Kevin Willmott
The “Destination Planet Negro” Interview
with
Kam Williams
A Snapshot of Willmott
Kevin
Willmott grew up in Junction City, Kansas and received his BA in
Drama from Marymount College in Salina, Kansas. After graduation, he
returned home and worked as a peace and civil rights activist,
fighting for the rights of the poor, creating two Catholic Worker
shelters for the homeless, and forcing the integration of several,
long-standing segregated institutions.
Kevin
did his graduate studies at New York University's Tisch School of the
Arts, receiving several writing awards and an MFA in Dramatic
Writing. He subsequently wrote, produced, and co-directed Ninth
Street, an independent feature film starring Martin Sheen and Isaac
Hayes.
The
movie is a dramedy based on Kevin's own experiences in Junction City,
a tiny town adjacent to Fort Riley. Set in 1968, the film deals with
the last days of one of the most notorious streets in the nation.
At
the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, he screened C.S.A., The Confederate
States of America, a mockumentary speculating about what the United
States would be like had the South won the Civil War. The picture was
picked up by IFC Films and was also a Spike Lee presentation.
Kevin
has also directed The Battle for Bunker Hill, the Only Good Indian
and Jaywalkers. And, earlier this year, he co-wrote Chi-Raq with
Spike Lee.
Besides
making movies, Kevin is a Professor of Film Studies at the University
of Kansas. Here, he talks about writing,
directing and starring in his latest offering, Destination Planet
Negro.
Kam
Williams: Hi
Kevin, thanks for another interview.
Kevin
Willmott:
My
pleasure, Kam.
KW:
As you know, I loved Destination Planet Negro. Where did you come up
with the idea of combining a spoof of sci-fi movies from the Fifties
while simultaneously making some thought-provoking statements about
race relations?
Kevin:
I liked
those old, silver bullet, rocket ship movies that we watched on The
Late, Late Show as kids in the Sixties. The title of the picture
comes from the film Destination Moon. Another influence is Rocketship
XM. The kind of sci-fi I like is the type that makes a social
statement, like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. So, I tried to
combine the two elements, paying homage to those rocket ship films
while giving it meaning by dealing with racism, past and present. As
well, when President Obama was elected, I thought a lot about my
parents and what they would have said had they witnessed his
election. My father was born in 1898 in Mississippi and was 60 years
old when I was born. When I was a kid, we often joked about how a
black president could never happen. So, I wanted to deal with that
reality about how far we have come in America and how far we still
need to go in terms of race. In many ways, that also shaped my
reasons for making CSA- Confederate States of America. For me, I am
always trying to find a plot that allows me the opportunity to tackle
issues I’m interested in exploring.
KW:
The
film walks a line back and forth between serious and farce. How do
you decide when to go for the joke and when to be serious?
Kevin:
You try
to experience the film as you are writing it. There is a rhythm and
tempo that develops between humor and drama as you move forward.
Humor is the base coat of the film, and then you are looking for
opportunities to bring forth the serious elements that inform the
comedy. You want the serious moments to be organic and not feel
forced. In that sense it all becomes somewhat instinctual.
KW:
This is
your first starring role. What made you decide to play Dr. Avery?
Kevin:
In my
first film, Ninth Street I also played one of the leads. I started
out wanting to act and be a standup comedian. I was obsessed with
Richard Pryor. I knew in writing the film I would have a very limited
budget. In that sense playing one of the leads makes producing the
film a lot easier. I also knew I was available and willing. As well,
I probably wouldn’t be too difficult.
KW:
What
message do you hope people will take away from the film?
Kevin:
I hope
people will see how important every moment in history really is in
terms of how past injustice and discrimination affects our daily
lives. I wanted to have the audience contemplate how bad racism was
in the past and how complicated it is to identify and fight today. I
think the film shows how we aren’t in a post-racial society and
perhaps the race problems we have today are even more completed, in
terms of the response, than those of the past.
KW:
What's
up next for you?
Kevin:
I am
finishing a film, The Association, starring Scot Pollard who was
recently a contestant on Survivor. Scot was a former KU basketball
player and had a long career in the NBA. The film deals with the
underbelly of college and pro sports and how many athletes end up
broke at the end of their career.
KW:
Which
do you enjoy more, filmmaking or teaching?
Kevin:
I was a
filmmaker first, and that is why they hired me at Kansas University.
I also love teaching. For me, I see the two professions, on the
whole, as entirely interconnected.
KW:
Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: With so many classic films being redone,
is there a remake you'd like to direct?
Kevin:
No, I
don’t care for remakes as a whole. I think we should remake films
that had a great concept but didn’t quite work. Maybe it’s the
script doctor in me.
KW:
Larry
Greenberg asks: Do you have a favorite movie monster?
Kevin:
Godzilla and King Kong. I loved the original King Kong vs. Godzilla.
I saw that old movie in the theater as a kid.
KW:
Ling-Ju Yen asks: What
is your earliest childhood memory?
Kevin:
I have
a vague memory of drinking my bottle at church. I think it’s
because I took a bottle far longer than I should have. [LOL] I also
have a vague memory of seeing the film, The Ten Commandments. All I
can remember was the vivid colors.
KW:
Who
loved you unconditionally during your formative years?
Kevin:
My mother and father were great! I also was lucky to have
terrific role models. Including a man that lived in our basement,
Ralph Starks. He was a former Buffalo Soldier and had served in Italy
during World War II. He taught me many lessons and was like a second
father. My mother was a real entertainer and was very funny I think I
get that side of myself from her. My father was a very hard worker
and I get my work ethic from him.
KW:
Was
there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?
Kevin:
Yes, I have been very fortunate to have had many people in my life
lead me on a positive spiritual journey.
KW:
Sherry
Gillam would like to know what is the most important life lesson
you've learned so far?
Kevin:
Never give up
KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
Kevin:
My
father’s son.
KW:
What's
the craziest thing you've ever done?
Kevin:
I was
the leader of a small revolutionary gang during race riots in high
school. I was expelled and then attended a Catholic high school where
a priest took me under his wing and encouraged me to go to college
and to become a filmmaker.
KW:
If you
could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
Kevin:
For
everybody to have enough money to live a decent life.
KW:
The
Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
Kevin:
The
beautiful lady in my life.
KW:
What is
your guiltiest pleasure?
Kevin:
Hamburgers
and French fries. I eat far too much of both.
KW:
Finally,
what’s in your wallet?
Kevin:
Plenty
of receipts from traveling and lunches.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Kevin, and best of luck with the film.
Kevin:
Thank
you, Kam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXHmOxa0wX4
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