be measured in degrees, and I am engaging in this discussion on the basis that a M+ film has both enough resources to fund the practicalities of making a film in the current climate, and limited enough resources to inspire innovation, allow liquidity in the creative process, and aid in the formation of a tight family of filmmakers united by a singular vision.
It is easy to find examples in history where films with limited budgets far exceeded the reach and cultural impact expected, not to mention the financial returns, dollar for dollar, they represented. It is much harder, however, to wade through the considerable and tragic pile of independent films that did not ‘break into’ the zeitgeist, for they are lying half assembled in boxes, gathering dust in basements and – after having been through the trash compactors of funding bodies, financiers and distributors – have