JT: It’s a wonderful turn of events, and it gave us an unexpected happy ending. So, there’s an arc here…Īnd what an arc, Wilko given the all-clear last year, after undergoing radical surgery in April of last year… Wilko’s an incredible man, and the fact that he gets such good news during the making of the documentary just threw us all too. That focuses the mind, and it’s the real story here. And that he’s been told that he hasn’t got long to live. I don’t think the viewer would have to be aware of Wilko’s history, his musical journey, and all that – it’s about how this particular individual has faced the fact that he’s facing a death sentence. JT: I decided this wasn’t a music documentary – it was about a man facing death. Having worked with Wilko before, did you fear that you might be going over familiar ground here? Feelgood documentary, OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL, I knew what to expect though.I guess it did take a day or two to just find our feet, but once that happened, we were up and running. There’s an energy and a mischief with Wilko that’s there, always. He’s not that kind of guy, even when facing death. Julien Temple: With someone like Wilko, it’s very easy to get past the dark clouds and avoid the philosophical Brentisms. And behind the beat.Īn emotional time for Wilko when you started shooting your documentary – easy to get past the dark clouds and avoid the philosophical Brentisms…? Just, you know, don’t call him that.Īs his latest offering, THE ECSTASY OF WILKO JOHNSON, comes to the IFI – opening on the 24th, but also launching their Rock’n’Roll Cinema mini-fest on the 21st – Julien Temple takes us behind the curtain. Now, with such titles as THE FILTH AND THE FURY (2000), JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN (2007) and OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL (2009) to his name, Temple is regarded as one the UK’s finest, eh rockumentarists. The latter was Temple’s Hollywood debut, and its failure at the box-office (despite featuring a young Jim Carrey in one of the lead roles) soon had him back in England, and back in the world of music. Having been fortunate enough to work with The Sex Pistols early on, Julien Temple quickly established himself as a filmmaker with 1980’s THE ROCK’n’ROLL SWINDLE before attempting to go mainstream with 1986’s ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS and 1988’s EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY. With his documentary on maverick musician Wilko Johnson about to rock the IFI, director Julien Temple talks to Paul Byrne about getting the beat just right.
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