Sculpting Fragments - An Interview with Guy Fragments

We don't often take the time here anymore to talk to some of the creators of the media we speak about. It might go without saying then that clearly we are changing that today. A lot of this as well works in tandem with our recent review of the film Difficulty Breathing, something which I planned in advance around the start of the month.

Today we take some down time from reviewing to speak with a filmmaker and creator who I have been a fan of for quite a number of years. He originally started on Youtube and Blogger as a reviewer and vlogger of all things Japanese gore and general underground cinema. Since then he moved on to create a comedic take on said genre with the 2013 film The Rope Maiden as well as multiple short films and even started a film festival. Recently he released his first (close to) feature length film in what we reviewed a while back, that being Difficulty Breathing.

With all of this said, ladies and gentlemen, I present an interview with mister Guy Fragments.

1. For as long as I remember discovering your channel and to this day, you've always presented a clear admiration for Japanese cyberpunk (specifically the films of Shozin Fukui) and Japanese gore films. What exactly led you to discover these subsections of horror/underground film?

With Japanese films, I guess I got heavily into them when I discovered Takashi Miike. His sense of extreme violence and dark comedy was unlike anything else I had seen at that point. After exhausting his catalog and seeking more extreme cinema I found the Guinea Pig films, and from there Cyber Punk. Tetsuo blew my mind when I first saw it. It’s so raw and primitive and unlike anything else. It immediately grabbed me.

2. In general Fukui appears to be your favorite filmmaker. What is/was it about his work that grabbed your attention and admiration so much?

Shozin Fukui’s films are like something from another world. Despite being referred to as a ‘Cyber Punk’ director, even his later films which are in no way Cyber Punk at all, still have that ‘Shozin Fukui’ feel to them. All his films have that raw and unrelenting anxiety that runs throughout them, which really attracts me.

3. I probably wouldn't be doing my job right if I didn't ask this, but what would you consider the most disturbing film you have ever seen, regardless of violence or sexuality?

Omitting sex and violence from the equation, I remember Dancer in the Dark being particularly harrowing on an emotional level. Visually, ReGOREgitated Sacrifice comes to mind. Both films made me need to take a little break and recollect my thoughts after viewing.

4. With The Rope Maiden you presented a very black humored take on films such as Guinea Pig and the like, and now with Difficulty Breathing you've released a high suspense movie that is high on noise but also kind of plays like a silent film. The difference is obvious but how did the initial planning and thought process go for both of them?

With The Rope Maiden, I knew I wanted to make a pseudo-snuff film, but they’ve been done to death and back, and far better than anything that I would’ve been able to make. So I wanted to do a take on a pseudo-snuff, but with a twist. The idea for the speaking to the camera came around because I was making Youtube videos a lot back then, and wanted to make a film in that ‘Youtuber’ fashion, since I thought the only people that are going to watch The Rope Maiden, were my Youtube subscribers. So it was basically catered to them.

Difficulty Breathing was my chance to tick off a load of boxes from my ‘types of films I want to make’ list. For a long time, I had wanted to make films that were either, single sets, noise films, films about mental sickness, and I also wanted to make a film while I was in Japan. Barely knowing much of the language, I was unable to write a script with dialogue, so the idea of a girl shut in at home and with no one to talk to while slowly descending into madness was like all the things I wanted to make, in one!

5. Which of the two would you say was the hardest to make?

Definitely The Rope Maiden. Everything was new to me. I had never used a camera, I didn’t know how to edit, there was the green screen shots, subtitles, dubbing to VHS to get that grainy snuff look. The whole thing was a mess. I definitely bit off more than I could chew with that film, but I learnt a lot.

6. In both movies your female actors are put through the ringer. Tomo from Rope Maiden by being strung up and the mayhem that follows, and Uran from Difficulty Breathing by everything that happens in the movie. How did the two stars react to their respective horrors while filming and how did you go about directing them for when they were going through those scenes?

I didn’t have to have to do much in terms of directing Tomo, she mostly just sat and screamed when instructed to. But I did have to consult with her a lot on the Japanese side of things, in order to create and authentic atmosphere.

