HollyShorts 2019 – My Dinner with Werner
Based on real events, real people, and real things they actually said, My Dinner with Werner is a wildly bizarre and wacky farce about a 1987 dinner date with an unsuspecting murder plot as the main dish.
Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Maverick Moore
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you very much! We are beyond honored and excited to screen My Dinner with Werner at HollyShorts Film Festival!
The inspiration to make My Dinner with Werner came from real people - Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski – and their famously unique history. For over 15 years, acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog made movies with controversial actor Klaus Kinski. Their work together was legendary. Their partnership was notorious. Their methods were dangerous. And their “friendship” was stranger than fiction - both have sincerely plotted to kill one another at different points in their lives. However, this aspect of their collaboration contributed to their art together (which is widely celebrated in film circles worldwide). But in 1987, after making five films together, they stopped working together - forever. The exact event that led to their division (if there is one) is a mystery.
So, I was inspired to tell the story of what "really" happened - the night it all went devilishly wrong. When Werner also happens to be on a blind date.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Thoroughly researched in all things Herzog and Kinski, this film plays with history in an entertaining, loving, and radical way. However, it was important to us that it also be fun for everyone. It’s a good time at the movies – both for folks familiar with Herzog and Kinski, and folks that aren’t. And there’s a wide offering of genres - comedy, mystery, action, thrills, and even a little bit of drama – so there’s something for you, no matter what you’re into. Beyond that, it’s pretty bonkers, and in ways we really hope you won’t forget. …Plus, there’s an evil talking chicken.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Initially, our focus was primarily on the story and experience people would have watching it, but there are several themes that became prominent to us throughout the course of making the film – believing in yourself, killing the past, and standing on your own two feet. However, this is a film more or less about a lot of things - friendship, art, love, chickens, and maybe even Wrestlemania. So, I hesitate spelling out all the themes we see because we want people to watch it and find different meanings and themes. Ultimately, we just want audiences to relate to it in their own way and enjoy the wild ride.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film was a tough nut to crack, and making it was a seemingly never-ending process (I guess that’s what I deserve for making a movie based on Werner Herzog). While it all ended up being an immensely rewarding process, there was naturally quite a bit of evolution over time – thankfully, all for the better.
One such change was bringing Chynna Walker’s character, Christine, more to the forefront of the story – to act as the ambassador of the audience. Unlike Werner and Klaus, her character is not based on anyone, so we worked closely with Chynna (who I worked with before on my previous short, Shotgun) on her identity, her personality, her motives, and her backstory beyond the film’s story.
However, the biggest change is that the film used to be literally twice as long as it is now. There were moments and scenes in that version I dearly loved (and still love), but I had to kill my darlings – it’s all about what makes it a better movie as a whole. Now, it’s much more digestible, focused, fast, and fun. As much as the cuts hurt, it was for the better.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far, the film has been blessed with really positive responses - from both people familiar with Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski, and from people that have no earthly idea who they are. And with a crowd (which is the best way to watch it) that response has fortunately and graciously been echoed and amplified, and with lots of laughter. After one screening, one audience member asked us if it was as fun to make as it was to watch, which was a complicated question to answer, but one we were incredibly thankful to be asked nonetheless. That said, the feedback has been thoroughly encouraging, but we are also just grateful that people are watching it and interested in it.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
One interesting note of feedback that we gathered early on was that people that watched the film seemed to have different favorite characters. But we were really stoked to hear that because that’s what we were aiming for – different connections for different people.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I love making movies, I love sharing them with people, I love interacting with those people, and I love going to film festivals and film screenings and film events, so if this opportunity can help make any of those things happen, I would be over the moon. Nevertheless, I am still very thankful for this opportunity and for anyone taking the time to read all of this.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would love for fest directors and distributors to help us get the film out there in front of more audiences. We want people to see it in a crowd and on a big ole screen. We made this out of our love for movies, and we want to share it out of our love for movies. So, if this encourages folks to program it or distribute it or even want to just see it, count us delighted.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
For one, I hope audiences can say they had a good time at the movies. Beyond that, it would also be cool if people come away from the film wanting to learn more about Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, their history, and the films they made. I hope it encourages people to watch the films that each of them made – especially the ones they made together.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I welcome and love any and all questions, but, “What’s the craziest thing that happened behind-the-scenes?” will probably spark many good conversations.
Would you like to add anything else?
I gotta gush on my cast and crew because I owe them everything. I am extremely thankful for their never-ending hard work, trust, and talent. Please hire them all. I was very lucky to work with each and every one of them. This was a challenging film to make, but - thanks to them - we pulled it off. And I was gifted with a family and many new friends in the process.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m still in the very early stages for my next projects, but I’m developing another based-on-real-stuff film (but a feature this time) and a silent but magical micro-short, both of which will be co-written with Ryan McNamara and produced with my wife, Marla Moore. However, we’re also producing a fun short that Chynna Walker is directing next year too. So, lots of fun stuff on the horizon.
Interview: August 2019
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My Dinner with Werner
Based on real events, real people, and real things they actually said, My Dinner with Werner is a wildly bizarre and wacky farce about a 1987 dinner date with an unsuspecting murder plot as the main dish.
Length: 17:49
Director: Maverick Moore
Producer: Marla Moore, Brian Elliott, Jake Moore, Steven Trebus
Writer: Ryan McNamara, Maverick Moore
About the writer, director and producer:
MAVERICK MOORE is an award-winning filmmaker from Texas. His previous film, Shotgun, has won 18 awards (including several jury and audience awards for Best Picture), and has screened at over 60 film festivals worldwide (five of which were Oscar-qualifying competitions), including the Palm Springs International ShortFest and the Nashville Film Festival, where Shotgun screened together with master filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard’s recent film, Goodbye to Language.
Key cast: Chynna Walker (Christine), Matthew Sanders (Werner), Andrew Perez (Klaus), Grant Virtue (The Waiter)
Looking for: film festival directors, producers, distributors, buyers
Facebook: My Dinner With Werner
Twitter: @DinnerWithWern
Instagram: @maverickfilms
Hashtags used: #MyDinnerWithWerner
Other: Vimeo
Funders: Indiegogo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Vail Film Festival / Vail, CO - 8/17; FilmQuest / Provo, UT - 9/12