Miramax Presents The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists.
Every installment asks the same five questions. This week’s subject is Gregg Araki, a pioneer of the “queer cinema movement” whose Teen Apocalypse Trilogy will be screening at the Academy Museum on September 15 and 16. That includes the World Premiere of the 4K restoration of Nowhere on the 16th. The Teenage Apocalypse trilogy screening on the 15th will be followed by a Q&A with Gus Van Sant, and the Nowhere screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Andrew Ahn.
The Japanese-American, California-raised Araki made his directing debut with 1987’s Three Bewildered People in the Night, which he made for $5000 with a stationary camera. He gradually moved up in budget for his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy — Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation and Nowhere — and his subsequent films include Splender, Mysterious Skin, Smiley Face and Kaboom, latter of which was awarded the fist Queer Palm at Cannes for its contribution to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Watch here to see how this indie icon found his mojo.
