Meet the 2011 Tribeca Filmmakers | “Rid of Me,” “Give Up Tomorrow” and “Flowers of Evil”

In anticipation of the 10th Tribeca Film Festival which kicks off tomorrow, indieWIRE is again spotlighting emerging (and some veteran) filmmakers screening new work at this year’s event.

Today’s new director interviews include profiles of James Westby (“Rid of Me,” Viewpoints), Michael Collins (“Give Up Tomorrow,” World Documentary Competition), and David Dusa (“Flowers of Evil,” Viewpoints).

In the days leading up to the festival, indieWIRE is focusing on directors with work in TFF’s Narrative Feature Competition, World Documentary Competition and its new Viewpoints sidebar, which the festival describes as a “snapshot of international independent cinema that immerses audiences in distinctive perspectives.”

Soon after Tribeca unveiled its 2011 lineup, indieWIRE invited directors screening their work in Tribeca’s narrative, doc and Viewpoints sections to talk about their work in their own words. Get to know this year’s crop of filmmakers by learning about their projects from the people who know it first-hand.

A snapshot of today’s three featured interviews:

James Westby’s “Rid of Me” kicks off when newlyweds Meris and Mitch move to Portland, home to the latter’s old high school clique. Problems arise when Meris doesn’t gel with her hubby’s old friends. “A lot of the script for “Rid of Me” came from painful memories of past relationships, really hating my ex’s friends, and also really hating how obsessive I would sometimes get about my ex’s previous relationships,” Westby told indieWIRE. “Those things, combined with my own social awkwardness, helped shape a very personal story full of horribly embarrassing situations. But funny!”

The documentary “Give Up Tomorrow” tracks what was dubbed the Philippine’s ‘trial of the century,’ and its subsequent aftermath. In 1997, 19-year-old culinary student Paco Larrañaga was arrested for the kidnap, rape, and murder of two sisters on the provincial island of Cebu in the Philippines. Despite demonstrable evidence of his innocence, including 40 eye-witnesses and photographs placing him hundreds of miles from the scene, Paco’s legal ordeal was only just beginning. “In 1999 Paco Larrañaga was first sentenced to life in prison in the Philippines,” director Michael Collins told indieWIRE. “He appealed to the Supreme Court and his family patiently waited for the decision, confident he would be released. But in 2004 the Supreme Court elevated his sentence to death by lethal injection. This is when I got involved.”

Inspired by the innovative strategies Iranian students used to mobilize the green movement against government-imposed bans, David Dusa’s “Flowers of Evil” tracks a passionate love affair between a Tehran immigrant to Paris and a young French-Algerian bellhop. “The fictional story of “Flowers of Evil” was written while we were watching the Iranian videos,” Dusa told indieWIRE. “We wanted to create a story that would harbour these images and make them intimate. We did not want to talk about the historical backdrop of the revolution, but rather the impact of these images and how someone who is completely apolitical (like Rachid) receives them. The love story became evident.”

Today’s full-length Tribeca Film Festival interviews (4/19):

“Rid of Me” Director James Westby

“Give Up Tomorrow” Director Michael Collins

“Flowers of Evil” Director David Dusa

Monday’s Tribeca Film Festival filmmaker interviews (4/18):

“Semper Fi: Always Faithful” Directors Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon

“The Swell Season” Directors Nick August-Perna, Chris Dapkins and Carlo Mirabella-Davis

“Romantics Anonymous” Directos Jean-Pierre Ameris

Friday’s Tribeca Film Festival filmmaker interviews (4/15):

“The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye” Director Marie Losier

“Despicable Dick and Righteous Richard” Director Joshua Neale

“Black Butterflies” Director Paula Van Der Oest