indieWIRE invited all of the directors in the U.S. dramatic and documentary competition to participate in an email interview as a way of introducing them to our readers. Paul Provenza directed “The Aristocrats,” a documentary about the dirtiest joke you’ll ever hear – and in “The Aristocrats,” you’ll hear it told over 100 times by 100 different comedians. The film is screening in the American Documentary Competition.

Please tell us about yourself and include as much of the following information as you feel comfortable with:

Age. 47... What's it to ya? Day job (if you have one) and former jobs. I have been doing stand up comedy all over North America for over 20 years, and for the past handful of years, all around the world. I have made countless appearances on tv standup and/or talk shows, as well as specials on Showtime, HBO and Comedy Central. I have been writing, and have written, produced, and starred in television comedy/talk shows and specials. I have acted in sitcoms, several one hour series, independent films, Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theater, and various under-the-radar projects. I have directed stage, television, and now my first feature documentary. So I don't really have time for a day job. Where you were born. The Bronx, NY Where you grew up. The Bronx, NY Where you live. Los Angeles... or as I like to refer to it, "Satan's Anus."

Did you go to film school? Or how did you learn about filmmaking?
I did not go to film school per se' - I did, however, do some film studies while at the University of Pennsylvania, and unofficially and illegally at Columbia University. I learned about filmmaking by doing it. Quite literally. Our first night of shooting, we had the camera in one hand, and the manual in the other.

How did you finance your own film?
Through the Bank of Penn Jillette.

And any other insights you think might be interesting...
Anyone can do this now. Any obstacles to making a movie are all in one's own mind. With today's technology and its ever - diminishing cost, the endless information and outlet available on the internet, the "means of production" are now, truly "in the hands of the workers." All it really takes now to make a movie that can be taken seriously is talent, passion, a really good idea, and a bunch of friends who are easily talked into things.

Where did the initial idea for your film come from?
I had heard this joke when I was a baby comedian with a bunch of others (some of whom appear in the movie) and it was a toy that came up now and then over the years. Penn and I would laugh at a handful of versions we had heard, and thought it would be hilarious to hear a few of them one right after another. Every once in a while we would talk about the idea, and end up laughing our asses off. One evening, in The Peppermill diner on Las Vegas Boulevard, we decided we were having too much fun with the idea not to actually do it. Little did we know how much more this crazy idea had in store for us.

What are your biggest creative influences (this could include other filmmakers or films)?
Rainier Marie Rilke's "Letter's To a Young Poet." Everything else that's good or meaningful is just an illustration of everything in that book.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in either developing the project or making the movie?
To start with, shooting was a scheduling nightmare - between my professional life, Penn's professional commitments, and the schedules of over 100 comedians, it was difficult to get everyone in the can. In the end, we ended up having to forego some brilliant talent who wanted to be a part of it, purely due to scheduling issues.

The most daunting aspect was the embarrassment of riches we had from the talent involved. Once we had over 100 hours in the can, it took months and months of watching the footage over and over and over again in order to try to figure out how to construct a movie. We had no idea what the movie was for quite some time. There are truly an infinite number of very different movies we could have made from it all. There is no narrative inherent in the idea - all the footage was essentially non-linear - but eventually, some ideas and through lines emerged intuitively that spoke to us in a particular way. In cutting the film, we had to create a narrative structure that embraced various set pieces and performances, but had its own rhythm and arcs. And we wanted to be sure that each individual performer's own unique rhythm and pace and style was not compromised in the process.

We had to choose between brilliantly funny material, and it was painful to exclude so much. But hey... that's what DVD was invented for, isn't it?

Tell us about the moment you found out that you were accepted into Sundance, where were you? And we'd love to hear more about how you've spent the last month preparing for the festival.
It was a great moment. Emery and I had been locked in our "spider hole" editing this beast for months and months on end... we were in this bizarre bubble for 24, 48, sometimes 72 hours at a time without stopping. For long, long stretches of time. We had to rush to get a cut all cleaned up to show it to the fine folks at Sundance.

That was the first time for the better part of a year that Emery and I had even come up for air around the project. We were bleary eyed, and had no idea what anyone would possibly think of it. We just wanted to cut the movie that spoke to us, and that had the most interesting and richest ideas in it. And suddenly, we were going to hear what someone else thought of it for the first time.

Immediately upon seeing it, with no deliberation whatsoever, they asked us to be a part of the festival. Mr. Gilmore described what he had just seen in the most compelling and multi-layered terms. My immediate response was an incredulous, "Really?"

We had been so committed to the ideas and what moved us and meant anything to us - and laughing like crazy throughout - that I had completely forgotten that anyone else might have an opinion about what the hell we had been doing by ourselves for so long... let alone a good opinion of it.

What do you hope to get out of the festival, what are your own goals for the experience?
My own goal is to have as much fun as possible. Whatever else happens is gravy.

What is your definition of “independent film?”
I suppose there is a real technical definition, but I have no idea what that is exactly.

I think "independent" should refer to a vision: "independent" of what anyone but the artist has to say and is moved by.

Who are a few people that you would you most like to meet at Sundance?
The ones who want to meet me.

If you were given $10 million to be used for moviemaking, how would you
spend it?
Crack, whores, and maybe an assistant.

Since Sundance 2005 on Inauguration Day, what advice would you give
President Bush as he begins his second term?
The next time you want to invade a country, watch "The Aristocrats" with your staff instead.