Bruce Weber at The Forge, May 10, 2006

Miami, FL – February 1, 2013 – Last Friday evening, renowned fashion photographer Bruce Weber was in town hosting a screening of his 1988 film, Let’s Get Lost, a documentary on the ever-cool jazz trumpeter Chet Baker. The event was held at the historic Tower Theater on Calle Ocho where the Miami International Film Festival is counting down to their 30th Anniversary, which begins March 1, with a 29-day retrospective series with one film from each year. For those who weren’t aware that Weber’s talents went beyond the photography realm, World Red Eye and Chrispy Alexander, a good friend of Weber’s and the head of Front Management modeling agency on Miami Beach, chatted with Weber before the screening. Check out our timeline of Bruce Weber over the past few years in Miami and what he has to say.

Bruce Weber & Penelope Cruz at The Forge, November 10, 2004

Bruce Weber & Penelope Cruz at The Forge, November 10, 2004

Chrispy Alexander: So, in the difference between film and photography, what turned the passion on for you and which do you enjoy more? There’s so much more involved with film and it takes so much longer…

Bruce Weber: “When [my wife] Nan and I started making films, it was kind of crazy because we took the first film we made, Broken Noses, to Cannes and they said ‘a photographer can’t really make films’, which I never believed to be true because I knew a lot of photographers who made films, and I really loved them a lot. Jerry Schatzberg made a great film with Al Pacino years ago- Mary Ellen Mark too, a whole bunch of people. I decided in starting to make films that I’d just make them like I took pictures. So in all my films, I started out taking photographs, and that becomes part of the film. When he started making Broken Noses it was a bit traumatic because we were in Cannes with Chet Baker, and it was our first documentary so we didn’t really know what we were doing. Everyone just hated this movie; they thought it was terrible and put it down. But they loved the star of the film- everyone wanted to meet Andy Minsker. So I thought, that sounds like what a film is about- being attracted to something in it, but you can’t put your finger on it. And that’s sort of the way I take pictures I guess. So after some terrible reviews, Nan told me we got a documentary award to make another film. We thought it was like a crank call. We have a mutual friend who does that all the time. I called Jeff Price, my camera man, and he started to cry. It was just an amazing thing for us. It gave us the incentive to go on, and we wanted to continue that film. I think one film is like another film, it just kind of adds on to it. So that’s how we ended up making Let’s Get Lost.”

Donna Karan, Bruce Weber, & André Balazs at the Eisner Book Release at The Raleigh, December 1, 2004

Veronica Webb & Bruce Weber at the Eisner Book Release at The Raleigh, December 1, 2004

Lisa Eisner, Nan Bush, & Bruce Weber at the Eisner Book Release at The Raleigh, December 1, 2004

Rupert Everett, Liv Ullmann, & Bruce Weber at The Forge, February 8, 2005

Bruce Weber, David LaChapelle, Amanda Lepore, Ingrid Sischy, & Donna Karan at dinner at The Raleigh, November 29, 2005

CA: This movie, Let’s Get Lost, was nominated for an Oscar. That must’ve been pretty amazing.

BW: “We thought it was another crank call.” (laughs)

David LaChapelle & Bruce Weber at dinner at The Raleigh, November 29, 2005

Bruce Weber & Ingrid Sischey at dinner at The Raleigh, November 29, 2005

Benedict Taschen, Cynthia Rowley, & Bruce Weber at Bruce Weber’s book signing at The Raleigh, December 2, 2005

Bruce Weber & Benedict Taschen at Bruce Weber’s book signing at The Raleigh, December 2, 2005

Nan Bush, Wolfgang Puck, Bruce Weber, & Gelila Puck at Prime 112, February 25, 2006

CA: So do you have another project in the works? Anything you’re inspired by in particular?

