Latest news with #Coulam
Scoop
20-07-2025
- Scoop
Council Calls For Tougher Dog Laws As Attacks And Euthanasia Rates Climb, Rescuers Overwhelmed
Auckland Council is pushing for stronger powers under the Dog Control Act 1996 to address the growing number of roaming and uncontrolled dogs. Despite this, frontline rescuers and local leaders say the crisis requires immediate on-the-ground action. Jo Coulam, a volunteer at the Saving Hope Foundation, says rescue groups are overwhelmed and feel abandoned. Coulam criticises the council's desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlights that rescue groups are carrying too much of the burden. Saving Hope has rehomed 637 dogs and puppies in the past month, with 46 requests received in a single day. 'We spoke in May about the Kāinga Ora houses and now, as we predicted, we have newborn puppies dumped on train tracks and in rubbish bins,' she says. 'Rescues like ours are left to do the hard work while trying to educate owners, but we can't do it alone. 'By 1pm that day we'd already had 32 more, including a mum and a litter of newborn pups. It's out of control.' South Auckland families at risk, MP warns Manurewa MP Arena Williams says the situation has worsened over the past two years, affecting families and elderly residents, particularly in South Auckland. 'This is why I've been calling on the Mayor and Councillor Josephine Bartley to pull together a taskforce. Central and local government need to work together for Aucklanders,' she says. 'Roaming dogs have got out of control in the last two years in Manurewa. Our kids and elderly people are at risk. Dog attacks are up, and we're now seeing roaming packs of unowned dogs. 'Manurewa needs new solutions to deal with this rapidly escalating issue. National has spent a lot of time telling councils what to cut. This is an opportunity for ministers to do something constructive and actually help Auckland with something that will genuinely benefit people in Manurewa and other communities affected.' Council defends response, calls for law reform Elly Waitoa, Animal Management Manager for Auckland Council, says public safety is their top priority, and that dog owners must take responsibility for their pets. Waitoa says that while desexing dogs is not the council's responsibility, they are stepping in because of the scale of the problem. She says the council is seeking stronger enforcement powers through legislative reform, which could include establishing conditions such as requiring fencing upgrades before a dog is released, mandating desexing in certain cases, and introducing mandatory reporting of serious dog attacks to enable timely intervention. 'We've got children being attacked, people being attacked, animals being attacked… children can't go to school because they're being terrorised by aggressive dogs… they can't walk to their local shop because of dogs,' she says. 'We don't have unlimited resources… it is the dog owner's responsibility to desex their dog… but we are doing everything that we can at this stage with the funding that we have. 'We're calling for more tools, like mandatory fencing standards and hospital reporting of dog attacks. It's about giving councils real options when education alone doesn't work.' Dog attack and roaming stats paint a grim picture In the past year, the Council received 16739 reports of roaming dogs, 1341 reports of dog attacks on people, and 1523 reports of attacks on other animals. Only 42 per cent of dogs were reclaimed by their owners, and more than 6000 were euthanised- over half of all dogs impounded. ACC claim data suggests the actual number of dog attacks is likely higher. Most serious attacks involving children happen in the family home and go unreported to Council, says General Manager Robert Irvine. 'Introducing mandatory hospital reporting would allow us to intervene and put measures in place to prevent attacks from happening again,' he says. Proposed changes to the Dog Control Act To help reduce attacks and improve enforcement, Auckland Council is asking the Government for powers to: -Mandate desexing policies -Require desexing before releasing dogs from shelters -Shorten the shelter holding period from seven to five days -Detain dogs post-attack if deemed dangerous -Increase fines for obstructing officers or breaching orders -Set localised infringement schedules -Require hospitals to report serious dog attacks 'These changes make good common sense and would greatly improve our ability to protect Aucklanders from dog-related harm,' says Irvine. 'They would not affect the majority of dog owners, who we know are responsible.' Councillors say more regional support is needed Chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, Councillor Josephine Bartley, says most dog owners are responsible, but stricter rules are now necessary. 