What are your expectations?
LUTHER:You know, I took the time with it.
I took the time with this film, and we shot it a couple of summers ago.
Billy Luther, Taika Waititi and ‘Frybread Face & Me’Getty Images/Cybelle Codish
And, as Taika has said to me, dont rush the film.
Dont cut your film to make a festival.
Make your film, theyll be all right.
Ive told stories about my community and stuff, but this is, this is my story.
So thats just something that I kept in my head aw we were shooting in big pandemic.
Where I had to do all my rehearsals and casting through Zoom, which was strange.
And nowFrybreadis here in Austin, weird.
All Ill say is God forbid I make aStar Warsfilm about people sitting on mountains playing flutes…
DEADLINE:Well, they kind of went there with the last few Stars Wars movies with Luke Skywalker.
WAITITI:Okay, then I wont do that, for sure.
I think thats elevated storytelling.
So, whether it is a moment or becoming mainstream, I think its pretty, pretty great.
Like look,Res Dogs, that exploded pretty quickly.
Then you haveRutherford Falls,Dark Windsand you know, theres other projects coming on.
I mean, I would love to write forHacks.
You know who else I would love to write for?White Lotus.
And we can write for those shows, because the talent is there.
I also see it growing in terms of the crew behind the camera.
Theres Native camera crews, native scripts, and thats what needs to happen.
I want more Native editors as well as more native stories.
WAITITI:Yeah, I agree.
Its just nice to be able to break out of what we see in Hollywood.
DEADLINE:How do you mean?
WAITITI:Theres a need for different ways of telling stories, and bringing audiences in.
DEADLINE:How do you do that?
They crave something, something different and especially if its something that also feels close to home.
Something that gives them a unique insight that they havent really experienced.
That feels new to them and I think thats something that expands their horizons and their experience of story.
That we all essentially grew up in the same neighborhoods in the same communities.
Where I grew up in New Zealand feels very similar to some of the communities Ive been to here.
DEADLINE:Whats your take on that Billy?
I mean, thats huge.
DEADLINE:I have to ask now, how did you meet?
LUTHER:(LAUGHS) I was a volunteer at a film festival.
And he asked me for my Nokia phone charger.
Im thinking, Im never gonna get this charger back.
But as six oclock came, hes like, thank you bro.
We got to talking and he asked, what do you do?
So, after that, we were friends, brothers really.
Being here at SXSW, that reminds of one of the things I love about festivals.
DEADLINE:How so?
LUTHER:The film world is so big, but its also so small, you know?
It can be so supportive, its all about networking in terms of the film business.
They always say its all in who you know, and thats so true as Frybread shows.
Its very easy have that taken away from you growing up in small towns.
Its very hard to become an artist when you grow up in a small town and find like-minded people.
Thank God I found art.
DEADLINE:Billy, in terms of your art whats next?
As you know, Ive always wanted to develop my first documentaryMiss.
Navajointo a feature script.
The documentary was great in terms of honoring the women, especially my mother who wasMiss Navajoin the 60s.
So with the feature, I just really want to pull no punches.
DEADLINE:Does that sentiment seem familiar to you Taika?
WAITITI:For sure.
I always found in those film a lack of fun.
DEADLINE:When you say fun …
WAITITI:In the depiction of us.
Were very positive people and theres very funny people in these communities.
I think the cause is still there, but its evolved.
I never saw any of that sh*t growing up.
