MAN WITH NO NAME

Ode to the Old West

We took a trip up to northern California to attempt a lifelong dream. I’ve always wanted to meet Clint Eastwood; he’s been the cinematic hero of not only myself, but for several generations of young men over the past 60 years. We’ve been captured by the mythic image of his portrayals in spaghetti westerns and police dramas since childhood: the gritty antihero, the masculine rock of a person that said little, but conveyed immense meaning with just a glance. Part of that credit is due to Sergio Leone for his signature shooting style and vision. Nevertheless, Clint possessed something different. I had written to him previously, even tried to phone his offices but, no dice. So, I thought I’d try my luck in person. Why not? The wilder the idea, when attempted, the better the tale to tell.

Yet, that wasn’t my only reason for the adventure, but the catalyst. I went West to find my center again, to revitalize my passion for filmmaking, storytelling, and to figure out where my own story of a life should go. I reacquainted myself with the city of Los Angeles once more. A lot hadchanged since I left there 7 years prior. I wanted to see if it still had that magic and, at the same time, I wanted to find that courage and spark of youth I had 10 years before, when everything seemed possible. I was lucky enough to have the help of a fellow filmmaker and friend, Jason Ho. He took a risk on me and I owe for making this project happen. I traveled to Los Angeles, met him for the first time under the lights of LAX. He greeted me with open arms. We went on to paint the town red, visiting all the places close to my heart from film, music, and the Martial Arts in California. From smoking cigars and blaring Guns N Roses down the Sunset strip, to getting tacos in East LA and saluting El Pino like Miklo and El Gallo Negro, I felt the electricity again, that magnetism, the blood of the soul, flowing once more after having been as dry as the LA river. We traveled north, up through James Dean territory, all the way to Carmel By-The-Sea, where we’d try our luck finding Clint, finding the Man With No Name. Would we find him? Either way, we were going to find out. This is the story of that journey. This is the story of a Modern Man with an old soul, searching for his Hero.

“The Man With No Name project was filmed in the California autumn, between Los Angeles and Carmel-By-The-Sea. This is a unique project in the fact that it is not a straight-forward narrative, but rather an exploration of cultural themes, personal influences, and a journey being taken by myself, and all those on the map. The story and narration use the vehicle of cinematic aesthetic to get these themes and queries across. Though the set ups might seem embellished, picturesque, or made to look cinematic, other than it being filmed, the entire thing is natural - the wardrobe is all my normal clothing, the writing and journal, all mine, the sitting at cafes is my daily routine…even the cigars and the staring at the sunset vistas, especially that, are all natural. The only element unnatural, was the fantastic Cinematographer to capture the cotidien, Jason Ho. This project was written in reverse, post shoot, which is usual and not recommended. However, this has allowed for much exploration and concretization of what is of value and what is not on the screen. Man With No Name was shot completely off the cuff, and written and edited it after the fact. Making sense of a collection of images (especially ones of your natural routine and habits) and forming them into a coherent story, or message, has been an excellent learning experience and more than challenging, and mirrors the actual task of doing so in our lives. That week in California was one of the best in my life and am forever grateful for the experience.”