THE DOCUMENTARY ART OF FILMMAKER MICHAEL RUBBO D. B. Jones

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1 THE DOCUMENTARY ART OF FILMMAKER MICHAEL RUBBO D. B. Jones ISBN THIS BOOK IS AN OPEN ACCESS E-BOOK. It is an electronic version of a book that can be purchased in physical form through any bookseller or on-line retailer, or from our distributors. Please support this open access publication by requesting that your university purchase a print copy of this book, or by purchasing a copy yourself. If you have any questions, please contact us at ucpress@ucalgary.ca Cover Art: The artwork on the cover of this book is not open access and falls under traditional copyright provisions; it cannot be reproduced in any way without written permission of the artists and their agents. The cover can be displayed as a complete cover image for the purposes of publicizing this work, but the artwork cannot be extracted from the context of the cover of this specific work without breaching the artist s copyright. COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This open-access work is published under a Creative Commons licence. This means that you are free to copy, distribute, display or perform the work as long as you clearly attribute the work to its authors and publisher, that you do not use this work for any commercial gain in any form, and that you in no way alter, transform, or build on the work outside of its use in normal academic scholarship without our express permission. If you want to reuse or distribute the work, you must inform its new audience of the licence terms of this work. For more information, see details of the Creative Commons licence at: UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCE YOU MAY: read and store this document free of charge; distribute it for personal use free of charge; print sections of the work for personal use; read or perform parts of the work in a context where no financial transactions take place. UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS LICENCE YOU MAY NOT: gain financially from the work in any way; sell the work or seek monies in relation to the distribution of the work; use the work in any commercial activity of any kind; profit a third party indirectly via use or distribution of the work; distribute in or through a commercial body (with the exception of academic usage within educational institutions such as schools and universities); reproduce, distribute, or store the cover image outside of its function as a cover of this work; alter or build on the work outside of normal academic scholarship. Acknowledgement: We acknowledge the wording around open access used by Australian publisher, re.press, and thank them for giving us permission to adapt their wording to our policy

2 The Documentary Art of Filmmaker Michael Rubbo d. b. jones

3 The Documentary Art of Filmmaker Michael Rubbo

4 CINEMAS OFF CENTRE SERIES Darrell Varga, series editor ISSN (Print) ISSN (Online) The Cinemas Off Centre series highlights bodies of cinematic work that, for various reasons, have been ignored, marginalized, overlooked, and/or obscured within traditional and dominant canons of film and cinema studies. The series presents cutting-edge research that provokes and inspires new explorations of past, present, and emerging cinematic trends by individuals and groups of filmmakers from around the world. No. 1 Filming Politics: Communisim and the Portrayal of the Working Class at the National Film Board of Canada, by Malek Khouri No. 2 Rain/Drizzle/Fog: Film and Television in Atlantic Canada edited by Darrell Varga No. 3 Revisioning Europe: The Films of John Berger and Alain Tanner by Jerry White No. 4 The Documentary Art of Michael Rubbo by D. B. Jones

5 Cinemas Off Centre Series ISSN (Print) ISSN (Online) The Documentary Art of Filmmaker Michael Rubbo d. b. jones Preface iii

6 2017 D. B. Jones University of Calgary Press 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, Alberta Canada T2N 1N4 press.ucalgary.ca This book is available as an ebook which is licensed under a Creative Commons license. The publisher should be contacted for any commercial use which falls outside the terms of that license. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Jones, D. B., author The documentary art of filmmaker Michael Rubbo / D.B. Jones. (Cinemas off centre series, ; no. 4) Includes bibliographical references and index. Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN (softcover). ISBN (open access PDF). ISBN (PDF). ISBN (EPUB). ISBN (MOBI) 1. Rubbo, Michael Criticism and interpretation. I. Title. II. Title: Michael Rubbo. III. Series: Cinemas off centre series ; 4 PN R83J C C The University of Calgary Press acknowledges the support of the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Media Fund for our publications. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. We acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. Cover photo of Michael Rubbo courtesy of Matteo Taussig Copyediting by Ryan Perks Cover design, page design, and typesetting by Melina Cusano

7 Contents Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Purpose and Method 1 Learning the Craft The True Source of Knowledge These Days; Early Films at the NFB 2 Making It Personal Sad Song of Yellow Skin 3 Nudging Things Along Persistent and Finagling 4 Filmmaker Front and Center Wet Earth and Warm People 5 Family Matters OK Camera; The Streets of Saigon; Jalan, Jalan; The Man Who Can t Stop 6 How It Works Waiting for Fidel; I Am an Old Tree vii xiii v

8 7 Where the Action Isn t Log House; The Walls Come Tumbling Down; I Hate to Lose; Tigers and Teddy Bears 8 Something s Happening Solzhenitsyn s Children Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris 9 Facial Expressions Yes or No, Jean-Guy Moreau; Daisy: The Story of a Facelift; Not Far from Bolgatanga 10 Long Shots Margaret Atwood: Once in August; Atwood and Family 11 A Break from Reality The Peanut Butter Solution; Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller; Vincent and Me; The Return of Tommy Tricker 12 New Tools of the Trade ABC; The Little Box That Sings; Much Ado About Something; All About Olive 13 Plein Air Documentary YouTube films; Bicycle Art; Painting with Film Conclusion Influence Comparisons Importance Filmography Selected YouTube Films Notes Works Cited Index vi D. B. JONES

