NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY: Director Scott Fivelson Unravels Hollywood's Forgotten Legend
In an insightful Q&A, director Scott Fivelson shares the journey behind his film "NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY." Uncovering the life of esteemed director Oskar Knight, the movie features interviews with stars like Margaret O’Brien and David Suchet. Fivelson delves into the meticulous process of crafting the narrative, searching for rare film clips, and assembling a talented team. With accolades from festivals and now in theatrical release in select theaters in the U.S. and Europe, the film is taking audiences on a cinematic journey, bringing to light the forgotten legacy of a true Hollywood great.
Tell us about the film?
It’s the story of one of our greatest directors, Oskar Knight.
Where did the idea come from?
I’d always liked documentaries on the great directors. And I’d seen a lot of them. But I realized I was running out of documentaries to watch about the lives of directors. If I was going to have another one to watch, I’d have to make it myself. So I wrote "NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY." Besides, as I’m sure you’ll agree once you’ve seen the movie, the lack of recognition by Hollywood of the career of Oskar Knight had to be baffling to cineastes like Peter Bogdanovich. It was a tragic oversight.
You have quite a few real-life stars interviewed in your movie, including Academy Award winner Margaret O’Brien and International Emmy winner David Suchet. Did they all know about Oskar Knight before being cast, or did they have to do a deep dive into Hollywood history to find out exactly who he was?
Actor Rudolf Martin knew the most. But of course, Rudolf’s German, as was Oskar Knight. Knight was born in Braunschweig.
The making of the film – has it been a long journey?
Yes.
Could you elaborate?
Sure. You’ve heard of Marco Polo? That would be the analogy. But I expected that if I was setting out to retell the history of American Cinema, I knew it would take a minute. I developed the picture for years. And then, rather like in "The Magnificent Seven", I went about searching out and handpicking my people – in this case, photographers, graphic artists, film archivists, composers – to create the elements to construct the history of the life of Oskar Knight. And to track down his films. We show clips, you know. Very hard to find.
Let’s talk about the Academy Awards…
A sore spot for Oskar.
Is it true that Oskar Knight was “The Most Nominated Director in History”?
That’s absolutely true. So you already knew about him. Have you visited the Oskar Knight Cinema Bar and Museum in Braunschweig?
Scott, I read that you won the Breakthrough Director Spotlight Award for the film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, as well as racking up other awards with the movie on the festival circuit.
Jay Gillespie won Best Supporting Actor at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival for playing “Young Val”. I’ll let you guess what Val we’re talking about. And our composer Ted Reedy was honored with Best Song at the Garden State Film Festival for his instrumental theme for the picture. The "OSKAR KNIGHT" soundtrack is filled with great music, including songs by Thom Bishop and Cara Dillon.
While we’re at it, an IMAX-sized thank you to our amazing cinematographer/editor, David Polcino. "OSKAR KNIGHT" isn’t in IMAX. But the thank you is.)
You shot "NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY" before Covid. How did Covid affect your plans?
For a movie paying tribute in its own unique way to the history of Cinema, "NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY" had to start in cinemas. So we sat out the pandemic, and now the film is in theatrical release here in 2023. It’s played at The Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Z-inema Berlin; The Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center in Long Island, New York. Next up is a booking at this incredibly cool and legendary Berlin screening room called Trarpalast on August 26th, followed in the fall by a week at the Crowne Point Theatre in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
When can we expect the film to be available on the streamers?
I asked Oskar Knight himself – he’s quite accessible via séance – and he agreed, we’re going to keep the film in cinemas for the rest of the year. So seek it out, tell your local theater you want to see "NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY". And watch for it on streaming in 2024.
What’s next for you, Scott?
I’m writer/producer on a new British romantic-comedy mystery called "THE VICAR'S WIFE" scheduled to shoot in Derry, Northern Ireland in the spring, 2024. And I’ve written a film called "CRUSOE.COM" that looks like it’ll be shooting in Australia.
One of the lines that really stuck with me from "NEAR MYTH: THE OSKAR KNIGHT STORY" was when Alex Bell as Oskar Knight, Jr. says, “That’s just the way it was back then.”
Yeah, I think that’s one of the reasons people are enjoying "OSKAR KNIGHT" so much. It’s like in "It’s a Wonderful Life," which we allude to in "OSKAR KNIGHT". It was a different world.
