Sundance 2020
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“A Fun Balancing Act”: DP Ruben Woodin Dechamps on The Reason I Jump
Jerry Rothwell’s The Reason I Jump universalizes the experiences nonverbal autistic youth, who are often denied the opportunity to uniquely express their feelings, emotions and dreams without misunderstanding and translation. Based off the book of the same name written by a 13-year-old named Naoki Higashida, the film follows the lives of several nonverbal autistic youths scattered all over the world, showcasing their distinct personalities while also combating stigma and assumptions about their realities. DP Ruben Woodin Dechamps Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“You Can Bend Time and Space Within the Film to Create New Meanings”: Editor Aacharee Ungsriwong on The Mountains Are a Dream That Call to Me
Cedric Cheung-Lau’s The Mountains Are a Dream That Call to Me characterizes landscape in a way that almost seeks to anthropomorphize it. Its central characters, Tukten, a young Nepali man on his way to Dubai and Hannah, an elderly Australian woman traveling on her own, cross paths while traveling in opposite directions on the Annapurna mountains. Their relationship is fleeting, but the Nepali mountain range holds a heightened command of the narrative. Taking great influence in part from the dreamscape style of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Editor Aacharee Ungsriwong speaks about the creative nuances of the film. Filmmaker: How and why did […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“I Much Prefer a Camera That Sees Than One That Is Constantly Seen”: DP Nicolás Wong Díaz on La Llorona
In the widely popular Latin American folk tale of La Llorona (The Weeping Woman), a mother is cursed to tread the banks of a river for eternity after she drowns her three children in the hopes of making her a more worthy bride to a rich man. The condemnation of greed and loss of innocent life receives an apt adaptation in Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona, which focuses on the devastating history of indigenous Mayan genocide in Guatemala. When a senile general is set to be tried for his war crimes against the indigenous population, a crowd of angry townspeople gather […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“We Wanted the Film to Feel Lived in, Gritty, Real”: Directors/Cinematographers Bill and Turner Ross on Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets
In The Ross Brothers’ Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, a dive bar on the outskirts of Las Vegas, The Roaring 20s, is on its last leg. Its long-time patrons are devastated by the prospect of losing the watering hole that has been a sort of refuge for them over the years—they could hide from their disappointments, inadequacies and reality under the dim lights. Bill and Turner Ross briefly describe what went into shooting the documentary. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“My Process is Totally Based Around Story and Emotion”: Editor Alex O’Flinn on Wander Darkly
In Tara Miele’s Wander Darkly, the narrative is comprised of a string of memories as Adrienne (Sienna Miller) attempts to dissect the events that led up to a tragic accident. As a result, her relationship with Matteo (Diego Luna) comes under scrutiny and must be reevaluated. The fate of her daughter also remains uncertain, making the memories explored all the more painful. Editor Alex O’Flinn explains how the editing process shaped the film’s exploration of memory. Filmmaker: In terms of advancing your film from its earliest assembly to your final cut, what were goals as an editor? What elements of […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“You Always Hope the Film Surprises You When You’re Done”: Editor David Teague on Spaceship Earth
In 1991, a Texas oil tycoon funded an experimental project meant to test the limits of America’s technology when it came to space exploration (and colonization). Known as Biosphere 2, the project consisted of sealing eight people in an airtight terrarium in the Arizona desert meant to perfectly replicate the Earth’s natural atmosphere. Many of the findings of this project have been long destroyed, but documentarian Matt Wolf used a medley of archival footage and interviews with surviving Biospherians in order to capture the daily realities of those enclosed in Biosphere 2. Editor David Teague speaks to Filmmaker about the […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“Part of My Job Was to Provide a Safe and Warm Atmosphere”: DP Ed Herrera on Whirlybird
Some of LA’s most iconic news stories are literally shown from different heights in Whirlybird, Matt Yoka’s debut feature documentary. It chronicles the exploits of married reporting team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur, who pursued breaking stories from a news helicopter above the city. Composed of archival footage, home video and interviews, Whirlybird presents history in a new light. DP Ed Herrera talks about the freedom and constraints of working on this documentary. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“Achieving a Deliberate Aesthetic in a Way That Was Unobtrusive”: Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw on The Truffle Hunters
The white Alba truffle, one of the most coveted culinary delicacies, evades the acquisition of modern truffle hunters. The only people on earth who know how to locate the coveted truffle are Northern Italian elders and their canine companions. Directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw immersed themselves in the daily lives of this small sect of truffle hunters, who only prowl the sloping Italian forests in the dead of night in order to protect the location of the white Alba truffle. The Truffle Hunters follows these secretive men through a fairytale-like landscape and eventually finds itself at upscale restaurants that […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“We Wanted to Create a Sense of Liminal Space”: DP Laura Bellingham on Amulet
After becoming homeless in London after an accident, ex-soldier Tomaz finds himself employed by Magda, a woman who needs help looking after her ailing grandmother. While the house is dilapidated, Tomaz is grateful for the opportunity, and eventually begins to fall for Magda—until he realizes that something disturbing is going on, and perhaps the old woman who never leaves the second story is behind it. Cinematographer Laura Bellingham explains her commitment to style while shooting Romola Girai’s Amulet. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020 -
“It Was a Process of Constant Experimentation”: Co-Editor Blair McClendon on The Assistant
In Kitty Green’s The Assistant, 24 hours of workplace mistreatment culminate in an assistant named Jane (Julia Garner) taking action into her own hands. The nexus of this toxic workplace is an abusive misogynist whose face is never shown—an amorphous representation of the countless powerful men who have sexually abused the women who work for them. Co-editor Blair McClendon shares insight on his collaborative process and editing goals for The Assistant. (Disclosure: Filmmaker Editor-in-Chief Scott Macaulay is one of the producers of The Assistant.) Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2020
