I met Pierre at the California Academy of Sciences event in early April when Kyle and I were there to present ODOE and answer questions about the cities project. Pierre came up to me after Kyle's presentation, with clear enthusiasm, we discussed the ideas he had for the 26th and we stayed in touch. When he sent me a sample of something he'd been working on, it was clear that he would make a great candidate to tell a story about city residents and their relationship with public transportation using not only story techniques, but through data and visualization. I'll let you take the next few minutes to learn a little more about Pierre here...
Who are you and what is your profession?
I'm Pierre. I work as a producer/director and am a program director at Gray Area Foundation for the Arts.
Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
I studied law, quit to play in a heavy metal band, produced and published electronic music, studied jazz, published music for images, became an assistant editor, assistant director, DP, director, and producer. Went from Paris to London to Paris to London to Chennai to London to SF. If you go to France, try Corsica.
What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
The possibility of a clear discourse within an art practice.
Who or what do you most admire?
I admire people, artists or not, that are bold enough to try things differently.
What do you love about SF?
It's all the way West of the western world. People's creative expression is different from other places I have lived in. It's more practical, it cares less about trends. People are involved in many projects at once. They wear ugly sneakers and I do too. I love the mix of progressive and libertarians, the Tenderloin's resilience at the center of a ridiculously expensive real estate market.
What do you fear most for SF?
I hope we can build enough new residences fast enough, to keep diversity within the city. I believe this is the heart of the problem rather than 'tech'. The city has legislated against new developments for 20 yrs. This short sighted regulation is unsustainable in a fast growing economy. As density augments SF needs better public transportation as well. Uber and more bike lanes are great additions, but the city needs more large public infrastructure to facilitate commutes within the East Bay.
What do you hope for SF in the next 20 years?
That it gets over its identity crisis, affirms its new creative culture while keeping things weird enough. Above all, like everyone else, I hope it stays diverse.
