Parker Posey

Feb 7, 2003

Personal Velocity is a InDigEnt film [Independent Digital Entertainment]. InDigEnt began in 1999 as a joint creation of IFC Productions, John Sloss and director Gary Winick. The spiritual cousin of the Danish collective, Dogme95, and vanguard filmmaker John Cassavetes, InDigEnt is dedicated to exploratory digital cinema, drawing on established screenwriters, directors and actors.

Personal Velocity is written and directed by Rebecca Miller [daughter of Crucible author Henry Miller], tells three tales of women as they escape their current situations: Kyra Sedgwick is Delia, a spirited working-class woman from small town New York who flees an abusive marriage with her young children; Parker Posey is Greta, a cookbook editor who is "rotten with ambition" and struggling (not too hard) with issues of fidelity to her kind, but unexciting husband; and Fairuza Balk is Paula, a troubled young woman who takes off on a journey with a young hitchhiker after a strange, fateful encounter on a New York street. The film won Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Excellence in Cinematography prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival Awards.

Check out the website for Personal Velocity

Dan Epstein: One of your abilities is being able to give a serious character a humorous slant.

Parker Posey: I like doing that. Chekhov said that you have to have laughter through tears.

DE:

In the original short story Greta wasn't very attractive. You are.

PP:

Thank you.

DE:

So how did you feel when Rebecca wanted you for the role?

PP:

I was happy because there is not a lot of good material out there. It's hard for actors to find a part to relate to.

DE:

How was shooting A Mighty Wind [the new Christopher Guest improvisational film]?

PP:

It was great. I learned how to play the mandolin. Everyone hangs around watching the other actors. I didn't know anything about the characters other than when I saw them open for Spinal Tap this year.

DE:

What other roles would you like to do?

PP:

Well since I can do so much comedy that's what I end up doing but I would love to do a real dramatic role. To be funny you have to have that other dramatic side.

DE:

I read today about your audition for Speed. What happened with that?

PP:

I was laughing because they wanted me to pretend I was driving a bus. It was such a joke. I always mock these silly situations the auditions put me in.

DE:

What music do you like?

PP:

Sigur Ros, Belle & Sebastian, Mighty Flashlight

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