Michel Gondry’s debut book is a functional memoir of his quest to put the tools of filmmaking in the hands of as many people as possible. At New York’s Deitch Projects, in February and March of 2008, Gondry emulated the heroic example of his characters, constructing a do-it-yourself film studio in which any visitor could assemble their own film from extant plot summaries and rent the results. His aim: “I intend to prove that people can enjoy their time without being part of the commercial system and serving it…Ultimately, I am hoping to create a network of creativity and communication that is guaranteed to be free and independent from any commercial institution.” This book chronicles Gondry’s journey towards what he calls “The Be Kind Rewind Protocol”, and serves as an inspirational guide to creativity and the art of having fun.

Michel Gondry is the filmmaker of the features Human Nature, the Oscar-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, Dave Chapelle’s Block Party, and Be Kind Rewind. He has created groundbreaking videos for artists including the White Stripes, Bjork, The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk. Gondry is also the author of a comic book, We Lost the War But Not the Battle, published by PictureBox. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.