Producer/director Phillip Rodriguez talks about growing up in Los Angeles, his decision to shoot in HD and creating new stories about L.A.

What led you to make this film?

I grew up in Los Angeles during an era in which it was still a white city, an Anglo city. In the past two-and-a-half decades, this city has changed a great deal. I wanted to chronicle that change.

Why did you decide to make your film in high-definition format (HDTV)?

Claudio Rocha, who shot the documentary, had fallen in love with the Panasonic HD camera. Panasonic donated the HD Varicam for use during the project and Angineux also donated a lens during this period. We wanted to make a beautiful show. We did.

How and why did you choose the interviewees featured in the film?

There are many L.A.’s. It is a place without a big idea of itself, a perspective suitable to accommodate it. We wanted to make a show that told the story, or at least searched for a story of Los Angeles from a variety of perspectives.

What do you hope to achieve with this film?

Perhaps it can, in some very small way, encourage others to write a new story for Los Angeles so that we can stop relying on the dead metaphors of previous eras. It will happen inevitably.

The independent film business is a difficult one. What keeps you motivated?

It is a privilege to make films you care about.

Why did you choose to present your film on public television?

It is the only place in the U.S. that would encourage and indulge a strange and beautiful project like this one. I respect PBS.

What are three of your favorite films?

La Jetée, Tokyo-Ga, Irma Vep, Apropos de Nice…

What didn't you get done when you were making your film?

A lot. You can’t get your arms around a subject like this. You have to abandon that ambition early on in the process.

If you weren't a filmmaker, what kind of work do you think you'd be doing?

I think about that every day. If I could answer the question, I’d go and do that thing.

What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

Be ready to learn humility.

Which filmmakers have most influenced your work?

I’m most influenced by my collaborators on each project.