Since 2009 poet Bill Manhire, composer-pianist Norman Meehan and vocalist Hannah Griffin have written and recorded three albums. Persuading the Baby to Float explores their collaborative process: the ways the songs were composed, and what lies behind the words and music.
We put forth a bunch of questions for director Keith Hill to answer…
FLICKS: What should people expect from Persuading the Baby to Float?
HILL: First there’s Hannah Griffin’s voice. It has a purity that is instantly captivating. Then there’s Bill’s words. His words appear to be simple. But there’s always perspective shifts going on in his poetry, and especially undercurrents of emotion that take you unexpected places.
Then there’s Norman’s Meehan’s music. He sees the songs as being composed in the tradition of Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman. He has a great ear for melody, and it’s that combination of words, voice and melody that really draws in the listener. So there are a bunch of great songs. And some in depth comments that illuminate how they were created – including some excellent comments from Bill on how a number of poems came to be.
How did the film come about?
The project grew by degrees. I initially videotaped some recording session, just for the hell of it. Then, when Norman decided to record the album Making Baby Float live, he and I decided I would shoot the concert, so we could do a CD/DVD release. I thought I may as well film the rehearsal session and also some interviews to go with the concert. But the interview material was very strong, so I ended up making a stand-alone documentary, Persuading the Baby to Float.
What are you trying to convey with the film?
Through the years of making my own films, helping others make theirs, and teaching film and video students, I have become very aware of the different approaches people have in developing their creative ideas. I am also aware that a lot of television arts programmes don’t find the best way of exploring and communicating artists’ creative processes. With this film I wanted to present the way that three people worked together to create a project, and do it in a matter-of-fact and unselfconscious way.
Could you share your strongest memory from filming?
Two memories. One is that of shooting the concert, five performances from which are included in the film. We had five camera operators, including a a jib arm. The concert venue wasn’t ideal. But it was a great rush solving the problems and capturing what turned out to be great performances. The other is how articulate and relaxed Bill, Hannah and Norman were in their interviews.
What first drew you to the trio of Meehan, Manhire and Griffin?
I’ve known Norman for five years now. Bill put out an album of E.E. Cummings poems set to music on my now defunct label, Attar Music. I also videotaped a recording session. Then, as Norman and Hannah started working on Bill’s poems, I kept filming recording sessions. Some of that material ended up in the documentary.
What thoughts about Aotearoa do their performances evoke for you?
Bill’s poetry is often rooted in time and place. The 1950s evokes memories of growing up as a kid in Aotearoa in the 50s. The Hawk references the Christchurch earthquake, and also the feeling of Central Otago.
If you could make a film about anyone living or dead who would it be?
Tom Waits.
What was the last great film you saw?
I’m into long-form drama series at present. The most recent series was Borgen, a ten hour Danish series set in their parliament, focused on the prime minister, the media, and the toll politics takes on family life. It set up the characters and explored their decision-making in a very sophisticated way – inspiration for us in NZ to produce complex drama like that.
What are you thinking about doing next?
I’m currently completing two documentaries. The first is on Michael Houstoun, in which he performs the work of a selection of NZ composers and discusses the compositions, what attracted him to them, and his musical philosophy. That comes out later this year, on DVD with a re-release of Michael’s Inland.
The second project consists of two hours of performances of John Psathas’ music performed by the NZ String Quartet, Joshua Redman, Pedro Carniero, Jeremy Fitzsimmons, NZSO and others, with introductions by John. I’ve been filming recording sessions since 2003, so it brings together a series of world premiere recordings and performances. That will be out on DVD, in a double DVD with View From Olympus, a documentary that captures a year in John’s life.
Then I’m developing a documentary on Antarctica.
