“Boys Don’t Cry”

Contributed Photo

Notable filmmaker of the award-winning motion picture “Boy’s Don’t Cry,” as well as the 2008 film “Stop-Loss,” Kimberly Peirce is a successful and brilliant woman. As a graduate of Columbia University, she is excellent not only in the film industry but in academia as well.

This past Monday during her visit to Fairfield University, she took a few minutes out of her busy day to talk to The Mirror about her life and accomplishments in a little more detail.

The Mirror: Out of all of your filmography titles, which is your favorite and why?

Kimberly Pierce: Boys Don’t Cry, because it’s about a character that I absolutely love and I was charmed and challenged by. I felt that we were pretty successful at bringing him to life and honoring his memory and helping people understand him more.

TM: Was directing the L word a different experience than directing a film?

KP: Well sure, those characters already exist and the whole production is set up and it’s already cast, I just get to come in, which is actually very very fun. I work with these characters and this world that exist and try to bring a kind of specificity and my style to it, it was really a lot of fun.

TM: Besides your brother, is there anyone else in your family that has sparked your passion for producing pieces related to war?

KP: My mother, being a mother of a soldier, was very influential. My step father was influential because he had a son at war, and also what my sister went through. I don’t think there are anymore war stories coming out of my family, but definitely my family is going to inspire stories.

TM: If you could describe working with Hilary Swank in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

KP: Having Hilary and Brandon was absolutely a dream come true. Um, I don’t really speak in one sentences [chuckles]. Hilary took the role so seriously and deeply into her heart and because she had the ability to reveal him physically and emotionally. I can keep going but I’ll call that one sentence.

TM: Out of the three main actors in Stop-Loss, who would you say you connected with the most?

KP: I can’t answer that as is because I don’t put them against each other. I am connected to each of them in very strong and deep ways. They each represented a different part of me and pulled different aspects of the story I wanted to represent.

TM: What has been your biggest challenge in the film industry?

KP: Working as frequently as I would like. I would like to be working more.

TM: Really? Isn’t it very time consuming already?

KP: Oh, I’d like to be making move movies, [laughs] not more hours.

TM: You told the New York Times that you gave everything to Boys Don’t Cry and were exhausted. Any advice on how to keep spirits up when fighting for something you believe in?

KP: Continue to believe in it. It is the most important thing that you continue to believe in it and that you set yourself up to succeed, so that more than you just believe in it, you find people who know what they are doing, you collaborate with those you collaborate well with and you form productive relationships so that you can keep believing it and building it as the times get challenging.

TM: Do you regret not producing Silent Star?

KP: Well I regret it, but it was not up to me. I regret that it was not made so we’re trying to have it made now.

TM: So you have a plan for it in the future?

KP: We do, yeah. The script is really good we just need someone whose going to want to make it.

TM: Do you have any words of advice for someone else looking into the film industry?

KP: Only get into it if you absolutely can’t do anything else. It will take everything from you, in the best sense. Find the stories that you love and need to tell, find the characters that you love and need to create and learn your craft. Not only do you need to find great stories and great characters, but in order to breathe life into them you need to be at the top of your game and know your craft. That’s a fantastic and fun journey that I feel like I’m on every day.