Interview: Talking ‘Rustin’ With Director George C. Wolfe

I’ve been vocal about how Rustin is lighter on its feet and far more enjoyable of an experience than you might initially think. A good amount of the credit for that goes to director George C. Wolfe, who had a very specific vision for the film. While in Washington, D.C. last week, I had the chance to speak with him about just that. Previously, I spoke to co-writer Julian Breece here about the movie, as well as star Colman Domingo here at the same press day as Wolfe. Today, the latter gets a chance to talk about his newest work, which drops today on Netflix.

Below, you can see my discussion with Wolfe. We had very little time, but I think made the most of it. What so easily could have been a traditional biopic is instead lively and unique. I wanted to know about being at this point in the film’s lifespan and letting it go, so we got into that as well. Especially now that the movie is hitting streaming, you can see for yourself just why I’m so taken with this work.

In my review of Rustin (here) out of the Telluride Film Festival, I had this to say, in part, about Wolfe’s work:

Director George C. Wolfe makes sure you never get caught up the generic biopic here. Working from a script by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, Wolfe gets you hyped up for political engagement. Of course, having that performance from Domingo goes a long way, but the writing and direction are right there with him. Plus, being only 99 minutes is clutch, as there’s no room for anything except the best bits. Kudos there for that choice.

Here now is my interview with Rustin director George C. Wolfe. Enjoy:

Rustin is on Netflix today!