Finding Time For "One Minute To Nine"

Back in 2006 I was on the road for six months looking to film a person's last few days of freedom before they go to prison for a significant amount of time. I wanted to document their story in a lyrical and contemplative manner that does not pander to the audience. Most of the potential subjects I spoke with expressed some interest in the project but it usually gave way to fear and they decided against the idea. After countless failed attempts I finally had some luck with a celebrity attorney in Miami. En route to the airport to begin filming my phone rang. "We can't do it." "Why not?" "Just can't, my kids will never talk to me again." "Fair enough." My prospects looked grim, but I had faith. I did a quick Google search and begged the airline to re-route my ticket. Hours later I was in Grant's Pass, Oregon having dinner with Wendy and her family. Over hamburgers I told her about the film I was trying to make. The family said they would trust me, and with five days remaining before she turned herself in, we had no time to lose.

Early the next day I went to Wendy's house expecting to find a somber atmosphere. Instead I found a family that seemed closer than most and there was this sense of ease and happiness. I wrote it off as ignorance on my part. I figured I just didn't understand the dynamics. A few hours into filming, her sons started rummaging through old VHS tapes to show me the short films they had made. As they were looking for their films they stumbled upon a few family home videos. When the tapes rolled I realized that my preconceived notions for the film and its plot had been tossed overboard. Everything had to be reconsidered.

One year later One Minute To Nine was locked and it was back on the road for a few months to present the movie at festivals. The film has found itself playing around the world with great reviews from the press. Presented with a film that asks questions instead of presenting facts, it has provoked discussion about the themes, style and the topic. In Switzerland people appeared to have seen a film the critiqued George Bush, the US Justice System and the treatment of women around the world. In Poland people found a film that runs counter to the current political showmanship of modern documentary films. In Mexico the audience treated the film like a suspenseful mystery with a tragic ending. And now it's time to see how the film will play at home. For all the great notices the film has received abroad, the most important thing for Wendy is to have the film seen by American audiences. She wanted people to take a second look at things we try to ignore.

I was last in Austin in 2004 when I showcased my first film, Mojados: Through The Night and it found an audience open to new styles. I think that One Minute To Nine is made differently than most documentaries, so ain't no better place to screen than SXSW.