Director's Statement

After completing several video and photo projects, I still couldn’t have guessed how ambitious a task was completing a feature length movie. Finishing the last of the edits 2 1/2 years after starting this project, I recognized that obsession had replaced ambition, but most importantly, a special story had been told that holds a greater relevance than I initially could have guessed. And looking back to the year I started the project, 2000, at that time ambition made the world go round.

With Y2K a bust, many were getting great jobs, promotions, and flaunting their newfound cash. Instead, I decided to quit the 9 to 5 and take up an offer placed by my wandering "Uncle Joe," a traveling sign salesman, to hit the road on a four-month road trip "Odyssey." At the last second, taking a leap of faith. I spent all the money I had saved for the trip on the necessary gear to finally make good on a long-term goal; to make a feature length movie.

The specific vision of the project was initially loose. With Uncle Joe at the wheel, I knew I would end up with some interesting stuff. And there was an optimism of heading out to the road that seemed to insure worthwhile material. As a side project, I also wanted to interview people we met along the road. These interviews ended up much better than I had expected, and created the framework of 20 Questions.

On the road, I had no crew and was banking to make good on the motto that says, "your weakness is your strength." While operating the camera, I made sound adjustments, worked with available lighting, and was the primary interviewer of subjects seen in "20 Questions." But within these limitations I was able to gain something invaluable with my subjects that is seen clearly in the work-trust. I also had strict requirements for myself to never interrupt a subject after asking one of the questions, and to wait nearly 10 seconds after a response before moving on to the next question. This technique worked. People would burst in with hilarious or insightful 2nd or 3rd answers, which is an element that helps to create the relaxed atmosphere of the film. When watching the movie, take note of the man in the green shirt that did not (could not?) answer the questions. I would often wait up to 10 minutes for any kind of response, while during his hour-long interview; hungry mosquitoes covered my entire body while I was holding the camera.

As I began editing, the events of September 11th, 2001 unfolded, and I quickly realized that I had captured a unique bubble of time here in the U.S., just before it had burst. The world seemed very different, and my material that seemed very current now a very distinct piece of history. Watching 20 Questions quickly reveals the profound contrast between then and now.

While many documentaries lead the viewer towards specific points of view, while working with this material, I became more dedicated to simply allowing the subjects to express themselves. 20 Questions demonstrates that the common person who typically holds no voice in media is usually much more interesting than those ‘often seen’ familiar people who always have a voice. The open-ended approach to the making of this documentary allows the subjects of the film to guide the viewer through an American Odyssey unlike any before or since. I plan to utilize this technique on my next project, a series of interviews with folks from around the world - filming will start in the summer of 2004.