Three Questions #3 Pastor Polly Nipnep, Filmmaker Clergy
Q: Pastor Nipnep, you’re the leader of a very unique church, The Holy Church of Indie Film. Can you tell me what your mission is?
A: We try to fill a need in this community. We try to provide hope. We come together once a week and talk with one another and support each other. We don’t talk about God or camera equipment or whether you’re shooting in 8K or not — we talk about what’s going on with our souls and what’s really happening with our spirit. Filmmaking can be such a lonely and dispiriting endeavor. I love this community because these artists have committed themselves to the Sisyphean task of filmmaking. I can’t imagine anything harder. I want to support these folks any way I can. Plus we have open bar every Sunday right after church.
Q: But Pastor, help me understand something here. Your congregation is largely indie filmmakers who haven’t “made it” yet — and yet in today’s sermon you feature a filmmaker who regularly works with A-list talent with budgets in the tens of millions of dollars. And you neglected to include that this person benefitted from parents and stepparents who were part of Hollywood royalty and who won an Academy Award for one of the Great American Films. The current trend would be to call this person a Nepo Baby. How is featuring this person helpful?
A: Life Isn’t Fair. I’m sorry if you’re only now learning that lesson, but it’s just not fair. This person does great work and I want to celebrate that. Can they help that they were born into privilege? They took advantage of the start they got and they ran with it. Good for them. Plus I really like their movies. I don’t know what you want me to do — should I disparage a person because they’re successful and you’re not? What if you were a filmmaker in Ukraine? Would you think life was fair? Three students down the street from where I live were shot a couple of weeks ago because they were wearing traditional Palastinian keffiyehs — and now one of them is paralyzed from the chest down. Is that fair? To live in this world you have to begin with the awareness that life is not fair. You can try to make it fair, you can hope for fairness, and you yourself can be fair — but you have to know deep in your bones that life is not fair. Only then can you begin to rise above that fact.
Q: Pastor Nipnep, can you say a prayer for all those filmmakers who are struggling?
(Editor’s note: At this point Pastor Nipnep lowered her head, reached out, and held the hand of this reporter).
A: Dear Film God, may all indie filmmakers find the help they need to get their movies made. May they get answers to all their queries. May they find a rich benefactor to fund their film. May they find a producer who is well connected and well liked and loves their Lookbook. May their script rise to the stars. May they not spend too much time obsessing over Alexa versus RED. May they know they are loved and one day will stand before an auditorium basking in a ten minute standing ovation be it at Cannes or Sundance or a small festival in Kentucky. May they find a loving and supportive spouse who doesn’t care if they edit in the bedroom. May they feel the loving embrace of a medium that flickers past at 24 frames per second. May they be lonely no more.
Now, I finally realized that you are writing these interviews to express your feelings about the independent, low-budget, film industry and it's almost incidental or perhaps accidental connection to the big-time film industry and those name players.
This is all so great to hear and totally inspiring. Thanks for providing us this great insight into the process, it's an amazing resource and always a joy to read.
Nicole is a true filmmaker with her own unique and insightful voice. I had the pleasure of DPing Land of Steady Habits for her and was so impressed how her writing and directing produces stories that get under our skin, gently bringing out the humour and pain of all the foibles that make us human. Her latest movie is a real gem! Go see it.
Three Questions #3 Pastor Polly Nipnep, Filmmaker Clergy
Q: Pastor Nipnep, you’re the leader of a very unique church, The Holy Church of Indie Film. Can you tell me what your mission is?
A: We try to fill a need in this community. We try to provide hope. We come together once a week and talk with one another and support each other. We don’t talk about God or camera equipment or whether you’re shooting in 8K or not — we talk about what’s going on with our souls and what’s really happening with our spirit. Filmmaking can be such a lonely and dispiriting endeavor. I love this community because these artists have committed themselves to the Sisyphean task of filmmaking. I can’t imagine anything harder. I want to support these folks any way I can. Plus we have open bar every Sunday right after church.
Q: But Pastor, help me understand something here. Your congregation is largely indie filmmakers who haven’t “made it” yet — and yet in today’s sermon you feature a filmmaker who regularly works with A-list talent with budgets in the tens of millions of dollars. And you neglected to include that this person benefitted from parents and stepparents who were part of Hollywood royalty and who won an Academy Award for one of the Great American Films. The current trend would be to call this person a Nepo Baby. How is featuring this person helpful?
A: Life Isn’t Fair. I’m sorry if you’re only now learning that lesson, but it’s just not fair. This person does great work and I want to celebrate that. Can they help that they were born into privilege? They took advantage of the start they got and they ran with it. Good for them. Plus I really like their movies. I don’t know what you want me to do — should I disparage a person because they’re successful and you’re not? What if you were a filmmaker in Ukraine? Would you think life was fair? Three students down the street from where I live were shot a couple of weeks ago because they were wearing traditional Palastinian keffiyehs — and now one of them is paralyzed from the chest down. Is that fair? To live in this world you have to begin with the awareness that life is not fair. You can try to make it fair, you can hope for fairness, and you yourself can be fair — but you have to know deep in your bones that life is not fair. Only then can you begin to rise above that fact.
Q: Pastor Nipnep, can you say a prayer for all those filmmakers who are struggling?
(Editor’s note: At this point Pastor Nipnep lowered her head, reached out, and held the hand of this reporter).
A: Dear Film God, may all indie filmmakers find the help they need to get their movies made. May they get answers to all their queries. May they find a rich benefactor to fund their film. May they find a producer who is well connected and well liked and loves their Lookbook. May their script rise to the stars. May they not spend too much time obsessing over Alexa versus RED. May they know they are loved and one day will stand before an auditorium basking in a ten minute standing ovation be it at Cannes or Sundance or a small festival in Kentucky. May they find a loving and supportive spouse who doesn’t care if they edit in the bedroom. May they feel the loving embrace of a medium that flickers past at 24 frames per second. May they be lonely no more.
Amen.
Now, I finally realized that you are writing these interviews to express your feelings about the independent, low-budget, film industry and it's almost incidental or perhaps accidental connection to the big-time film industry and those name players.
This is all so great to hear and totally inspiring. Thanks for providing us this great insight into the process, it's an amazing resource and always a joy to read.
I love her so much. Always a huge treat when she has a new film.
Nicole is a true filmmaker with her own unique and insightful voice. I had the pleasure of DPing Land of Steady Habits for her and was so impressed how her writing and directing produces stories that get under our skin, gently bringing out the humour and pain of all the foibles that make us human. Her latest movie is a real gem! Go see it.
One of my favorite filmmakers! She’s an inspiration to me. Friends with Money is so insightful, sharp and moving.
The Last Duel — such a good movie because of her involvement. Also love Enough Said, Mrs. Fletcher, and Six Feet Under.
I guess I will have to see some of her films. Thanks for the intro. and the little film about walking in stills and talking in silence.