Los Angeles, California Aug 6, 2018 (Issuewire.com) - Los Angeles creative artist Phoenix Quwais is exploring new horizons with his excellent pieces of art- his films - which are steadily grabbing the attention of film enthusiasts. The one word to describe this artistic personality will be ‘multi-skilled’. Quwais is a “one man army” with equivalent mastery in screenwriting, acting, directing, editing, production and cinematography. He literally defines filmmaking as an art of expression in his every new project. His debut feature film Grenade, gave him the break he required to his quintessential talent as an actor, director and producer. The silent neo-noir film has redefined the power of silent cinema. Right from the storyline to the plot and the climax, the film portrays Quwais' commitment to the art form. His films reflect his personality, his values and how he looks into different things in life. An artist like Phoenix is setting iconic examples and it is just amazing to experience such a visual treat with the movies of Phoenix Quwais and how he is justifying his roles perfectly.
Filmmaker Phoenix Quwais sat down with a freelance columnist for an interview about his filmmaking. The following are excerpts from that interview.
BD - What are the films about?
PQ - My debut film Grenade is about twin brothers Kane and Abel Gwynplaine, between whom develops a rift due to Kane’s wife Genesis’ affair with Abel. Kane, a former Marine, an abusive and violent man with a sadistic streak, decides to punish his twin for his disloyalty by incapacitating him with chloroform and abducting him. Abel wakes up in a derelict house chained up and boobie-trapped with live grenades.
Mr Quwais is greatly influenced by paradigmatic filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosova, Truffaut and Goddard. When it comes to his personal upbringing, he has a deep connection with England, where he grew up and his proud family background always kept him firm on his aesthetics. His cross-cultural influences, his globe-trotting journey help him to discover many things. His analytical skills helped him to think beyond the surface, all of which is reflected in his films. His movie Subversive revolves around different traits of human behavior like stupidity, hypocrisy and bestiality. Every shot in the film is one with perfection, audio-visually portrayed by the excellent artist. "Subversive came about due to my anger with and contempt for society in general”- shared Phoenix with Dogood.
His other films like “Jokes Under A Tree” and “Apotheosis” are based on different themes that are also someway related to him. Phoenix aspires to get recognized for the effort he is putting into the craft. For his future projects, he has many plans which he shared with the interviewer-
BD - What were the challenges you faced during production or even pre-production?
PQ - Acquiring or saving enough money to buy props and camera equipment. I also had to teach myself cinematography. No cinematographer meant I had to operate the camera and act in front of it simultaneously. Lighting was a big issue for the night scenes. It was challenging. Film funding these days is going to a bunch of X-Factor wannabe-types masquerading as talent. What they don’t understand is that to be a Filmmaker and have a “voice”, you need to have “lived” and “experienced”. Experienced things other than school, college, nightclubs and getting drunk on a Friday night.
BD - Is there anything you’d do differently next time?
PQ - Hire a crew, shoot with a better camera, shoot in film and with Anamorphic lenses.
It is not only the desire for money, success or revenge that has compelled Phoenix to choose his career as a filmmaker. It is his immense passion and dedication to the art form. It would not be wrong to say that he has been able to recreate the magic of the silent and golden era of cinema. To know more about him have a look at http://www.phoenixquwais.org/
Take a glance at his detailed interview secession with Benevelous Dogood-
BD - Phoenix Quwais, you’ve made four feature films so far, what are they about?
PQ - Each film is a demonstration and the subject matter is varied; some of it fiction, some of it factual.
BD - What do you mean by demonstrations?
PQ - I mean exactly that... a demonstration. A demonstration that Phoenix Quwais can write, can act, can direct, can edit, can produce and can handle the role of DoP.
BD- How did Grenade and Subversive come about. What attracted you to these projects?
PH - Grenade came about because I wanted to turn one of my numerous screenplays and story outlines into my first low-budget feature. I fell in love with the silent film genre after watching The Sheikh and The Man Who Laughs. I knew right then I wanted to make a silent film at some point. Then when I couldn’t get funding and couldn’t get anybody to work with me on a short film I had planned, I decided to adapt one of my story outlines into a “One-man-show” silent film. That outline was titled, Grenade. Subversive on the other hand came about due to my anger with and contempt for society in general.
BD - Why do you hold society in contempt?
PQ - In my opinion society is overpopulated by degenerates with no aspirations. Just jealous hopes for the future. Their intelligence is on a par with pigeons and their worth equal to that of the fecal matter excreted by a dog’s anus. And this opinion is reflected in Subversive.
BD - You don’t mince words do you?
PQ - Seldom.
BD - What makes Grenade and Subversive so special?
PQ - The fact that Phoenix Quwais made them for starters; the fact that Grenade is a neo-noir silent film for a modern audience. The fact that there is nothing quite like Subversive out there, and the fact that I managed to make these films without a cast and crew and on a micro-budget.
BD - What do you want audiences to take away from their experience of your films?
PQ - Well, with Grenade I want them to walk away knowing that they have experienced something unique and modern, even though the genre is antiquated. As for Subversive, I want them to walk away feeling violated. I want them to feel like I’ve raped them psychologically. And every time they think of me, they remember the ordeal like a rape victim.
BD - What did you learn from the process?
PQ - Filmmaking is a slow, repetitive and painstaking process, especially when you’re devoid of a crew.
BD - Is there anything you’d do differently next time?
PQ - Hire a crew, shoot with a better camera, shoot on film and with Anamorphic lenses.
BD - What were the influences for the films?
PQ - For Grenade, it was The Sheikh, The Man Who Laughs and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Hitchcock had an influence too, especially in terms of cinematography.
BD - How do you respond to criticisms of your films?
PQ - People that appreciate independent or Guerrilla filmmaking will like it. People who appreciate silent film will love Grenade; they might not approve of certain things or feel that one or two things could have been done better, but this is the best I could do with no cast, no crew, and miniscule budget. As for Subversive, it will undoubtedly prove too repugnant for a lot of people, but it’s my work and I believe in it.
BD - What drives Phoenix Quwais?
PQ - Desire for money, success, and revenge!
BD - Describe your filmmaking?
PQ - Avant-garde Retro or renaissance with a modern twist. A homage to the golden era of cinema.
BD - Directing influences?
PQ - Alfred Hitchcock, particularly for the cinematography. Kubrick for the diverse subject matter of his films. Tarantino for his ethos and his love of movies. Scorsese for his passion and his love of the blowjob (there’s a blowjob scene in a lot of his films). And of course Spike Lee for Do The Right Thing and Black Klaansman.
BD - Favourite Director?
PH - Alfred Hitchcock.
BD - Greatest movie of all time?
PQ - A toss-up between Citizen Kane and Shawshank Redemption and The Ten Commandments.
BD - Greatest screenplay of all time?
PH - Cecil B. Demille’s The Ten Commandments, hands down!
BD - Define authenticity?
PQ - A ruthless dedication to realism. I strive for realism in all my films, going as far as cutting my wrist with a hacksaw to convey genuine pain.
BD - Define originality?
PQ - Avoiding the “cliché” and thinking outside the box.
BD - Ideal woman?
PQ - There's a few; right off the top of my head Jennifer Aniston, Kylie Minogue and Jessica Chastain. And as for Scarlett Johansson well... she completes me, although I know she's currently residing in Jost-town. Kristen Stewart is another dime-piece. Lesbians have a way of sending warmth to my special place. I get very comfortable when I think of Lesbians.
BD - Hilarious!
PQ - It's true. If my could talk, he'd call out Kristen's name.
BD - Phoenix Quwais… you are a star!
PQ- So let it be written, so let it be done!
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