A Living Legend Still Working Independently: Melvin Van Peebles

While Spike Lee searches for funding for his next project, Tyler Perry looks for theater expansion for his upcoming films, and John Singleton pushes to get projects off the ground, one such pioneer who avoids studio politics and continues to make the films he wants is living legend Melvin Van Peebles.

Although his groundbreaking film,'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song,' was done nearly 40 years and created the independent movement for filmmakers, Van Peebles, 71, hasn't let fame deter him from still doing grassroots films.

Coming out Aug. 21 at New York's Cinema Village is Peebles' latest film, 'Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha,' which he wrote, directed and composed. The movie is based on his own graphic novel of the same name.

It's a semi-autobiographical story about an adventurer whose journeys take him from Harlem to the high seas and back again.

In speaking with Black Voices, Van Peebles talks about his latest film and how he manages make movies independent of the Hollywood system.

How did you come up with that title?

Melvin Van Peebles: The premise of the film and the title are the same. I just called it what it was.

What do you expect people to see when the film comes out? Is this a drama or a comedy?

MVP: I would say that it's a wise comedy. It's a picaresque like 'Forest Gump' and 'Tom Jones.' It has some travel to it. There's this brother who has itchy feet and he just wants to see the world. That was his dream since he was a kid. In the early parts of the film, here's an old blind guy saying "love me some highway" and that song becomes the basis for his itchiness. He's not blinded, more or less, or entranced. This film couldn't have come at a better time. America needs a laugh and a smile.

What was the attraction to doing this film?

MVP: It's a just a story. I like stories. This is a picaresque of something I did years ago. I did a play called 'Waltz of the Stork.' It had many of these elements in it. The part that attracted me about this film is the advancement of technology. Many of the things I envisioned were not possible at the time. It's been a blast for me to use technology in a way I never thought of, but it suited my purposes 100 percent. I can tell the story the way I wanted it told.

You are one of a few directors, producers and actors still working hard when you could be retired and enjoying life on a beach relaxing. What keeps you at this?

MVP: I originally went into films because of the African American situation in America. I wanted to tell stories that gave us guidance, courage, relief, and not a whole lot as has changed. I suppose I'm still on a mission.

With the evolution of technology and filmmaking and more independent films being shown, is there anything that still hasn't been told yet to a public?

MVP: There are thousands of stories yet to be told. That's going to happen -- hopefully. Right now, everyone has a cell phone and there's a certain rush that could lead to danger. A moving image can be like a siren song, but you can forget that you don't have a story. You can make a film about moving from your place, but you still have to tell a story. And as we tell the story, many people treat the mass media as if it's their own personal album. They need a moment or two to think.

With this latest film, what challenges did you face?

MVP: It was a challenge to write the film, as well as getting a producer to believe in it. No one had stepped initially to give me a hand. I'm used to being very independent. Let's not forget, there was no such thing as an independent film before me. When 'Sweetback' became the largest independent film ever made, more independent films and the black exploitation films, began after that. Boutique studios grew up from that.

With the work you've done to date, one would assume that you could get funding on name recognition alone.

MVP: The goal of a movie is that he who has the goals makes the rules. I used to be puzzled by my inability to raise finances, but as time has pass, I really understood. Initially, I would say that it's about the establishment, but never did a brother or sister walk to my door and say, "Can we help you?" It's never been offered. That's one thing. We have to excuse the racial aspect of it. The other part is that everyone wants something new, but they also want it like something last year that made money. I'm pretty much out on the cutting edge. 'Sweetback' was shown in only two theaters, not two cities, in the United States.

What do you want people to get once they've seen this film?

MVP: I hope they like it. I hope they get some wisdom from this as well.

What do you think of Spike Lee, John Singleton and others who have came out after you?

MVP: I made it possible for them to get jobs. I didn't do the battle for them to be clones of me. I did the battle for them to have the opportunity to be who they wanted to be. Unfortunately, we still can't be all that we can be. There are too many factors in the equation for it to go your way. Originally, the idea was that if I can make a commercial success, others would get the same opportunity.

What advice do you give an upcoming filmmaker?

MVP: It depends. The term filmmaker has come a long way from when I started. It could be the cameraman, to the writer and a producer. That's a lot to learn, so you pick the one you like and learn the craft and do it.