Character-Driven: Ricki Stern on Joan Rivers

TFI Documentary Fund (deadline October 11th) is for exceptional, character-driven feature docs that aim to take audiences into someone else’s world. Over the next few weeks, we're going to be highlighting some fabulous films we feel exemplify what we're looking for with this grant, and hearing from the filmmakers behind them. In the post below,  (deadline October 11th) is for exceptional, character-driven feature docs that aim to take audiences into someone else’s world. Over the next few weeks, we're going to be highlighting some fabulous films we feel exemplify what we're looking for with this grant, and hearing from the filmmakers behind them. In the post below, Ricki Stern discusses her 2010 film about an icon of comedy Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.

How did you first find the main character of your film?

Joan Rivers is a friend of my mom and dad's. The idea of doing a film about Joan came from sitting in my production office after Annie and I released The Devil Came On Horseback and brainstorming film topics. We usually go through a period between films when we experiment and let the ideas fly. I think I blurted out "What about a doc about Joan Rivers?" and no one objected.

My mom had been telling me how funny and spontaneous Joan can be behind the scenes and how she draws a crowd wherever she goes. So while Joan's stage persona is brash, she has a warm, open relationship with fans and people in her everyday life. I think this connection between Joan's stage persona and her drive to perform is what initially intrigued me about Joan.

What made you believe Joan would be a compelling focus for a film?

After spending an hour with Joan, I knew she would be compelling. She is one of the rare survivors of old Hollywood who continually reinvents herself to remain relevant today... and she's really funny in real life. The film became about capturing the hard working life of a performer and unraveling the obsessive drive to perform. Also, my background is in the theater. I was interested in capturing a backstage look the endless hard work, determination and passion of a performer's life.

Was there anything surprising you hadn't expected about Joan you discovered over the course of shooting?

Three things - Joan is genuinely funny, almost compulsively funny. She has a hard time censoring her raw humor. She is also the hardest-working person I have ever met and despite her biting humor, she truly wants to be loved.

Ricki Stern is an Emmy-nominated director, writer and producer who heads up the production company  is an Emmy-nominated director, writer and producer who heads up the production company Emmy-nominated director, writer and producer who heads up the production company the production company Break Thru Films with Annie Sundberg. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work won the US Documentary Prize for Best Editing at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Stern and Sundberg's latest film Burma Soldier had its broadcast premiere on HBO in May 2011.