Charlie Kaufman has made a triumphant comeback, captivating audiences once again with his cinematic masterpieces. Renowned for his thought-provoking films such as "Being John Malkovich," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" – for which he garnered an Oscar for his screenplay – and "Synecdoche, New York," a film he both wrote and directed, Kaufman is set to unveil his latest creation, "How to Shoot a Ghost," at the prestigious Venice Film Festival on September 1st.
"Ghost" marks a departure for Kaufman, veering away from his usual wry, intellectually twisted reflections on life and death. Instead, this venture delves deeper into the realm of abstract art cinema. The screenplay, penned by Eva H.D., a Canadian-Greek poet whom Kaufman met during a novel-writing residency at the MacDowell Artist Residency in Peterborough, New Hampshire, brings a fresh perspective to his work.
During a joint interview via Zoom, Eva reminisced, "I was oblivious to his background in film. I mistakenly assumed Charlie was an upcoming novelist." The two hit it off instantly, and their collaboration led to Kaufman incorporating one of Eva's poems into his 2020 Netflix feature, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." Since then, they have collaborated on a series of short films, with "Ghost" being their most recent endeavor.
This haunting tale, reminiscent of a "Breathless" journey through the afterlife, follows a recently deceased man and woman as they aimlessly wander the enchanting streets of modern Athens, snapping photos of passersby. The line between life and death blurs, even for the protagonists themselves. Eva remarked, "We embrace the notion that you can never be entirely sure if someone is a ghost or not."
Death has long been a recurring theme in Kaufman's work, nowhere more evident than in his 2008 film "Synecdoche." The protagonist, Caden Cotard (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman), obsessively replicates New York City inside a colossal warehouse in a quixotic quest to decipher the human condition and ultimately confront the inevitability of life's final curtain call.
Reflecting on this, Kaufman mused, "There's a saying, 'I'll rest when I'm dead.' But I'm skeptical it's truly a rest. I sense it's nothingness – not rest. Because rest implies consciousness, and nothingness is devoid of it."
The characters in "How to Shoot a Ghost," according to Kaufman, "are deceased yet still clinging to something." Eva added metaphorically, "History leaves a residue. Visit a country once ruled by a violent regime, and you'll find vestiges. These are the real ghosts we encounter."
For Kaufman, this film served as an introduction to Athens – a city unfamiliar to him, and one in which he didn't speak the language. "It was exhilarating for me to engage with it in this manner," he said. Eva, who spent her childhood there but now resides in Brooklyn, often finds herself longing to revisit. She joked, "If I can entice people to make films there, all the better." Kaufman agreed, "And that's precisely what transpired in this case."
Venice, arguably the most ethereal city on earth, serves as the next European stop on the "How to Shoot a Ghost" tour. The setting couldn't be more ideally suited for the film's world premiere. Kanopy, the library-based movie streaming service, has joined as the producer and distributor of the film. All that remains is the audience's reaction – one that Kaufman and Eva eagerly anticipate, albeit with a hint of admitted trepidation.
Ultimately, it's just a film. Yet, as Kaufman observed, "One of the perks of making short films is the freedom to experiment with the form. You're not beholden to making money for your financiers, and no one expects you to."
