Filmmaker, producer, and director Deborah Kampmeier chatted about directing “The Gilded Age.”
How was your experience directing “The Gilded Age”?
I adore working on “The Gilded Age,” the “grand” nature of the material, on every level, offers a large palate for my imagination to romp around in.
And the team I get to work with, the cast, the crew, the production staff, is the best. So going to work on this show is an absolute pleasure and privilege.
What motivates you each day as a filmmaker?
I am always looking for the things, in whatever material I’m working on specifically, and in the world in general, that my inner landscape, my heart, and my body, respond to.
That resonates. That enrages me. That breaks my heart. That makes me feel alive. That gives me hope. Where the Eros is.
What do your plans for the future include?
I’m developing several feature films at the moment: Holy Whore, Firebird and Forged. They are all stories with female protagonists that inspire me.
What did this show teach you about yourself? (“The Gilded Age”)
That I was born in the wrong period and the wrong class. But seriously, I feel there is a way I have been able to get very close to my vision as a director on this show because of the size of the production.
My imagination is expansive and being able to meet that size inside myself with resources the show affords on the outside has been powerful and inspiring.
How was your experience writing and directing “Hounddog,” starring Dakota Fanning, back in the day? (Loved that movie!)
Thank you. I love that movie as well. It was a deeply personal story and a very healing journey to make the film.
I always wonder what the reception to the film would have been if it had come out after the #MeToo movement.
What is your advice for young and emerging filmmakers?
Speak your truth no matter what. Get your voice out, even if you whisper it out, or scream it out, or vomit it out. Our world needs all of our voices.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
That my work, or just my presence, makes someone feel less alone in the world.
What would you like to tell our readers about “The Gilded Age”? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
That it is some sugar (actually a lot of sugar) and some medicine. Enjoy.
To learn more about filmmaker Deborah Kampmeier, follow her on Instagram.
