Interview with Guernslye Honorés
I trust that what I like will also connect with other people. I try to be very honest with myself in my decisions with the simple question: Do I like it?
As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Joe Wein.
Joe Wein’s directorial journey took a remarkable turn with his feature debut, “76 Days.” Prior to this compelling documentary, he honed his craft by directing an array of music videos and commercials, showcasing his versatile storytelling skills. Notably, Joe’s short film “Goldfish” garnered acclaim as an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film achieved significant recognition, securing the Grand Jury Award at Gen Art, the Audience Award at The Austin Film Festival, and the title of Best Comedy Short at the Savannah Film Festival, among other accolades. Its widespread success led to distribution by Shorts International. As a screenwriter, Joe has written projects for Paramount, Universal, and Fox. His impactful work earned him a spot in Variety Magazine’s “Top Ten Screenwriters to Watch.”
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
I grew up in Palm Springs, CA, born and raised, I’m a desert kid. It was much less developed at the time, a lot less to do but more actual desert and mountains. I would jump the wall to my backyard and just miles of desert. Also, golf courses — always golf everywhere.
It was routine for me to grab my little fishing tackle and walk over to the golf course and go fishing in the course pond while golfers’ rode by on their carts around me. Eventually a greenskeeper would kick me out. I’d take the fish I caught, put them in a laundry bucket, bring them back and put them in the swimming pool and go swimming with them. I didn’t fully understand chlorine yet, but eventually the fish would start swimming slower, and I’d catch them and bring them back to the pond.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
The summers in Palm Springs were brutally hot, like in the 120s. But the movie theaters were always nice and cool. I’d spend all summer in the movies, sometimes watching the same film multiple times, sometime darting around from theatre to theatre. I loved the movies and I watched everything. Disney, raunchy comedies, bad horror, summer tentpole films, weird indy stuff, I really just liked being there and watching movies. When they were good, I’d watch them over and over. When they were bad, I’d think about what they should have done to make them better.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
When you’re a writer, you do lots of meetings with execs and developers, with the hope that down the road you’ll find a project together.
Sometimes they’re great — you meet cool people and talk about movies and ideas.
Sometimes they’re like stabbing yourself in the eye with a pencil. I had a meeting with a developer for a large production company once. An impeccably dressed lady brought me in, sat me down and then went to her desk and held up a script with a bit of flare. In a very condescending tone, she said “‘The Mystic’ is good. But not something we’d ever make,” and dropped it on her desk. I said, “That’s Ok, I didn’t write ‘The Mystic.’” She said, ‘What did you write?’ I told her what we were there to discuss, and she said ‘Well, wouldn’t make that either.’ (clearly having not read it). I told her it was already sold to someone anyway and was sent to her as a sample. There was a long awkward pause and I said, “My name is Joe.” Which I’m pretty sure she didn’t know. It was a short meeting.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
I got to meet one of my heroes when John Cleese signed on to be in a movie I wrote. My first meeting with him he asked how I pronounce my last name. I said Wein as in ‘Green.’ He told me I was wrong. It’s Wein like ‘wine.’ Then he actually went into a whole monologue explaining how and why I was wrong and the etymology of my name. He was hilarious. I told him I pronounced it the way I did because that’s what my parents told me. But if he had no other notes, I would go with wine.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are so many. It’s funny, because there is so much rejection in pursuing a project bigger than yourself. But in the end, you just need a few Yeses, and they mean the world. My wife inspires me every day. And my kids make me strive to be a better person. A pivotal event for me was halfway into my first script, when it was sitting in a drawer, I was considering going back to school and pursuing something else. My wife told me first I should finish that script. Whether anything came of it or not, it really pushed me to see it through and learn I could do it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Make your own opportunities. I feel deeply grateful for everyone that has helped and supported me. I also know that without putting myself out there and taking chances, there would be nothing anyone could have done for me. In making “76 Days” there were constant hurdles. I did not always know how to get past them, I just ran to the next one and let it come. In that way, I didn’t want to be limited by my imagination — I knew there were ways it could work that I wasn’t considering.
With the recreation scenes in the film being in the middle of the ocean, I tried multiple approaches. Looking at water tanks, VFX, stills, animation, you name it. It just didn’t look right, and I did not have nearly the resources available to me to make it work in a way I was comfortable with. Eventually, through my conversations with Steven and Gold Coast Yachts in the Virgin Islands, it seemed possible to actually shoot on the ocean. There was no way to do a test first, I had to just put everything together, prepare at home, then go out. But it was a window that presented itself. If I hadn’t just went for it, prepared as much as I could and took it as far as I could, it never would have happened.
I am very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I completely agree. And I am happy to say, I think things are headed in that direction, even if slower than we’d like. I think in movies and TV, everything is larger than life. It creates celebrities, people that are celebrated. I think it’s important to have entertainment made by, with, and for a diversity of people. That seems more relevant today than ever.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I just directed the film “76 Days,” the film delves into the harrowing true story of Steven Callahan’s survival after being adrift in the Atlantic Ocean for an incredible 76 days. Based on Steven Callahan’s bestselling novel “Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea,” the film took many years to complete. I’m proud of the movie and deeply grateful I had the opportunity to make it. It blends Steven’s gripping first-hand account of his journey, with original 8mm footage, archive photos, and powerful recreation scenes, including Steven himself re-staging the events.
Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?
Making a film is a pressure-cooker. You will have to make many quick, important decisions and work with a lot of different personalities. You will quickly find out over the course of the project who you are and what you have to offer the project. In the case of “76 Days” I am proud of making it through this process with a film I genuinely like.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.
When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?
I trust that what I like will also connect with other people. I try to be very honest with myself in my decisions with the simple question: Do I like it?
Going into a project I see my role as serving the film and I try to do what is best in that regard, but it always comes back to ‘Do I really like it?’ I made a short film called Goldfish. I was initially discouraged from making the film by some of my peers as it’s very hard to see a return or benefit from a short film. But I liked it. And even though it wasn’t really an art film or something that would normally do well in festivals, I wanted to make it. In the end, the film was in Tribeca, won at Austin and GenArt and did well for me. I just kept to my own sensibilities of what appeals to me and assumed there were others out there.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Help the people in front of you. One of the things the drew me to Steven’s book “Adrift,” was the way he handled the big and the small of his situation. He was stuck out on an inflatable raft in the middle of the ocean by himself. What could he do?
On the big — he thought about where land was, where he was drifting, and how long it would take to get there.
On the small — he did the things he could do right in front of him. Find ways to get food, water, maintain the raft, fend off sharks, try (and continually fail) to find ways to get help.
But the small things, bit by bit, day by day — added up. Unrecognizable in the moment, but they did. And it got him across the ocean.
If we help the people in front of us, it may feel like a drop in the bucket, but it will add up.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Errol Morris. Please read this, Mr. Morris; I would love to meet you. I have watched all your films since Gates of Heaven and love your commercials. “Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control” really kind of opened my eyes to what a documentary could be. Which is anything, I guess, as long as you are being true to the story you’re telling. And have a reason for telling it. I guess the other part I love about your films is you are searching for something. Always searching and I feel like I am right there searching with you. Whether it’s a topiary gardener or the Secretary of Defense or the CIA. You are curious and you want answers. I do, too. I don’t really know what I’d say if I met you except thank you for all the amazing films. And if you ever need a guy on the set to get coffee or do anything, I’m your guy.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Please go to joewein.com. Or follow “76 Days” at 76days.net. Thanks so much for the interest!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
Joe Wein: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.