Center For
Independent
Documentary
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Meet The Filmmaker: Rajee Samarasinghe
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This month we spoke with Rajee Samarasinghe, director of YOUR TOUCH MAKES OTHERS INVISIBLE, which is currently in production. The film infuses allegorical magic realism into an investigation of missing persons within a small community where memories of tortured interactions between the Tamils and the Sinhalese still linger in the aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war.
Rajee was born and raised amidst the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka. He later left for the United States where he is now based. He received his BFA from the University of California San Diego and his MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. His filmmaking practice was born out of a desire to understand the circumstances around his childhood and his work often navigates the terrain of ethnography, memory, migration, and impermanence.
Your Touch Makes Others Invisible will be his debut feature film and has received support from the Sundance Institute, Berlinale Talents' Doc Station, and True/False Film Festival’s inaugural PRISM program. Rajee was also named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2020, and had solo shows at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival in 2021.
You’ve done several projects focussed on Sri Lanka- the land and its people. Could you discuss how Your Touch Makes Others Invisible compares to your previous films in terms of its relationship with its setting?
Rajee: This work, along with my previous work situated in Sri Lanka, explores social and political conditions from the past to the present time—the reverberations of the civil war among other things. However, Your Touch Makes Others Invisible feels like a different direction for me in how I’m contronting some of the topics I’ve touched on in the past. Aside from a number of performative and formal aspects that are new, I’m also working with different power dynamics. I’m looking at ethnic tensions and very specific historical and contemporary occurrences around these tensions. In the way that I’m examining these issues, I’m also exploring the limits of the form itself and my role as a documentarian.
The film depicts the human cost of war by focusing on a few individuals, rather than the collective as a whole. Could you talk about your decision to employ this more intimate perspective?
Rajee: The more specific the focus is the more clarity there is for me. I’ve continually found universal implications in such perspectives. We’re ultimately all connected by our humanity. This has been true of a lot of my work. I’ve explored numerous aspects of Sri Lanka’s sociopolitcal landscape through the scope of my experiences and those of my family. With this more intimate perspective, I’ve always tried to build a larger invisible framework around it that you kind of feel is there, looming over everything.
You emphasized that Your Touch Makes Others Invisible will be made as a true collaboration between yourself, your crew, and the film’s subjects. How does a nonfiction filmmaker negotiate the tension between executing their own vision, and remaining completely true to the subjects’ lived experience?
Rajee: This is a perpetual challenge and it’s a question that is asked in the film very directly. I don’t think there is a satisfying answer. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about everything that goes into the creation of non-fiction images, from its borders, its layers, its many transmutations, and its ontological dimensions. This doesn’t really alleviate any of the tension you're referring to though. It may even exacerbate it. I ultimately regard documentary as a broken form and so it often lends itself well to examining broken or fractured perspectives and situations. This draws me to the form. I think it may be somewhere in that fundamental flaw where the negotiation “resolves” itself, however precariously, but it’s really not that simple either. I kind of just have to be open and willing to see where things go.
Your Touch Makes Others Invisible blends elements of fiction and metafiction with conventional nonfiction. What was your inspiration in this? Were there particular films, artists, etc. that made you interested in this blended style?
Rajee: It wasn’t so much a filmic or art-oriented inspiration. In my practice, form tends to develop out of the space, the situation, and my interactions with people. I took initial inspiration from Sri Lanka itself which has such a complicated history where the truth and lies have blended together over the years in such a way that it’s actually hard to tell what’s what anymore. To that end, a “hybrid” form developed. Confusing the distinction between fiction and nonfiction seemed the most appropriate manner in which to confront this topic. However, I’ve been working in this way for some time now. It wasn’t something I was really aware I was doing, I just kind of did it because it felt genuine in the moment.
The film also uses improvisation, movement, and “gestures” in depicting its subjects. Can you talk about the value of these alternative forms of expression? I’d be curious to hear how you directed these sequences. Were there unexpected interactions between yourself and the film’s subjects that came about as a result of these directions?
Rajee: I’m always after those unexpected interactions and putting an emphasis on figurative aspects. I really believe in the rhetorical potential of these types of gestures. Introducing these elements into everyday life can really open things up. I’m just creating a framework to facilitate these interactions or accidents that are quite wonderful. I really lean on these improvisational techniques; it’s a way to loosen up and dismantle established modes of behavior. The great Indian director, Mani Kaul, who was super into Bresson, used to talk about St. Augustine and Jansen and the belief in grace choosing its own recipient. Something he saw in Bresson’s aesthetic and practice. That grace will fall on its own accord on the object of its choosing and the real job of a director is to recognize this intrusion of grace. I think there’s something to this. This aspect of grace and giving yourself to the unknown has remained one of the more appealing aspects of filmmaking.
