Emerging Visions: Introducing "Died Young, Stayed Pretty"

In our latest edition of Emerging Visions filmmaker interviews, we talk to Eileen Yaghoobian about her documentary Died Young, Stayed Pretty

Hi Eileen. Could you tell us a little about your film?

My movie is about rock posters and the people who make them. Died Young, Stayed Pretty is really a comedy. The people in my film are truly funny; their stories are humorous and their obsessions are endearing. It's interesting that this perfect mix of humour, reality and drama is able to unfold in a nonfiction film; these fragments of real life are wonderful, the gifts of documentary filmmaking. The poster makers are powerful; they post their ideas, loves, passions, voices, views, politics on a pole on the street, advertised illegally--pasted on telephone poles and the urban landscape, where it is torn, stolen or destroyed by weather, time or people, and lives only a short life. They re-envision the culture around them and they put in a lot of sweat for it! And it's all for a poster for a rock show! It's beautifully powerful!

The poster makers are like Dr. Frankenstein. They create a "monster" (a new artifact) that has to deal with the living again. And that "monster's" quest and function is to promote rock and roll! Ultimately the goal of a poster is to be cool and Frankenstein is super cool!
I lone-wolfed this project and traveled solo three years filming on location from Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Providence, Calgary all across the USA and Canada. I tried to match the energy that rock has, and cut my film like a Rock Poster.

How do you think your film will stand out at SXSW 2009?

I think, like Dr. Frankenstein, it will look obscure and odd in the documentary crowd. But like its creation it can be wonderfully entertaining. Especially in a festival that embodies its core: poster, music and film! I'm super excited and grateful to have my US premiere at SXSW. It is a perfect match for my movie and the best place I could premiere it. Thank you!

What are you most looking forward to about SXSW?

Watching movies, meeting filmmakers, having fun, BBQ, drinking sangria margaritas (I had one before in 2005) and being part of this great community of filmmakers. Oh, and the Q&As. I really love Q&As, come and ask me questions! I love film talk...