With Difficulty Breathing, there was no more than a few crude drawings I made to go off. No script or anything. So I would go through each scene with Uran, me acting out what I wanted her to do, with that and broken Japanese and English, we had a pretty good chemistry.

7. Without spoiling the film too much, Difficulty Breathing is at its core about isolation and trauma, and the film uses a variety of noise to demonstrate and and paint the picture of it. Was the idea to use noise in this fashion always planned or did it evolve over time?

I had wanted to make a ‘noise film’ for a while, this was the perfect opportunity.

8. I mentioned earlier that while the movie very clearly is a sensory experience driven by sound that I find that in many respects that it does have a silent movie feel to it, especially in the acting. Was this something you had in mind when making the film?

It wasn’t something I consciously thought about in pre-production, but it started to come out during the editing process. 

9. From footage in the premiere vlog video, to recent announcements you have made it looks like you are doing live showings of the movie in which you play the music live over the film. How did the idea for this come about and how have those showings done?

The idea for the came around after seeing one of Shozin Fukui’s live events. He’s performing as a VJ, mixing his movies together live, while a band or unit play some music. I thought since my film is without dialogue and heavy on noise, I too might be able to perform some sort of live screening with Difficulty Breathing. I bought some hand-made synths, noise boxes and pedals and began messing around to try and create a sound that would not mimic, but match the intensity of Difficulty Breathing score, by WRITHE. Each performance is different and it brings a fresh new element to the film, and for the viewer, is far more interesting than just watching the film as it is. There’s some performance and showmanship to enjoy too. I’ve got two screenings lined up, one is also collaborating with a S&M dominatrix, who will do ‘something’ to a model in front of the screen.

10. Recently you announced a new release of The Rope Maiden which you are saying will be the definitive release of the film. Along with this you've also teased a collection release of your short films, a live release of Difficulty Breathing. In general what has sparked the surge of these releases?

Yes, despite there having been multiple releases of The Rope Maiden in the past, none are currently available. While back in England this summer, I found all my old DV tapes I shot it on and re-digitised everything. With the raw elements I was able to extract a ton of footage and have made a DVD full of never before seen extras and a new, simplified cut to the film. I’m in the final stages of the DVD production, and hoping to have it released before the year is up. I guess the surge has come from actually having material to release. I’m more active now than I’ve ever been, due to the environment I’m in and the people around me.

11. You've also started having small little film festivals for independent and underground films. How have those done and are there more planned?

They’re going well, I’ve only done a handful so far, but will do more when I get around to it. It’s nice to be able to help underground film makers show their works outside their county. All thanks to the kind folk at Pika Space, where I also premiered Difficulty Breathing.

12. For potential filmmakers that view this site how do you go about selecting the films you show?

I try to have a mix of films in each event, not too hard of the relentless gore or it would become boring. The majority of films that get put forward are horror so it can’t be helped, but I try to cut them with documentaries, animations or action films when possible. If your film has Japanese subtitles, it’s a big help!

13. Along with the above mentioned releases, you have also stated you plan on shooting a feature length horror film in the coming year. Is there anything you can share with us at this time about the movie?

It’s kind of a companion piece to Difficulty Breathing, within the same world if you will.
Aside from horror is there any other genre you would like to make a movie in? The last short film I made was a love story, albeit between a man and a vending machine. At some point I’d like to include stop-motion into a film, à la Svankmajer.

14. Outside of film are there any other mediums you have an interest in doing?

Anything really. I play in bands when I have the patience to do so. If it looks interesting and looks like I might learn something, I generally do it.

15. Thank you for your time today in answering these questions. On a final note is there anything you would like to say to the readers?

Thanks for the continuous support! If anyone would like to contribute to the making of my feature film, please pick up a DVD!
https://sculptingfragments.storenvy.com

Thank you once again Guy for taking the time to sit down and chat with me and answer the questions. As you guessed from the review I highly suggest taking a trip to his store and grab yourself a copy of the Difficulty Breathing DVD and keep an eye open for his future projects. Until our next interview, this is Poe signing out.