What stage of production is your film in and how can others support and follow its progress?
Rajee: We are currently in the early stages of production and are very much still fundraising and tackling logistics, so if there is any way you feel you can support the project, please reach out. You can make donations to the film via CID. You can follow the film’s progress and also contact us with any information you feel might be useful to us on Hello Benjamin Films’ official website, my personal website, or on Instagram where I post and interact regularly. We're at a crucial point in the project and welcome your participation!
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Resources & Opportunities |
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LEF FOUNDATION'S MOVING IMAGE FUND |
Is part of your film's team based in New England? Are you working on a long-format documentary that will be in production or post-production after May 2022? Now might be the time for you to submit an LOI!
A maximum of six grants of $15,000 each will be awarded to projects in the Production phase, and a maximum of four grants of $25,000 each will be awarded to projects in the Post-production phase during LEF’s major grants review.
- Production funds may be used for shooting picture and sound, early stage editing, equipment costs, materials, travel, and staffing (creative, technical, or otherwise)
- Post-production funds may be used for editing costs, rights, online, sound mix, color correction, transfers and distribution strategy. To be awarded Post-production funding, the project must have already been supported by LEF at a previous stage (Early Development, Pre-production, or Production)
All letters of inquiry are due January 21st at 11:59pm. Learn more here.
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Chicken & Egg Pictures' Project: Hatched provides support to US-based women and gender nonconforming filmmakers who are nearing completion or have recently completed a feature or short documentary film and who have plans to strategize, build and launch an impact campaign. The program focuses on the lifecycle of documentary films in distribution with master classes on festivals, awards season, markets and impact campaigns. Six short, medium-length, and/or feature-length documentary projects will participate in a seven month program running from April to October 2022 and will receive a $30,000 grant with at least $15,000 to be allocated towards an impact campaign (up to $15,000 may be used for film completion, including expenses already incurred.)
The deadline to submit is Monday, January 17th at 10am ET. Learn more and apply here.
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CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS |
Camden International Film Festival 2022 is now accepting film submissions! Don't miss your chance to join the remarkable community of storytellers and film enthusiasts. Get your project in before their early bird deadline, February 28, 2022 for a reduced submissions fee.
For CIFF 2022, they will maintain their commitment to filmmaker support via a funding pool comprised of 50% of net proceeds from their virtual box office.
Earlybird deadline is February 28, 2022. Apply here.
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SUNDANCE DOCUMENTARY PRODUCERS LAB AND FELLOWSHIP |
The Documentary Film Program's Producers Lab and Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to nurture emerging producers with project-specific support, Producers Summit attendance, industry mentorship, and ongoing support from Sundance Institute staff. Documentary Film Producing Fellows each receive a grant that may be applied to personal expenses and unsupported costs for project advancement.
Deadline to apply is February 10th. Learn more here.
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OSMOSIS FILMS: OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS |
Osmosis Films is seeking submissions from filmmakers and producers for documentaries and
documentary series in the development or early stages of production. In collaboration with filmmakers, they will assist in creative development, provide production services, and take projects to market to secure further financing and distribution. In 2022, they will commit up to $100,000 to be invested across 2-3 projects they select.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until Feb. 28th. To submit, complete a brief questionnaire here.
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ASCENSION SHORTLISTED FOR ACADEMY AWARD
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ASCENSION, directed by Jessica Kingdon and produced by Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell, has made the Academy Awards' shortlist for "Best Documentary Feature." Read the full list here.
ASCENSION is an impressionistic portrait of China's industrial supply chain that reveals the country's growing class divide through staggering observations of labor, consumerism and wealth.
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DIAMOND DIPLOMACY BACK IN PRODUCTION
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DIAMOND DIPLOMACY is back in production and is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the
arrival of baseball in Japan. In 2021 we filmed interviews with Hideki Matsui, Bobby Valentine,
Kerry Yo Nakagawa and Bill Staples. Our goal is to complete the film by end of 2022. Sign up for
our newsletter to follow the film’s journey to completion and the 150 th anniversary events and
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IN PLAIN SIGHT IN POST-PRODUCTION
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IN PLAIN SIGHT, directed and produced by Sarah McClure and Jessie Deeter, is an unprecedented and powerful, untold story about Amish sexual assault survivors fighting back. The filmmakers are on track to deliver their film to PBS in summer 2022, after being selected as one of only six films by the prestigious Independent Television Service (ITVS) to receive a grant and co-production partnership in 2021.
