Hey, remember HISSS? That misbegotten Bollywood horror movie about a snake woman directed by David Lynch’s offspring, Jennifer Lynch? Maybe not; its release here never did get much fanfare, even if we waited for it to come out for, I dunno, three years or so.
Someone who may wish it had never come out is Lynch herself, who evidently had a tumultuous time – to say the least – making the movie in India.Thankfully, for fans of behind-the-scenes tales of movies and mayhem, the making of HISSS was documented and compiled into a feature titled DESPITE THE GODS. A documentary in the tradition of HEARTS OF DARKNESS and BURDEN OF DREAMS, it shows us the hardships Lynch went through making a film well out of her element. Check out the trailer below to see just a sample of how not fun it was to be a part of HISSS. (I talked to Lynch a little about her experience a couple of years ago; she was still enthusiastic about the movie then, and was even contemplating a sequel…)
Despite the Gods brings us behind the scenes on the set of Lynch’s Bollywood/Hollywood action film about a man-eating snake goddess. Out of her depth shooting on location with an Indian crew and two top Bollywood stars, Lynch turns her production into a vehicle for her own self-actualization, paying no regard to timeline, budget or reality. As the story in front of the camera derails, the story behind the camera explodes.
We’re not sure when DESPITE THE GODS is coming out, but we’re pretty sure we want to see it when it becomes available.
HISSS star Mallika Sherawat
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