Brimstone & Glory: Doc on Fireworks & Danger! #LIFF2018

Description

Brimstone & Glory is a documentary produced by the Department of Motion Pictures that tells the story of Tultepec, a town in Mexico that is dedicated to the making and celebration of fireworks. It's a poetic, visually stunning film that the National Board of Review recognized as one of the top five documentaries of 2017, and it is one of the films screening at this year's Lousiana International Film Festival.

Director Viktor Jakovleski initially conceived of the film as something that he would produce and his friend and colleague Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild) would direct. As the concept developed though, Benh decided to come onboard as producer and composer so that Viktor could direct it. My coverage of #LIFF2018 continues with this interview I did with Viktor.

Some of the things that we discuss include

How the film came about because of a coincidental or serendipitous encounter at a party
The distinct shooting style and challenges that arise when shooting with a Phantom camera that can shoot at 1500 frames per second
What it was like collaborating with Benh who was both a producer and composer on the project, an unusual combination
Why the documentary is a kind of musical and the unique way that the music was developed during post production
How to approach dangerous things with reverence

I continue my coverage of #LIFF2018 with director Viktor Jakovleski:

Brimstone & Glory will be playing at #LIFF2018 on Friday, April 20 at 7:00 PM. Tickets are available through LIFF's website.

Want to hear another conversation with someone who makes a living out of living dangerously? Then you might appreciate this podcast interview with Jay Caputo, a stuntman who has worked on projects like Planet of the Apes, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Amazing Spider-Man.