In the \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c/i\u003e, Stephen Schiff has described Fred Schepisi (b. 1939) as âprobably the least-known great director working in the mainstream American cinemaâa master storyteller with a serenely muscular style that can make more flamboyant moviemakers look coarse and overweening.â Schepisiâs launch in Australia during the countryâs film renaissance of the 1970s and his ongoing international work have rightfully earned him a reputation as an actorsâ director. But he has also become a skillful stylist, forging his own way as he works alongside a talented team of collaborators.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This volume includes twenty interviews with Schepisi and two with longtime collaborators, cinematographer Ian Baker and composer Paul Grabowsky. The interviews trace the filmmakerâs career from his beginnings in advertising, through his two early Australian featuresâ\u003ci\u003eThe Devil's Playground\u003c/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith\u003c/i\u003eâto his subsequent work in the United States and beyond on films as various as \u003ci\u003ePlenty\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRoxanne\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Cry in the Dark\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Russia House\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSix Degrees of Separation\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEmpire Falls\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLast Orders\u003c/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eEye of the Storm\u003c/i\u003e. Schepisiâs films are diverse thematically and visually. In what is effectively a master class on film direction, Schepisi discusses his creative choices and his work with actors and collaborators behind the scenes. In the process, he provides a goldmine of insights into his films, his filmmaking style, and what makes him tick as an artist.
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