MELISSA VERSEY/ Scroll
Daryn Tufts, co-producer of American Mormon, autographs memorabilia outside the University Bookstore on Sept. 15.

Q&A: Daryn Tufts from American Mormon

Interviewed by Anissa Zambudio ZAM03003@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Q: Where did the idea for American Mormon come from?

A: American Mormon came from traveling to different parts of the country and talking to different people about Mormons. They didn’t know we could be so normal and they had these misconceptions about Mormons and that’s when I thought, that’s something I would like to see.

Q: How did you pick the locations?

A: We wanted to pick the most iconic cities so people wouldn’t think we were cheating and doing this in Provo We knew we wanted to pick places people would instantly know where we were and we knew if we picked these places we would also find a lot of diversity of cultures and religions.

Q: Deseret News reported that some missionary work followed some of the interviews: Can you tell me about that?

A: That’s true. This movie wasn’t to go out and proselyte and it wasn’t about being missionaries, but people were open and willing to talk and find out the correct answers and after the cameras stopped rolling I would answer their questions, dispel their misconceptions and just talk to them. We planted the seed by making friends.

Q: What was something surprising you learned?

A: Something surprising I learned was that if you approach people in a non-threatening way and have an open discussion, are willing to hear what they say and are interested, people are very willing to listen and talk about the church; they’re very open to it.

Q: What’s next up for you as an actor/filmmaker?

A: I just finished a film, a non-LDS movie I wrote, co-produced and starred in, called Stalking Santa. I think it reflects my values as a member but it is not a Mormon movie. I also had a small part in Church Ball and we’re planning a sequel to Singles Ward called Singles Second Ward and two more sequels to American Mormon. We’ve just scratched the surface and we want to go and explore in the world and keep going.

Q: The Mormon comedy movie genre is very limited. Do you feel it’s overdone?

A: Yes, it’s getting oversaturated. Here’s the thing, there’s a whole world to explore with movies and no one is exploring it. There’s no evolution. It’s the same jokes over and over and audiences are starting to feel that it’s getting old. The problem isn’t the source of the material, it’s that filmmakers aren’t exploring new territory and telling new stories or looking at new angles.

I feel that some filmmakers are starting to be too generic, to have it both ways, taking the Mormon jokes and making them for everyone, but then you lose everyone. If you are going to make a movie about Mormons for Mormons, don’t apologize, there’s no shame in that. I believe people across the country are not against watching a movie about us. If there were more Mormon characters in Mormon movies that weren’t preachy and didn’t have inside jokes, people could identify more with them. Napoleon Dynamite is [made] by Mormons and it’s not a Mormon movie. It was so successful and they knew how to do it and it reflected our standards.

For trailers on American Mormon or Stalking Santa go to:

www.americanmormon.com
or www.stalkingsanta.com

Click here to see Scroll's American Mormon and Junior's Giants DVD reviews.