9 Chapter 1 Illustrations 1.1 Rubbo with Stanford classmate Bonnie Sherr (later Klein) circa Courtesy of Michael Rubbo. 1.2 The Stanford Book Store. Screen grab. The True Source of Knowledge These Days (1965). Courtesy of Stanford University. 1.3 The Stanford Computer Center circa Screen grab. The True Source of Knowledge These Days (1965). Courtesy of Stanford University. 1.4 A Stanford football player recounts his Mississippi summer. Screen grab. The True Source of Knowledge These Days (1965). Courtesy of Stanford University. 1.5 Could you do the kiss again? Screen grab. Lonely Boy (1961). The National Film Board of Canada. 1.6 Befuddled photographer. Screen grab. Lonely Boy (1961). The National Film Board of Canada. 1.7 The two teachers prepare their lesson. Screen grab. Sir! Sir! (1968). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter Dick Hughes. Screen grab. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada. 2.2 Would you like an ice cream? Screen grab. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada. 2.3 I m a hundred percent yours tonight, baby. Screen grab. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada. 2.4 The Coconut Monk. Production photo. Sad Song of Yellow Skin (1970). The National Film Board of Canada. vii

10 Chapter Blaker insists on more information. Screen grab. Persistent and Finagling (1971). The National Film Board of Canada. 3.2 Sheila reminds Rubbo that he s agreed with Blaker s every suggestion. Screen grab. Persistent and Finagling (1971). The National Film Board of Canada. 3.3 Sheila asks Rubbo if he s pleased so far. Screen grab. Persistent and Finagling (1971). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter End of opening shot. Screen grab. Wet Earth and Warm People (1971). The National Film Board of Canada. 4.2 Last shot of the film, under credits. Screen grab. Wet Earth and Warm People (1971). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter Francis Sutton. Production photo. The Man Who Can t Stop (1973). The National Film Board of Canada. 5.2 Joan Sutton working on the roof. Screen grab. The Man Who Can t Stop (1973). The National Film Board of Canada. 5.3 Oh, Michael, then you were being insincere. Screen grab. The Man Who Can t Stop (1973). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter The capitalist and the Socialist. Screen grab. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada. 6.2 The three men debate the Cuban system. Production photo. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada. 6.3 The debate continues. Production photo. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada. 6.4 Twenty-five-to-one to put a film on? Screen grab. Waiting for Fidel (1974). The National Film Board of Canada. viii D. B. JONES

11 Chapter George Springate. Production photo. I Hate to Lose (1977). The National Film Board of Canada. 7.2 Nick Auf der Maur. Screen grab. I Hate to Lose (1977). The National Film Board of Canada. 7.3 Devastated campaign worker. Screen grab. I Hate to Lose (1977). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter Rubbo (r) with Jean-Louis Robitaille. Production photo. Solzhenitsyn s Children... Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada. 8.2 Maybe you make films but don t read a lot. Screen grab. Solzhenitsyn s Children... Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada. 8.3 Bernard-Henri Lévy holding forth. Screen grab. Solzhenitsyn s Children... Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada. 8.4 It s very easy to be pessimistic. Screen grab. Solzhenitsyn s Children... Are Making a Lot of Noise in Paris (1978). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter Jean-Guy Moreau transforming himself into Réne Lévesque. Screen grab. Yes or No, Jean-Guy Moreau (1979). The National Film Board of Canada. 9.2 An easy relationship. Screen grab. Yes or No, Jean-Guy Moreau (1979). The National Film Board of Canada. 9.3 Daisy, pre-op. Production photo. Daisy: The Story of a Facelift (1982). The National Film Board of Canada. 9.4 Here comes the pull. Screen grab. Daisy: The Story of a Facelift (1982). The National Film Board of Canada. Illustrations ix

12 Chapter Atwood pulls a paper bag over her face. Screen grab. Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984). The National Film Board of Canada Sketching beside the lake. Screen grab. Margaret Atwood: Once in August (1984). The National Film Board of Canada. Chapter Rubbo directing Rufus Wainwright. Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller (1988). Still photograph by Jean Demers, courtesy of Productions la Fête Rubbo on break with Vincent (Tchéky Karyo). Vincent and Me (1990). Still photograph by Jean Demers, courtesy of Productions la Fête Rubbo s letter art. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo. Chapter Harry Vatiliotis at work. Production photo. The Little Box That Sings (2000). Courtesy of Michael Rubbo Dolly Walker-Wraight with portrait of Marlowe. Production photo. Much Ado About Something (2002). Image courtesy of Films Transit International Shakespeare and Marlowe, identified. Screen grab. Much Ado About Something (2002). Image courtesy of Films Transit International Shakespeare and Marlowe which is which? Screen grab. Much Ado About Something (2002). Image courtesy of Films Transit International The remembered fight. Production photo. All About Olive (2005). Courtesy of Michael Rubbo and Ronin Films Will you stop interfering? Screen grab. All About Olive (2005). Courtesy of Michael Rubbo and Ronin Films Rubbo with Olive Riley. Photo courtesy of Michael Rubbo. x D. B. JONES

13 Chapter Sue Abbot. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo Drawing by Michael Rubbo. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo Lino cut by Michael Rubbo. Courtesy of Michael Rubbo Tom Daly, circa Photo by Lois Siegel. Illustrations xi

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15 Acknowledgments Over the years, many people gave me valuable assistance, in one form or another, in completing this book. They include John Balaban, Peter Bartscherer, Donald Bidd, Robert E. Cargni, Paula Marantz Cohen, Karen Cooper, Roger Tellier-Craig, David Denby, Sheila Fischman, Claude Lord, Bernard Lutz, Don McWillliams, Morgan Meis, Stephanie Miller, Ragnhild Milewski, Lois Siegel, Jerry White, Donald Winkler, and, especially, Michael Rubbo. The National Film Board of Canada gave me access to its files on Rubbo s films. I m indebted to Drexel University s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel s old College of Humanities & Social Sciences, and the National Endowment for the Humanities for research support. xiii

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