Cheers from Roger and Hank
Hot off the tails of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Roger Durling sat down and profiled his longtime friend Hank Pitcher for this week’s cover story. As an avid lover of all things art — not just cinema — Durling is always looking for ways to highlight his community.
How did you meet Hank Pitcher? What has kept you friends so long?
I met Hank late in March 2016 when I was still doing my weekly column for the Independent called the S.B. Questionnaire. I was supposed to interview him for it, but after we met, I realized that he deserved a lengthier profile. I proposed it to Marianne [Partridge, Independent Editor-in-Chief]. Hank and I met for that original article for three 90-minute sessions, and a very close friendship developed based on mutual respect, and our love for movies — in particular, Fellini. This is the third story I’ve done on him, and we meet regularly for martinis at his studio throughout the year.
Why was now the time to profile Hank, and what were some of your personal highlights from the piece?
As I mentioned in the article, Hank is the best artist currently working in Santa Barbara, and this show is the best he’s ever done. He’s at the top of his game, and his love for the Miramar Beach and how connected it is to the love of his life — his wife, Susan Pitcher — is an incredible story.
How have things been going for you since SBIFF? How are renovations to the Film Center going?
I have not been able to rest — not yet. I teach at SBCC, and it wouldn’t be fair to the students for me to take time off. I will do so during spring break, and I’m crawling on all fours toward it. The renovations are moving forward. We’re finalizing the renderings and starting the permit processing. In the meantime, I’m excited about the retrospective on Gene Hackman that we will start in early April at the Film Center. We lost a giant of an actor with the passing of Hackman.
Have you been writing or in the film industry longer? Does working in the film and media industry help you hone your craft for journalistic writing?
I started as a writer. I was a playwright and I thought that would be my career until the festival came along. Writing cover stories for the Indy keeps me grounded and takes me out of my headspace. I love featuring artists and trying to understand how they work. I was recently commissioned by the Criterion Collection to write an essay for their release of the Blu-ray for Julian Schnabel’s Basquiat. That was a huge honor.
How do you balance creating and supporting art and teaching it to future generations?
It all goes hand in hand. One feeds the other. I’m able to understand cinema better by teaching to others what I have learned while working at SBIFF, and hearing young minds speak about it and being influenced by what I have learned is so rewarding. It’s about passing it forward, and I get so much in return as well.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Santa Barbara? Any places you haven’t been to for a while that are worth getting back to?
I like walking downtown by myself during my lunch hour and stopping in at art galleries. It is enriching. I also go every Friday to Harry’s with my husband and meet friends there, and on Sundays, our two sons join us at Lucky’s for brunch. I guess I only hang out in Santa Barbara at places that have an apostrophe-S (’s) after its title. I haven’t been to Yoga Soup in a while — you’re motivating me.
