Real Political Face Talk interview with filmmaker Alex Vlack on 'Still Bill'
102308

.. . . . . .Filmmaker Alex Vlack did me a big favor (I'm not sure he realized just how nice a favor it was) and answered a few questions about his upcoming feature: 'Still Bill'. I mentioned in a recent post on this site that I had been searching around the web, trying to find any current information about musician Bill Withers. Withers is the man behind "Ain't No Sunshine," "Lovely Day," "Lean on Me", and "Just the Two of Us" (amongst other recognizable tracks.) Beginning around 1970 Withers would work for 15 years or so before retiring. He only sporadically returned to the music scene and has lived quietly out of the lime light. Withers retreat from the music world has been something of a mystery and finding out current information about the man can be a challenge. In searching around, I read about 'Still Bill', a documentary about Mr. Withers and his story. You can check out the official website for the film HERE. Mr. Vlack is one of the film's producer/director/writers. He was very kind and answered all my silly emails, as well as answer a few questions about the man and the film. Without any further delays, here is the 'Real Political Face Talk' interview with Mr. Vlack:

Nate:
How did 'Still Bill' come about?
Alex:
Damani Baker, my co-director, and I had loved and admired Bill's music for along time, and there was very little information about him out there. We tried to find out how we might reach him for about six years, and finally were able to get a lunch together with his wife and manager, Marcia. She was very kind and encouraging. Then there were about another eighteen months before we met with Withers and he agreed to grant his blessing for a tribute concert to him. We still didn't know whether he would participate in a film himself, so we were focused, at that time, on just filming the concert and interviews with musicians and scholars. Then, Bill agreed to more and more filming, and the film became much bigger and more meaningful than just a concert film.

Nate:
What was your involvement with the film?
Alex:
Damani and I produced, directed, and wrote the film (with Sakae Ishikawa, the editor).

Nate:
How difficult was it to secure the involvement of Bill Withers himself?
Alex:
Once we'd met him, he continually proved to be extremely generous with his time.

Nate:
Without giving away anything that you may want to save for the film, why do you think Mr. Withers stepped away from and has stayed out of, the music spotlight for so long?
Alex:
The answer is simple but subtle, and does take a whole film to discuss. But in short, music, and more particularly the music business, touring, etc. just did not define him. It was important for him to be around for his family rather than out there, hustling all the time.

Nate:
Do you know if Mr. Withers has any plans to start touring?
Alex:
I don't.

Nate:
How difficult was it to get the film financed?
Alex:
Easy. It is self-financed.

Nate:
The boom in the Internet and social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace has made it easier for independent productions to spread the word to a much wider audience. Have you found it is easier to find an audience now than it used to be?
Alex:
I hope it will be, but we're not at that stage yet. I think the power of the Internet will help more in marketing and buzz than in actual viewing.

Nate:
Is there a planned release date for the film yet?
Alex:
We're hoping for spring of 2009. It depends on the distributor.

Nate:
Is there anything you want to say about yourself or the film to close?
Alex:
We do feel like there are no films about music legends quite like this one. It's not a "Behind-The-Music". It's a very personal, honest, and profound portrait of a very interesting man. You won't walk away knowing everything about his life and career, but you will feel like you know him much better as a person.

 

.. . . . . .There you have it. Look for 'Still Bill' to start showing up in 2009. Here's hoping that the film might signal a bit of a return for Mr. Withers. I'd love to see the man making music and touring again. My thanks to Mr. Vlack for being so patient and humoring me with this interview. He did me a big favor and is the very first 'Real Political Face Talk' interview. I wish Mr. Vlack and all those behind 'Still Bill' the best of luck with the release in 2009. I can't wait to see the film and I'm hoping that it may encourage Mr. Withers to make a bit of a return to the music scene! In the meantime, keep checking the official 'Still Bill' website for updates!-Nate

'Still Bill' Links:

The official 'Still Bill' site.

Alex Vlack's company site.

The official Bill Withers site.

The Bill Withers wikipedia page.