SBIFF Movie Spotlight: Heartworn Highways Revisited
From producer Graham Leader (Sins of a Father), comes a documentary that seeks to explore the “Outlaw Country” movement that was first seen on screens of Heartworn Highways in 1976.
With shooting locations in Nashville, Charleston, New York and Newport, Heartworn Highways Revisited aims to capture genuine moments with the musicians in various intimate settings. Steve Young, David Allan Coe, and Guy Clark have each participated.
Heartworn Highways Revisited transcends all musical borders to capture the true essence of the human spirit.
Mr. Leader was kind enough to answer some of my questions about the project.
Is this a simple, straightforward movie about Country music? Why or why not?
Not really. Like the original, made 40 years ago, the film is deceptively sophisticated since there’s no straightforward narrative or voice over to explain who, why, what…. It’s a flowing, music-driven stream of consciousness that, ideally, transports the audience to another state. Also, the music itself has many sources and the songs are beautifully written and crafted.
Why did you decide to make a film about the “Outlaw Country” movement? What attracted you about this subject?
I was an art dealer in the early/mid 70’s when I met Jim Szalapski – the director of the original film – and he introduced me to the music and this whole other world, which I found thrilling.
Likewise, why did you decide to revisit this film and build upon the original as opposed to making a new one film altogether?
The original has survived by word or mouth and bootleg vhs tapes passed from hand to hand. The film finally became available with the birth of the dvd market. The reviews in the music press for the film, and subsequently, the album were off the charts great, but the film was never promoted by the uk distributor and so remained somewhat submerged. However, in recent years, I’ve been approached to consider making a sequel with a view to branding Heartworn Highways (HH), which led to Heartworn Highways Revisited (HHR).
What was it about Director Wayne Price that sold you on handing over the reins of Heartworn Highways Revisited to him?
I knew Wayne through a mutual friend as well as business partners so we discussed HHR conceptually for a full year before we started filming at the Newport folk festival ’12. Wayne has been filming & living in that world for many years so he was prospectively the perfect filmmaker. What clinched it was the feeling of shared vision and his commitment to honoring Jim’s work in the original.
Price has said, when referring to the original film, that he’s unable to accurately describe the type of film he’s watching. Likewise, Revisited seems to follow the same format where there’s no clear storyline, drama, nor is it really a musical. How would you describe what type of film Revisited is?
HHR defies simplistic qualification and packaging terms but delivers a kind of authenticity in terms of the characters, the music, the place…A genuine slice of contemporary, ageless Americana.
What were the challenges, easy or difficult, that you encountered when revisiting this project?
Unlike SINS OF A FATHER, HEARTWORN HIGHWAYS REVISTED was far easier in every way. Technically, for instance, Wayne could film endlessly at no extra cost without having to stop every 12 minutes and reload new film. Perhaps, HH itself was most helpful as all the musicians in HHR love the original so much that they jumped at the opportunity to participate in the new film.
What were some of the most memorable moments for you in shooting this film and/or the 1976, Heartworn Highways?
Unquestionably, the most memorable moments in shooting both films are captured in the heartfelt warmth of the films themselves. HH was filmed over 5 weeks over the 75/76 holidays and was intense. HHR was shot over the period of a year and so had a different ebb and flow. They both took 2 years in all to complete and I’m equally happy that I got to produce them both.
Why should folks that aren’t fans of Country music see this film?
That’s a good question and a tough one to answer. We feel quite confident that our core audience will be happy with the film. It would be nice to believe that there’s cinematic value for anyone who enjoys cinema and, especially, documentaries. It’s real!
Anything else you would like to add that we didn’t discuss?
Only that I’m always saddened by the fact that Jim Szalapski died immediately before his vision for Heartworn Highways was recognized for it’s humanity and groundbreaking originality. I think he’d be well satisfied with Heartworn Highways Revisited as a worthy successor.
Heartworn Highways Revisited makes its premiere on Friday, January 30th at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. A second screening is scheduled for Sunday, February 1st. For times CLICK HERE.
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