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How would you describe your approach to filmmaking?

I try to make some experiments with my camera. I always come up with questions. I ask myself: can I write a good script? I see all the questions as gaps. And the answers are trying to fill those gaps. Whether it be about sound, lighting, technical or thematic.

Maile Cornelius, a 22-year-old sociology major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, spoke to staff writer Nicole Arata about the idiosyncrasies of lesbian life in a straight man’s world.

Is it harder or easier to be a lesbian than a gay man?

How did Motherlode come together?

It all started in ’93 with this jam night in San Diego. Every Monday night, all the San Diego musicians — Cheme Gastelum, Robert Walter, Chris Stillwell, Zac Najor, those guys — we would all get together and just jam on funk songs. We were actually punk rockers at the time, believe it or not, but we started getting interested in funk and groove songs. We had a get-together last year, and someone had the idea that we should bring back Motherlode. Originally we had Zac Najor on drums, but he’s been busy lately, so we’re having Adam Dietch fill in for a while.