Amber Tamblyn is a writer, director, and actress from Los Angeles. She has received an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in television and film. Her acting credits include “Joan of Arcadia,” “House M.D.,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “127 Hours,” “Django Unchained,” and “Stephanie Daley.” Tamblyn is the author of three books of poetry and prose: “Free Stallion,” “Bang Ditto,” and most recently the acclaimed bestseller, “Dark Sparkler,” which explores the lives and deaths of child star actresses. “Paint It Black” is her first feature film.
“Paint It Black” will premiere at the 2016 LA Film Festival on June 3.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
AT: “Paint It Black” is about two women drawn into a twisted relationship that reflects equal parts distrust and blind need.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
AT: In 2004 my friend Amy Poehler gave me “Paint It Black,” a novel by Janet Fitch. Its story had a rare and delicate cinematic power in its language — different from any other book I’d read before.
The movie I saw in my head based on the novel was not “Grey Gardens”: the movie I saw in my head was David Lynch’s version of “Grey Gardens.” It was not a film about the emotional experiences of these two women, but rather an emotional film, experienced.
I didn’t want to make a film about what fans of the book read, but rather a film about how they felt while they were reading it.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
AT: Redemption. Lust. Longing. Perception. Interior female violence. Abandonment. Interpersonal grief. Interpersonal salvation. Freedom.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
AT: Trusting my gut. By default it’s often difficult for a lot of women, especially in industries dominated by the male point-of-view.
I was talking to a psychic recently at a party — yep, you heard me — and she said that women have a hard time telling the difference between instinct and anxiety and often confuse the latter for the former. In the words of acclaimed poet and womanizer R. Kelly, that’s some “Real Talk.”
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how
you got the film made.
AT: I never fully went down the traditional route of trying to get financed with film financiers. My film was independently financed. My producers and I approached a few companies, but knew it was going to be hard and require someone special.
I created an 85 page look book for the film, with musical references and visual imagery showing what the entire tone of the movie would be, from start to finish. My mother is also a wonderful artist, so she and I created a shot by shot drawn storyboard of the film, detailing every moment and camera shot.
I basically did so much presentational work that I made it impossible for someone to say no to me. And even if someone did say “no,” I just kept going. We found an incredible investor who really believed in the artistic vision and purpose of the film, and upon several meetings and discussions, she financed it.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
AT: You need to cut some shots from your shot list. And also, you need to cut some shots from your shot list.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
AT: Do not ask for permission — from anyone — to follow all the way through on your vision.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
AT: There are too many of them, so I’ll say all the films of Lucrecia Martel, Lone Scherfig, and Sarah Polley.
