Moonage Daydream: David Bowie’s Impressionistic Life
David Bowie lived a life of extraordinary creativity and success. It was also a life of controversy, radical changes of direction, and an unceasing desire to push his art to the limits. He was a cultural icon and an artistic genius. How does someone make a film about such a figure? According to the director of Moonage Daydream, and this episode’s guest, Brett Morgen, you have to first know your limitations: you won’t be able to cover everything so look for the ‘through line of action’, the theme that ties all the aspects of the film together. For Brett, the way he displays the through line is by making his film less informational and more experiential, and ‘impressionistic’. In addition to Moonage Daydream, Brett also discusses some of his previous films, including Montage of Heck, a bio-pic of Kurt Cobain, and The Kid Stays in the Picture. He shares a little of his ‘method’ approach to directing: to make The Kid he lived with its subject, Bob Evans, for a year. Coming back to Moonage Daydream, we discover how the ultimate origin of the film can be traced right back to 2007. We also learn something of how much the film cost to make. Not in money, but personally. For during the pandemic, a heart condition meant that Brett had to be physically isolated from his family. Ultimately, making Moonage Daydream was an intense experience. But also, one from which Brett was able to learn important lessons. Some he is able to share with Matthew. Others, as he admits, he is still absorbing. Great art has that effect. Fortunately, great artists stay with us to guide us through their work, and David Bowie was one of the greatest of all. Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com “[David Bowie] lived his life by example... he was so comfortable in his skin. I watched every frame, you know, for two years... he was always present, and always learning and viewing each moment as an opportunity for an exchange, for growth.... he was obviously an incredible artist, but there's so much more to draw inspiration from.” – Brett Morgen