Director: Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier
Release Year: 1992
"Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentary" (1992) is a fascinating exploration of what happens when a documentary project collapses in real-time. Directed by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier, this film is precisely what its title suggests - a behind-the-scenes look at the unraveling of an ambitious documentary about a transsexual performer named Emelda Mae.
The documentary is an intriguing and meta commentary on the creative process, blending scripted scenes and real-life interviews to capture the chaos and absurdity that ensued when the original project fell apart. The documentary, which was meant to document the life and career of Mae, took a highly unconventional approach. Instead of following the usual format of typical documentaries, which are often composed entirely of interviews, "Mae Day" featured a combination of both interviews and scripted scenes. A particularly surreal touch comes from Kevin Smith himself, who appears dressed as his iconic character Silent Bob - long before "Clerks" made him a household name. To make things even stranger, the documentary includes a blooper reel, further underscoring its self-aware, comedic tone.
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The story behind the documentary’s creation is just as intriguing as the final product. Two years before he would go on to make "Clerks", Kevin Smith was attending Vancouver Film School, where he was studying alongside his close friend and future collaborator, Scott Mosier. At the time, the pair decided to make a student documentary film about a local transsexual entertainer named Emelda Mae. However, their plans quickly took a bizarre turn. Mae, who had agreed to be the subject of the documentary, abruptly left town before the filming was completed. Left with no subject, Smith and Mosier were forced to rethink their project entirely. Rather than abandon the documentary altogether, the duo decided to salvage what they could and instead turn the project into a "meta-documentary" about the failure of the original documentary. In doing so, "Mae Day" became an unexpected self-reflective mockumentary, focusing not on Mae, but on the filmmakers’ struggle to complete their vision. The film offers a glimpse into the trials and tribulations of making a documentary, revealing the behind-the-scenes difficulties that can arise when things don’t go according to plan.
The documentary’s humor and irreverence set it apart from other films in the genre. While the intent was to create a serious exploration of Mae’s life, the unforeseen turn of events and the filmmakers’ creative decision to turn the failure into a story of its own gives the documentary a unique charm. Through their interactions, both onscreen and behind the camera, Smith and Mosier reveal the frustrations, absurdities, and unpredictable nature of documentary filmmaking. By turning the failure into a narrative, they provide a clever commentary on the fragility of artistic endeavors and the ways in which even the most well-laid plans can come undone. In the end, "Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentary" serves as a time capsule of Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier’s early filmmaking days, showcasing their wit and ability to improvise when faced with adversity. Though the project didn’t turn out as originally intended, it became a memorable and important piece of their cinematic journey. This unconventional documentary, with its mix of interviews, scripted content, and comedic outtakes, remains a testament to the unpredictable nature of filmmaking and the resilience of those who make it.
Image credits: YouTube
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