Sara Driver
Encyclopedia
Sara Driver is an independent filmmaker born in Westfield, NJ. She produced two early films for Jim Jarmusch, helping him to gain international attention and success. She is also known for coining the phrase necro-tourism after the surge in tourism due to the fall of the World Trade Towers in 2001.
story and co-written by Jim Jarmusch. Shot in six days on a $12,000 budget, it developed a following soon after a well-received premiere at the Public Theater
, only to be pulled out of circulation when a warehouse fire destroyed the film's negative. Rarely seen, it was still championed by renowned critics and film journals like Jonathan Rosenbaum
and Cahiers du Cinéma, which hailed You Are Not I as one of the best films of the 1980s. Considered 'lost' for many years, a print was later discovered among Bowles belongings, and following a digital restoration, the film was screened for the first time in 20 years in 2010.
Driver directed her first feature film
, Sleepwalk in 1986. It was awarded the prestigious Prix Georges Sadoul (1986) by the Cinematheque Francaise
, the Special Prize at the 1986 International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
, and was the opening night selection for the 25th Anniversary of the International Critic's Week
(1986) at the Cannes International Film Festival. Sleepwalk was also featured at the Museum of Modern Art's 1987 New Directors Film Series and the Sundance Film Festival
(1987).
Driver directed the "Bed and Boar" episode of the TV series Monsters (1990). Her second feature film as a director, When Pigs Fly (1993), stars Marianne Faithfull
and Alfred Molina
and is scored by Joe Strummer
. The film received the Best of Festival Feature award at the 1994 Long Island Film Festival. When Pigs Fly premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival.
Driver also wrote and directed the short documentary, The Bowery - Spring, 1994, part of Postcards from New York, an anthology program for French TV. Driver has producer and production credits for many films of Jim Jarmusch
, as well as minor roles in three of his films.
Driver's theater work includes the play "What the Hell - Zelda Sayre" (1977, writer, director); the experimental musical, "Jazz Passengers in Egypt" (1990, director), performed at La Mama
, NYC; as well as the play "Stairway to Heaven
" (1994, director), at the Cucaracha Theatre, NYC.
Driver was a juror at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
(2004) where they also did a retrospective of her films. She was also a juror at the Miami International Film Festival
(2005), San Sebastian Film Festival (2006), Bahamas International Film Festival
(2006), and director Emir Kusturica
's Küstendorf Film and Music Festival (2010).
. She taught directing in NYU's Graduate Film School (1996–1998), where she received her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1982.
Film career
Driver made her directorial debut in 1981 with You Are Not I, a short subject film based on a Paul BowlesPaul Bowles
Paul Frederic Bowles was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator.Following a cultured middle-class upbringing in New York City, during which he displayed a talent for music and writing, Bowles pursued his education at the University of Virginia before making various trips to Paris...
story and co-written by Jim Jarmusch. Shot in six days on a $12,000 budget, it developed a following soon after a well-received premiere at the Public Theater
Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...
, only to be pulled out of circulation when a warehouse fire destroyed the film's negative. Rarely seen, it was still championed by renowned critics and film journals like Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
and Cahiers du Cinéma, which hailed You Are Not I as one of the best films of the 1980s. Considered 'lost' for many years, a print was later discovered among Bowles belongings, and following a digital restoration, the film was screened for the first time in 20 years in 2010.
Driver directed her first feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
, Sleepwalk in 1986. It was awarded the prestigious Prix Georges Sadoul (1986) by the Cinematheque Francaise
Cinémathèque Française
The Cinémathèque Française holds one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world. Located in Paris, the Cinémathèque holds daily screenings of films from around the world.-History:...
, the Special Prize at the 1986 International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival is an annual film festival held jointly by the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg. The festival was established in 1952. In Mannheim there are six cinema centres and 19 single cinemas.The festival presents arthouse films of...
, and was the opening night selection for the 25th Anniversary of the International Critic's Week
International Critic's Week
The International Critics' Week , founded in 1962 and organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics, is the oldest parallel competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival. It showcases first and second feature films by directors from all over the world, and has remained true to its tradition...
(1986) at the Cannes International Film Festival. Sleepwalk was also featured at the Museum of Modern Art's 1987 New Directors Film Series and the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
(1987).
Driver directed the "Bed and Boar" episode of the TV series Monsters (1990). Her second feature film as a director, When Pigs Fly (1993), stars Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
and Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
and is scored by Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
. The film received the Best of Festival Feature award at the 1994 Long Island Film Festival. When Pigs Fly premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival.
Driver also wrote and directed the short documentary, The Bowery - Spring, 1994, part of Postcards from New York, an anthology program for French TV. Driver has producer and production credits for many films of Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, as well as minor roles in three of his films.