'There is a group that just doesn't seem to care. Their actions are putting our communities at risk, particularly our tamariki, so having stricter rules around things like fencing and desexing has become necessary.' Manurewa - Papakura Councillor Daniel Newman says local board budgets are insufficient to respond to the scale of the problem. 'I don't want to have to be looking around at local boards trying to fund desexing vouchers and what have you,' he says. 'This has to be a regional response to a region-wide problem.' SPCA backs action but says national investment needed[SUBHEADING] SPCA National Community Outreach Manager Rebecca Dobson says the Council-SPCA pilot only began in June and is too early to judge. 'Since 2022, SPCA has desexed 1294 dogs in Auckland. That's part of a national programme that's seen 55000 animals desexed and more than 200000 unwanted litters prevented.' She says meaningful progress requires a significantly larger investment, estimated at more than $75 million. 'Rescue groups, SPCA, councils, vets and communities are all grappling with the fallout of people not desexing their pets. None of us can fix this alone. Desexing needs to become a priority for all pet owners.' Dobson also notes that enforcement is the Council's role, not the SPCA's. 'The public should contact their local council when it comes to roaming dogs, dog attacks or public safety issues. SPCA works under the Animal Welfare Act, focused on cruelty prevention.' Council commits to further action The Council has committed $5.9 million to increase patrols and community education and says further funding proposals are being prepared for next year's annual plan. The message to dog owners is clear: keep your dogs secure, desexed and under control.
1News
19-07-2025
- General
- 1News
Calls for tougher dog laws as attacks and euthanasia rates climb
Auckland Council is pushing for stronger powers under the Dog Control Act 1996 to address the growing number of roaming and uncontrolled dogs. Despite this, frontline rescuers and local leaders say the crisis requires immediate on-the-ground action. Jo Coulam, a volunteer at the Saving Hope Foundation, said rescue groups are overwhelmed and feel abandoned. Coulam criticised the council's desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlights that rescue groups are carrying too much of the burden. Saving Hope has rehomed 637 dogs and puppies in the past month, with 46 requests received in a single day. ADVERTISEMENT 'We spoke in May about the Kāinga Ora houses and now, as we predicted, we have newborn puppies dumped on train tracks and in rubbish bins,' she said. 'Rescues like ours are left to do the hard work while trying to educate owners, but we can't do it alone. 'By 1pm that day we'd already had 32 more, including a mum and a litter of newborn pups. It's out of control.' South Auckland families at risk Manurewa MP Arena Williams said the situation has worsened over the past two years, affecting families and elderly residents, particularly in South Auckland. 'This is why I've been calling on the Mayor and Councillor Josephine Bartley to pull together a taskforce. Central and local government need to work together for Aucklanders,' she said. Children cross the street on their way to school - safety concerns are rising as roaming dog incidents increase. (Source: Auckland Council) ADVERTISEMENT 'Roaming dogs have got out of control in the last two years in Manurewa. Our kids and elderly people are at risk. Dog attacks are up, and we're now seeing roaming packs of unowned dogs. 'Manurewa needs new solutions to deal with this rapidly escalating issue. National has spent a lot of time telling councils what to cut. This is an opportunity for ministers to do something constructive and actually help Auckland with something that will genuinely benefit people in Manurewa and other communities affected.' Council defends response, calls for law reform Elly Waitoa, Animal Management Manager for Auckland Council, said public safety is their top priority, and that dog owners must take responsibility for their pets. Waitoa said that while desexing dogs is not the council's responsibility, they are stepping in because of the scale of the problem. She said the council is seeking stronger enforcement powers through legislative reform. This could include establishing conditions such as requiring fencing upgrades before a dog is released, mandating desexing in certain cases, and introducing mandatory reporting of serious dog attacks to enable timely intervention. 'We've got children being attacked, people being attacked, animals being attacked… children can't go to school because they're being terrorised by aggressive dogs… they can't walk to their local shop because of dogs,' she said. ADVERTISEMENT 'We don't have unlimited resources… it is the dog owner's responsibility to desex their dog… but we are doing everything that we can at this stage with the funding that we have. 