Click here to listen to the interview.
To say that Nicole Riegel quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson during our conversation via zoom on June 26, 2024, made my day is an understatement. It was wonderful to discover that the writer/director of DANDELION and I were both Emerson nerds, and, for me, it explains part of why Riegel is so skillful at depicting the natural word on film. While being beautiful to look at, DANDELION is also a perfect externalization of the creative process as it follows a young black woman, played by Kiki Layne, pursuing a career in music that has been put on semi-hold by her parental obligations.
Of course I wanted to ask about visualizing something so internal, but before we got there, though, I wanted to talk about a line about music that has stuck with me; what it was like for the filmmaker to become a songwriter in service of the story; and showing the creative process visually.
We finished up with why Riegel chose South Dakota as the place Dandelion ends up; why Emerson looms large for Riegel (and should for everyone IMHO); and the serendipity of prairie dogs.
The film co-stars Thomas Doherty, Melanie Nicholls-King, Brady Stablein, who provided the music along with his band, Brother Elsey.
Your Thoughts?