Lost in La Mancha
Originally conceived as a straight behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Terry Gilliam’s historical epic THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE, this real-life disaster movie from directors Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe took on a life of its own when the ill-starred production collapsed barely a week into its Spanish shoot. Plagued by torrential rainstorms, unfinished sets and the worsening health problems of costar Jean Rochefort, Gilliam’s $32 million fantasy yarn folded like a house of cards. After years of legal wrangling, he finally got to finish his Quixote movie in 2018, but this cautionary backstage saga is arguably the better film.
Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges
- Notes From Chai VasarhelyiOne of the best films I’ve seen about the filmmaking process. I happen to be a huge DON QUIXOTE fan, and there’s something really delightful about how quixotic this film feels. Just when you believe things can’t get worse, they do. And it’s all true. I think watching this film helps you understand the challenges of filmmaking but also shows gratitude toward the medium. Every film you make has a DON QUIXOTE moment in which you’re overwhelmed and you don’t know what to do. But you find a way to move through it.