Return to: ATA Film & Video Festival 2008: Program 2

Visions of Wasted Time

It’s impossible to look back at 1985, the year my father died, without feeling bitter about our relationship. To his consternation, I became interested in art, classical music, and shooting/editing moving pictures. These were useless things that didn’t fit into my father’s very practical notion of life. But I am what I am, and I shot what I shot. And I’m still shooting. And I guess I’m still a little bitter.

Questions with Neil Ira Needleman

Elizabeth Wing: What inspired you to put this film together at this particular time?

Neil Ira Needleman: About a year ago I rediscovered this footage on a VHS tape I made back in the early '90s. In those days, my ancient Super 8 projectors still worked, so I decided to "convert" my Super 8 footage to video. The results were not ideal, but it was better than nothing. When watching the footage after so long a time, I began to think of my dad and his reaction to my "hobby." Thoughts and feelings merged and the idea for "Visions of Wasted Time" was born.

EW: How much footage do you have from your lunch break excursions? What sorts of subjects did you gravitate towards?

NIN: I don't remember how much footage I shot on my lunch-break excursions. Super 8 was expensive to shoot and develop, and I was usually pushing my young family's budget. (By 1985 both my kids were born.) Since I worked in midtown Manhattan, I had no trouble finding interesting "real" subjects on the streets, alleys, offices, and subways of New York City. My father's death (and my teeny inheritance) made it possible for me to invest in my first video equipment—and my early video projects continued where my Super 8 left off: on the streets on NYC.

EW: Any memorable responses to the film, either from friends and family or at festivals?

NIN: I have not shared this video with my family—other than my wife (who never met my dad). I don't think my kids would be interested and my older aunts, uncles, and cousins (who knew my dad) would probably think I'm being disrespectful. They wouldn't understand. But, then again, they rarely understand my videos.

EW: Anything in particular about your film that you'd like addressed?

NIN: The final piece of Super 8 footage in this work—the shot of the moon rising from behind a traffic light—was and is the most beautiful thing I've ever shot. I felt that way back in 1985 and I still feel that way. It's great to see it again.

Neil Ira Needleman was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1957 and learned filmmaking in the alleys of Brooklyn. Somewhere along the way he got lost in a tunnel that led him into a career in advertising. He has now rededicated himself to tinkering with motion images.

Last updated 09/09/2008.