Posted on March 5, 2008 by Kathy McManus in All, Films Comments (2)
A Discussion with Dinner for Two Director, Janet Perlman
For director Janet Perlman, responsibility means doing the right thing, “even when it’s inconvenient.”
When the Oscar-nominated Emmy winner was asked to come up with an idea for a film about conflict resolution, she was immediately drawn to using animation. “It was the perfect subject for an animated film,” she explains, “since conflict is at the heart of most good stories.”
Janet also knew she didn’t want to rely on dialogue in order to teach viewers how to prevent violence and settle conflicts, so she created the film’s two mute and warring chameleons, whose bulging eyes, skulking tails, and whip-fast tongues tell the story in can’t-miss terms.
Below, you can read our Q&A with Janet, and see what she says about the film industry’s unique responsibilities, how she’s turned a film without dialogue into a children’s book, and what else she’s got up her animated sleeve.
Responsibility Project: Dinner for Two was originally produced in 1996. Over 10 years later, it’s still as relevant as ever. Why did you think it was a good fit for The Responsibility Project?
Janet: When I heard about this project, it really rang a bell. Responsibility and doing the right thing are central themes in Dinner for Two. There are many places in the film where the characters have the opportunity to resolve the situation, or do the right thing, but they don’t. Actually, I think this is where a lot of the humor comes from. The fact that the frog finally takes the initiative and does the right thing, even with some personal sacrifice, says that anyone can be the one to do the right thing.
Responsibility Project: What do you want people to think after watching your film?
Janet: I would like them to be very amused, of course, and have some understanding and affection for the characters. I would like people to see the parallels between the film story and real stories in their own lives.
Responsibility Project: What does responsibility mean to you?
Janet: Responsibility for me means taking initiative and doing what your conscience tells you is right, even when it is inconvenient. It also means that, in a situation where there are others who could do the right thing, you don’t wait for them to do it – you just go ahead.
Responsibility Project: Dinner for Two was originally produced for the ShowPeace series for the National Film Board of Canada. Can you tell us about that series and your involvement?
Janet: I developed an approach for a series of animated films to be used as discussion tools, each dealing with a different conflict situation. I was thinking of fables – simple stories that are really about larger issues. None of the films have language or human characters, and so they can be understood universally, by young and old alike. There are six films in the series, and I ended up directing two of them: Dinner for Two and Bully Dance which is a film about bullying. I was involved to various degrees in the development of the other four, which were created by other talented animators.
Responsibility Project: You directed the film—did you also write the script? If so, what inspired you?
Janet: I wrote the story, designed the storyboard and graphics. The image of two chameleons fighting over one little bug seemed like a good hook on which to hang a story. In developing the storyline, I borrowed from real-life stories— conflicts over resources, people’s experiences with anger, and with pride. I decided the film would take place in a tropical rainforest in Madagascar, where half of the world’s chameleons live. An animator could not have better subjects than chameleons, with their bug-snagging tongues, prehensile tails, bulging eyes that move independently, and their ability to change color. In this film, though, the chameleons don’t change color, but the background does. I wanted to reinforce the idea that the conflict affects their surroundings, and the whole community.
Responsibility Project: What, if any, responsibilities do you think the film industry has today?
Janet: We all know that film is a powerful medium. Filmmakers have a lot of persuasion in their hands, and these days, almost everyone can be a filmmaker. People in the industry have the responsibility to convey truths and to not intentionally mislead. The films they create should be consistent with their own sense of what is right. They should respect privacy and avoid any kind of human exploitation.
Responsibility Project: Dinner for Two is being published as a children’s book. Tell us about that….
Janet: The book will be called “The Delicious Bug” and will be published in 2009 by Kids Can Press, with whom I’ve done three other children’s books. I do both the writing and illustrations. It was a little strange to put words to this wordless tale, and to give names to the characters, but I think it is working well. It’s not really just a book version of the film, but more of an adaptation, with the illustrations and story changed to better suit a storybook format.
Responsibility Project: What are you working on now?
Janet: Besides “Hot Seat” [another film for The Responsibility Project] and “The Delicious Bug”, I have been developing an adult animated series called “Penguins Behind Bars”– a dark and funny prison series featuring a cast of vixen she-penguins. Hopefully it will be picked up by a broadcaster and we will produce it.
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Nice job on the film Janet. Really enjoyed it…hopefully we can all be a little more responsible.
socially responsible
Is it meaningful to note that “nature” might have provided the “watching” aspect of the ‘rest of the forest’ while “street social” behavior would have led to humans introducing themselves into the struggle for a “share” (or the whole) of the rewards…