Jagjaguwar musician to show film at Rawles

Director Rick Alverson, who goes by R. Alverson, gets half the writing credit for his first full-length film, “The Builder,” but his name won’t be found anywhere on the screenplay. That is, simply, because an actual screenplay doesn’t exist.

Often writing scenes while riding a train from Virginia to New York hours before a weekend of shooting, Alverson’s finished written version of “The Builder” was just a few pages, something equal to an open-ended skeletal frame.

“I approach writing scripts in the same way,” he said of his creative writing process. “They have a certain formal structure, but also leave room for intuitive thinking and interpretation.”

A screening of “The Builder” will be at 7 p.m. today at Rawles Hall 100 including a Q&A with Alverson to follow.

Equipped with a solid vision, Alverson set out to create a film of hyper realistic affinity. Aspects of “The Builder” have a certain spontaneity, which should not be confused with improvising. This approach creates a real-life tone throughout the film, and is seen in the cast.

Alverson said every actor  but Colm O’Leary, who co-wrote the film, was inexperienced.

“This worked in our favor; we utilized their personalities and natural instincts as people rather than actors, which gave a very naturalistic feel to the film,” Alverson said. “They didn’t have a set script to go on, rather just small terms and narrative points to address in character while using their own vernacular.”

When it came time to release the film, Alverson turned to local label Jagjaguwar, who has released ten of Alverson’s albums.

“The Builder” was Jagjaguwar’s first film project. Since, they have since signed on to work on Alverson’s next film, “New Jerusalem,” which is set to release this winter.
“When I approached Chris (Swanson) about ‘The Builder,’ he put a hell of a lot of trust in me,” Alverson said. Swanson helps run Jagjaguwar.

What The New York Times fondly refers to as a “DIY film,” “The Builder” is best experienced up-close. To fully comprehend it, Alverson urges students to try to undo what years of watching television have taught us. He said students should watch the film without trying to decode it or uncover any kind of thinly veiled metaphors.

“I would like to challenge you to see “The Builder” as a string of unconstructed, spontaneous actions,” he said. “Do not think of it as a movie, rather something you could see happening on the streets around you.”