There are a lot of wonderful advocates for the film, including ITVS, Film Fatales, Type Investigations, Video Consortium, and a host of award-winning filmmakers like Lois Vossen and Megan Gelstein. IN PLAIN SIGHT is also piquing interest from film festival programmers at Tribeca. They believe the project is a hugely important and timely story that needs to be shared with the world.
This year, the magazine investigation garnered some awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists's Sigma Delta Chi Award for National Magazine Writing, and was a top three finalist for the Texas Observer's Molly Award for Investigative Journalism. The film was one of only six to be selected by the prestigious Independent Television Service (ITVS), and a finalist with IDA's Enterprise Documentary Fund.
The team is in post-production and are set to deliver their first assembly to ITVS/PBS in January. They have spent the last six months filming in Minnesota and Ohio with Lizzie, and her allies of Amish women and men. Some exciting footage they captured include filming with two new male characters, an ex-pastor and former Amish man and survivor, who have invited the team to film with them as they work to spread awareness and education to stop sexual abuse in Amish communities. Lizzie Hershberger's reach and influence in Amish Country has only grown, as she works with her organization and hospitals.
The filmmakers are seeking aligned funding partners to help the team transition from an advanced stage of production into post-production.
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ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (WHAT THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT) SELECTED FOR SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
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The team at Upstander Project in partnership with Nia Tero and REI Co-op Studios are thrilled to announce that ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) by Brit Hensel (Reservation Dogs, Zibi Yajdan) with Keli Gonzales was selected for The Sundance Institute’s Sundance Film Festival 2022!
The film, which is part of the Reciprocity Project series, was directed by Brit Hensel, who is the first woman citizen of Cherokee Nation to direct a film at #Sundance.
ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) explores expressions of reciprocity in the Cherokee world, brought to life through a story told by Thomas Belt, an elder and first language speaker. The film circles the intersection of tradition, language, land, and a commitment to maintaining balance. ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) was also created in collaboration with independent artists from both the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) was produced as part of Season 1 of the Reciprocity Project - a collaborative multimedia platform and short film series made in partnership with Indigenous storytellers and their communities worldwide alongside Nia Tero, Upstander Project and REI Co-op Studios produced by Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo (Dawnland, Dear Georgina, Bounty), Kavita Pillay and Tracy Rector.
Follow @reciprocityproj on Instagram for updates on ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) and the other films in the series.
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ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE SCREENING
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ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE from filmmakers Stu Maddux and Joe Applebaum, had its first outreach screening this month to start raising the conversation about the epidemic of loneliness. About 500 people attended the Boston advance screening both virtually and in person. Festivals and streaming are part of the distribution plan but the team says the greatest chance to break isolation for individuals will come from "reconnection screenings" in communities around the world. They are now raising funds to create the first 20 reconnection screenings in under-resourced communities. The screenings and discussions will help attendees to ease the isolation that Covid has created.
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The producing team behind THIRSTY, Emily Abt’s next narrative feature, recently held a fundraising party in Oakland where the film is set. A short video of the event can be viewed here and the deck for Thirsty can be viewed here.
Thirsty is currently 25% funded, in the early stages of casting and will hopefully be in production by this summer. Potential producing partners are encouraged to contact Emily Abt at emily@purelandpictures.com or Jeff Allard at jeff_allard@yahoo.com.
Thirsty follows the upstart campaign of a gutsy public defender as she strives to unseat the incumbent mayor of Oakland with her complicated family in tow. It is a bold story that champions women’s advancement, elevates the representation of disabled people and inspires cross-racial solidarity.
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THE TRANSLATION FILM PROJECT UPDATE
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THE TRANSLATION FILM PROJECT team, Sharon Wood and Veronica Selver, went to New York City this December for two days of shooting with translators, an editor and a publisher to gather footage for our fundraising launch in 2022.
They first filmed in Flushing, Queens with Jeremy Tiang, a novelist, playwright, and translator
originally from Singapore. His essay, “Many Englishes, Many Chineses” reflects Jeremy’s
nuanced and insightful perspective on translation. They also had the opportunity to film his
animated conversation with translator colleagues Jennifer Shyue and Barbara Ofosu-Somuah.
