WORCESTER – This is part of a series of interviews of those in the New England film industry, produced in partnership with HollyWoot Film Group. All answers are unedited and as provided by the interviewee.
Samuel Carl Cohen is a self-taught filmmaker based in Massachusetts. He got his start as a cinematographer for independent short films before making his way to writing, directing, and editing his own material. He is known for his experimental filmmaking style and surreal dark comedy.
Q1: What is your favorite movie?
My favorite film is The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson. It’s a Rorschach Test. It’s a film about nothing and everything.
Most people will be frustrated by it’s lack of a clear story progression and ambiguous character development, but if you bring your own ideas to the film, it will reward you. Also, it has my favorite soundtrack by the great Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead.
Q2: Who is your hero?
I admire Stanley Kubrick, the most out of any other filmmaker, for his dedication to perfecting his craft, his creativity in innovating the cinematic language, and his bold artistic statements. From when I first started taking an interest in the art of filmmaking as a teenager, his films have stood tall as the pinnacle of what films can be.
I’ve re-watched his filmography countless times, and as I’ve gotten older, his films have continued to capture my interest in new ways.
Q3: What is your preferred craft in film?
My favorite part of filmmaking is directing. It’s when I feel most physically and mentally engaged and artistically expressive. There isn’t much in life more rewarding than looking through the camera and capturing that cinematic moment you’ve been dreaming of.
Q4: How long have you been working in film, and where?
I got my start working on films in 2019 as a cinematographer for short films from local independent filmmakers. I then started working on other aspects, such as writing, directing, and editing, all of which I greatly enjoy.
Q5: What is your dream project?
Every film is a dream project. I have many scripts in the works and any one of them is just as important as any other film I’ve already made. Each film needs to have all of your thought, attention, and heart, because it very well could be your last.
Q6: The film that should never be remade is…?
I don’t think any film is above remaking. Remaking films is just as valid as an original story.
Many of the films we look back to as classics were remakes or heavily inspired by existing material.
Even though there are many remakes that pale in comparison to the original, the value of the original isn’t diminished by remaking it, and sometimes remakes are better than the original because they bring a new perspective to the material.
Q7: If you were overlord for a day, what would change about the local film industry?
I think we need to realize that we’re not competitors.
Filmmaking is a collaborative form, both in how they get made, and in how they stay relevant. If filmmakers (both professionals and non professionals) were more supportive of getting each other’s films made, than it would be easier to sustain a community to share them.
Sharing our films is ultimately what every filmmaker wants, so helping each other out is what needs to be done to keep the community active.
Q8: What are you working on now?
I’m working on a script for my next film. I’ll share it with people when it’s ready. I think talking about my “work in progress” films is bad for my creative process, but I think what I’m cooking up will be my best work yet.
Q9: Where can we find your work and you?
I have a YouTube channel for my work. There you can find my other short film, “Lactown and Lumberjack: The Son Says Hello”.
Q10: What is the next step?
My next step is writing and directing my next film, and to stay involved into helping other make their films. I love filmmaking and I want to stay in touch with the creative aspect that drew me to it.
