Meet Michael Greenwood of San Gabriel Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Greenwood

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
First of all, thanks for your interest. I’ve always loved cinema more than anything. I went to a first-run show of Hitchcock’s ‘Frenzy’ when I was in the womb. I was obsessed with ‘Star Wars’ and monster movies when I was little. I saw ‘Vertigo’ when I was 12, which was a mind-altering experience, triggering a kind of cinematic puberty. Unfortunately, I let myself get dissuaded from pursuing film as a career. Later in life, I decided to start making films no matter what, with or without support, so that’s what I’ve been doing for the past decade or so. I don’t consider myself in the film business because I don’t expect to make any money from it, but it’s good enough to me if I leave behind any small evidence that I functioned as a filmmaker.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
‘Smooth’ probably isn’t a word that filmmakers know unless it’s in the dialogue of a script. Making a film is nothing but navigating obstacles. There is no end to them unless you quit. Making a film is like drifting towards the edge of a massive waterfall, while trying to make a film, but I love it. I guess the biggest obstacle is just starting the ball rolling. You see that you don’t have anywhere close to the required resources, including time, money and talent, and you get up the nerve to announce that the film is going to happen anyway. You take the gamble that you’ll be able to pull it off. You decide that even if everything blows up in your face, at least you did something and didn’t just sit around waiting for there to be no obstacles.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make films that very few people see. I’m nowhere near the same league of course, but my heroes are guys like Orson Welles, John Cassavetes and Stan Brakhage because they made a lot of films that few appreciated in their lifetimes. They did it because they felt compelled to, not because they actually expected any of their films to be blockbusters.

I’ve written, photographed, directed and edited my own films, and I’m satisfied that they couldn’t be mistaken for anyone else’s (as they’re filled only with things that interest me), and that they played in a theater at least once each (thanks to festivals). I’ve been able to work with some brilliant actors. I’m grateful to have won the ‘Best Experimental Film’ award from the Independent Filmmakers Showcase and the ‘Best Feature Film’ award from the Subversive Cinema Society. I also have a YouTube channel for video essays on film, and blogs devoted to film, books and photography.

How do you think about happiness?
Happiness to me is a new film by Terry Gilliam or Pedro Almodóvar, or watching ‘The Other Side of the Wind’ for the 17th time. But that’s a hard question. I’m not sure if you can be made happy by anything external. I think it’s more of a decision. If you wait to be made happy, then you’re at the mercy of life, just keeping fingers crossed that more good things cross your path than bad things. Rather than happiness, I think more about pleasure and satisfaction, and the things that give me those feelings the strongest are watching movies and making movies. Love, nature, music, friendship, pets and lasagna are all wonderful, but movies are the best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/michaelagreenwood
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FilmAdrift

Image Credits
Michael A. Greenwood