Beautiful mind

>> Filmmaker Daniel Bitton sidesteps
exploitation with his Wesley Willis
profile The Daddy of Rock ’n’ Roll

by MATTHEW HAYS

Of all the ethical issues raised by documentary filmmaking, one of the thorniest is that of capturing the mentally ill. Frederick Wiseman’s feature Titicut Follies was banned for decades for its no-holds-barred, unblinking portrait of a mental institution. Grey Gardens is still considered a case study in leering cameras and schizophrenic subjects.

In light of this history, The Daddy of Rock ’n’ Roll, the hour-long doc about schizophrenic recording artist Wesley Willis, emerges as no small feat. Local director Daniel Bitton, clearly a huge fan of Willis’s, approaches his subject with care in a non-exploitative manner, while never appearing overly-earnest or humourless. Not surprisingly, Bitton was drawn to Willis out of admiration for his work, something which comes across in this film.

Turned on by a llama’s ass
“I first discovered Wesley’s music,” Bitton recalls, “when looking through a record store. I came across songs like “Lick a Llama’s Ass” and “I Whooped Batman’s Ass.” I knew I was onto something!” Bitton says the listening soon turned to an obsession with all things Willis. “I listened to it compulsively for years. I used to scare my roommates and friends with it-I played it at [Concordia’s] Café X and at Movieland, where I worked, and I used to scare people away.”

Finally, a girlfriend suggested Bitton put his obsession to good use: why not make a film about Willis, the 300-pound-plus, six-foot, schizophrenic, cult-figure rock ’n’ roll performer? Bitton applied to the Canada Council, nabbed his $16,000 grant and embarked on making the movie.
Though Willis spurts out various bizarre phrases and dirty words as he wanders around (often on lengthy bus trips), he is also revealed as a caring and affectionate person. He frequently requests hugs of his friends and loves to (gently) head butt people.

Part of the challenge of making Daddy was getting Willis into a comfort zone for filming. “He gets very nervous around strangers,” says Bitton. “As soon as he heard Iron Maiden and Motorhead then he got more comfortable around us. Anything that’s aggressive or has profanity, he really likes it and it puts him at ease.”

Instinctive, not exploitative
As for the potential for exploitation, Bitton says he was acutely aware of the possibility, but simply went with the flow during filming and allowed his own senses to dictate the process. “I went with my instincts. When something was funny, I wanted to make sure we were laughing with him and not making fun of him. Wesley simply loves any attention that comes his way. But if you’re condescending, I think he can tell. If you’re cool, he’s relaxed, if not, he starts to get agitated.”

Bitton says exploitation has played a cruel role in Willis’s life, including one incident that didn’t make its way into the final cut of the film. “He has fallen into some nasty situations-I guess those will end up on the DVD. One roommate terrorized him and stole all his money. He scared Willis into staying home all the time. That happened for a while but luckily some friends caught on to what was happening and got him out of it.”

Bitton is now enjoying solid success on the alternative and doc film fest circuit. The film has played to sold out houses in Vancouver, San Francisco, Baltimore and Toronto (at the prestigious Hot Docs Fest). But Bitton reports some programmers are reticent about booking the film, often because the filmmaker chose not to place Willis in the context of the so-called Outsider Music category. “I really disagree with this category altogether,” says Bitton. “Basically, they’ve put everyone who’s homeless or schizophrenic into this category, even if their music has nothing in common whatsoever. I think it’s gross and condescending. It just means freak music.”
While a telling look at the life of a creative schizophrenic, Bitton stresses that he also wanted to highlight Willis’s artistic talent. “I was overjoyed to discover his music,” Bitton gushes. “Some focus on technique, but have very little musicality. Willis is the other way around, he’s very rough, but so creative. Yo-Yo Ma is a great musician. But Willis is too. I love his honesty and his joy.” :

The Daddy of Rock ’n’ Roll opens Friday, June 28 at Cinéma du Parc