Apparently I was not the only one glued to last year’s David Lynch presentation The Interview Project. This is the documentary series, directed by Austin Lynch and Jason S, that roamed from coast to coast of the United states, not seeking, but always finding people whose stories needed to be told. These short portraits, no matter how unremarkable, became compelling tales by the sheer cumulative affect of the human condition and as Lynch so aptly put it “It’s Something So Human and You Can’t Stay Away From It.” The Interview Project won both the 2010 Webby for Best Documentary: Series and Best Documentary: Series -People Voice Winner.

So fresh off that success comes David Lynch Presents ©Absurda/ Red Onion Co-Production, Interview Project Germany. Done on a much smaller scale, but with the same intensity and verve, team interview has combed the German countryside and prepared 50 video portraits for our viewing pleasure. While David Lynch himself seems to get funkier with every breath, his team of stalwart profilers have tightened up their camera chops and refined their stylistic approach. The music by Alexander Maczewski, Florian Zenker and Christof May plays an even greater part in completing/complementing each finely tuned bio. All participants and crew motivate and awaken one another with results that are ever more poignant and persuasive.

Enjoy the interviews.

The Interview Project could very well be the perfect web experience. Austin Lynch, Jason S. and crew cross the United States from west to east and back again interviewing people as they stray by. Strays could be the operative word here, because unlike say a Studs Turkel interview, who aims to put forth a true cross section of society or lets say a Deborah Solomon interview who carefully spotlights each subject, Interview Projects picks up on who ever is walking, biking or just sitting around and poses up their version of a Proust Questionnaire. Interview leaves behind the high rises, takes to the back roads and is very comfortable with what they find.

This is one of the best examples I have ever seen of the form fitting the content. Everything about the navigation of the site brings you back and back again to the subjects at hand. Every dot on the map is a pop-up person. The All Episodes page is a great wall of personae and as your cursor glides across they all have their say. Each interview is a masterfully crafted portrait, but the true delight is to be found in the sound editing. The camera becomes a still shot and yet the voice continues to complete the thought. Or as the camera soaks up some local scenery it is impeccably matched with the sounds of weather passing through. One gets the sense that as Interview Project passes through so we all do in one form or another.

This is a David Lynch Presents project and he can be stylistically found everywhere. He introduces each interview setting the ordinary/extraordinary tone for what is to follow. His preamble in the About section is worth the price of admission. He’s his own finely tuned weirdo at this point and what’s not to like? Actually under the category of huh?, in the first couple of introductions it looks lie he has a note pinned to his chest and there is always some smoke or coffee steam?

[View with PicLens]

The project launched on June 1, 2009. Each episode is posted every three days, there are a total of 121. A few faves of mine are Rey, June 25th, Kee, June 7th, Jim Carter, June 28th, Lynn, July 12th and Traci, July 1st. There is lots of God, lots of alcoholism, lots of abusive fathers and lots of unemployment. None of these come as a big surprise, but it is good to hear and see the survivors tell it themselves and Interview Project lends a sympathetic ear, as should we all.

Special cudos to all the great music for Interview Project provided by Dean Hurley, Stoll Vaughan, Eugene Wasserman and Oto Gillen.

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