Director FAQ
Q: What inspired this film? How did you find your subjects?
A: The concept for THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS came about while interviewing a subject for FLIGHT FROM DEATH: THE QUEST FOR IMMORTALITY, my first feature length film. Sheldon Solomon, an eccentric PhD who in his own words is often mistaken for a homeless man, told a story of how he was a “haircut away from a job at Princeton”, and continued to remark how he believed there are probably more wise people who look homeless than there are wearing suits and ties. While reviewing that footage, the idea came to me that I’d like to explore wisdom and what sort of misconceptions we have about it. To give the film more focus and an easier context within which to explore this idea, we chose to interview only custodians. They are everywhere – in every business, on every campus – yet they’re totally unseen. How many encounters do we have with people everyday yet not really see them? Too many to count probably. There’s a disconnection there somewhere and I wanted to call attention to it with this film.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges/surprises?
A: A film project often begins with a phone call or an email to some person whom you either want to interview or who might know something about someone you want to interview. I’m always blown away by the extraordinary journeys we often find ourselves on as a result of those little phone calls. It was a phone call to Princeton University that resulted in us meeting Josue Lajeunesse, a custodian by day and taxi cab driver by night. Months later we found ourselves in a remote village, where Josue was raised and where his family currently resides, in the middle of the jungles of Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. We feared for our lives every second we were in Haiti, a country known for frequent kidnappings of Americans and whose capital is considered one of the most dangerous places on the planet, but it was possibly the most incredibly exciting and rewarding experiences of our lives.
Q: Who are some of your favorite filmmakers?
A: I’m a big fan of narrative directors that employ documentary techniques or whose movies deal with very honest and raw themes like Jonathan Demme and his recent masterpiece RACHEL GETTING MARRIED. Alejandro Gonzalez Innarritu’s movies also have very honest and sincere qualities to his movies that I connect with.
Q: What is your all time favorite documentary?
A: It’s more of a documentary series, but I’m absolutely loving “This American Life,” both the radio and TV series these days. I think when it comes to non-fiction storytelling, few people do it better. I love the old verite documentaries from the 60s like Fred Wiseman’s Titicut Follies and the Maysles brothers’ Salesman.
Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
A: I became a filmmaker because I have a natural desire to speak out and speak my mind but for some reason can’t stand the sound of my own voice. It’s really one of the few mediums that suit me.
For more information about Patrick Shen, visit patrickshen.com.
