Let's Break Some Black Hearts: A Decade of Film Interviews from The Believer

by Vendela Vida (Editor), Ross Simonini (Editor)

In Let’s Break Some Black Hearts, The Believer magazine's first collection of film interviews, the most compelling artists in Hollywood and the most courageous voices in indie filmmaking speak openly about their work, and the results are consistently frank, funny, and intimate. Readers encounter the late Philip Seymour Hoffman reading George Saunders and Proust (and discussing the joys of smoking cigarettes); Rashida Jones stumping for President Obama and reflecting on playing Feminist #3; Mario Van Peebles on refusing to create “cinematic Wonder Bread;” Miranda July on conversations with the childhood version of herself; and Gus Van Sant on changing the language of Hollywood films, one long shot at a time — and much more.

In its 11-year run, The Believer has become known for facilitating conversations between artists at the height of their craft, and Let’s Break Some Black Hearts includes several such electrifying encounters. Featured pairings include Francis Ford Coppola in conversation with Ruth Reichl, Mary Lynn Rajskub speaking with Carrie Brownstein, and an unforgettable discussion between Werner Herzog and Errol Morris. Over 30 collected interviews discuss high art and pop culture in equal measure, offering readers a vivid and entertaining glimpse into the film industry as a whole.

500 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2015

About the author

Vendela Vida is the award-winning author of four books, including Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name and The Lovers, and a founding editor of The Believer magazine. She is also the co-editor of Always Apprentices, a collection of interviews with writers, and Confidence, or the Appearance of Confidence, a collection of interviews with musicians. As a fellow at the Sundance Labs, she developed Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name into a script, which received the Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award. Two of Vida’s novels have been New York Times Notable Books of the year, and she is the winner of the Kate Chopin Award, given to a writer whose female protagonist chooses an unconventional path. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two children, and since 2002 has served on the board of 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and tutoring lab for youth.