Tom Palazzolo thrives on creative chaos. It’s Wednesday afternoon, ten days before his latest feature is to premiere at the Film Center, and the elder statesman of the local independent film scene is counting a sheaf of hundred-dollar bills. “Oh, excuse me,” he apologizes absentmindedly. “I want to make sure I’ve got enough money to get the sound print out of the lab. They demand cash. Then I have to edit some more.” He pauses. “Don’t worry. The film will be finished in time!”
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This haphazard, seat-of-the-pants approach to filmmaking has been largely responsible for the quirky, over-the-edge quality that pervades most of the 35 or so short documentaries Palazzolo’s made since the mid-60s. Actually, they’re not exactly documentaries, says the Film Center’s director, Barbara Scharres. “Tom projects his own fantasies onto the subjects he photographs. He’s not an objective observer. Those are his own personal statements, his own individual visions.” His visions of Chicago as a rich ethnic brew–always presented with a dollop or two of irony, humor, and compassion–have earned him a sizable following and the nickname “Tom Chicago.” And it’s a testament to the images of the city he’s captured over the years that footage from his films was included in the recent PBS documentary Making Sense of the Sixties.
Added Lessons, Palazzolo’s latest, is an unconventional sequel. The same protagonist, Francis, returns in a black-and-white future where conservatives have taken over and art is no longer private. “His notebook of pictures is confiscated by the authorities,” says Palazzolo, in an attempt to explain the film. “He’s a mother’s boy, but these pictures reveal a vivid, picaresque inner life–life as a series of chance encounters. As you can guess, the film is a commentary on the NEA controversy, and it’s also a critique of the nonconfrontational stance of surrealism.” Both of his features, he says, are also intended to serve as teaching guides to modern aesthetic movements. Caligari’s Cure was a playful tribute to German expressionism; Added Lessons pays backhanded homage to French surrealism. “It’s a remake of Un chien andalou. We want to convey the gentle, dreamy, impromptu humor of Bunuel and Dali. You will notice a lot of self-references–and puns, like the title–visual allusions, and Jungian symbols.”
What’s next? “Oh. Well, um.” Palazzolo sighs. “I think I ought to try my hand at writing a script and shoot from it–scene by scene. And I’ll hire a production assistant and not abuse my overused friends. Everything is neat and organized. LIfe will be easier this way, won’t it?”
