SBIFF Movie Spotlight: Generosity of Eye
Generosity of Eye is much more than a film documenting the massive art collection of William Louis-Dreyfus. This film is about justice. It’s a film about how art transforms into education for hundreds of impoverished African-American children in New York’s Harlem Children’s Zone.
The Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection, more than three thousand paintings, drawings and sculptures will be sold to create an endowment for Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone.
I asked the film’s director, Brad Hall, a few questions about the documentary and how it was working with actress, and Santa Barbara resident, Julia Louis-Dreyfus from ‘Seinfeld’ fame.
How willing was Mr. William Louis-Dreyfus to have cameras follow him around and make him a center of this story?
At first he was VERY reluctant. But, as you can see in the film, he has a lot to say; both about art and about justice. In the end, we couldn’t get him OFF camera!. I think he enjoyed the process because it gave him an opportunity to spend some time with Geoffrey Canada, of whom he such an admirer, and with the artists, too. And in the end, it was a good excuse to hang out with his daughter for a few days, too.
Can you please talk about the process of making Generosity of Eye. How did the project get off the ground?
It was gonna be a home movie. Seriously. We really started out with the intention of primarily filming the art — a catalog, almost — a family document memorializing William’s gift to the Harlem Children’s Zone. “Kids, look what you grandfather did!” It sort of took off from there.
What were the challenges you faced from production to the editing room?
I’ve never before done a documentary. After collecting all of this footage of William, and Julia and Geoffrey and the artists, Shon Hedges, my favorite editor, and I discovered that there was a very different story hidden in there than the story we had initially thought we were going to tell. But I love editing. We had great images thanks to Nelson Hume our extraordinary cinematographer, and Steve Rashid, a great Chicago producer, wrote a score that I think rivals any jazz score I’ve ever heard. He has to release it as an album. Or whatever you call ‘em now.
Julia is much more than the narrator of this film. How does she fit into this story?
Well, that’s the thing — It turns out that the framework for the whole movie is Julia’s discovery of how much this art, and more important this gift mean to her. It’s her discovery of the depth of her father’s passion for art and for justice for African American children that hooks me. That’s what, in the end, wound up being the heart of the movie. It was a lovely surprise.
This documentary has a lot of funny or comedic moments. How much was Julia involved in the post-production phase?
Yeah, she’s funny, isn’t she? So’s her dad, and Geoffrey Canada has a fantastic sense of humor. Julia produced the film with me and with Julie Snyder, so she was very involved all the way along. Nobody has a better eye, or better taste, or sharper visual intellect than Julia. Except Orson Welles, of course.
What is your favorite scene from the film?
I have many. I love ALL of the little moments between Julia and her dad. I love the upside down painting. And as soon as Geoffrey Canada is on screen, forget it. I find that guy so compelling in every way. I’d like to do another film just about him. Of course there are a couple of artists we interviewed who we had to trim out because of length — and so some of my favorite stuff is on the cutting room floor.
Is there anything else you would like to add that I didn’t ask?
I’d just like to add that Waiting for Superman is a film that really gets into some of Geoffrey Canada’s educational philosophies, and it’s really worth seeing (it’s challenging too — you won’t agree with everything in the picture; at least I didn’t). I’d also like to add that we’re hoping this film opens up a discussion of creative, impassioned philanthropy. And the film we be available at Generosityofeye.com after the Santa Barbara Film Festival is over.
Generosity of Eye will screen January 30 and February 2nd at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. For times CLICK HERE.
