>STEVE BALDERSON

TS:  What's next after Firecracker (film wise)?
SB:  I'm currently casting a screwball comedy and am working on a script for a movie to do after the comedy.
TS:  When will we see a DVD release for the film?
SB:  Soon enough.  I've sold distribution rights and have no control over it.  When you sell your car to someone, they can do what they like with it, it's no longer yours.
TS:  Who are some of your influences (film)?
SB:  I don't care much for watching other people's movies, but I did enjoy studying Hitchcock.  I recently saw the original Oliver Twist which was excellent.
TS:  What scene in Firecracker defines the film for you?

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TS:  Did you attend film school?
SB:  Briefly.  I went to CalArts but left in my final semester when I decided enough with talking about making movies-it was time to simply do it.
TS:  Do you see a part of yourself in any of your film characters?
SB:  Yes,  a little bit in all of them.  But overall, Pep Squad remains my autobiography.  It means more to me than any of the rest.
TS:  What's your worst fear?
SB:  To set limitations for myself,  to stop learning, and to let society, neighbors, friends, parents- you name it define who I am and what I see.  The worst thing in the world would be to lose my perception.  Especially after working this hard to embrace it.
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TS:  What advice do you have to offer "would be directors"?
SB:  Stop watching other people's movies and focus on your own perspective.
TS:  Is it true you are writing a book?
SB:  Yes, well, I wrote it a while ago.  It is being published this year.  It's a cross between a "how to" and a "self help"  book on making truly independent movies.
TS:  Do you have any words of wisdom you would like to share with us?
SB:  Be kind to people, no matter how they treat you.  And listen inward, not outward, for the answers.

SB:  That's like asking a songwriter which word defines the song for them.  I'd say the whole movie defines the movie for me.  And a lot of what defines the movie is in its history and spirit, and knowing about the meaning of the dikenga and the nkisi.
TS:  How do you feel about Firecracker now that it is finished?
SB:  Relieved.
TS:  What inspired you to make the Wamego documentary?
SB:  I knew that what we were about to accomplish was going to be worth seeing-especially for yourn filmmakers and artists.  It definitely sends a message to people who define themselves based on society's expectations, or who might need a little encouragement to go out and pursue their dreams.
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TS:  Could you explain what Dikenga is and your fascination with it?
SB:  Dikenga is a symbol in the Yoruban religion.  Much like the cross is a symbol in other religions.  The dikenga is a star map for the soul.  The dikenga marks the crossroads, the tomb, the parting of the ways.  It flags the vanishing point where village meets forest, where river meets sea, where the limitations of ordinary vision become acute.  The dikenga, when drawn,  becomes a template for the Kongo altar: a cross within a circle.  The vertical axis, the "power line,"  connects God above with the dead below.  The horizontal axis, the "water line,"  marks the water boundary between the living and the dead.

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TS:  Will your next movie be filmed in Kansas?
SB:  Probably.
TS:  Any plans to work with some of the actors from Firecracker again?
SB:  Sure, if the story is right.  For instance,  Susan Traylor is in the new comedy.  And Amy Kelly and Brooke, both who were the scene-stealers in Pep Squad, are in it.
TS:  What role does Dikenga music servie in your enterprise?
SB:  My music is an outlet for characters or stories that I have to tell that are auditory and not visual.
TS:  Are you a musician?
SB:  I'm a storyteller.
TS:  Who are some of your musical influences?
SB:  Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.  The only works by a modern artist I ever buy is Madonna.

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TS:  What's some other subject matter you would like to tackle in future films?
SB:  I'd like to tackle all subject matters.  There are no limits to what might happen to interest me at any given moment.  So I remain open.
TS:  Do you subscribe to the theory that everyone has at least one good book or movie inside of them?
SB:  I believe everyone has the ability to use their individual viewpoint in order to create something that causes other people to think about the world differently.  But because nine out of ten people in our culture do NOT want to have individual viewpoints, and refuse to take responsibility for themselves, I'd say there are a great many good works of art left un-created.


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