Harmony Korine

Harmony Korine, born back in ‘73 out in Bolinas, California—yeah, that’s one of those tiny towns you probably never hear about unless you’re into surf spots or obscure filmmakers. His family didn’t stick around long, though. By the time he was five, they’d packed up and made their way to the east coast, bouncing him between Nashville and the wild chaos of New York City. Growing up split between country songs and city grit probably explains a lot about how weird and raw his movies are. Fast forward a bit, and by nineteen, Korine had already dropped a bomb on indie film with the screenplay for Kids. That was 1995—gritty, uncomfortable, and it didn’t really care if you liked it or not. Larry Clark directed, but you could feel Korine’s fingerprints all over the thing. The dude’s got this knack for writing stuff that gets under your skin, you know? After that, he didn’t slow down. By the time Gummo hit in ‘97 (which, let’s be honest, either messes with your head or makes you want to throw your TV out the window), Korine was already knee-deep in new projects. He started writing another feature and got obsessed with this idea for a 10-part decalogue called "Jokes." Not your average studio project either—French investors were supposed to back it. Makes sense, honestly. American producers probably just scratched their heads and muttered, “What the hell is this?” That’s Korine, though. Always wandering off the beaten path, chasing his own peculiar ideas, not really caring who’s watching.