[…]
Cinema Scope: Have you ascertained an “Obama effect” on the films of the last four years? or is it too early to tell?
Hoberman: It’s a bit early, although, to judge from the past, there should be something before the beginning of a president’s fourth year in office. In 2008, I found the longing for Obama (or an Obama) in WALL-E and Milk, but nothing comparable scince. There may be a mildly Obama-ist aspect to the unconventional protagonists of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo (2011) and Haywire (2011) or even The social Network (2010) – and I read somewhere thet the President screened Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) – but movies like J. Edgar (2011) and Meek’s Cutoff (2010) are still pondering the Bush years. Obama hasn’t really come up with a compelling narrative beyond cleaning up Bush’s mess, and that’s not great movie material. The best Obama movie has been the two-minute Chrysler commercial “It’s Halftime in America” [Link] with Clint Eastwood (and directed by David Gordon Green!) that was shown during the Super Bowl. Reagan himself couldn’t have done it better!
Cinema Scope: Finally, who would top your list for the best filmmakers at work under 50?
Hoberman: Not sure what “best” means, but here is a provisional list of 11 extremely talented and highly original filmmakers who have made at least two first-rate movies and should be more than familiar to your readers: Steven Soderbergh (48), Lucrecia Martel (46), Cristi Puiu (45), Jim finn (44), Jia Zhangke (42), Carlos Reygadas (41), Gerardo Naranjo (39?), Andrew Bujalski (34), and Jean Vigo (forever young).
Cineam Scope, Issue 50, p.9
کاش تو کشور ما هم از این سوال ها پرسیده می شد. یعنی میشد که پرسیده بشه. یعنی میشد که بشه…… اصلن هیچی بیخیال 🙁