BW: “As I said, one film goes into another, and I’ve been working for a lot of years on this film about Robert Mitchum. I’ve always wanted to do a film about an actor. He was my favorite actor, and I always loved the film Meet Marlon Brando... Films are really about crushes. Nan and I met, and we listened to Chet’s early music, and I discovered she loved Chet’s music as much as I did. So that’s how we ended up making the film. It wasn’t because we wanted to make a film that would make a lot of money or be popular, but we worked hard to do it together.”

Bruce Weber & Martha Stewart at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at Fontainebleau grand opening, November 15, 2008

Cassie, Bruce Weber, & Nan Bush at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at Fontainebleau grand opening, November 15, 2008

Bruce Weber at his Roberto Bolle- An Athlete in Tights book launch at The Standard, December 4, 2009

Bruce Weber at his Roberto Bolle- An Athlete in Tights book launch at The Standard, December 4, 2009

CA: What about your love for Miami? I’m glad you have a love for it because I think of you and Nan as family. People ask me if you live here, and I never know how to answer that because you do travel so much, but what keeps you coming back?

BW: “Well we have a lot of heart here, and I love all the characters here. I learn about people still being characters, and I like that. I loved the beginnings of the Miami Film Festival here, and I really learned a lot about film. This was one of the first places in the US that showed Pedro Almodóvar’s films. You know, I just always enjoy being here. I love the light and the craziness of the place… There’s a whole ethnic quality with the Cuban, Spanish, and Haitian communities too that’s great.”

Lorenzo Martone & Bruce Weber at Bruce Weber’s Roberto Bolle- An Athlete in Tights book launch at The Standard, December 4, 2009

Roxanne Lowit & Bruce Weber at Bruce Weber’s Roberto Bolle- An Athlete in Tights book launch at The Standard, December 4, 2009

Kelly Bensimon & Bruce Weber at Bruce Weber’s Roberto Bolle- An Athlete in Tights book launch at The Standard, December 4, 2009

Bruce Weber, Nan Bush, Andre Balazs, & Calvin Klein at Bruce Weber’s Roberto Bolle- An Athlete in Tights book launch at The Standard, December 4, 2009

Nan Bush & Bruce Weber at the Best Buddies Gala, November 19, 2010

Jonathan Meese & Bruce Weber at the Vanity Fair Party at MOCA, November 30, 2010

Jonathan Meese & Bruce Weber at the Vanity Fair Party at MOCA, November 30, 2010

Bruce Weber at Art Basel Vernissage at the Miami Beach Convention Center, December 1, 2010

Sean Penn & Bruce Weber at Save Haiti presented by Maybach at New World Center, December 2, 2010

Bruce Weber & Alber Elbaz at Save Haiti presented by Maybach at New World Center, December 2, 2010

Bruce Weber & Enrique Iglesias at Ocean Drive Magazine’s 18th Anniversary at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, March 9, 2011

Chrispy Alexander, Bruce Weber, Romero Britto, Michael Stanley, & Eric Milon at Chrispy Alexander’s birthday at Vesper, January 13, 2012

Chrispy Alexander & Bruce Weber at Chrispy’s birthday at Vesper, January 13, 2012

CA: Is there a specific theater you prefer in Miami?

BW: “I love [the Tower Theater] because most of the screenings they have show on 35mm film, not digital. A theater that’s very popular with us in New York is the Film Forum. Nan was on the board there, and it’s just great for new filmmakers.”

Bruce Weber, Debi Mazar, & Bill T. Jones at the YoungArts Gala at the Gusman Center & Alfred I. DuPont Building, January 14, 2012

Bruce Weber, Remo Ruffini, & Nan Bush at the Moncler 60th Anniversary, December 7, 2012

“I don’t think of myself as a personality because I’m like those guys out there taking the picture- I’m usually on that side. And that’s where I like to be. I think it’s nice when you meet people and they don’t know what the hell you do– it’s really refreshing and interesting. I don’t really hang out with a lot of celebrity-type people. I mean, I know them because I photograph them, but I photograph a lot of people who aren’t celebrities who I really adore.” – Bruce Weber