“I never wanted to be a filmmaker,” “Dark Days” director Marc Singer said. “I don”t even think of myself as a filmmaker right now. I just made this film.”
At the moment, the 27-year-old Londoner is “just chillin” out,” following a rousing year with the release of his documentary “Dark Days,” a touching, poignant look at the lives of the homeless who live in an Amtrack tunnel near Penn Station, under New York City. After drawing much acclaim at last year”s Sundance Film Festival (winner of Cinematography, Freedom of Expression and Audience Awards), “Dark Days” makes a two-day stop in Ann Arbor as part of a screening tour across the country. The film, which recounts the two years that Singer spent living with the homeless under the city, is an experience not to be missed.
“The more time I”d been spending on the street, the more I”d realized that these people were nothing like I”d thought they would be like. All my ideas about homeless persons were being shattered everyday,” Singer said.
Yes, Singer spent two years of his life underground, at the age of 21, “by choice.” “I had a lot of friends in the street in my neighborhood,” Singer said. “One of the guys I met would talk about the tunnels and I just got fascinated by that. So I started to explore.”
His search led to the particular tunnel near Penn Station where the film is set. However, Singer entered into the darkness with no plans whatsoever. “There was never any idea to make the film when I started out,” Singer said. “After about a month of going into different tunnels, I found this one tunnel. It just felt different. I liked the people there and I started hanging out there, making friends. After about three months of being in this tunnel, I”d made some really good friends and didn”t like seeing them in the tunnels. I wanted to get them out.”
In searching for a solution to get his friends out of the tunnels, the idea for a film was born. “One night,” Singer said, “I was sort of sitting around the fire, laughing about something or other, and one of the guys goes, “Man, somebody should be making a film about this shit.” So I said, “Well, why don”t we do it?””
So began the production of “Dark Days.” “What we figured is, we could make the film, sell it and the money would get them out,” Singer said. “At the same time, they would have to be a full film crew. That way, they”d be helping themselves.”
The tunnel”s inhabitants including Dee, Tommy, Julio, Tito, Ronnie, Greg, Henry, Ralph and Clarence comprised the cast and crew of “Dark Days,” which Singer also produced and co-edited without any previous film experience. This led to many trials and tribulations during the two-year production. “We”d just fuck up a lot. We made a lot of mistakes,” Singer said.
What makes the 16 mm film such a success lies in the attitude and minds of the characters. “Everyone I met chose to fight,” Singer said. “They hadn”t given up.”
Making a film without any financial backing, though, is not an easy task. “Initially, I got a lot of credit cards. You know, you can get loads of credit cards in America really easily,” Singer said. “So I did.” He also credits his two roommates for giving much support, not to mention many other contributors “loads and loads and loads of people.”
“I went to a camera shop [Cinevision] and basically, they gave me a camera for two years. Kodak gave us film,” Singer said. “I got really, really lucky.”
Singer took three years to edit the film, which ultimately led to the pairing of techno artist DJ Shadow. After he finished “Dark Days” and screened it to close friends, “A friend of a friend saw the film and said, “Who you gonna use for music?” And I said, “I don”t know.” And he said, “DJ Shadow.””
Shadow”s hypnotic, ethereal score lends a mesmerizing sound to the stark black and white imagery and vivid stories of “Dark Days.” Whether the tunnel”s inhabitants will eventually move out of their life underground remains to be seen. “When you live that life for a long time, your adrenaline is running quite high,” Singer said. “Once you get out and everything”s okay, that”s when everything crashes.”
During the production of “Dark Days,” one of Singer”s best friends died from AIDS. “He had AIDS in the tunnel and he was fine. He never got sick or anything,” Singer said. “He crashed at the point when he got into an apartment. He died very quickly.”
One of Singer”s main hopes for the film is that it shatters audiences” stereotypes about homeless people. “Dark Days” shows them for who they are people that are “really funny and have the same fears as you and I,” Singer said.
Singer, who is “trying to get his life back on track,” has no exact plans for what to do next, film or otherwise. “I thought I”d just follow my heart and whatever that tells me to do,” Singer said. “I”m still waiting.”