The HeadStuff Podcast

28. Tommy Pallotta

By Alan Bennett

Tommy Pallotta is an American film director and producer who has produced films like A Scanner Darkly, Waking Life and directed films such as American Prince and, his latest, The Last Hijack. We sat down to talk to him in the IFI, and the resulting podcast reveals a clever, laid-back and honest man. To be honest, he’s a bit of a dude. I loved talking to him, and would like to do it again.

Tommy Pallotta director of The Last Hijack with Conor Wilkins and Alan Bennett on The HeadStuff Podcast - HeadStuff.org
From left to right: Conor, Tommy and Alan

We talk about how he got into filmmaking after he met Richard Linklater in college in Texas, and basically made Slacker. He fell in love with making movies and just decided that’s what he was going to do. We talk about what a producer does (you’re welcome). And about The Last Hijack, which is a narrative and documentary journey into the world of one Somali Pirate exploring how and why he came to live such a brutal and dangerous existence. Animated re-enactments explore Mohamed’s memories, dreams and fears from his point of view.

And I highly recommend it.

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Sound by Wilkins Sound Systems | Theme by Video Blue | Art by Mikey Fleming.

Alan Bennett 159 posts 15 comments

Alan Bennett was a stand-up comedian for a while and during that time he toured with David O'Doherty and Maeve Higgins and did well in some competitions and co-ran Schnitzel Comedy Club. Then he started writing fiction and it has been published in several literary magazines and anthologies including 30 Under 30 which Joseph O'Connor chose as one of his books of the year for The Irish Times. He received a Masters with first class honours in creative writing from UCD and a BA in fine art painting from LSAD. Now he's working on getting his novel on, and being in charge of HeadStuff.org.

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