Sam Green Local Documentarian

What are you up to these days? Too much! I'm working on about half a dozen projects at the same time. The newest and most exciting one is a "live documentary" about Buckminster Fuller, The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller, that I'm premiering at SFMOMA as part of SFIFF. A "live documentary" is like a film, but it all happens in person. I project images up on the screen and stand on stage narrating. And a band (Yo La Tengo) performs a live soundtrack. It's a form that I like very much. As part of SFMOMA's exhibit on Buckminster Fuller, I also made a multi-channel video installation that's up now at the museum and will be there through August, I believe. I'm also working on a longterm project, a documentary film about fog in San Francisco, which is fun and a big challenge.

Who's your favorite quintessential local character? That's a tough one. I really like Frank Chu, the 12 Galaxies guy. He's kind of like the Emporer Norton of our time. But then I also really like Millie, the old woman who takes Polaroids in North Beach; she's also like the Emporer Norton of our time. Many of the North Beach restaurants feed her for free.

Where do you go to relax and get away from it all? Ocean Beach. Feeling the sun on your skin and the sea air. The sound of the surf. The smell. Even a short walk on the beach always makes me feel like a million bucks.

What's your favorite SF institution? I have a lot of faves: Artists' Television Access on Valencia, the Exploratorium, the SF Public Library, local gem of an author Rebecca Solnit, Michelle Tea's Radar Reading series, the Golden Gate Bridge (happy 75th!)...

What do you get obsessive about here in SF? The weather. I have been working on a documentary about fog in SF for several years, and so during the foggy times of year, I am obsessively checking webcams and forecasts and bugging my meteorologist friends – all to see whether the fog's gonna come in tomorrow, and if so, what kind of fog! It might not sound like it, but fog is actually really hard to predict.

What's next for you in your personal world? I've been working super hard for about eight months straight. So after this show on May 1st, I just want to spend some afternoons in a sunny park, watching people walk by.

What's next for you in your work/creative world? Yo La Tengo and I are going to tour around with The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller.