My introduction to David di Sabatino’s filmmaking was the groundbreaking documentary Fallen Angel: The Outlaw Larry Norman. It was the first of its kind, in-depth “warts and all” look at a musical legend who was known as the Grandfather of Christian Rock in. As soon as the movie was even being talked about, it was garnering its fair share of controversy. From the title all the way through to the content, most people are fairly decided on where they land whether they have actually seen the film or not. Like it or don’t like it, it is a compelling piece of film making.
Even before the Larry Norman film though, there was David’s Emmy nominated documentary titled Lonnie Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher. Lonnie’s story was undeniably moving, and was complex in the sense of how he did not fit into the neat and tidy little compartments that Christendom likes to place upon its committed. The conclusions that can be drawn after watching Frisbee are far and wide, and the unsettling turn of events speaks even more loudly to the need for grace and love inside the church, as well as to those who have come into contact with the established traditions.
I bought both of these films and was moved by both. I was profoundly touched at the story of Lonnie Frisbee for numerous reasons. The difference between Norman and Frisbee seems to be that Norman’s issues were self induced, but that’s not so unusual because most of our struggles are self inflicted to some degree. Frisbee on the other hand seems as if he became a casualty in someone else’s war where he was a product of someone else’s system and used for their gain. Regardless, both of these stories convey one very important truth, and that is that the grace of God is all reaching and free to everyone who accepts it. What we do and who we are is known by the One who created us and who loves us regardless of the limitations that society and religion place upon us.
The other fascinating story here with both films is that how the Gospel was proclaimed and demonstrated by two individuals who didn’t live up to what most in Christendom would consider to be gospel. That is where the food for thought becomes really interesting because the impact of both Norman and Frisbee is undeniable. Norman’s musical reach not only defined the sound of a generation, but also an entire genre of music. Whereas Frisbee’s evangelical drive and gifts changed the lives of countless individuals. Both of these films encapsulate the struggle of sustaining the weight of what these guys had become under the glaring microscope of outside influence, acclaim and adoration.
David di Sabatino has made two astonishing films that are not only eye opening, but also inspiring, alarming and convicting. Visit the websites at the end of the interview to purchase copies of the films, and thanks for supporting independent film making.
How do you decide to choose the subjects that you do your documentaries on?
I had a fascination with the Jesus movement and what had happened within this microcosm of time, and the two people who fascinated me the most were Lonnie Frisbee and Larry Norman, for very different reasons. Lonnie was of interest because of the nature of his story. Here was a guy about whom people’s eyes got big when they spoke about him, as if they had seen and experienced something that was completely beyond comprehension. But, there were a couple of difficult issues to deal with as well. And because of those issues, the story had been shelved for a number of reasons, the most innocuous being that church denominations aren’t very interested in historical or theological explanation, but also that Lonnie’s story that had some stuff that many people think should best be left unspoken. To me it was a challenge to tell this story in a way that conveyed so many disparate parts into one compact storyline.
Larry Norman was of fascination to me because he was my introduction to the Jesus movement having been a fan of his early on. I truly thought that I was doing a similar story to Lonnie’s when I began Fallen Angel, but once I had invested the time it was obvious that this was a very different story altogether and I seriously thought about just letting it go a number of times. The reason I didn’t was because of the victims that deserved to have their side heard. I also took it as a personal challenge that Larry was making rather loud noises that he was not going to allow it to go forward. I dunno… not too crazy about people telling me that I can’t do stuff. And so I ventured forth because I think there is the need for truthful reflection upon stuff that we might rather not see. Life demands reflection, and stories are equipment for living. I am a firm believer that we can learn from the good as well as the not so good.
Is there still another version of Fallen Angel coming out, one with extras, etc.?
Absolutely. We’ve had great talks with distributors who got excited with the film and its possibilities. But things changed in their situation as the financial world began to crumble. We’re going to release in early 2011 now. It will be much more thorough.
Are you dealing with fallout from the Larry Norman movie still?
Not directly. I learned a lesson from Pamela (Larry’s ex-wife) and Randy Stonehill to just ignore it. Larry was a master spin-doctor, and the reason that nobody ever took him on was because this sort of thing awaited anyone who dared. People are rightly fearful of standing up and speaking out. You pay a price. But that doesn’t mean it should not be done. So, it might be going on. I just have learned to dissociate myself from it.
What impacted you the most while doing research on these films?
What is that great line of Paul’s… where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more. God’s graciousness against the backdrop of human frailty is something someone could spend a lifetime showing. God is always striving for the best in humanity to come out, always tugging at us to do better. But if you choose to go down the road of destruction, that is your choice, as sad as that may be.
Did you know Norman or Frisbee personally?
I began to document Lonnie’s life three months after he passed away in 1993. I met Lonnie through the recollections of his family and friends who graciously, albeit tentatively, opened up to me.
I did not know Lonnie, no.
I had met Larry in 1990 after sponsoring a concert in Toronto and again in 1996 when he came through Kingston, Ontario. I asked him some questions on both of those occasions, and his answers gave me pause. Once my curiosity was triggered, I just kept asking questions. Because I was trying to research things and get to the bottom of stuff, I came to the conclusion that Larry was not telling the truth. And that made me all the more curious.
