Director: Alexander Payne
CARMEN was Alexander Payne’s first short film, made while he was studying at UCLA Film School. It is a silent comedy, derived from the opera of the same name. In the film a mentally challenged gas station attendant is put in charge of the store, which leads to love and a tragic-comic end. With his films ELECTION, ABOUT SCHMIDT and SIDEWAYS Payne has since become known for his auteur distinctiveness - amplifying the disappointment and regret lurking within the can-do civic culture of middle America, while acknowledging the sweetness and innocence that’s still there.
Courtesy of Alexander Payne. Special thanks to Anna Lauren Musso.
Commentary by Alexander Payne recorded in Santa Monica, California