'We're calling for more tools, like mandatory fencing standards and hospital reporting of dog attacks. It's about giving councils real options when education alone doesn't work.' A new Auckland Council campaign is targeting owners who let their dogs roam. (Source: Auckland Council) Dog attack and roaming stats paint grim picture In the past year, the Council received 16,739 reports of roaming dogs, 1341 reports of dog attacks on people, and 1523 reports of attacks on other animals. Only 42% of dogs were reclaimed by their owners, and more than 6000 were euthanised, over half of all dogs impounded. ACC claim data suggests the actual number of dog attacks is likely higher. Most serious attacks involving children happen in the family home and go unreported to Council, said General Manager Robert Irvine. 'Introducing mandatory hospital reporting would allow us to intervene and put measures in place to prevent attacks from happening again,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT Proposed changes to the Dog Control Act To help reduce attacks and improve enforcement, Auckland Council is asking the Government for powers to: Mandate desexing policies Require desexing before releasing dogs from shelters Shorten the shelter holding period from seven to five days Detain dogs post-attack if deemed dangerous Increase fines for obstructing officers or breaching orders Set localised infringement schedules Require hospitals to report serious dog attacks 'These changes make good common sense and would greatly improve our ability to protect Aucklanders from dog-related harm,' said Irvine. 'They would not affect the majority of dog owners, who we know are responsible.' Councillors say more regional support is needed Chairwoman of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, Councillor Josephine Bartley, said most dog owners are responsible, but stricter rules are now necessary. 'There is a group that just doesn't seem to care. Their actions are putting our communities at risk, particularly our tamariki, so having stricter rules around things like fencing and desexing has become necessary.' ADVERTISEMENT Manurewa — Papakura Councillor Daniel Newman said local board budgets are insufficient to respond to the scale of the problem. 'I don't want to have to be looking around at local boards trying to fund desexing vouchers and what have you,' he said. 'This has to be a regional response to a region-wide problem.' SPCA backs action but says national investment needed SPCA National Community Outreach Manager Rebecca Dobson said the Council-SPCA pilot only began in June and is too early to judge. 'Since 2022, SPCA has desexed 1294 dogs in Auckland. That's part of a national programme that's seen 55000 animals desexed and more than 200,000 unwanted litters prevented.' She said meaningful progress requires a significantly larger investment, estimated at more than $75 million. 'Rescue groups, SPCA, councils, vets and communities are all grappling with the fallout of people not desexing their pets. None of us can fix this alone. Desexing needs to become a priority for all pet owners.' ADVERTISEMENT Dobson also notes that enforcement is the Council's role, not the SPCA's. 'The public should contact their local council when it comes to roaming dogs, dog attacks or public safety issues. SPCA works under the Animal Welfare Act, focused on cruelty prevention.' Council commits to further action The Council has committed $5.9 million to increase patrols and community education and says further funding proposals are being prepared for next year's annual plan. The message to dog owners is clear: keep your dogs secure, desexed and under control. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
19-07-2025
- NZ Herald
Auckland Council seeks stronger powers to tackle roaming dog crisis
Coulam criticises the council's desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlights that rescue groups are carrying too much of the burden. Saving Hope has rehomed 637 dogs and puppies in the past month, with 46 requests received in a single day. 'We spoke in May about the Kāinga Ora houses and now, as we predicted, we have newborn puppies dumped on train tracks and in rubbish bins,' she says. 'Rescues like ours are left to do the hard work while trying to educate owners, but we can't do it alone. By 1pm that day we'd already had 32 more, including a mum and a litter of newborn pups. It's out of control.' South Auckland families at risk, MP warns Manurewa MP Arena Williams says the situation has worsened over the past two years, affecting families and elderly residents, particularly in South Auckland. 