What were the hardest obstacles to overcome while doing Frisbee and Fallen Angel?
With Frisbee it was melding the two major themes of Lonnie’s life – his passion for God and his sexual struggle – into one story. These are not things that many people believe should go together and perhaps do not wish to hear about in this manner, but this is what I had to deal with as I unraveled the story. I think part of the strength of the Frisbee doc is that it takes on these things with honesty without getting into the political aspects or agendas that some people’s minds immediately associate when talk of God and homosexuality arise. Part of the antipathy by some of his friends and family was the worry that people were going to get the wrong idea about homosexuality, that I needed to hammer out some clearly defined statement towing the conservative party line. Trying to explain that fear of what might happen isn’t a good reason to do something was sometimes difficult, but I really enjoyed all of them because they are such a diverse collection of very sincere and upstanding people. And I liked them very much and could see how very much they loved Lonnie. But it was hard with the sexual issues. There were some tense moments.
With Fallen Angel, the main difficulty was dealing with Larry, his family and the group of slavish devotees that believe they need to defend indefensible territory. It’s never fun to deal with a group like that, but nothing that hasn’t been handled.
Too, in doing something like this it is fraught with the wonky thinking of some evangelicals who naively think that forgiveness means that you never speak of activities of this nature, that because God has thrown your sins in a “sea of forgetfulness” that everyone else should too. You can point them to the biblical recitation of the David & Bathsheba narrative, where David’s sin and accompanying actions are retold for our spiritual benefit. You can point them to entire pericopes like Psalm 78 where the writer extols us to “tell of all the wonderful works of God” and then does so up against the contrast of Israel’s infidelities. You can point out that if this were a bio documentary on John Lennon or Jim Morrison, they wouldn’t say a thing. You could point out that these same people watch and are fans of Bill O’Reilly or Rush Limbaugh or Chris Matthews. And if you push them, you can get them to say without equivocation that Obama may be the antichrist. But for whatever reason, this is somehow different. And you aren’t going to win those conversations.
The guys that surprised me were some of those that knew these things were true, and I think some of this embarrasses them because they were standing around with their hands in their pockets while this went on. I am mystified by their statements.
Were you surprised at the reaction to Frisbee (nomination), and the reaction to Fallen Angel (opposition)?
The Frisbee film was helped a lot by the people at PBS, so, they had a big hand in that. I am proud of that film for a lot of reasons outside of the nomination. I think when you hear “Emmy” it lights people up and makes me sound a lot more legitimate than I really am.
The opposition to Fallen Angel, was I surprised? No. Larry told me point blank that he was going to do this, and set his family against me. So, I knew this was coming. It reminds me of the response by the Monty Python guys to the picketing done by fundamentalist Christians during the release of Life of Brian that the very thing they were trying to prove – that religion can foster some weird and wacky responses – was borne out by these protesters frothing at the mouth about a mockudrama that was poking fun at events playing in the background to the life of Jesus. I made a movie about a guy who spent a lot of his time trying to ruin those closest to him and then to hide his actions. How don’t their actions prove the very point the movie is making?
That being said, I have listened to the criticisms carefully because I really love that story in the Old Testament where David responds to Shimei by asking himself whether there isn’t some sort of message on the other end of a guy throwing s*** at him. And I think some of my actions have been less than charitable. And I have had to repent of that. I was raised playing hockey, so if someone takes a swing, okay …. And that hasn’t been the wisest move in many instances. I am a work in progress myself, and am in need of the cautions of both the Lonnie and Larry narratives to wash over me as well. So, I endeavor to be better at holding my rather big mouth in the future. That being said, I stand behind everything I said. I just am open to the criticism that there might have been a more charitable manner of saying it.
Do you have other projects in the works?
I do. Nothing I wish to discuss at this point, though.
Are your movies self funded?
Yes. I am not sure when, but after many years of fighting it, my years sitting at the feet of my father the entrepreneur have come in handy.
How was the reaction to your movies different from “inside the church” compared to “outside of the church”?
It’s too complex to rope things off that tightly. I don’t think that there is a uniform response in either camp. I have gotten a lot of positive response from the Frisbee film from all walks of life. That is a move that will continue to have life far beyond what I could have expected. There is an inspirational aspect to Lonnie’s story and life. We’re just getting Fallen Angel off the ground. Very different tone, but, who knows? I have seen Fallen Angel pierce people in a manner very different than Frisbee. Sometimes cautionary tales can wake us up from potential disaster.
What are your views on modern church in America?
There is such a diverse smorgasbord going on right now. At no time in history have people had so much opportunity to do something truly outstanding. I see people accomplishing wonderful things, but maybe not necessarily the things that are doted upon by others. Someone who has spent their life building a 20,000-member church may have missed the point of Jesus’ parable of the widow with two mites. The Bible is pregnant with statements where God judges the truth of the matter where humans are getting excited about the façade. I want to see the things that God is interested in. And they are out there amidst the nonsense.
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