Heren Istarion Interviews:
SAM BALCOMB

Heren Istarion. When did you first read Tolkien's stories? Which of his works made the biggest impression on you, and why?

Walking through Middle-Earth is probably one of my earliest memories. My father read to me The Hobbit at a very early age, and as soon as we finished, we delved right into Fellowship of the Ring. It wasn’t until college that I read The Silmarillion and History of Middle Earth books. The stories of the First Age have always been my favorite.

In the first two Unfinished Tales books, there’s a narrative structure revolving around a mariner named Eriol and his journey to Tol Eressea. It’s the most lovely, heartbreakingly bittersweet story. I always find it awakens the “sea-longing” and yearning to travel to the undying lands.

Heren Istarion. It has been said that Tolkien is the father of modern fantasy, can you comment on this? Do you think Tolkien helped shape and give value to the genre? Can you please explain?

I had a very entertaining discussion a few years back with a man who believed Tolkien was “channeling” something when creating his mythos – that his worlds and characters weren’t creations at all, but a retelling of forgotten history. I mean, here’s a professor who was, admittedly, a very slow writer, and yet somehow he created this intricate history full of lineage, multiple languages… it just goes on forever. It’s almost impossible to believe it’s the product of just one man’s life.

Along those lines, I believe his works have inspired others to reach a new level of depth and detail in their own projects. It’s a two-fold pleasure: The Lord of the Rings can be enjoyed perfectly by those who “skim the surface” of the mythology – for those who don’t care about the Kings of Numenor or the names of the Valar. But for those who do, within the story lies an even deeper satisfaction.

Heren Istarion. In your opinion, does fantasy have a purpose, a function, in modern society? Can you tell us what you think this function is? If not, can you tell us why not?

Fantasy often has a connotation of being silly, or not as “serious” as other genres. I don’t often use the term, especially dealing with Tolkien. But yes, in this regard, Fantasy is just another means of exploring ourselves, our imagination. If we don’t push our own creativity into new, unexplored areas, then what good is it? Another term I don’t particularly like is “escapism”. When I read a book, or see a movie, I’m not doing it to “escape” reality. I’m doing it to bring a new idea or creation into my own life, to make it a part of me. Like Tolkien – reading the books help me in my own daily grind, not take me away from it. Sounds a lot like religion, doesn’t it?

Heren Istarion. When did you know you were interested in film? Can you tell us of your education and history with film?

I first started shooting “weekend movies” with my friends when I was ten. A friend would come over, spend the weekend with me, and we’d write, shoot and edit a short film. Nothing brilliant, mind you – usually adventure films or horror/sci fi stuff. The habit didn’t become a career option until college, when I decided to major in film. Around that time I realized what a motivational medium film is.

I have a BFA in film from the in Pasadena, California. They have, in my opinion, one of the best film programs in the world, and it was an amazing experience. “Film Boot Camp” it was often called, due to its ferocious desire to teach you everything about film. Those skills really pay off.

Heren Istarion. What were your first thoughts on filming a tale of Tolkien's or one inspired by him? What were the difficulties and challenges you faced in the onset of the task? Tell us please of "Elessar"

Filming a Tolkien story, or one inspired by him, has been a lifelong desire. I shot many “fantasy” films as a kid, swords n’ sorcery stuff. The desire culminated in the idea to shoot a short film called Elessar, about Aragorn’s younger days in Imladris and his relationship (or lack thereof) with Arwen. Raiya Corsiglia, a friend of mine and fellow filmmaker, became my partner in the endeavor. We began pre-production, and created relationships with many of the Tolkien-centric websites (TheOneRing.net, Tolkien-Movies.com, TolkienOnline.com, etc). Once word about Elessar got online, we received a massive response from fans around the world.

Raiya and I were both amazed, and the idea came up to shoot a feature instead of a thirty-minute short. We immediately contacted Saul Zaentz, Harper Collins, and the Tolkien Estate to inquire about various story rights. Obviously, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were tied up for years to come. To our dismay, The Silmarillion was strictly forbidden to film by the Tolkien Estate – in their words, it would never be adapted.

At that time, I went back to a story that had been floating around in my head for a while, since I read Turin Turambar. A mortal man, a reluctant heir, who goes in search of a hidden Elven city. With Raiya as producer (and actor), we set to work on Ancanar.

Heren Istarion. To me Ancanar is reminiscent of The Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales especially parts concerning Tuor, Turin and Beren. How did these works inspire Ancanar and affect the writing/filming of the project?

The story of Turin is filled with extraordinary sadness, and heroic deeds. What I loved most was the connection with fate, how Turin deemed himself the “Master of Fate”, but that title came back to haunt him. Ancanar is a very different person – at the beginning of the story he doesn’t believe his father is dying, that things will always go on as they are. He even thinks the Elves hide the secret of their immortality, a false rumor that’s propagated by Curugon, his adopted brother.

It was our most important goal to pay tribute and honor Tolkien’s stories, his themes, his messages. Turin, Tuor and Beren are all incredible characters, and with luck Ancanar wouldn’t be ashamed in their company.

