In the weeks leading up to the Film Independent Spirit Awards, we are posting Q&A’s with the writers who are up for Best First Screenplay. That way you can learn who they are, what they do and yes, how they managed to get from point A (dream of being a screenwriter) to point B (reality of sitting in the tent in Santa Monica alongside some of the most lauded  filmmakers of their generation.)

Justin Simien is up for his work on Dear White People in both the First Feature and First Screenplay categories. The film tells the story of four black students struggling to find their place in a prestigious, predominantly all-white campus. Simien penned the movie focused on a 21st century view of black experience through the lens of identity and selfhood. The approach distances itself from an overburdened historical conversation related to race and representation.

Here, Justin talks about the challenges of creating a narrative with multiple protagonists, and how he used a critique that accused him of reverse racism to enrich his script.

How did you come up with your premise and what was the most difficult aspect of achieving it?
I lived the premise, and found an absence in the cultural discussion about it. It was difficult to teach myself what worked with regards to a multi-protagonist screenplay, because it’s not a popular or often-taught craft.

Did you have any cut scenes that were really hard to let go of?
Over the course of seven or so years, I worked on the script on and off. There’s probably two additional scripts worth of scenes and material that were cut.

During the draft process, what was your most valuable note?
A reader confused the character of Sam as my mouthpiece and said some disparaging and mostly bunk criticism about “reverse racism.” I decided his point of view belonged in the film, which gave it a richness, depth and realism.

Did you have any go-to music while writing this script?
Lots of Duke Ellington and Tchaikovsky.

Do you have an easier time writing character or plot?
Characters’ voices come more naturally to me.

What writer has had the most influence on your work, and what about his or her work do you aspire to?
For this particular piece, Paddy Chayefsky who was a master of the craft. I was mainly inspired by his ability to write a piece that really said something, that felt absolutely written, and yet someone real, urgent and captivating.

What is the greatest line of dialogue in the history of cinema? 
Greatest? That’s too much pressure. But the line that does come to mind is the word “fuck” which concludes the film Eyes Wide Shut—what a punctuation mark.

 JB Bogulski/ Film Independent Blogger