An interview with Max Montalvo, director of EL PAYO
ReelHeART: Hi Max, my name is Ben. Hope you’re having a good evening. We’re going to play a little game called “20 Questions”. Are you ready?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo”: Hi Ben, doing great. Shoot.
ReelHeART: How are you today? You just mentioned to me you were spending some quality time with someone special. Care to explain to our visitors?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo”: I’m doing great. I’ve just finished putting our 3-year-old son Yabsira to bed. He’s a bit of a nighthawk.
ReelHeART: Nighthawks make the best filmmakers Sleep tight Yabsira z-z-z-
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : Absolutely!
ReelHeART: Lol. All right. here we go. — What are you seeing on your desk right now while we’re chatting? Give me a list…
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : A few papers, a piece of banana bread and a glass of red wine.
ReelHeART: I just had some chocolate chip banana bread, so I see we have something in common. damn no wine here though. — Can you please give us your name, the title of your film, the genre and when it’s screening at ReelHeART 2011
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I’m Max Montalvo. My film is EL PAYO (“The non-Gypsy”‘), a feature length documentary screening at ReelHeART on Tuesday, June 21 2011 at the Main Program “A”.
ReelHeART: Yup. Got the link right here http://reelheart.org/tuesday/tuesday-main-program-a-715pm/
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : cool.
ReelHeART: That sounds like a pretty impressive list of people in your doc. I’m going to ask you some more on that, but a couple more questions first. — What or Whom inspired you to get into filmmaking?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : The idea for the film was born in the studio of my flamenco teacher, Martin Sprissler. I met Martin thanks to David Phillips, who is the focus of the film. Back in 1993 I took a few flamenco guitar lessons with David while I was living in Toronto. Shortly after starting lessons with David I was accepted into medical school in Kingston, Ontario, and on my last lesson David suggested that I continue my lessons with Martin, who lives in Picton, close to Kingston. Sadly, shortly after starting my medical studies I put away the guitar, and it wasn’t until 9 years later that I called Martin to take lessons again, who told me that David had just died. It was during these lessons that Martin told me David’s life story. At the time, I didn’t realize how important David had been to the rise of the flamenco scene in Canada. As I learned more about David’s life, I realized that it was intricately woven into an important chapter of Canadian music history, which had yet to be told.
ReelHeART: Wow! You’ve actually answered a few of my questions with this one answer. So is “El Payo” is your first film?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I guess I should have read your first question a bit more closely. I’ll answer this one and your last one now. This is my first film.
I’ve loved watching films as far as I can remember. It wasn’t until I finished my medical training that I was inspired to make a film. I was disappointed with the lack of creativity in clinical medicine and so I was looking for an idea for a film.
It was somewhat coincidental that as I mentioned in my previous answer, the idea ended up unraveling right in Martin’s studio so I decided to do it.
ReelHeART: Well you’re certainly passionate about your film’s subject David Phillips. When we hear our ReelHEART Director doing press about the film, she always likens David’s existence as a troubled genius similar to “Glenn Gould”. is that a close representation as far as David’s worldwide influence and passion for his art of Flamenco guitar…?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : In some ways I think it is.
Although David is regarded by many as the father of flamenco guitar in Canada, his musical beginnings were classical. Eli Kassner, David’s classical teacher, talks about giving David a workable technique, which David later used to master the flamenco style. Like Glenn Gould, David was known as a masterful interpreter of flamenco, specifically in the style of Sabicas and Juan Maya ‘Marote’, two of the most famous gypsy guitarists who helped give flamenco international exposure.
However, I would say that David didn’t have the eccentricities of Mr. Gould. But his passion was very clear and it shows in his legacy.
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I should clarify that like Glenn Gould, a masterful interpreter of Bach, David was similarly a masterful interpreter of Sabicas and Marote.
ReelHeART: I’m putting up a You Tube link for a reference to Sabicas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQspEjoPIik
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Sabicas – Bulerias Great piece…
ReelHeART: Knowing that you made a film after David’s death how hard was it to obtain footage of his live performances? Did you find anything like a “basement tape”, something that was long forgotten but unearthed for “El Payo”?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : One of my favourites. A real giant in flamenco. David was actually introduced early on to Sabicas by Eli Kassner.
ReelHeART: Love giving reference so for Eli, I’ll let people know Eli Kassner he was born May 27, 1924 in Vienna, Austria and is a Canadian guitar teacher and musician
AND Eli founded the “Guitar Society of Toronto”. www.guitarfoundation.org/drupal/node/4722 Very cool…
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : It was quite difficult. I actually couldn’t find any taped live performance footage of (David Phillip) shows. And believe me, I tried. What I did find was an amazing performance of a Granainas piece on the CBC in David’s younger years, as well as an incredible demonstration of a Sabicas piece on Breakfast Television.
