Unless You Do It You Never Bloody Know

Steve McQueen doesn’t care about stupid questions. And Steve McQueen won’t comply and tell what you want him to say. Steve McQueen, if you don’t know, is a British contemporary artist turned highly courted filmmaker with only 3 films (Hunger, Shame, 12 Years of Slave). His latest film, Widows, is just out, right on time for the 2018 Awards season.

Awards Season means giving an interview to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, in front of an audience composed of actors. The questions are always PC and the tone way too reverent, so it’s very much up to the guest to transform the hour-long conversation into something interesting or not.

In McQueen’s case, he obviously didn’t care about being compliant. The man refused to use banalities and shortcuts, which might make him look pretentious in front of an American crowd that just wants to laugh and “be inspired”, but I found it refreshing and challenging.

McQueen refuses to talk about fear, difficulties, obstacles. Money doesn’t seem to be an issue or a motor to him. In a way, looking at his career so far, it seems to be a dream unfolding flawlessly. Whatever he silences is his.

But one thing is clear: McQueen’s compass is the work. His choices are influenced by the work. Everything else is irrelevant to him.

Asked about his 4 months experience studying at Tish Film School in NYC, McQueen’s answer is a priceless advice and very telling of the man’s mindset:

“ It was like going to a circus, you could come out and do almost everything but individuality for me wasn’t there. In Art School I was allowed to explore, I was allowed to make mistakes, and of course, there’s a function in film school, there’s the practical side, which is interesting, but it wasn’t for me. I was much more interested in ideas and possibilities than to be put into a straightjacket of how you should make a feature film. I want to throw a camera in the air and catch it. I want to see what that could do. You have to explore, you have to find out yourself, and there’s no right or wrong of doing it. The only wrong thing about it is if it doesn’t make sense if it doesn’t communicate. The law is the law because it’s a construction, but my idea is “how can you break convention to make the form”, which is much more closer to who we are as human beings, it’s very very important, for me at least. Q: Did you ever throw actually a camera in the air? Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t you? What does it look like? What could happen? Things that are in your head… do it and then find out “Okay, that doesn’t work.” or “That does work.” Unless you do it you never bloody know. And I’m deadly serious about this. Why would you constrict yourself from doing what other people tell you to do or how to do it, unless you find out yourself?

Even in acting, when you’re trying to do something. How would you know how to get to that point without you trying to do it in the first place? As you know the most important thing as an actor is not care to be ridiculous. Who cares, you’re gonna die anyway.”

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