By Kelly Strodl
Take a ride with Jonathan W.C. Mills, director of WE WERE FEARED, a new documentary about the OC punk scene and the crusaders of
Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?
A: Katey Bright, my editor first introduced me to the Newport Beach Film Festival. She said, ‘we have to screen here’...and she was right because ‘The Cuckoo’s Nest’ punk rock club, which is the subject of our film, was located only a few miles inland...and few tax brackets, from Newport Beach and there is a huge local fan base for the club and the music that sprang from it...so it was an obvious choice for us; we’re just happy that the festival agreed.
Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.
A: I am probably not the obvious choice to make this documentary. I do NOT claim punk rock. I actually came to this material because I believe the broader themes will resonate beyond the punk community. The movie deals with an insular social culture going through seismic changes. It has a crusading anti-hero in Jerry Roach, loud music, slam dancing and social injustice – all wrapped up in a specific place, time and person. It just seemed like a story that needed to be told –As for the production, WE WERE FEARED started with an actual piece of source material, Urban Struggle which was a short documentary made while the Nest was still open. My producers were going to release that movie and I thought, ‘These guys who are in this film are still around!” So over the last two years using editing, new footage, new interviews and a lot of creativity we have created an original documentary that captures the spirit of Urban Struggle yet adds to its legacy in substantive ways; from both an emotional and narrative perspective.
Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.
A: I make a living as a writer and I could talk a lot about my journey to this moment but it might be more appropriate to say that I have simply worked very hard learning to tell interesting stories. It doesn’t matter the medium, documentary, narrative films, television graphic novels...it always comes back to a telling the kind of tale that gets people to put down what they are doing and pay attention...and that is increasingly hard to do in today’s world of media distractions. It also helps to find mentors that want to see you succeed and will help you gain access to people and situations that can make that happen...the old adage ‘you’re only as good as the people you know is probably true in my case’...oh, and make sure you work with a great editor!
Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, any set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.
A: The ‘talent’ in WE WERE FEARED are actual people with lives and jobs but as PEOPLE: they are amazing. Each and every one of the individuals featured in We Were Feared have lived the kind of life that most people only dream of...or in some cases have nightmares about. We’re talking about a group of guys that have lost a significant percentage of their friends to drugs and alcohol. They’re greeting is sometimes, ‘Hey! You’re still alive!’ These are people who went through immense turmoil and personal pain to create a music and social movement and have never really been compensated for it...and now they struggle to make a living in the world while the kids of today have no clue of what it means to really BE an outsider... It’s kind of crazy to interview guys who are probably lucky to be alive simply due to the lifestyle they chose to pursue. Think about that.
Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?
A: I spend most weekdays days swimming with sharks...but on weekends I enjoy spending time with my son Jacob and my girlfriend Elizabeth. I also like to skate and get outside. We live in Cali after all, gotta love the weather.
WE WERE FEARED screens at 5:45 PM on Sunday, April 25 at the Edwards Island Theater 7.
Buy ticket here:
http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256950
Watch the trailer for WE WERE FEARED here:
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