Profile: Jamie Babbit
Film director Jamie Babbit, born in 1970, currently resides in LA. She directed the feature films "But I'm a Cheerleader" (1999),"Itty Bitty Titty Committee" (2007), and "The Quiet" (2006) as well as TV series, such as the popular shows The L Word, Ugly Betty, and Nip/Tuck.
　
　
―In IBTC, I also loved the love story on the side between Daniela Sea and Carly Pope. I found it very cool.
　
Me too, I love that couple. So cute! Originally I always wanted Shuli (Carly Pope) to be straight, cause most of the girls in the riot movement were straight, like Kathleen Hanna, Courtney Love. So, I wanted to have a straight character that was the most feminist. Then I wanted to make a sex montage of her, and originally it was Sadie and Anna having sex , and her with a guy. But then I thought, "No one wants to see that!" (laughs) So I figured that at least I'll have her have a one night stand with a girl, because she's open minded (laughs). Because all those girls have one night stands with girls too. And especially Daniela Sea, she's like a hot guy. What girl wouldn't want to sleep with her!?
　
　

　
―Actually I often hear that gay men fantasize about Daniela Sea too. They say they'd love to sleep with her!
　
Yeah, they all say it! She's so beautiful, and so masculine. So it worked (laughs). And I also like the idea that Shuli is so political, and she meets someone that is so not political, but just as extreme. Love messes everything up. They're both really very passionate.
　
―I almost preferred this couple to the lesbian one (laughs).
　
Yeah, me too (laughs). It was funny, because the people who had real chemistry in the movie, like who actually seem they really want to sleep together (laughs) were Anna and Aggie. I don't know if you can tell, but when I watch I can tell.
　
―But the actress who plays Anna is straight, right?
　
Yeah. But she was really hot for Lauren (laughs). With the girl who plays Sadie - she was acting, but with the girl who plays Aggie, she was not (laughs). That was funny too, because I thought, "Oh god, their sex scene is much hotter" - I didn't really have to edit that one. But then for Anna and Sadie, I had to work harder (laughs).
　
　

　
―How did you choose the actresses?
　
I chose them on a tape. My casting director is this woman who works for Steven Soderbergh (director of "Sex, Lies, and Videotape"). Really talented. She went to New York, found a bunch of actors, and put them on tape for me, and then I just watched them. So I cast only by using tape, which is kind of scary. But they were good.
　
―I found Sadie very cute and cool, and very sexy with her deep voice. She could definitely be a lesbian!
　
Oh yeah, definitely, she's seductive.
　
―In the movie, I really liked the names as well, like the title IBTC, and the CIA (Clits in Action). They're great.
　
Yeah, both are from Guin (Guinevere Turner) actually. The L Word is from her as well. She's really good. She's the queen of titles (laughs). She's just so naturally funny. She's so talented. I love working with her.
　
―Which film festival is your best memory so far?
　
Berlin. It was so great. It was the first screening, and it was the biggest screen I had ever seen in my life! 3000 seats, and sold out. It's a brand new huge screening room, and it was so great because I have so many friends in Berlin. The lesbian scene in Berlin is very punk rock. So it was fun to show the film to those women, because they really appreciate it. And also, in Berlin, the lesbian culture is really against gay marriage. All my friends in Berlin are against it, because they think it's so conservative. They're more anarchist. They think it's a conservative way of thinking, to care about marriage.
　
―Even to offer the option?
　
No, they don't like it at all (laughs). It's very specific to Berlin's lesbians. So that whole thing, and the CIA being against gay marriage in the film, is totally for all my Berlin's friends (laughs). So I knew they would really appreciate it, and they did.
　
―So, what do they think of you having two babies ? (laughs)
　
They don't like it (laughs). I don't think they judge me for anything, but none of them have kids. In the States, to pay someone to cook and to help you with your kids so that you can work is acceptable - so you can have your same life. And I think in Germany it's not acceptable at all. so if you're a lesbian and you're gonna have kids, how are you going to survive? I think that's part of the culture. I'm raising the next generation of activist feminists (laughs).