By RAY KELLY
American, an upcoming documentary from writer-director Danny Wu, will look at Orson Welles’ life and politics in the 1930s and ’40s.
Wu (My Life in China During a Pandemic, Square One: Michael Jackson) told Wellesnet his documentary will span Welles’ life from his days at the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock, Illinois, to arriving in Hollywood to direct Citizen Kane to his decision to leave for Europe during in the late 1940s. It is not so much about Welles’ filmography, as it is about his life, he said.
“What attracted me to Welles is that I personally feel he’s the greatest filmmaker of all time, and of all the documentaries I have watched on Welles, there always seems to be unnecessary negative shots taken at him,” Wu said. “I feel that one of the most overlooked aspects of Orson’s life is his devotion to progressive politics.”
“In 2021, I feel it is especially relevant,” he added.
The 25-year-old Chinese Canadian filmmaker said he was fascinated by the fact that Welles was either directly or indirectly a part of every aspect of 1930s and ’40s politics.
“One of the stories that drew me most to Welles is his defense of Isaac Woodard (an African-American veteran blinded by police) and how that came to be,” Wu said. “After much research, I was fortunate enough to have interviewed a couple of Woodard’s relatives and even have his great niece Laura Williams come on board as an executive producer for this project.”
Wu hopes to have American completed later next year when it will debut and compete in the film festival circuit.
Among those interviewed for American are Welles scholars and authors Simon Callow, Harlon Lebo, Richard France, Catherine Benamou, Todd Tarbox, James Naremore, and Robert Carringer.
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