'This is why I've been calling on the Mayor and councillor Josephine Bartley to pull together a taskforce. Central and local government need to work together for Aucklanders,' she says. Children cross the street on their way to school but safety concerns are rising as roaming dog incidents increase. Photo / Auckland Council 'Roaming dogs have got out of control in the last two years in Manurewa. Our kids and elderly people are at risk. Dog attacks are up, and we're now seeing roaming packs of unowned dogs. 'Manurewa needs new solutions to deal with this rapidly escalating issue. National has spent a lot of time telling councils what to cut. This is an opportunity for ministers to do something constructive and actually help Auckland with something that will genuinely benefit people in Manurewa and other communities affected.' Council defends response, calls for law reform Auckland Council animal management manager Elly Waitoa says public safety is its top priority and that dog owners must take responsibility for their pets. Waitoa says while desexing dogs is not the council's responsibility it is stepping in because of the scale of the problem. She says the council is seeking stronger enforcement powers through legislative reform, which could include establishing conditions such as requiring fencing upgrades before a dog is released, mandating desexing in certain cases, and introducing mandatory reporting of serious dog attacks to enable timely intervention. 'We've got children being attacked, people being attacked, animals being attacked… children can't go to school because they're being terrorised by aggressive dogs… they can't walk to their local shop because of dogs,' she says. 'We don't have unlimited resources… it is the dog owner's responsibility to desex their dog… but we are doing everything that we can at this stage with the funding that we have. 'We're calling for more tools, like mandatory fencing standards and hospital reporting of dog attacks. It's about giving councils real options when education alone doesn't work.' Dog attack and roaming stats paint a grim picture In the past year, the council received 16,739 reports of roaming dogs, 1341 reports of dog attacks on people and 1523 reports of attacks on other animals. Only 42% of dogs were reclaimed by their owners and more than 6000 were euthanised – over half of all dogs impounded. Frontline officers are stretched thin as Auckland Council faces record numbers of roaming dog reports. Photo / Auckland Council ACC claim data suggests the actual number of dog attacks is likely higher. Most serious attacks involving children happen in the family home and go unreported to council, says general manager Robert Irvine. 'Introducing mandatory hospital reporting would allow us to intervene and put measures in place to prevent attacks from happening again,' he says. Proposed changes to the Dog Control Act To help reduce attacks and improve enforcement, Auckland Council is asking the Government for powers to: Mandate desexing policies Require desexing before releasing dogs from shelters Shorten the shelter holding period from seven to five days Detain dogs post-attack if deemed dangerous Increase fines for obstructing officers or breaching orders Set localised infringement schedules Require hospitals to report serious dog attacks. 'These changes make good common sense and would greatly improve our ability to protect Aucklanders from dog-related harm,' says Irvine. 'They would not affect the majority of dog owners, who we know are responsible.' Councillors say more regional support is needed Chairwoman of the Regulatory and Safety Committee, councillor Josephine Bartley, says most dog owners are responsible but stricter rules are now necessary. 'There is a group that just doesn't seem to care. Their actions are putting our communities at risk, particularly our tamariki, so having stricter rules around things like fencing and desexing has become necessary.' Manurewa-Papakura councillor Daniel Newman says local board budgets are insufficient to respond to the scale of the problem. 'I don't want to have to be looking around at local boards trying to fund desexing vouchers and what have you,' he says. 'This has to be a regional response to a region-wide problem.' SPCA backs action but says national investment is needed. SPCA national community outreach manager Rebecca Dobson says the council-SPCA pilot only began in June and it is too early to judge its success. 'Since 2022, SPCA has desexed 1294 dogs in Auckland. That's part of a national programme that's seen 55,000 animals desexed and more than 200,000 unwanted litters prevented.' She says meaningful progress requires a significantly larger investment, estimated at more than $75 million. 'Rescue groups, SPCA, councils, vets and communities are all grappling with the fallout of people not desexing their pets. None of us can fix this alone. Desexing needs to become a priority for all pet owners.' Dobson also says enforcement is the council's role, not the SPCA's. 'The public should contact their local council when it comes to roaming dogs, dog attacks or public safety issues. SPCA works under the Animal Welfare Act, focused on cruelty prevention.' Council commits to further action The council has committed $5.9m to increase patrols and community education and says further funding proposals are being prepared for next year's annual plan. The message to dog owners is clear: keep your dogs secure, desexed and under control.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Cause of death revealed for Texas Renaissance Festival founder 'King George'