Driver's theater work includes the play "What the Hell - Zelda Sayre" (1977, writer, director); the experimental musical, "Jazz Passengers in Egypt" (1990, director), performed at La Mama
La Mama
La Mama may refer to:* La Mama - a German disco group* La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in East Village, Manhattan, New York City, founded 1961* La Mama Theatre in Carlton, Victoria, Australia, founded 1967...
, NYC; as well as the play "Stairway to Heaven
Stairway to Heaven
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album . The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which...
" (1994, director), at the Cucaracha Theatre, NYC.
Driver was a juror at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
The Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The festival is managed by the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, it is not...
(2004) where they also did a retrospective of her films. She was also a juror at the Miami International Film Festival
Miami International Film Festival
The Miami International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Miami, Florida in the late winter. The film festival is sponsored by the Miami Film Society, which has been around since 1983....
(2005), San Sebastian Film Festival (2006), Bahamas International Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in early December in the Bahamas, founded in 2004.The Bahamas International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films...
(2006), and director Emir Kusturica
Emir Kusturica
Emir Nemanja Kusturica , is a Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician, recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films...
's Küstendorf Film and Music Festival (2010).
Personal life and Education
Driver was born in Westfield, New JerseyWestfield, New Jersey
Westfield is a town in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 30,316. The old village area, now the downtown district, was settled in 1720 as part of the Elizabethtown Tract....
. She taught directing in NYU's Graduate Film School (1996–1998), where she received her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1982.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Permanent Vacation Permanent Vacation (film) Permanent Vacation is a 1980 drama film directed, written and produced by Jim Jarmusch. It was the director's first release, and was shot on 16 mm film shortly after he dropped out of film school. This film is often credited as the birth of the director's original style, and character schemes... |
Actor: Nurse, Production Manager, Assistant Director |
| 1981 | You Are Not I | Director, Writer, Producer |
| 1984 | Stranger Than Paradise Stranger Than Paradise Stranger Than Paradise is a 1984 American absurdist/deadpan comedy film. It was written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and stars jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, and Hungarian-born actress Eszter Balint... |
Actor: Girl with hat, Producer, Production Manager |
| 1986 | Sleepwalk (Year of the Dog) | Director, Writer, Producer |
| 1986 | Down by Law Down by Law (film) Down by Law is a 1986 black-and-white independent film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni.... |
Production Troubleshooter |
| 1989 | Mystery Train Mystery Train (film) Mystery Train is a 1989 independent anthology film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and set in Memphis, Tennessee. The film comprises a triptych of stories involving foreign protagonists unfolding over the course of the same night... |
Actor: Airport clerk |
| 1989 | Bloodhounds of Broadway Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989 film) Bloodhounds of Broadway is a 1989 film based on four Damon Runyon stories. It was directed by Howard Brookner and starred Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey, Anita Morris, Julie Hagerty, Rutger Hauer, Madonna, Esai Morales and Randy Quaid.... |
Actor: Yvette |
| 1990 | Monsters Monsters (TV series) Monsters is a syndicated horror anthology series which originally ran from 1988 to 1991 and reran on the Sci-Fi Channel during the 1990s. As of 2011, Monsters airs on NBC Universal's horror/suspense-themed cable channel Chiller in sporadic weekday marathons.In a similar vein to Tales from the... (episode "Bed and Boar") |
Director |
| 1991 | Keep It for Yourself Keep It for Yourself -Plot:Sophie comes to New York from France with the intention of meeting up with a man she met a few months before. She finds herself alone in the man's apartment, and she discovers that he left town because he was scared stiff at the idea of seeing her.-Cast:... |
Actor |
| 1991 | Night on Earth | (uncredited crew member) |
| 1993] | When Pigs Fly | Director, Writer |
| 1999 | Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 American crime action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", a hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book of Yamamoto... |
Story Consultant |
| 2005 | Broken Flowers Broken Flowers Broken Flowers is a 2005 French/American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. The film focuses on an aging "Don Juan" who embarks on a cross-country journey to track down four of his former lovers after receiving an anonymous letter... |
On credits as 'idea inspired from' |
See also
- Gene Markopoulos, "A Few Remarks on Sara Driver's 'Sleepwalk'", in: ART IN SOCIETY, No.5
- Andreas Weiland, "Sleepwalk. Notes on A Film by Sara Driver", in: ART IN SOCIETY, No.5
- Janet Maslin, "FILM REVIEW - When Pigs Fly: Ghosts Inspiring a New Life", The New York Times, July 26, 1996.
- Peter Watrous, "Jazz and Theater Add Up to a New Form of Vaudeville", The New York Times, December 13, 1990.
- Jonathan Rosenbaum, "Two Neglected Filmmakers: Eduardo de Gregario and Sara Driver" BAFICI Catalogue, 2004.
External links
- Sara Driver on hollywood.com
- Sara Driver on IMDb
- Sara Driver on Allmovie.com