GALO: Elsewhere, you’ve claimed that Generation Iron is a sequel to Pumping Iron. How does your film improve upon or add to Pumping Iron? What do you think your film adds to our idea of bodybuilding that its predecessor perhaps doesn’t mention or leaves out entirely?

VY: Well, Pumping Iron is, of course, a classic film, which people [have] loved for generations — not only bodybuilding fans, but people who really appreciate film, documentaries. It is one of the greatest documentaries ever made. Pumping Iron introduced the sport of bodybuilding. It introduced the culture. For the first time ever, people were actually introduced to what bodybuilding is. So, of course, we had to go deeper with these characters, take the camera further into their lives, and show how the sport changed and evolved over the years. The main difference is that we dug in a little deeper into the surface — which, obviously, it’s just something you have to do, it’s natural progression. The first [film] introduced it, and now we had to explore [the subject] a little deeper.

GALO: One of the most memorable scenes for me was Dennis Wolf’s acting audition. The moment seemed really awkward: Dennis was missing his lines and there were some long pauses there. Why did you choose to follow Dennis to his audition? Also, what became of it? Did he get called back?

VY: I don’t think he got that role, specifically. And that goes into what happens to bodybuilders after their retirement, because you can’t be a bodybuilder forever — you just can’t. Physically, it’s impossible. So, it goes to show, what the natural progression is.

A bodybuilder is naturally an entertainer. A lot of people think that bodybuilding is a meathead type of sport — that all you do is lift weights — but bodybuilding goes into posing. It’s one of the components on a stage. So, it is very common for a bodybuilder to want to go into entertainment. And for Dennis, one of his icons is Schwarzenegger. So, he wanted to give it a try, and I guess it is one of the more humorous things in the film. But I thought, if that’s what he wants to do, he should definitely make it a real thing and see what he can do about it and how he can actually show himself off in casting. I think it makes for a good scene, and it really shows what the next step for a bodybuilder is. Anything can happen, at any moment, so there are all these different aspirations as to what they can do afterward.

GALO: Could you describe the creative planning required in a day’s worth of shooting? How much of the film was off-the-cuff or improvisational? Are you the type of filmmaker who attempts to plan as much of the shoot as possible?

VY: A lot of it was planned, like the day was planned, not scripted. But it was like, “OK, today this is what we’re filming; today, this is where we are going [sic]. And we had a very specific shot list, but it all changed on the day of the actual shoot. It just, it always changed — the circumstances coming into the place, [e.g.] different weather conditions, but most importantly, we saw a lot of things along the way that could improve the film. There was an accident that happened with one of the bodybuilders whilst riding a horse. You can never plan for something like that. That day was planned for something completely different, then suddenly, an accident happened. And that changed the whole course of filming for the rest of the week, actually, because he sustained an injury. So, every day was completely unpredictable. Sometimes, we would get to a location, and they would not be available, or a lot of the time we would switch up the whole planning in a different direction. So, it was always planned as far as what we were going to shoot, but it always changed.

GALO: Mickey Rourke’s voice work in the film is pure magic. How did you approach him with the idea and what was it like working with him?

VY: He was always the choice for the narrator, always — my number one choice. From the beginning, even when the film was conceptually in development, I always envisioned him as a narrator in the film. When we were deciding who was going to be the narrator, I felt that it needed to be him. First of all, I felt that his voice was amazing, but I also felt that people could associate with him being a narrator in a bodybuilding documentary. I feel like bodybuilders can respect him because of his career in sports, and, in general, he’s just an amazing actor. I found out later, when I was talking to him, that his father was actually a bodybuilder in New York, an amateur bodybuilder. So, he could relate to the sport. When you find someone who can relate to the sport and [is] a great actor, who is respected by athletes, I think it’s just a perfect combination. Mickey Rourke was great because of his natural ability to get that voice, just kind of very raspy and uneven, and he covers an emotional connection to the film. I think the audience is able to respond to it as well. So, it was a very easy process.