The Brief Texas Renaissance Festival founder George "King George" Coulam was found dead at his home last Wednesday. Coulam was the founder and longtime owner of the festival. He previously served as mayor of Todd Mission for more than 40 years. TODD MISSION, Texas - Grimes County Precinct 3 officials announced the cause of death of Texas Renaissance Festival founder George "King George" Coulam. What we know According to the Todd Mission city manager, police were called to Coulam's home at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21. He was found deceased in his home. Officials with Grimes County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin say Coulam died by suicide. What we don't know No other details are available at this time. Dig deeper Coulam is the founder and longtime owner of the Texas Renaissance Festival. He started the Texas Renaissance Festival in 1974, and it has grown into the largest of its kind in the United States. In addition to being the festival's leader, Coulam served as mayor of Todd Mission for more than four decades, but lost the most recent election on May 3. In 2024, the HBO docuseries "Ren Faire" focused on the festival's succession and Coulam's eventual retirement, highlighting the tension between his desire to find a romantic partner and his need to choose a successor. It also highlighted Coulam's strict leadership style. There have been ongoing legal disputes and potential sales of the festival, with a recent judge's order in early May mandating the sale of Coulam's properties, including the festival. The Source Previous FOX 26 reporting and Grimes County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Mark Laughlin's office
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Ren Faire' director Lance Oppenheim on the corrupting influence of power and accidentally capturing ‘America in miniature'
We live in an escapist era. Nostalgic IP-mining reboots abound, large-scale video games are more popular every year, and escape rooms, immersive experiences, and other real-life novelties are now commonplace. Nowhere is this world-outside-the-world energy more prominent than the Texas Renaissance Festival. Founded by George Coulam in 1974, the Texas Renaissance Festival is the largest Renaissance festival in America, encompassing its own Texas town, with Coulam serving as both town mayor and festival king until his death on May 21. Ren Faire, a three-part HBO docuseries created by Some Heaven and Spermworld director Lance Oppenheim, explores a tumultuous time in the fest's long history, as Coulam looks to retire from the festival he's long been synonymous with. Vying for control over the fest's future are Coulam's longtime right-hand man, Jeff Baldwin, ren faire tycoon Louie Migliaccio, and a host of other players. While there's organic humor in the concept — it's a struggle over succession of a fake kingdom, after all — it ends up a dramatic microcosm of the perils of power. More from GoldDerby Cannes 2025 wrap: 'Sentimental Value,' Jennifer Lawrence, June Squibb, and the 2026 Oscar contenders to know How Eddie Redmayne crafted his 'deeply unflappable' assassin on 'The Day of the Jackal' How 'Succession' creator Jesse Armstrong freshly explores mega wealth through tech bro one-upmanship in 'Mountainhead' Oppenheim spoke to Gold Derby about capturing truth in a fantasy land, power struggles, accidentally capturing America in miniature, and the lessons he's taking into his narrative feature debut in Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson and distributed by A24. Note: This interview took place prior to Coulam's death. Gold Derby: You hit on such a tumultuous time for Ren Faire's future. How did Ren Faire come to fruition when it did? Lance Oppenheim: The project began with David Gauvey Herbert and Abigail Road, two journalists who came to me with the story. They found the world of the Texas Renaissance Festival, and George Coulam, the king and the mayor of this town that he had created around the Faire. … I love the idea that there was a real-life fiefdom that had been created by this very eccentric, iconoclastic dude, who cosplayed and also lived a real life as a king … though it's a