Britta Phillips on Tell Me Do You Miss Me

Britta Phillips on Tell Me Do You Miss Me

With the premiere of the Luna documentary Tell Me Do You Miss Me only weeks away A Head Full of Wishes took the opportunity of harassing the former members of Luna and director Matthew Buzzell with an email questionnaire. Over the course of the next few weeks, in the run up to the film premiere, I’ll post their replies here.

New Yorkers should head to the Tribeca Film Festival website to buy their tickets to one of the five screenings the film will receive - the rest of us will have to drum our fingers and wait for the Rhino DVD release in June.

#1: Britta

A Head Full of Wishes: Do you think the film shows the band as they really are? Do we get to see the dark side of Luna? Was there a dark side of Luna?
Britta: The film is an hour and a half, so it shows how some of us are some of the time. It definitely shows some darkness, but not all of it. There is a dark side to everyone, I think, but Luna is probably not nearly as dark as a lot of other bands.

AHFoW: How different was the last tour from previous Luna tours? Did the fact that it was the last one make it easier/harder?
Britta: It did feel a lot different. I think it meant a lot more to everyone. It was weighty and bittersweet. The shows were charged with extra emotion. Knowing it was the “last time” we were playing “that song” in “that town” made it both fresher and heavier. There was less complaining about hotels, venues, promotion etc., because there was no point since it was the last time out. There was more reminiscing about the past (as you’ll see in the film) and having Matthew along as a 5th band member was invigorating as well as antagonizing ;)

AHFoW: Did you get used to having the camera around? How long did that take? Did your acting experience make it easier to work with a camera around?
Britta: I guess I got more used to the camera as time went on. I don’t think acting experience helps at all when you’re being filmed as yourself. I’m much more comfortable performing music or acting than I am being myself in front of the camera. It’s difficult for me to watch myself and hear myself speak in the film - I squirm and talk over it.

AHFoW: What are your favourite rock films and ‘rockumentaries’?
Britta: Don’t Look Back, Let’s Get Lost (even though Chet Baker’s not “rock”), No Direction Home, Lou Reed Transformer. Even though they’re not documentaries… Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind & A Hard Day’s Night.

AHFoW: Who’ll play Britta in the forthcoming Hollywood blockbuster of the Luna story?
Britta: Well, for a Hollywood film we’ve gotta go young. I’d pick Scarlett Johansson. If Dean were cast as Adrien Brody (I know he looks nothing like him but he does look pretty cool), then Naomi Watts could play me.

AHFoW: What next?
Britta: Right now, Dean and I are making an album with Tony Visconti. We like to do more film scores, as well.