). Vincent and Me (1990). Still photograph by Jean Demers, courtesy of Productions la Féte.

Rubbo’s letter art. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo.

CHAPTER 12

12.1

12.2

12.3

12.4

12.5

12.6

12.7

Harry Vatiliotis at work. Production photo. The Little Box That Sings (2000). Courtesy of Michael Rubbo.

Dolly Walker-Wraight with portrait of Marlowe. Production photo. Much Ado About Something (2002). Image courtesy of Films Transit International.

Shakespeare and Marlowe, identified. Screen grab. Much Ado About Something (2002). Image courtesy of Films Transit International. Shakespeare and Marlowe—which is which? Screen grab. Much Ado About Something (2002). Image courtesy of Films Transit International.

The remembered fight. Production photo. AU About Olive (2005). Courtesy of Michael Rubbo and Ronin Films.

“Will you stop interfering?” Screen grab. A// About Olive (2005). Courtesy of Michael Rubbo and Ronin Films.

Rubbo with Olive Riley. Photo courtesy of Michael Rubbo.

CHAPTER 13

13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4

Sue Abbot. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo.

Drawing by Michael Rubbo. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo. Lino cut by Michael Rubbo. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo. Tom Daly, circa 1993. Photo by Lois Siegel.

Illustrations xi

Acknowledgments

Over the years, many people gave me valuable assistance, in one form or another, in completing this book. They include John Balaban, Peter Bartscherer, Donald Bidd, Robert E. Cargni, Paula Marantz Cohen, Karen Cooper, Roger Tellier-Craig, David Denby, Sheila Fischman, Claude Lord, Bernard Lutz, Don McWillliams, Morgan Meis, Stephanie Miller, Ragnhild Milewski, Lois Siegel, Jerry White, Donald Winkler, and, especially, Michael Rubbo. The National Film Board of Canada gave me access to its files on Rubbo’s films. I’m indebted to Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel’s old College of Humanities & Social Sciences, and the National Endowment for the Humanities for research support.

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