very stylized portrayal of the succession crisis, every moment was born out of real, intense investigative journalistic practice, and so it was a lot of fun trying to crack it and put it together. You had so much access, including in many private moments. How did you gain that level of trust? Time is really the leveling force with a lot of these things. It took us three years to make this project. It was over 100 shoot days — I was basically living in Texas more than I was living in my own apartment here in New York. I think the other part of this that was a really important piece was that everyone at the Renaissance Festival, more or less, is an actor, in a way. … They move through an almost 80-acre stage, and it's very immersive, so the idea of us coming to them with not just a traditional, fly-on-the-wall [documentary] approach [is appealing]. With George, it was a different story. When we met George, I think he was trying to figure out what we were after. He wasn't interested in talking about the Faire, he was interested in talking about himself as this Hugh Hefner-type, a Howard Hughes-type — one of the first things he said to me was that he was a horny old man. I saw that something in him lit up. He was so interested in saying all the things that everyone around him told him not to say. I would come to him bearing gifts. Sometimes I'd have to convince him to keep up filming with us by gifting him books about the magic of obelisks. At that point in time, once he'd received it, he'd be like, "OK, yeah, I guess I can communicate with [these people] on an artistic frequency, they're not just interested in making some sort of boring documentary," and that's when we were able to keep doing it. Photo: HBO Any time anyone even almost remotely challenged him, he'd balk at that, so I would imagine that receptivity went a long way. Yeah, it was interesting for him. I think we were the first people in his life that weren't employed by him. We had editorial control. And I think, in a weird way, George is one of these people — even though he's so obsessed with controlling everyone and everything around him — I think he also loves being shocked. Even though he is this controversial dude who says all this wild, crazy shit, I do think he is someone who is lonely, and [he] doesn't really have an outlet or anyone to really talk to. I think that's what also happened while we were there. The way I like to work is I usually tell people, "Listen, I'm not gonna tell you what to do or how to do it, but I am going to ask you not to acknowledge the camera." With George, there was none of that. I'd come to him, and he'd always say, "get your ugly ass cameraman out here," and "you get your ugly ass inside my room, and we're gonna start shooting" … then he'd tell us the moment we'd get there, "turn the cameras on, I'm gonna be going off the wall." I realized at that point in time he knew exactly what we were hoping to do, and how I was hoping to shoot things. But because he's the king, and because he identifies as such, I think he wanted to be the king of our process. The series spends a lot of time on the conflict over succession between Jeff, who appreciates the Faire's theatricality, and Louie, who has built a proto-capitalist empire within it. Very different visions. I wanted to know if you could speak to that conflict. I think you nailed it. There's also a little bit of a thing going on there about tradition versus change. Jeff Baldwin — the general manager there — it's the only job he's ever worked. He's been working there for 40-plus years. Louie came from a different place. He did start as an actor there, but he also developed a business of making kettlecorn and all kinds of other products. He really sees himself as an entrepreneur, whereas Jeff really sees himself as a guy that came from the traditions of the space. It's a fascinating idea, the idea of Renaissance festivals, because in some ways, they are the most capitalist environment on the planet. It almost feels like going to Vegas, where the only way to actually have a good time at these places these days is to spend serious cash … it's like it requires a pay-to-play existence. The thing that's interesting, and ultimately I think starts to animate the rest of the series, is at first it almost seems like George is actually thinking pretty deeply about the two different ideas or philosophies, but it becomes clear the more time that we spent with him that he doesn't really care about anything. He just wants the money, and he wants to get out … and then over time, ultimately, the money was sort of secondary as well. It's really just about self-importance, and purpose, and meaning… But yet it's sort of stuck in this never-ending cycle where George controls and dictates every rule in very arbitrary ways. On the topic of its never-ending cycle, there is a