I recently had the pleasure of seeing the documentary Of All the Things at the ’08 AFI festival. My friend knew the director, Jody Lambert, and I went along knowing nothing about the film. Turns out it is a charming story about Dennis Lambert, the writer and/or producer of songs such as Nightshift, Baby Come Back, Rhinestone Cowboy and She’s Gone. In 2007, Mr. Lambert, who left show business many years ago, begrudgingly (at least at first) accepted an invitation to the Philippines to perform his songs live. It seems Filipinos are crazy wild for his work, especially his 1972 solo album Bags and Things. His son, Jody Lambert, accompanied him on the trip with a small crew to document the event, resulting in a wonderful story of rebirth and just rewards. Jody was nice enough to talk to me about the film.

By Caroline Cohagen 

How many people were in your crew in the Philippines?

We had a crew of five: Taylor Williams (Producer); P.H. O'Brien (DP/Sound); Heather Greene (Co-producer); Jeremiah Clancy (B-camera); and me (Director).

What did you shoot with?

We shot on mini-dv on the Panasonic DVX-100 in 24p. We wanted a warm, film-y look.

How many hours did you shoot and how long did it take to edit the final film?

We ended up with about 100 hours of footage. We edited over the course of eight months -- right up to the week before our world premiere at SXSW.

If you could go back and do something differently what would it be?

I just wish we'd been able to explore the Philippines a bit more. It's a beautiful country, but because we were on a rock 'n roll tour, we saw most of it through the windows of vans and buses and planes.

Did the journey change your relationship with your father?

We've always been very close, but on the tour I got to see him work up close for the first time and was really impressed by what a pro he is. Watching him re-learn and re-interpret his songs, rehearse with the Filipino musicians, and then go out there and do these concerts, was really intense. We were all really inspired by the courage it took for him to embark on this amazing adventure.

What was the hardest part of working with him?

Not laughing while we were shooting. My dad's a hilarious guy -- there were a few times when the DP had to tell me to shut up because I was ruining a shot.

What’s your favorite Dennis Lambert song?

I think "Nightshift" is his best song. But I also really love "Don't Look Any Further", one of the funkiest, sexiest R&B jams of all time.

In a narrative film, who would play you and who would play your dad?

Let's go with Giovanni Ribisi and Dustin Hoffman. But honestly, Dennis should just play himself in a remake.

Your father is now performing gigs regularly. Have you created a monster?

I hope so. He's a true entertainer and he's too talented to stop making music.

Will he return to the Philippines to perform again?

We were invited to the Cinemanila Film Festival this year, but we asked to postpone until next year so we could arrange a tour with the promoter who brought my dad over for the tour. I think when we finally screen "Of All The Things" in the Philippines, he'll do another concert. It'll be huge.

What’s next for you?

I'm going to direct a narrative feature I co-wrote with a playwright named Michael Dowling. It'll be produced by Taylor Williams, who produced "Of All The Things." We're planning to start shooting in the spring.

Where can our readers see Of All the Things?

We've been invited to several US festivals and we're part of the AFI 20/20 program, which is an international initiative designed to enhance cultural exchange, understanding and collaboration through filmmakers and their films from the US and abroad. So we'll be traveling with the film to China, South Africa, Peru, and Paris throughout 2009. Check our website ofallthethingsmovie.com and Myspace and Facebook pages for updates.

Carolyn Cohagan is the Content Editor for FilmIndependent.org