Interview with Chris Henry Lynn

Who is Chris Henry Lynn?

A filmmaker, composer, curator, and educator

What is Reading dream within a dream about?

The film is a visual reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s Poem.

How did you start with film? And do you have an educational background in art or film?

I presented this piece for the Big Read’s celebration of Edgar Allan Poe’s work in Maryland-
We screened the film at Pyramid Atlantic Art Gallery in Silver Spring, Md. My background is in literature, film, sound, and art.

Could you explain how you work, what themes or concepts you use and what is important to you?

I am really interested in capturing the subtle rhythms of light and sound in landscapes-(inner and outer) and creating new ideas or worlds within them. I have always felt this can be done in the most primitive ways and still be highly effective. When I say primitive I mean one camera and a recorder

How long do you usually work on one project?

It depends on the film. Sometimes a few weeks, other times a year or so...There are some works that really need time to develop and grow.

Do you carefully plan the production process or do you work more intuitive?

A little bit of both...I may plan where to shoot and record, but what happens after that may be intuitive

How does the title relate to the work, and how do you find a fitting title?

I am imagining the Reader encountering the text - I am also imagining what Baudelaire may have heard when translating the text

Where do you get your ideas or inspiration from?

So many things. Inspiration is a mysterious process

How important is sound in film, and if you use sounds, do you create your own or use existing?

Sound is paramount, but I have made silent super 8 films as well.
I always use my own field recordings and compositions. I want my sound pieces to hopefully stand on their own and be free from the image.

How does content relate to the form of your work?

They go hand in hand-again this depends on the film-sometimes images dictate the piece-other times it may be a concept

What possibilities of the web are yet to be explored?

The web seems endless-good question

Did the web changed your view on art, or your career?

The web has not changed my view on art at all. I was a student of literature and film before the web, but it has introduced me to innovative artists that I have come to know and work with
-The web has also exposed my own work to a larger audience.

Where would you place your work; cinema or art. And what is the difference between those according to you?

I work on small films, sounds, and videos-I am totally independent most of the time-
I hope they have some value or meaning to people, but I can’t decide if it is cinema or art.

How influential is the reaction to your film by the audience?

I always listen-it may not change my perspective or influence me-but I will listen. I think this is more constructive in going forward.

What is your next project about?

Reconstructing Seventeen Century Landscape Painting from China



Chris Henry Lynn - 2011