ReelHeART: Is this a Canadian premiere or Toronto premiere for “El Payo”, Max…?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : This will be the Toronto premiere as part of a film festival. A year ago we premiered the film to cast and crew at The Royal.
ReelHeART: Oh excellent. Then you and your team will be shouting from the rooftops about this screening Lol!
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Our throats have been sore for weeks…
ReelHeART: Lol! I was wondering, I guess that lack of footage was one of the pitfalls of the production. Were there any more pitfalls or hurdles while making “El Payo”..?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I wouldn’t call the lack of footage a pitfall, I think it was a blessing. One of the beautiful aspects of flamenco for me is hearing stories about the people in colorful detail.
As Martin was telling me David’s story, I was picturing it in my mind. In many ways when you don’t have footage in front of you it’s much more beautiful, because you let your mind do the work. EL PAYO’s story mostly took place in the 60’s and 70’s, and I feel like using photographs of that era proved more powerful than using old video footage.
As far as actual pitfalls, I think I was fairly lucky for the most part. I did have a scare when my luggage that was carrying my super-8 camera was temporarily lost on a second trip to Spain.
ReelHeART: Glad the camera loss was only temporary. You had a LOT of big name Flamenco people fondly reminiscing too about David. That must have been an incredible experience for you…
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : It was unbelievable.
ReelHeART: How long did “El Payo” take from pre-production to post production ?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : It took just over 5 years.
ReelHeART: That’s dedication. Were there any happy surprises along the way?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : There were quite a few. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was how incredibly nice, down to earth and accommodating everyone was. I really didn’t know what to expect when I began calling all the artists who were connected to David Phillips.
The other pleasant surprise was how good all the super-8 footage came out. I bought the camera on the Internet and had it sent to Spain during our first trip there. I just started shooting without really knowing if anything was going to actually work.
ReelHeART: How did Tragically Hip guitarist Rob Baker get involved in “El Payo” as a producer…?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Rob is a good friend who I’ve known for years living in Kingston. One our mutual interests in music, and he became interested in the film when he heard about it.
He’s often said that his role was more like an obstetrician who would come in and check my progress from time to time and would say to himself, ‘Still dilating…’ Rob was very generous in doing the narration for the beginning of the film, as well as writing original music in his masterful style of pedal-steel guitar given the film’s connection to northern Ontario.
As executive producer of the film Rob also provided access to The Bathouse, the recording studio in Bath, Ontario, where we recorded and mastered a number of tracks for the film as well as the film’s sound.
ReelHeART: nice analogy about being an obstetrician….
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : His medical knowledge is astounding.
ReelHeART: How did you hear about ReelHeART International Film Festival..?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : From Withoutabox.
ReelHeART: Do you have distribution for this film yet?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Not yet.
ReelHeART: 2 Part Question:
What pleases you most about your film?
What displeases you most about your film?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I’m most pleased by having made a film that gives exposure to not only David Phillips but to flamenco in general, and will help to keep an important part of Canadian music history alive. Aside from the occasional video or sound bit on the movie that while watching it no one but me probably notices, I’m not really displeased with the film.
ReelHeART: What’s your next project?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I’ve been working on a short film which is an adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s poem THE MADMAN, in which a man battles his inner demons in search for eternal peace.
ReelHeART: is that a narrative piece and a feature or a short?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : It’s a short. Wait, it sounds like I just made that film with EL PAYO…
ReelHeART: Yup. It sounds the same In the home stretch. We borrowed from the great James Lipton here. What sound or noise do you hate?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : Nails on chalkboard.
ReelHeART: What’s your favorite curse word?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : I like them all.
ReelHeART: hahaha. me too.
Finally, Max —
Is there anything you’d like to mention in this chat, knowing that it’s published on the Internet and will live on forever..?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I couldn’t do what I do if it weren’t for the love and support of my wife and co-producer Nadia, and our son Yabsira. It was a real privilege to be allowed into the lives of all the people who made EL PAYO possible, and I hope that the film will help to give exposure to the powerful art form of flamenco,
ReelHeART: I just want to remind our visitors we’re speaking with director Max Montalvo and the name of his film is “El Payo” about the life of Canada’s father of Flamenco Guitar, David Phillips.
“El Payo” debuts at ReelHeART 2011 at
7:15 PM – TUESDAY June 21. All the details can be found at this link. http://reelheart.org/tuesday/tuesday-main-program-a-715pm/
Tickets are only $10 AND we have a few surprises in store. right Max..?
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : That’s right – a lucky ticket buyer will have a chance to WIN
2 free tickets to a Tragically Hip show!
ReelHeART: I hope I win. I’m a huge ‘hip” fan. ! It was great speaking with you Max. Thanks for your time. Can’t wait for the screening! Have a great sleep!
Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : By the way Ben, Finally, I would like to thank ReelHeART for giving EL PAYO an audience at this year’s festival.
Muchas gracias; buenas noches!