WEST HOLLYWOOD—Filmmaker and Hollywood historian Jeffrey Schwarz has taken the New York Film Festival by storm with his film work in “Vito.” However, it’s a famous drag queen, that America fell in love with in the 1970s that has the filmmaker’s attention now. “I Am Divine” is a fascinating and exciting project that will shine a spotlight on the man, who along with John Waters, gave a whole new voice to the people in society who felt bullied or ridiculed. I spoke exclusively with Schwartz about his upcoming project honoring the late great Divine!
Q-Is “I Am Divine” a feature film or a documentary on the great Divine?
A-“I Am Divine” is the first feature documentary about the life of Divine, from his humble beginnings as an overweight, teased Baltimore youth to an internationally recognized drag superstar through his work with John Waters in films such as ‘Pink Flamingos,’ ‘Female Trouble,’ ‘Polyester’ and ‘Hairspray.’”
Q-What made you decide to tell Divine’s story, and why is she so beloved, even still today?
A-“I have always worshiped at the altar of Divine and of John Waters. Anyone who feels like an outsider growing up can certainly relate to the world that they created and they way they lived their lives. The idea came about when I was producing the DVD extras for the remake of ‘Hairspray’ a few years back. We did a documentary called ‘You can’t Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of Hairspray’ and it covered the entire phenomenon including the original film. Getting to finally meet and interview all the ‘Dreamlanders’ gave me the bug to try and do an entire film just about Divine. There hasn’t yet been a proper documentary about his life so I wanted to fill that cultural void. He is still beloved today because he gives courage to anyone who's ever been mocked, ridiculed, and ostracized, and gives us all hope that anything's possible.”
Q-How did you become a fan of Divine’s?
A-“When I was a kid I was drawn to horror movies, cult movies, anything outside the mainstream.
Even before seeing any of his films, John Waters became my personal god, and I devoured his autobiographical books ‘Shock Value’ and ‘Crackpot.’ I was still a closeted teenager with no tangible connections to gay culture, so John’s sensibility helped to lead me down a path of embracing my own difference. John’s relationship with his leading lady Divine also inspired me. Their friendship and artistic collaboration gave me hope that I might someday find like-minded people and be able to express my true nature like they did. In 1988, I was in my first year of college and finally getting to see all of Divine and John Waters’ movies. Each film was more jaw-dropping than the next and Divine’s performances were fearless and courageous. Just after the release of ‘Hairspray,’ John and Divine’s breakthrough success, I opened the newspaper and saw that Divine had died. It seemed so cruel and unfair that after receiving the best reviews of his career and on the verge of mainstream acceptance, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.”
Q-What is Divine's favorite film that you love most?
A-“Definitely “Female Trouble.” You really get to see the range of Divine’s talent where he goes from teenage rebel to street prostitute to supermodel (glamazon) to insane psychopath. That is a fearless performance, and one of the funniest movies ever made. I still quote it almost on a daily basis.”
Q-What other projects do you have going on right now and when will Divine be in theaters or on DVD?
A-“My latest documentary is “Vito,” about the beloved gay activist and film scholar Vito Russo. He’s the author of “The Celluloid Closet,” and was one of the founding members of GLAAD and ACT UP in the 1980s. He’s an incredible, inspiration figure, and HBO Documentary Films has come on board and will be airing it in June 2012. We just had our world premiere at the New York Film Festival. We are currently fundraising for “I Am Divine,” and are reaching out to fans to help make this documentary a reality. Fans can now have a direct impact on what films get made through crowd-sourcing. I encourage your readers to visit our website www.divinemovie.comto find out how they can contribute, and of course all of the amazing incentives.”
Q-What long term goals do you have for you career? And would you step in front of the camera?
A-“I would like to keep making documentaries and also feature films about people and subjects that fascinate me. I love introducing audiences to people they've never heard of and make them fall in love with them and see why they're important. Stepping in front of the camera is probably not in the cards, but you never know. It works for Michael Moore!”
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