shots Unsigned: Double Solitaire

Double Solitaire is the multi-disciplinary creative partnership of Tony Blahd and Lydia Fine. 

Based in Brooklyn, Tony and Lydia have been working together for more than a decade directing commercials, short films, and music videos.

In the documentary The Cactus of Klaus, the grounds of Klaus Rinke’s Los Angeles studio overflow with an otherworldly cactus garden. The cactus, a plant firmly rooted in the horticultural zeitgeist, is a lifelong obsession of the enigmatic artist whose career as a pioneering conceptual artist spans more than six-decades. Striking footage of the cacti garden reveals a surreal hidden geometry and illuminates the uncanny ways in which cacti and humans express themselves and coexist.

Can you tell us a little about your background's and your route into filmmaking?

Lydia Fine started in the art department, working for a production designer on big features before breaking off to work as a production designer herself on smaller projects. At the same time, she was working in theatre as well, designing sets, costumes and puppets.  

Tony Blahd worked for an indie film production company in New York for a few years, but as a side gig was leasing a big abandoned church in Bushwick and renting it out as a venue for film shoots, concerts, art shows, and raves. He saved some cash from this venture and decided to write and direct a micro-budget feature set in the church. 

We met making that film, shooting (and living) in the church for a month or so. We collaborated really closely on the film so it was just a natural fit to start directing together. At first it was just a side thing, directing a music video or short every few years while doing our own things, but during the pandemic decided to make a go of doing it full time. 

Would you say you both have a directing style? How did you arrive at it?

We don’t think we have one style, but maybe a mix of a few different styles that are sort of starting to converge. 

Generally we are working with more lo-fi approaches to effects like stop motion, practical gags and puppetry. We tend to have a sense of humour in the work we make. Even The Cactus of Klaus, which on the surface could seem a bit serious, has a current of playfulness in it.

We’re not entirely sure how we got to this style, but we both really like seeing how things get made, so it's not surprising that we’re drawn to filmmaking techniques that are more practical and handmade.

it's not surprising that we’re drawn to filmmaking techniques that are more practical and handmade.

Did you both study filmmaking? How did you learn your craft?

Neither of us went to film school, but we studied sort of adjacent fields. Lydia studied set and costume design at a theatre conservatory and Tony got a degree in media studies. 

We learned mostly from just working a lot. And not just filmmaking, we’ve each worked in a wide variety of creative roles (graphic design, theatre, experiential, creative direction) and all of those skills and experiences end up filtering into how we work as directors.

we’ve each worked in a wide variety of creative roles and all of those skills and experiences end up filtering into how we work as directors.

What was the inspiration behind The Cactus of Klaus?

Klaus is Tony’s uncle. When we visit Los Angeles we often stay at Klaus’s home, but because he lives in Austria much of the year, we actually didn’t know him very well. Until recently we’d probably spent more time with the  cacti than with Klaus himself. 

In fact, we had developed such an appreciation for the cactus garden that we initially conceived the film just as a way of documenting the collection. But when we began talking with Klaus and getting to know him more personally for the first time, his stories, his philosophy, and his gravitational pull as a character really shifted the trajectory of the film. 

ABOVE: Some BTS photos of the shoot.

What other directors' work do you admire?

Movies & TV: Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, Hayao Miyazaki, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Mills, Christopher Guest.

Music videos & commercials: Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Hiro Murai, Jonny Look.

Theatre & art stuff: Geoff Sobelle, William Kentridge, Julian Rosefeldt, Emma Rice, David Byrne.

Where do you find the inspiration for your projects?

Occasionally we get inspired by movies, TV or music videos, but more often we seem to get inspired by other sources like art, theatre, books, etc. If we’re ever stuck, going to a museum or out for a walk is sort of a sure fire way to figure it out. 

But overall, finding ideas for new projects is never a problem for us. We have a shared notes doc that we’re always adding to. That’s the fun part. The hard part is deciding which to pursue and when. And of course actually seeing things through. 

ABOVE: Some BTS photos of Klaus in his studio.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in pulling this project together?

We originally wanted to shoot in March 2020, but the timeline had to be adjusted due to Covid. Timing was really the biggest challenge. Klaus lives in Austria for much of the year and only comes back to Los Angeles for the winter months, so it was a big waiting game. We used the time to plan ahead for what we thought we’d capture but it always changes. Ultimately once we started it sort of all just came together. 

How long was the shoot and what was the most challenging aspect of the project?

It was scheduled to be a one-day shoot, but once we started shooting in the garden we realised that each cactus has its own personality and looks interesting at almost every angle. So we decided to come back the next day just to shoot more cacti. We had to cut ourselves off after that, but we probably could have shot for another week.  

This “overabundance” was probably the biggest challenge for the project, not only with the cactus but with Klaus as well. He has a lifetime’s worth of stories to tell and never tires of telling them, so it was a challenge not only on set but also in the edit, deciding which stories were essential to this film and which were not.

Also, everyone on the crew had to always be very careful to not get pricked while we were shooting and wandering the space. Endless spines to look out for! 

it was a challenge not only on set but also in the edit, deciding which stories were essential to this film and which were not.