By Kevin Murphy Wilson • Photos By Matt Johnson
Dean Otto has served as the Curator of Film and head of the Speed Cinema since it first opened its doors within the Speed Museum nearly a decade ago. By all accounts, this city is incredibly fortunate to have such a highly-esteemed expert in our midst.
Filmmaker/philanthropist Owsley Brown III told the VOICE-TRIBUNE that this is, in part, because Otto has both vision and passionate dedication to the idea that the Speed Cinema can bring people together in deep and very meaningful ways. “He has dedicated his life to fostering the idea that we are all part of one human family and uses the cinema as a forum for this human family to gather, share and relish in the magic and wonder of the cinematic mirror,” Brown said. We recently caught up with Otto to hear more about his journey and what’s next on the metaphorical marquee at Speed Cinema.
VT: Please tell us a bit about your own backstory.
DO: “I moved to Louisville nine years ago to serve as the founding Curator of Film at the Speed Art Museum. I arrived on Halloween night and had roughly five months to build the program and oversee the final construction of the Speed Cinema.We launched with 30 hours of consecutive film screenings in March 2016. Last year, we hosted over 300 screenings which included films like Wildcat, which was shot in Louisville, and I had the pleasure of interviewing director and co-writer Ethan Hawke for the first public screening. Prior to the Speed, I worked for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis where I worked closely with film collection digitizing dozens of films which were made accessible to the public through an interactive Mediatheque. I also got to host many film directors for discussions of their work and screenings including Todd Haynes, Spike Lee, Francis Ford Coppola, Claire Denis, Jane Campion, and Steve McQueen.”
VT: What put you on this career path in the first place? How did you initially become interested in film?
DO: “I grew up in a blue-collar town in Wisconsin and film provided an escape in which I could experience the world through the imagination of filmmakers across the world. I started researching films at the public library and crafted a list of films that I would see when I would move away. When I attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I became involved in a film program at the Wisconsin Union Directorate that trained me in film projection and presentation. They gave me the opportunity to arrange public screenings of the films that I had always wanted to see and to share them with others. It also gave me experience in partnering with academic departments and to collaborate with artists and musicians. I even got to work with John Waters for the first time.”
VT: Are there any specific folks who inspired or encouraged you along the way?
DO: “At the Walker as I was starting my career in film, Bruce Jenkins, who was the museum’s curator, gave me fantastic opportunities and challenges to grow. He knew how important relationships with artists are and he insisted all artists feel welcomed and respected. We would meet the filmmakers at the gate (when one could do that at an airport), escorted them around the city, and made sure that their needs were met. Through Bruce’s kindness I got to help host filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Jodie Foster, and Tom Hanks.”
VT: For the uninitiated, how would you describe your work as a film curator?
DO: “I serve as a conduit between filmmakers and audiences to build programs that show the creative process of artists and support their ideas presented in films. At a museum, this could involve making connections between other art forms or histories, partnering with academic departments to share their expertise outside of the classroom, or collaborations with community organizations who may be associated with the themes of the film to discuss how their work is reflected in the films. At the Speed, I’m building an audience for world cinema by providing screenings of international children’s films and helping to build the next generation of film enthusiasts.”
VT: What are some of your all time favorite films and why?
DO: “My favorite film is Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love. When I first saw it, I returned to the cinema for the remaining five nights of screenings, bringing new people with me each time to share in the mesmerizing story of two people betrayed by their spouses who are attracted to one another, but too refined to act upon it. It’s a film in which the character’s romantic longing ignites the screen.”
VT: Tell us about what you’re up to at the moment in terms of current and upcoming events and screenings.
DO: “I’m particularly excited to share films that I’ve seen at festivals which are being nominated or winning awards lately including Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light which was New York Times Chief Film Critic Manohla Dargis’ top pick for Best Film of 2024, Mati Diop’s Dahomey which won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and Maura Delpero’s Vermiglio which was just nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Non-English Language. These are exciting, new spellbinding films from the world’s top female directors. We’ll also be hosting artist Roger Bebe for a night of his multi-projector performances on January 2, a selection of the best films from the New York International Children’s Film Festival on January 3, and our first Science on Screen program with the film Songcatcher with live music and a discussion by a musicologist presented by our Assistant Curator Nathan Viner on January 16.”
For more information visit speedmuseum.org.