Heren Istarion. . In reviewing the trailer and material thus far released on Ancanar it appears the themes of Death and Immortality, themes important to Tolkien, is part of the story of the film. Are these themes that you ponder and investigate as well?

I think I’m a little more at peace with my mortality than Ancanar. What interests me is how the Elves deal with their deathless life, how they can live in a world that constantly destroys what they create. They must seek for an inner purpose, I suppose, a meaning amidst the chaos.

Heren Istarion. . What themes were important for you top depict in Ancanar that were inspired by the works of Tolkien?

The relationship between death and immortality, the importance of legacy and tradition, and the necessity in embracing your own fate. I wouldn’t say that every person’s path is predetermined – I’d say we lay our own paths down before us, and they’re necessary to follow.

Heren Istarion. Unfortunately Ancanar has begun to be compared with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film interpretations in some regards-- would you like to comment to set the record straight?

Yes, it’s something we’ve been aware of since the beginning – a notion that we’d have to overcome. Back when we started, in 1999, the hope was that Ancanar could be finished before the first Jackson film. Since then we’ve learned how much time and effort projects like this take, especially when you don’t have studio backing.

My main comment, to people who believe we’re trying to “cash in” on New Line’s films, is that we’ve been working on Ancanar for a solid four years, with no profits made of any kind (we sold posters, only to help finance the website). No one in their right mind would do that to get rich.

If I were to look at Ancanar from the outside, I’d probably be suspicious too – until I looked deeper into the project. Everyone involved believes in the story, and loves Tolkien, and with luck that will come through in everything we do.

The bottom line is, thousands of artists have created works inspired by Tolkien: musicians, painters, poets, writers, architects… so why not filmmakers? There are so many aspiring filmmakers that have contacted us, to tell us how Ancanar has inspired them to follow their own dreams. That’s an amazing feeling.

Heren Istarion. It is our opinion that Peter Jackson's film version of The Lord of the Rings can be appreciated from a cinematic perspective, i.e. the time and effort that the cast and crew put into it. But from our "book purist" (Jessica and I) point of view some of it does not work. Can you comment on the changes to character and events in the tale? What does or does not "work" for you in the interpretation?

I’ve loved the first two Lord of the Rings films. Peter Jackson & Co have created something that is truly special. Yes, there are deviations from the books, some that work better than others. But the true answer to the films’ worth came after seeing Fellowship, when a young guy and his girlfriend stood up (after watching all the credits) and said, “Now I gotta read the books!” That’s Jackson’s true gift: to bring people together, and make them read!

If you want to know, I was most disappointed with the treatment of Faramir (in Two Towers), and the rushed storyline given to the Ents. However, both of those aspects are expanded in the special edition DVD, and that’s a big improvement.

Heren Istarion. In you article concerning Elven anatomy, you discuss the ears of elves and how Tolkien does not describe them as pointed therefore the ears of your elves are not pointed. Can you comment on the trend to depict Tolkien's elves with pointed ears in either film or art adaptations?

Elf ears and Balrog wings… touchy subjects. Since Ancanar is an original story, we really had our own mythology (and anatomy) to develop. In the world of Middle-Earth, it’s more of a grey-area. Elves are sometimes said to have “leaf-shaped” ears, but that translated to “pointy”, especially in the Dungeons & Dragons era. Other times they are said to look very similar to Men, but more beautiful, and with the light of Iluvatar in their eyes.

We wanted to create Elves that would be very different from any Elf seen on screen before.

Heren Istarion. From watching the trailer I can see the influence Tolkien has had on the work, though the arms and armour and costumes I feel are reminiscent of Beowulf and other sagas. Aside from Tolkien what else has inspired you to shape the story of Ancanar?

The costumes were always a mix of cultures and styles – a lot was influenced by worldwide cultures, both ancient and present. We even used some authentic clothing and swatches that were very old… Ancanar’s Rammoth tunic, for example, is Tibetan, an intricate weaving of pattern and color. Aglanar’s scepter is inspired from a Jamaican healing staff.

Raiya and I had a great time scavenging flea markets and second-hand clothing stores, looking for odd fabrics or things we could destroy and rebuild. There’s a Native-American inspired shawl, that Ancanar wears during his time in captivity, that we beat the hell out of. We sat in an alleyway and burned, distressed, and tore it to shreds. Lots of fun.

Heren Istarion. With The Gathering of the Fellowship just around the corner and the debut of Ancanar footage and clips what are your thoughts on the presentation? How would you like attendees to come away from it? Can you share with us any thoughts or hints of the footage that will be shown?

We’re working on it right now. I’m really happy with the way it’s shaping up; it’s a tough assignment to transport a convention hall full of people to another world for ten minutes. We’re treating it as halfway between a trailer and short film – full scenes interspersed with montages and voice-overs.

We want to intrigue and maybe show people something they haven’t seen before. Something that’s been established on our website is a kind of community: there are thousands of fans who’ve been with us for years, emailing us, giving us comments and suggestions. Hopefully The Gathering will be the same way – a congregation that just loves a good story and wants to share that experience together.