Dave Andrae
Directing
Biography
Dave J. Andrae was born on the Autumnal Equinox of 1979 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he grew up. He has bounced around a bit and currently lives in Florida. Andrae is a novelist and multidisciplinary artist with a background in film and music. He holds a BFA in Film and has been making and releasing art in different mediums for over 25 years. As a writer-director, his films and videos include The Plants Are Listening, Self-Important Empirical Film #3, with Voice-over, Robert on his Lunch Break, Fire in the Neighborhood, Fugazi’s Last Stop in Wisconsin, and Ped. Andrae has also acted in a few other directors’ work. Though some of the movies he’s been involved in have played at film festivals and cinema clubs around the globe, and received praise from cinematic luminaries, for the most part, his presence in the film world has been under the radar. Following the completion of The Plants Are Listening in 2014, Andrae effectively put his filmmaking ventures on the blocks. He has since published two novels, Rem’s Chance and The Friends of Allan Renner, with a third now in the works. Amid these goings-on, he has also played music in the occasional live band or studio side project.
Known For
A kinetic glimpse of the rock band Fugazi tearing it up in Wisconsin during the Summer of 2001. The original 16mm footage had gone missing for several years, but was eventually found, scanned, and edited together in 2010.
Fugazi's Last Stop in Wisconsin
A young, down-on-his-luck film student takes his audience on an irreverent, self-deprecating journey through his innermost thoughts and neuroses. Shot in the winter/spring of 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the film was shown locally but then shelved until 2005, when it made its festival premiere at the 23rd Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. It then went on to play at several esteemed festivals and movie nights in North America and beyond.
Self-Important Empirical Film #3, with Voice-over
In the midst of watching a dog, phoning a pretty girl, and entertaining a neighbor, eccentric twins Simon and Dave become immersed in intriguing conversations while amusing themselves and also, to varying degrees, those around them.
The Plants Are Listening
This is a story of the mysterious force that fuels attraction and desire, success and vitality, that elusive 'je ne sais quoi'. Some have it, some don't, and Paul, an unpredictable loner, falls into the latter category. A frustrated creative living a dead end life, Paul is at odds with everything in his environment and with himself. When he reaches out to Anna, a seemingly kindred spirit who lives across the hall, could things be changing for him? With a distinctive sharp wit and visual expression, the film explores the complexities of 21st century relationships and the fine line between acceptance of others and settling for less.
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Robert is a bookish, somewhat withdrawn entry-level office clerk waiting for a to-go order of food. While getting a breath of fresh air and staring into space, he's accosted by Bradley, a disembodied head with eyes like drains who begins to berate him--perhaps telepathically--with petty insults disguised as good advice.
Robert on his Lunch Break
An ode to pedestrianism and condensed "city symphony film" shot in the streets of Milwaukee on 16mm in the autumn of 2000. A few tweaks were made in the spring of 2020, but the basic film is as it was over twenty years ago.
Ped
A colorful fleeting glimpse of a neighborhood house fire that occurred during the Christmas season of 2012 near the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. Fortunately, no people or animals died in the fire.