rhythm and circularity to the events that occur. Fortunes rise and fall. Tell me about your process of finding the narrative in that, and how you work with the editors to shape it into what it became. It goes without saying for every documentary, the editors don't get enough credit. Max Allman and Nick Nasmee, who edited this series, were really were like my co-authors. They were amazing. They were working with me basically from the first day of production. It was like a three-year edit, in a way. From the very beginning of the process and just meeting people, people would always talk about [how] so many people were cast out of the kingdom… this idea that George likes to flirt with people all the time, and make them feel like they're going to potentially be the heir to his fortune. It's almost a test. The moment you become maybe too big for your britches, or you do something that could bother him, he totally will throw you out. I thought for a long time, just like Jeff and Louie, this time would be different … and by the time that second year came to an end, I guess that it was around 2023, I realized that the cycle was just going — it was a Mobius strip — that the series would operate and tell a story that has happened many, many years before. I went back, and we re-edited some parts of the first two episodes just to make that through-line a lot clearer. This was a story about people who were giving all of themselves to their work in the hopes of some sort of grand prize at the end. What you see by the end of the series is just that there's no end in sight. I thought, it couldn't have ended any other way. Photo: HBO I also want to congratulate you on moving into your first narrative feature with A24's Primetime. How has your experience with Ren Faire affected how you approach narrative filmmaking? A lot of the stuff I had done in the documentary space feels very similar, I think, to some of the stuff that I was doing with this fiction film I just wrapped pretty recently. [In Primetime], working with actors and, for me, having a moldable story that I could keep discovering while we're shooting, was really important. I think the difference of working with untrained actors is that I would always find myself just observing, watching things … just making sure that we were in the right place and position, and then once that thing would happen, I would shoot another two hours in that specific scene … and so it was always like a dance, where what I was photographing had to be real, but also allowing the performance to come into it allowed for almost another form of documentary truth in there. On the fiction film, there were parts of it that were similar. William Friedkin said something once, I'm probably butchering the paraphrasing of it: "You inherit the lives and the lived experiences of where your performers are when you're making the film." In that way, there is almost a documentary dimension. No matter what they're doing, what choices they're making, it's coming from where they are in their lives, and so a lot of that too I was trying to pull into it. I [also] liked that I could look at another story about power, and proximity to power, and what power does to you. I did that with Ren Faire, and I liked doing it within the world of broadcast television in this very specific time period, [and] we were looking at it with the Primetime movie. I love that, congratulations on both projects. Thank you so much. It's funny — I'm just thinking about that first question you asked, too. Going back to that, when I went into making this thing, I thought it was going to be a comedy, and it became a tragedy by the end of it. And I think so much about America, where we are now. … It's funny how George in some ways almost represents both [Joe] Biden and [Donald] Trump, both in his decision-making [and in] the way he moves. He's of advanced age. Maybe he's sharp, maybe he's not sometimes, and then [there are] also all these people that are just scurrying around him, constantly losing favor with him because maybe he doesn't like the way they look on a specific day, or he doesn't like the joke they're telling him. Just the idea of power and what that does to people, to me, it almost makes the documentary feel almost like a story of the American empire in decline, or America in miniature, but just inside this very specific subculture. Ren Faire is now streaming on Max. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Best of GoldDerby How Eddie Redmayne crafted his 'deeply unflappable' assassin on 'The Day of the Jackal' TV composers roundtable: 'Adolescence,' 'Day of the Jackal,' 'Interview With the Vampire,' 'Your Friends and Neighbors' 'Your Friends and Neighbors' composer Dominic Lewis on matching the show's tonal shifts and writing the catchy theme song 'The Joneses' Click here to read the full article.