Jennifer translates the work of Asian-Peruvian writers from Spanish, and Barbara translates
from Italian the writings of African immigrants to Italy. All three bring imaginative, powerful but
otherwise unavailable poetry and fiction to English language readers. All three are also
founding members of the American Literary Translators Association’s recently formed BIPOC
caucus.
On their second day, they also filmed in the offices of New Directions Publishing, a legendary press
that began publishing adventurous books in translation in 1936 and hasn’t stopped since.
Publisher in chief Barbara Epler provides a walking tour of the wall art, the doodles and photos of authors, the special room full of first editions, all reflecting the company’s rich history and its outsized role in bringing translated authors to American readers. They also filmed a work session between editor Tynan Kogane and translator Minna Zallman Proctor on the Italian author, Natalia Ginzburg, reviewing together which writings of hers to translate next.
They are at the beginning of their filmmaking journey. Next up: some serious fundraising to be
able to continue developing our cumulative portrait of these gifted guides to a richer, more inclusive world.
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JULIA VINOGRAD FINAL INTERVIEW COMPLETED
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Ken Paul Rosenthal completed a seventeenth and final camera interview for his in-progress documentary JULIA VINOGRAD: BETWEEN SPIRIT AND STONE. Watch his 7-minute presentation from the Jewish Film Institute’s recent pitch event here. Ken discusses the film on the Badass Bookworm podcast and in an interview with Poesy Magazine here.
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THE BLUES TRAIL REVISITED HITS THE ROAD
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Fresh off a nearly sold-out screening of THE BLUES TRAIL REVISITED at The Cabot Theater in Beverly, MA, Ted Reed is hitting the road in January for yet another screening of his award-winning film during the IBC, held on historic Beale Street in Memphis.
The Blues Trail Revisited is available to rent here.
Check out The Blues Trail Revisited Podcast, available on most podcast apps or click here.
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USED VIDEO EQUIPMENT FOR SALE |
Filmmaker Erin Palmquist is selling some great used video equipment. Everything is available for pickup in Oakland, CA. Read more details here. |
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LOOKING FOR CINEMATOGRAPHER |
Janice Rogovin, a Boston-based documentary filmmaker, photographer and teaching artist, is
looking to hire a cinematographer to finish a documentary film about four young women
who studied photography with her at a public high school for youth considered at-risk.
Janice started the film in 2001 when the young women were graduating from high
school. She has maintained connections with the women over the years, all who live in
the Greater Boston Area, and is making plans with them to go back and find out how
their dreams and hopes have evolved. Janice has received numerous awards for her
work including a National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship and three
Massachusetts Artist Fellowships. Her full-length documentary film, The Man in the
Cowboy Hat, screened at the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival and the Boston
Latino International Film Festival in 2017. Her first feature film, 48 Years Going on 50, a
documentary about her parents’ relationship, screened at the Institute of Contemporary
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IN-PERSON DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING COURSES |
Community Supported Film is offering a comprehensive set of in-person courses on documentary filmmaking in Boston, MA starting in January:
FILMMAKING COURSE
WORKSHOPS
MENTORING
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"THIS TOO IS LIBERIA"
A film by Artina Michelle and Marcus Clarke
THIS TOO IS LIBERIA is an immersive documentary that follows Liberian surfer Melvin Kabakole Jr. and his friends as they heal their traumatized communities through surf therapy.
Liberia is a beautiful country with a rich history. The majority of the country lives on the coast of the Atlantic ocean; yet, most of its population cannot swim. There is a cultural trauma surrounding the ocean due to high rates of drownings and taboo water ritual practices.
However, Melvin and his colleagues see the ocean as a place of power, peace, and opportunity. They are disheartened by all the drownings but, instead of giving into fear, they decide that teaching others about the ocean is the key. The young surfers try to use their skills to start the Monrovian chapter of a water safety and surf therapy program called Waves For Change. We follow their story as they try to convince their headstrong community to attempt a new way of living.
Read more and contribute to the film here.
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Featured Resource Of The Month |
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2022 Sustainability Resolutions |
Happy New Year! Dear Producer has put together a list of suggested sustainability resolutions to help encourage good physical, mental and financial health for producers.
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Want to support CID while you shop? Sign up for AmazonSmile and select The Center for Independent Documentary, Inc. as your preferred charity at smile.amazon.com/ch/04-2738458. Remember to shop for deals at smile.amazon.com, or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon app, and AmazonSmile will donate to us at no cost to you.
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We are grateful for the generous support of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Mass Cultural Council, and administered by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture. |
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Center For Independent Documentary | 1-339-364-1278 | www.documentaries.org |
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