Double Play

Double Play compares the work of two ostensibly very different American directors: experimental filmmaker James Benning, known for his observational films such as Ten Skies and Small Roads, and Richard Linklater, the man behind the independent Slacker and the trilogy Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. Linklater was also responsible for Hollywood productions like The School of Rock and Bad News Bears. Before becoming a filmmaker, Linklater founded the Austin Film Society where he met Benning when the latter came to show a number of his films. In Double Play Benning returns to Texas, where Linklater once again screens his work. They spend a couple of days together discussing their oeuvres.
They have a lot in common: a dislike of narrative manipulation, an interest in new ways of telling stories and both seek means to expand cinema’s rules. Illustrated by excerpts from their films.