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"ENO" was shortlisted for the upcoming 97th Oscars for Documentary Feature Film! Congratulations to Brian Eno, Gary Hustwit, Jessica Edwards, First Films and Anamorph!
ENO: A 24-hour Global Streaming Event!
January 24, 2025, starting at 12pm EST
$24, early bird discount; $20 until December 15.
(This event has passed)
Brian Eno's work with artists such as David Bowie, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, and Coldplay has influenced, and continues to influence, legions of artists across generations. To merely document Eno’s life and work would be a monumental undertaking on its own.
Enter Director Gary Hustwit and Anamorph, a media software that allows the documentary "Eno" to be unique every time it is shown. Using this generative technology allows Hustwit to reveal the layers of Eno's creativity, as each screening pulls from the thousands of hours of footage to offer a distinct 90-minute slice of the story.
We spoke with Hustwit about his creative and technological vision for this career-spanning film.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length)
With the amount of physical and virtual material (archival and new) available, how did you capture the spaces in between, like the genius of Brian Eno?
From the get-go, I knew I wanted to focus on our conversations about creativity. We can talk about the education, experiences with different bands, career highlights but creativity was the focus.
It’s what I focus on in all my films – the creative process, observing that, trying to kind of decode it, learn from it. I didn’t set out to make a masterclass on creativity with Brian Eno, but did want people who saw the film to come away with some creative inspiration.
And when you watch the film, in almost every scene, there’s some creative lesson. Even if it’s a small one, there’s some little kernel of a creative sort of secret that Brian is sharing.
What did you learn from this project, the process, Eno himself?
There was over 500 hours in Brian’s archive – video and film footage. It took us two years just to go through to digitize, restore, catalog, and then be able to go through and decide what to bring into the data set for the film. Then there’s the 30+ hours of interviews and other footage that I shot. We’re still discovering things. Even a 10-hour series about Brian wouldn’t be scratching the surface of what he’s done.
I think one of the strategies early on was – don’t try. Even with our approach, we wouldn’t be able to encapsulate everything he’s about, so don’t even try to.
Brian’s humor is something I didn’t really know about him going in. I didn’t realize he was so funny, self-deprecating and constantly making jokes, irony. It’s who he is.
What were some of your own observations of Eno’s creative and technical approaches?
He’s super curious, doesn’t take himself too seriously, always learning; always interested in new things. Kind of why he’s been reluctant to do a career-spanning documentary. Not even reluctant – straight out no. When I approached him, it wasn’t like he was waiting for someone to come tell his story. He wanted to be in a generative film project – the kind of thing he’s been working on for decades. That’s what got him excited. That’s what got him to want to be a part of the project.
He is open to noticing the details. Something he has been very good at. He takes it all in, and he notices the little things, and how they fit into the bigger picture of whatever project he’s working on. I like his flexibility in terms of approach. He never approaches the same creative challenge the same way. I think it’s a big part of why he’s great at what he does. He isn’t set in his ways. There’s not a set process – he mixes it up almost every time. That’s what he can bring to these other artists he produced over the years. That’s why they want him in the room.
In working with a developing technology, the Anamorph software, did your filmmaking approach and process shift?
For this film, I’m looking at a bigger construct. And it also becomes more about the ingredients. Like I know if all the ingredients are great – or even a subset of those ingredients – whatever version you watch – it’s probably gonna be ok. Especially if you create a structure where anything can happen. We establish pretty early on it won’t be a normal film. You’ll be bounding around decade to decade, idea to idea. Brian is the throughline, and you can make those connections as an audience member – and each will make their own. Everyone still gets a composite portrait of Brian.
With ENO, with this technology, I’m also looking at it from a 10,000 feet up view. It’s not about what you’ll see in this 90 minutes, it’s about the 90 minutes you’ll see the next time, and the next time. That’s my directorial artistic statement. It’s different from a normal filmmaking approach.
Looking back at your films, there’s quite a range, yet also a specificity to your choice of subjects. How do you select the projects, and then what your role will be in each one?
For my films that I’m directing, it’s something I want to see that doesn’t exist. I was a graphic design geek. I wanted to watch a documentary on typography and graphic design and there wasn’t anything. Literally not a cinematic in theaters or on tv. Considering how much we see words, letters, typefaces in our environment ever day, and then use them every day, I just wanted to watch that movie and it didn’t exist. After obsessing month after month, I just had to figure out to make that film – the film that was my first movie, Helvetica.
All my films have been some version on that. I think a big part of film making is the creative visualization. I decide if it’s something I’d want to sit 2 hours to watch, and take the 3-5 years of my life to make it. The six films I have I directed I obsessed, and willed them into being.
I started out on the record label side, managing bands. It wasn’t about my creativity, it was about someone else’s creativity. Helping to provide some support and structure so they could express that creativity.
Filmmaking is such a collaboration with others. Even a director’s role can be more of a project manager. I’m bringing on these really creative people, communicating to them what my vision is, but also letting them express their own creativity within the structure of the film.
And that’s fantastic.
UPDATE: Screenings @ The Roxie continue to be added - check here for info. / tickets
Just added: Oct. 10, 2024 @ Rialto Cinemas Elmwood / Berkeley CA - click here for info. / tickets.
Click here for all screenings worldwide.
ENO, the film, screens July 26 – Aug. 1, 2024 @ the Roxie Theater/SF
Each screening as unique as its subject.
Post-film Q&A with Director Gary Hustwit for some screenings.
For more info. and tickets: https://roxie.com/film/eno/
ENO CREDITS:
Gary Hustwit / Director & Producer
Brendan Dawes / Director of Technology
Jessica Edwards / Producer
Maya Tippett / Editor
Marley McDonald / Editor
Mary Farbrother / Director of Photography
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