RULING STAR literally refers to the Sun as the giver of life and light here on Earth. There is also a metaphorical aspect that refers to an inner guide that a person has that leads them through a time of uncertainty and confusion. While making the film, I encountered several new situations. For starters, this was my first film using negative after a lifetime of shooting with color reversal. The new color spectrum was extremely limited and seemed to gravitate toward brown-orange or blue. Many of my initial intentions for the film were changing and new motifs were emerging. Eventually, I found myself conceptually lost and unable to find a way forward. None of my lifelong habits were serving me. This was a time when I had to open myself up to a higher purpose. I had to move forward into the unknown without a plan. The beauty of making films that are completely self-motivated is precisely that one can try to find one’s own rules. This makes an overly predetermined entity like film much more like a musical improvisation. Of course, I have always worked in an improvised manner, but I have never had to rely so blindly on instinct. (J.H.)