By Erin Fox, SUYS/Sled Island Shorts 2012 Curator
One of my favourite things about designing a film program is experiencing the unique diversity of the submissions. It’s all the more exciting when curating short films because the restrictions that define the submissions lie in time duration, leaving the artists free to submit films that interpret genre and style as they see fit. When a vision can be seen through to exhibition without being inhibited by any narrative or artistic restrictions, the director’s identity as an auteur of film emerges. It isn’t difficult for most cinema buffs to identify an “M. Night” movie or a film by Woody Allen – mostly because these directors have spent years defining their vision and practicing their craft. What can be really exciting is coming upon a filmmaker whose inspiration is new to you, and exploring their individual and distinct style with fresh perspective. Enter Hussein Juma. Based in Calgary, Hussein is SUYS alumni having premiered Assbackwards in 2010 and Cat Mask 2011 SUYS programs. His film Dog Mask and None Such Place, can be seen in this year’s Sled Island: Show Us Your Shorts short film programs.
Hussein Juma on…
Beginnings:
“As a kid, when film-viewing was confined to the cinema or the giant tube television in your basement,
Scene from None Such Place. Screening in the Shorts Competition at Sled Island 2012
I’d hold my tape recorder up to the mono speaker of my folks’ wood-grained cabinet TV and record my favourite movies on audio cassettes. That’s right, and then I’d listen to cassette recordings of Cronenberg’s “The Fly” on the bus to and from school. I was a weird kid. I have a degree in film studies and went to technical film school. I made my first short film more than a decade ago and have been writing, directing and editing shorts, music videos and web series ever since. I guess you could say I’m marginally obsessed with cinema.”
Short Films:
“At the time when I started making them, the short film market wasn’t quite as saturated as today. It seemed like the right place to start and a good way to learn something I knew absolutely nothing about. Not everyone had affordable HD cameras back then either. My first real short was shot on Super 16mm film. It was a surefire way to get screened at festivals. Nowadays, there are so many short films that it’s almost dead as an art form. Almost.”
Inspiration and style:
“Artistically speaking, storytellers with a style that is all their own, auteurs that you can instantly identify through recurring aesthetics and themes. Genres, formulas and stereotypes being subverted. I think that speaks highly to the type of films I’m making now and the atmosphere that my writer and I try to create. I once heard Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s film “Charisma” described as a balance between irony and poetry. I hope that my style rests snuggled somewhere in that cozy spectrum”
The filmmaking process:
“The most gruelling part of indie filmmaking is the production phase. When you have no budget, you’re basically resigned to calling in favours. For instance, on Dog Mask, we had no location to shoot rear projection car scenes. You need something at the very least the size of an oversized garage with proper power etc. It was the night before shooting, all the equipment was booked, cast and crew ready to go and still no location! Somehow, we ended up getting an airplane hangar at the last-minute.
Scene from Dog Mask, Dir. Hussein Juma. Screening in the Shorts Showcase at Sled Island 2012
No biggie, just an AIRPLANE HANGAR. That was cool. Too last-minute for me though – many new grey hairs sprouted that day.
The most enjoyable would have to be a two-way tie between directing actors and the post-production phase. Once I get comfortable with actors, there’s an instinct that grows. It’s rather fulfilling to figure out the nuances of a story with a group of talented thespians. Of course, post-production is great because you are able to see all the fruits of your labour transform into cinema. Or realize that you have lost a bunch of audio and have to ADR half (of) your film. Fun times!”
None Such Place:
“A first-rate script from my gifted wordsmith, Jun K. Lee. We had been writing a feature-length horror film for some time and needed something to shoot that was relatively easy. Literally no budget, very little equipment – beyond the camera, just a tripod, a wheelchair dolly and a desk lamp is basically all we used. Shot over two evenings in the writer and camera operator’s homes, I’m pleased as punch with the result. Some who have seen it say it’s their favourite of my films.”
Dog Mask:
“Dog Mask was all at once a fun, exhausting, tense and wonderful experience. We wanted to make a film that was our take on the neo-noir film for a long time and had applied for various grants with “Dog Mask”. Apparently, we and the government didn’t see eye to eye, so we decided to go ahead and make it one way or another with our usual limited budget. So many obstacles, and it’s not without its flaws, but I think it’s pretty sweet. We had a great team of people who volunteered their time which is always important. When we were done shooting, we swore never to make another such a film sans cheddar. Of course, smart money says we will.”
Life as a filmmaker:
“If I’m not making them, I’m watching them. That is, when I’m not working one of my nine-to-fives or cavorting with my two little whippersnappers and the missus. Depriving myself of sleep is my primary hobby.”
His goals:
“To unconventionally work within conventions. To be able to dine from monies earned making films.”
