15th LICHTSPIELKLUB
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2022
Interview
This filmmaker’s mission to explore the emotional distance in her paternal relationship ends up driving her and her father even further apart. She uses an intriguing mix of stop motion and interviews to explore racial identity, family mythology and the nature of forgiveness.
Hi Kim thank you for talking to The New Current, these have been some very strange times, how have you been holding up?
I’ve been doing well, thank you! However, just now I am emerging from a bit of a moody knitting cocoon. So, there are ups and downs, but at least I have a lot of snazzy knitwear these days.
Was it easy to motivate yourself creatively during the lockdowns?
I was actually happy to have a project to focus on while I was making Precious Bundle. It also felt like I was doing art therapy on myself at a few points. So, it was a very enriching and timely experience in some ways. The lockdowns have also inspired another project idea, too. But I will say that I’m not a fan of how fast time seems to be going at the moment! I suppose it’s easy to feel like time is whizzing past when you’re out of the habit of socialising and aren’t able to do all the things you would usually do.
The response you have gotten for your award-winning Precious Bundle has been amazing, did you ever imagine you would get this type of reaction to your short documentary?
I made Precious Bundle as the final piece for my masters at Edinburgh University, so, while I was making it, I was determined to get a distinction. But, beyond that, I wasn’t thinking too much about where it would go. The response has been overwhelming! It’s affected me really positively on a personal level too; I feel more confident than I ever have in my life!
With everything that is going on due to Covid how essential are festivals like British Shorts Berlin in continuing to provide a platform for Independent British short films?
They are so important! Not only because they encourage filmmakers to keep creating during this tumultuous time, but also because film festivals are a platform for people to connect with pieces of art. I think interacting with art is vital to our happiness.
Congratulations on having Precious Bundle selected for British Shorts 2022, how does it feel to be at the festival and part of such an amazing line-up of short films?
It’s a little odd to think of so many people watching it because if you’ve watched Precious Bundle, then you know me on quite an intimate level! However, it’s very exciting to have my film shown alongside other such wonderful creations!
Can you tell me a little bit about how Precious Bundle came about, did you have any apprehensions about making such a personal documentary?
I have struggled to be emotionally vulnerable in the past and it is something that I’m still working on. I wanted to challenge myself by making something where in order for it to be halfway decent, I had to expose something very raw about myself. I think that audiences can smell dishonesty a mile off. I ended up relishing the opportunity to let myself be sad and delve into those hidden places. I found it painful yet oddly cleansing to watch that pivotal interview with my dad a thousand times while I edited the film.
"I want people to use it to think about the standards that they expect from people in their own relationships."
Can you tell me a little bit about how Precious Bundle came about, did you have any apprehensions about making such a personal documentary?
I have struggled to be emotionally vulnerable in the past and it is something that I’m still working on. I wanted to challenge myself by making something where in order for it to be halfway decent, I had to expose something very raw about myself. I think that audiences can smell dishonesty a mile off. I ended up relishing the opportunity to let myself be sad and delve into those hidden places. I found it painful yet oddly cleansing to watch that pivotal interview with my dad a thousand times while I edited the film.
What has been the most valuable lesson you have taken from this film experience and will you continue to pull from your own personal experience in future films?
That’s a tricky question! I got very good at knowing when the self-critical voice in my head was right and when it was wrong. On a practical level, I loved making the stop-motion sequences. I hadn’t done much of it before starting the project so I learnt as I went which was great! I’m very patient generally, (see knitting obsession mentioned above), so I find working in stop-motion satisfying, rather than frustrating.
The next documentary I’m planning is another one tied to my family history. However, I will use it as a lens to look at the black/mixed-race diaspora in the UK. It will still be very personal but I’m excited to hear other people’s stories and weave them together to create a bigger picture.
How important is it for filmmakers to continue to push the boundaries of the stories and films they want to make?
It’s very important and it’s inevitable. As our cultures grow, the way we look at things changes. Even when a story is a classic, there is always a new angle or a new lens to interpret things through which doesn’t necessarily take away from the essence of the story but can often add to it.
Where did your passion for filmmaking come from?
The Dark Crystal, Return to Oz and The NeverEnding Story are the main culprits I would say. These films defined my childhood, I owe a lot to Jim Henson. I remember watching the Dark Crystal at an age where I didn’t quite understand that I was looking at puppets and not ‘real’ creatures. The magic of those films is something I hope I’ll always carry in my heart. I love documentaries but I think I will always come back to using surreal imagery as a method to show a deeper truth…Or just for the joy of it.
Do you have any advice or tips you could offer a fellow filmmaker?
Universal truths lie in the personal.
What can you tell me about your sci-fi script?
My sci-fi script was inspired by the 1st lockdown…Or perhaps the second, I’ve lost track. It’s about a couple who are trapped in a malfunctioning simulation. They are unable to leave their flat and therefore find themselves looking inwards and uncovering uncomfortable aspects of their relationship.
And finally, what do you hope audiences will take away from Precious Bundle?
I would love for people to watch it and feel that they are not alone in what they are going through. I want people to use it to think about the standards that they expect from people in their own relationships. I used the smaller lizard puppet to represent my inner child in the animated sequences. I would like people to see their own inner child in that character and allow their own needs to be heard.
I also wanted to nullify the irritating excise of: ‘I can’t be racist/homophobic/transphobic, I have a Black/Gay/Trans/Asian/Indigenous/etc friend.’. So, hopefully, people who watch this will feel empowered to shut down that excuse as and when they encounter it, or to question it in themselves. Proximity does not equate to allyship.