The Fourth Dimension is a compilation of three short films, produced in association with VICE and Groslch Film Works. Francesca sat down with VICE’s Eddy Moretti, Russian director Alexey Fedorchenko (Silent Souls) Moretti and newbie Polish filmmaker Jan Kwiecinski. Moretti gave the directors a creative “brief,” the first tenant being the film must focus upon the concept of, you guessed it, the “Fourth Dimension.” Harmony Korine, the first director to get onboard, was sadly and understandably jet-lagged, having just finished logging eight weeks of editing hours for his upcoming film starring James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens (yep) called Spring Breakers. (He sends his regards though.)
VIMOOZ: How did you come up with this ‘Creative Brief’?
Eddy Moretti: It was just a series of emails that Harmony had been exchanging back and forth. I definitely wanted to be really playful with the project, and he started writing some freaky roles, and I kinda went with it. And I kinda encouraged the playfulness. And I wanted to work him. And I said, “You be the first filmmaker on board,” which I knew would already set a tone. And Jan especially Jan (Kwiecinski ) really played with visuals which were influenced by Harmony, I think.
VIMOOZ: What did you first think when you given the ‘creative brief’ by Eddy Moretti?
Jan Kwiecinski: That was super crazy! The brief is so extremely strange, and deranged, in a way. You simply have no idea what to start with. Me. Personally, I had to forget everything I knew. Which was actually one of the rules. And slowly getting the form. That’s what I did.
Alexey Fedorchenko: Actually, I was reading it over many times, and the first thing that struck me, really, was that an insane person must have written this! But then, I was just trying to read them carefully. And you know, each of the guidelines could actually be made into a separate movie.
VIMOOZ: Alexey, was your story based on the actual man (a mathematician- ) who refused a million dollars in awards money?
Alexey Fedorchenko: Yes, I did. One of the requirements of the guidelines was that the person has to be sort of marginalized. The main character had to be on the margins of society. The fact was, I didn’t want to make him too marginalized- to a person that was just a bum, or down-in-the-dumps. So I went for the actual character-the Russian mathematician Gregori Perelman, (who turned down two prestigious international prizes).
VIMOOZ: Did you know who the other filmmakers would be?
Jan Kwiecinski: Yes, and I was quite honored to be, you know, to be asked to pitch, even. We won a contest in each of our countries. And I had seen Alexey’s Silent Souls, which I really adored. And Harmony is one of the masters of the cinema. I grew up on his movies Gummo and Kids. I was very honored. I am the least experienced director, as well. (He had has made one previous, short film.)
Alexey Fedorchenko: I knew nothing. I hadn’t seen anyone’s work. But I was very surprised that they decided to go with Russia and Poland and America. I don’t know if they had chosen, say, a director from Africa and the Asian countries- would it had been better, not better? I just don’t know. When I was watching the film in the end, I was really watching it and enjoying it as a viewer, not as a director, picking apart its flaws.
VIMOOZ: Did everyone have the same budget?
Jan Kwiecinski: Yes. It was very low! Everyone had the same amount. I shot mine in four days. We were really running. The preparation and post is really the most time-consuming, of course.
Alexey Fedorchenko: I shot mine in twelve days.
Jan Kwiecinski: Harmony shot his in two!
VIMOOZ: What’s next for you both?
Jan Kwiecinski: I’m working on a feature, based on my short story called The Incydent.
Alexey Fedorchenko: I’m also working on a bigger feature, and Darya (actress Darya Ekasamova- truly wonderful in his segment of the film “Chronoeye”) will also be in it.
VIMOOZ: Thank you all, and good luck with The Fourth Dimension!