Sundance 2017 Women Directors: Meet Catherine Bainbridge— “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World”
Catherine Bainbridge is a writer, producer, and director, and the co-founder of Rezolution Pictures. She previously co-directed the Peabody award-winning documentary “Reel Injun,” about Native stereotypes in Hollywood films.
“Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World” will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 22.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
CB: “Rumble” is the untold story of the Indigenous influence on American music.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
CB: Some of the greatest rock stars in the world know about the influence of these incredible Indigenous musicians but the rest of us do not.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
CB: I want people to be joyful that these unknown Native American superstars are now being acknowledged and celebrated and are now taking their rightful place in American music history.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
CB: It was crazy trying to schedule shoots with all of the musicians in the film. They are on tour or have nine million other things to do — and yet we managed because all of them were so gracious.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
CB: “Rumble” was funded by Canadian broadcasters The Movie Network, The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and Radio Canada, along with the Canadian Media Fund, SODEC, and Canadian and Quebec tax credits. “Rumble” was also funded by the broadcaster ARTE (France and Germany), VisionMakers Distribution, and “Independent Lens” on PBS in the United States.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Sundance?
CB: It is an huge honor to be invited to Sundance. It is also an opportunity to bring attention to an important untold part of American music history.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
CB: The best advice, which comes from my Dad, is to hire the best and get out of their way. Let talented people do their work without being controlled or micro-managed.
The worst advice is to do the opposite. To try and control everything.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
CB: Don’t be afraid to work in a different way from men. Women have our own way of working together and our own way of communicating. Don’t let anyone tell you that it isn’t just as good as a man’s way of doing things — it’s just different.
Also, make sure to hire other smart, talented, and confident women. Working with women is a total joy.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
CB: My favorite show is the romantic comedy “Mohawk Girls,” created and directed by Tracey Deer. She is so smart, brave, and funny. The industry often doesn’t give women’s dramatic comedies the respect they deserve. They are really hard to do well. Tracey creates characters for a female audience that are funny but also profoundly moving and complex.
W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?
CB: Female producers need to hire women and to encourage women to make stories about women.
I’ve been watching men’s stories and characters my whole life — and it will be a great day when men can learn to identify with our stories. It makes me so happy to watch stories where women are central to the storytelling.
