Saturday, March 31, 2007

AFI Dallas film fest mini-review and director interview: Duck Man

Swan song or last quack?

By John P. Meyer

Unlike the works of a few other filmmakers that I've screened over the course of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, Brian Hennigan's Duck Man takes material that should have been kept to a short presentation - and makes a short presentation of it. What a concept! The witty and well-produced film screens as one of the Family Shorts on Sunday, April 1, the last day of the festival.

Director/Actor/Writer Brian Hennigan

Set to Beethoven's 7th Symphony and chronicling the meteoric rise to fame (and catastrophic divergence into iniquity) of Edinburgh, Scotland's newly-hired official Feeder of Ducks, the movie uses imagery without dialogue to advance the narrative. Hennigan stars as the Duck Man, with notable supporting performances from Ralph Oswick (as a job interviewer with very expressive eyebrows) and Tasneem Roc (as a slinky, lip-smacking Duck Man groupie).

I haven't read either of director Brian Hennigan's two published novels, but judging from the film they will undoubtedly prove to be amusing reads. Sure hope he brought me copies.

Q/A WITH BRIAN HENNIGAN:

John Meyer: What's it like where you live in Scotland? Edinburgh, correct?

Brian Hennigan: Edinburgh is the world epicentre for historic cobbled streets and grudging service in food outlets. Believe it or not there are no coffee refills.

JM: What's the biggest difference you've noticed between North Texas and Scotland? Or is there any difference?

BH: Driven by the same explorative genetic impulse that inspired thousands of my Scottish forebearers to traverse the globe, from my Bradford Homesuites base camp I have ventured as far as the rugged outback of McKinney Avenue and even Neiman Marcus. The main difference appears to be that people in North Texas are overwhelmingly polite and helpful. Also, if Victory Plaza appeared in Scotland overnight, people would think they were in a science fiction movie.

JM: Having traveled (or travelled, as you'd say) 4516 miles (or 7268 kilometers, as you'd say), is there no limit to the distance you'd go in order to put your film in front of an audience? And if so, what is that distance? (In cubits, please.)

BH: Wherever there is a vacant screen and a willing audience, that's as far as I'll go. Frankly, I'll take an unwilling audience too.

JM: Brian, your film, Duck Man, contains a number of very adult themes, including - as mentioned in the press materials - lust, dancing and free footwear (of the rubber galoshes variety, I might add). Given this, were you surprised to find that the AFI selection committee had included it in the "Family Shorts" program (or programme, as you'd call it)? Do you wear family shorts (or knickers, as you'd call them)?

BH: Duck Man has adult themes but they are cloaked in a veil of entertainment that allows adults to understand them and children to enjoy the thrill of the apparently simple little story. As such I am profoundly flattered that AFI Dallas was able to see their way to include Duck Man in the Family Shorts program. As for family shorts, as you know Scots don't wear anything under those kilts that we wear all the time in Scotland. On those occasions when we travel abroad trousers (pants as you call them) are issued at passport control, along with pants (boxers, as you might call them). There is a limited supply so only so many Scots are allowed abroad at any one time. I have to be back next Tuesday so that a Mr Mackintosh from Aberdeen can join his wife on holiday.

JM: Perhaps most disturbing to me, as a concerned citizen of the global biosphere (because what other citizenship choice do I have, really?) is the alarming depiction of the UK's diminishing duck population, which is clearly in some obscure way related to global warming. Speaking of dancing, do you know Al Gore?

BH: Edinburgh is chockful of ducks. For the film we had to employ a team of specialized Duck Wranglers for those scenes where the ducks appear to have vanished. I'm not sure if you've ever tried to play shepherd to a flock of ducks but its a bit like trying to get cats to square dance. As for dancing, I don't know Al Gore but I've always admired his surname.

JM: For the benefit of Dallasites (who should not be confused with any other sorts of -ites you might be thinking of, especially subconsciously), can you describe for us the importance of ducks to your homeland? And are you at all concerned about their vulnerability to terrorists armed with fowling pieces?

BH: Ducks are the national bird of Scotland. The ancient Scottish symbol for hospitality is a duck holding a scone. Scottish mallards have been on Orange Alert for over three years now. They live in hope but don't have to take their shoes off at security.

JM: From a thematic standpoint, Duck Man concerns itself a great deal with the vicissitudes of fortune in the lives of men, and in this way I find it heavily reminiscent of War and Peace. Did you, in fact, simply plagiarize War and Peace, adding in a bit about ducks? Be honest.

BH: You saw through me. Actually, although War and Peace was the inspiration, it was Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment that provided the thematic template. All of this will become clearer in the shortly to be released Director's Cut - Duck Man Redux which I hope to bring to AFI Dallas next year as part of their historic lookback at festivals gone-by.

JM: Did you select Beethoven's 7th Symphony as the score because its ponderous, stately melodies contrast so delightfully with the non-ponderous, comic elements of the action? Or just because it was royalty-free?

BH: To be serious for a moment, Beethoven's 7th was always the theme. I saw the entire film as having the same pace and dramatic resonance as the allegretto from the outset. Furthermore I wanted something that was immediately recognizable and would give the audience an engine to latch onto. We played with the tempo a bit to keep people's heads on their toes.

JM: How many copies of your novel, Patrick Robertson - A Tale of Adventure did you bring with you to the States? And, if more than zero, can I have one?

BH: Of course you can have (the) one.

JM: I have not read your second novel, The Scheme of Things, but a lack of preparation never stopped me from exploring a topic which might prove to be of interest to my readership. (Right, Marge?) Besides, I haven't read your first novel either, although if it goes as quickly as your film I will certainly consider it. With this much as background, then, how would you compare The Scheme of Things to - say - War and Peace?

BH: More ambitious with less slapstick.

JM: Brian, on a more serious note, I read in your bio that you served at one point as a Marketing Controller for Macallan Single Malt Whiskey. Does that mean you're entitled to free Scotch for life? (Once a Marketing Controller, always a Marketing Controller, right?)

BH: As I found out the other day, I'm not even entitled to a returned phone call.

JM: Finally: as you were anticipating your visit, who did you really, really want to meet while here in Dallas for the AFI festival (I mean, aside from President Bush, who appears to be otherwise occupied), and have you gotten to meet them yet?

BH: I've been playing hard to get with Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban although I think this strategy might be about to backfire. However I've decided not to leave town until Monday morning just to give them a bit more time to catch on.

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