“Late Fame”, interview with director Kent Jones and actor Edmund Donovan

August 31, 2025

Director Kent Jones and actor Edmund Donovan on revivals, retro-mania, icons and the "intellectuals" of the present time.

"Late Fame", interview with director Kent Jones and actor Edmund Donovan Gianluca De Angelis

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During the 82nd edition of Venice International Film Festival we spoke with director Kent Jones and actor Edmund Donovan for the film “Late Fame”, presented in Venice 82 in the Orizzonti section. The film tells the story of Ed Saxberger, a poet of the New York’s “old guard” that many years ago published a book that didn’t get the attention it deserved, but that now is being rediscovered by a new group of young artists. This late recognition allows him to make peace again with his talent, and to reflect on his cultural relevance.

The interview

During our interview with FRED Film Radio, our guests Kent Jones and Edmund Donovan expressed their thoughts on the retro-mania that happens often in the present time, but also on what does it mean for the contemporary youth to seek for icons to look up to.

Plot

Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet, works in the post office. After an eager and flattering young admirer appears on his doorstep, Saxberger is beckoned into a coterie of twentysomething admirers who anoint him as a rediscovered genius. Intoxicated by the attention — and by the alluring presence of Gloria, the group’s “tragic heroine” — Saxberger gradually reckons with the authenticity of his newfound poetic circle. This thoughtful, witty film is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York.

Written by: Gianluca De Angelis

Guest

Edmund Donovan Kent Jones

Film

Late Fame

Festival

Mostra del Cinema di Venezia

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