An 18 Year Old Interviews Himself at 56

Filmmaker Stoney Emshwiller is raising money to complete a film he began when he was 18 years old — in 1977. He recorded half of an interview, wondering how his life would turn out. Now at age 56 he is raising money on Rockethub to complete the film. This little sample is charming but also wistful, bittersweet, and touching. How many of us live up to our dreams at 18? How many of us at 56 are happier that we didn’t?

Emshwiller writes about what he did in 1977:

I interviewed my future self. Using state of the art (for its time) equipment, I recorded one side of a time-travel talk show.

I sat in a well-lit chair in a completely black studio and, like some teenaged Johnny Carson, chatted with an invisible older me. During this one-way conversation, I asked my older self tons of questions about my future – from career to family to art to friendships to sex. Then I recorded many different reactions to each possible answer, ranging from polite nods, to joy, sadness, annoyance, surprise, and outright horror.

I’m glad to see he has raised enough for his modest $10,000 budget and is close to his stretch budget of $25,000. Can’t wait to see the film.