Skip to main content Skip to footer site map
S31 Ep6

Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny

Premiere: 9/1/2017 | 00:00:38 |

Slacker. Indie filmmaker. Oscar nominee. Writer, director, producer, actor Richard Linklater is all these things and more, a poster boy for the fiercely independent style of filmmaking that emerged out of Austin, Texas in the late 1980s and 1990s.

About the Episode

Slacker. Indie filmmaker. Oscar nominee. Writer, director, producer, actor Richard Linklater (b. July 30, 1960) is all these things and more. Boasting a trove of never-before-seen archival footage, Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny provides an unconventional look at the fiercely independent style of filmmaking that emerged out of Austin, Texas in the late 1980s and 1990s with Linklater as its poster boy.

Early writings from Linklater’s journals, telling interviews shot at his home and cinéma vérité footage from the set of Everybody Wants Some!! reveal his fearless approach and the extent to which his filmmaking existed, and continues to exist, decidedly outside of the production power bases of Hollywood and New York. Clips from his most beloved films, including Slacker, Dazed and Confused, the Before trilogy and Boyhood, and new interviews with actors and collaborators Matthew McConaughey, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Jack Black, Julie Delpy and Kevin Smith, as well as colleagues and friends, including Kent Jones, John Pierson and the late Jonathan Demme, demonstrate his collaborative spirit and process.

Co-directed by Karen Bernstein, Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny marks the directorial debut of The Austin Chronicle editor and SXSW co-founder Louis Black. An original board member of the Austin Film Society founded by Linklater, who still serves as its artistic director, Black has long been a staple in the Austin filmmaking community and the extent to which he is inseparable from his subject is palpable throughout the documentary, which had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

“This film is not just about Richard Linklater and his films but the spirit and need of independent filmmakers and films, emphatically saying to all: just do it! Go and make your film!” said Louis Black.

“Having worked for American Masters in the 1990s, I knew that Richard Linklater would add new meaning to that pantheon of greatness in the arts, and am grateful to Michael Kantor and his staff for recognizing this as well,” said Karen Bernstein, who produced American Masters documentaries on Lou Reed, Ella Fitzgerald, Juilliard and others.

“Since bursting on the scene 26 years ago, Richard Linklater keeps reinventing the form of feature filmmaking. His astounding work has inspired not only audiences, but a whole independent film movement,” said Michael Kantor, American Masters series executive producer.

SHARE
QUOTE
"I think that’s what I’m mainly interested in...films about real people and real situations."
PRODUCTION CREDITS

Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny is a production of Black / Bernstein Productions LLC. Louis Black and Karen Bernstein are directors. Karen Bernstein, Louis Black and Dawn Johnson are producers. Nevie Owens is editor. David Layton is director of photography. Alan Berg, Abe Zimmerman, John and Amy McCall, Anne Akiko Meyers, and Michael Kantor are executive producers.

About American Masters
Now in its 37th season on PBS, American Masters illuminates the lives and creative journeys of those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape—through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim: 28 Emmy Awards—including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special—two News & Documentary Emmys, 14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors. To further explore the lives and works of more than 250 masters past and present, the American Masters website offers full episodes, film outtakes, filmmaker interviews, the podcast American Masters: Creative Spark, educational resources, digital original series and more. The series is a production of The WNET Group.

American Masters is available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website.

About The WNET Group
The WNET Group creates inspiring media content and meaningful experiences for diverse audiences nationwide. It is the community-supported home of New York’s THIRTEEN – America’s flagship PBS station – WLIW21, THIRTEEN PBSKids, WLIW World and Create; NJ PBS, New Jersey’s statewide public television network; Long Island’s only NPR station WLIW-FM; ALL ARTS, the arts and culture media provider; newsroom NJ Spotlight News; and FAST channel PBS Nature. Through these channels and streaming platforms, The WNET Group brings arts, culture, education, news, documentary, entertainment and DIY programming to more than five million viewers each month. The WNET Group’s award-winning productions include signature PBS series Nature, Great Performances, American Masters and Amanpour and Company and trusted local news programs MetroFocus and NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi. Inspiring curiosity and nurturing dreams, The WNET Group’s award-winning Kids’ Media and Education team produces the PBS KIDS series Cyberchase, interactive Mission US history games, and resources for families, teachers and caregivers. A leading nonprofit public media producer for more than 60 years, The WNET Group presents and distributes content that fosters lifelong learning, including multiplatform initiatives addressing poverty, jobs, economic opportunity, social justice, understanding and the environment. Through Passport, station members can stream new and archival programming anytime, anywhere. The WNET Group represents the best in public media. Join us.

UNDERWRITING

Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, Judith and Burton Resnick, Seton J. Melvin, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, Vital Projects Fund, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Marc Haas Foundation and public television viewers.

TRANSCRIPT

And my guest this evening is Rick Linklater who's directed Slacker.

It was just a really kind of an exciting time - like a whole world had opened up.

Film had sort of taken hold of me as worth my time.

I was amazed looking back how much patience I had. It's a lot of work and people don't want to hear that. No one wants to think how they would have to alter their life. It wasn't something that just came overnight.

© 2024 WNET. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.