GALO: What was going through your mind when Branch Warren fell of his horse, just after speaking lightly about his injuries? The scene seemed almost painfully ironic.

VY: It was crazy. It was nuts. I mean, just complete shock, because we were supposed to go hunting with Branch, actually. He was a big hunter, and he and his friends were supposed to plan a big hunt, and he was getting ready for it. When he got on the horse, we were doing some shots around the house, and right before he started to go toward the house (where he fell), we were asking him that question, “A lot of people say that you might get injured, the way you train, the way that you live your life,” and he said, “No, that won’t happen.” And then he just fell. When that happened, it was just bizarre. We ran up to him, as he was on the ground, and one of his boots, it kind of had shifted down, making it look like his foot had snapped, basically — his ankle. So, it was very scary and very surreal. But then it turned out that his boot just kind of fell out, so his foot was alright, but his hamstring was injured.

You know, I felt sort of responsible, because here he is training for the biggest competition in his life and we’re shooting a film at the same time, so I just felt really bad. It was a very bad day. But I feel like that scene, because he recovered rather quickly and he made it to the gym, made him look like more of a warrior, and Branch is the kind of guy who, when he’s injured, always comes back and is still competing. I think he is just a real warrior at heart.

GALO: The film describes steroids as a taboo subject, though it is well-known that most bodybuilders use performance enhancing drugs. What was your impression about these drugs through your first-hand experiences? What view did the builders have toward steroid use?

VY: It’s a very taboo subject. My perception of steroids is that it’s hard to judge, being a non-athlete. When you are in that arena competing and your whole career depends on it, and everyone in that professional sport uses it, it’s hard to tell someone what to do and what not to do, you know what I mean? Also, I think the public is very judgmental in a way, because you want the athletes to do something tremendous, whether it’s on a stage or in a field, and you want them to do something spectacular, but then, you judge them when they do it [with steroids]. So, it’s hypocritical [in a way].

But then again, I think the general audience does not know too much about steroids to begin with. It’s hard for us to judge without having all the information. There are so many different things that people use, it’s not just one thing. It’s totally different things for different sports. And it goes into how much you do it, how often you do it, and what’s really abuse and what’s not. I don’t have all the information, you know? I learned a lot about it now, but I don’t have all the answers, or all the scientific [knowledge] — I haven’t done all the research. So, I think this subject will remain in a kind of gray area for a very long time. Because people will still continue using it in all the sports, and the public will still judge them, and I don’t think it will ever really end. My personal opinion is that in professional sports people are going to do what they have to do, and that includes steroid use. We’ll never know fully to what extent people use them, and we’ll never know who does and who doesn’t. What are you going to do?

GALO: Which one of the Mr. Olympia contenders was the most interesting to work with? Any off-camera experiences you can share with us?

VY: It’s so difficult to pinpoint who was the most interesting. Of course, Kai and Phil were [interesting] because of their rivalry. And it goes without saying that Kai is a very interesting and deep guy, who changes the perception of what a bodybuilder is and will continue to do so for many different people, just because he is a real artist due to his stories and stuff like that. I think Phil will do the same thing because he is a very charismatic guy who can have a conversation on many different levels. I think most people question the intelligence level of bodybuilders. Obviously, these guys prove that it is wrong to judge them.

I loved working with Roelly [Winklaar] and Grandma because there is a very cool dynamic in that dual family type, mother-son relationship that they had. It was very cool to watch. And, of course, Victor was amazing to work with because he just got out of jail when we started filming, so what you saw in the film, it’s all real. It was just very dramatic to see his return and the uncertainty of whether he was going to compete or not, and he had to deal with so many different issues outside of the gym, while at the same time he was trying to work out and keep shape at the gym. To get that type of story, and actually document it as it is happening, is just priceless, you know? I was very fortunate to get these type of characters in the film.

“Generation Iron” opened on September 20, 2013. For more information about the film, please visit http://generation-iron.com.


Trailer Courtesy of VladarTV.

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