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By Stephen J. Kotz
The Oscar-winning documentary film and television director, who lives in Springs, talks about the upcoming screening of his film, “Voices of Serafina,” at the Bay Street Theater, his start as a filmmaker and what inspires him in his work.
“Voices of Serafina!” chronicles the visit of a troupe of South African singers and actors to New York in 1987. Can you tell us about it?
The musical is based on the Soweto uprising of June 16, 1976. The police responded brutally—as many as 700 were killed. But that event actually turned things around. The children became more important in the resistance than anyone else. The government never really gained the upper hand after that. The film includes portions of the performance and interviews with the young cast.
How did you get your start in filmmaking?
I was with the Royal Shakespeare Company as stage manager for four years. I was working with [British director] Peter Brook in London and told him I really wanted to get out of dark basement rehearsal room. He urged me to go to New York…. I like to say I came with the Beatles because I came the same year, 1964.
At first I was a production assistant. Everyone going into the film industry should start as a production assistant. You have to learn from the bottom and learn how much hard work it is. The first thing I had to do was sync up the dailies with the sound. I knew I didn’t want to do that, so I found myself getting into recording sound and eventually camera work. I then decided the people I worked for had no idea what they were doing. So I made “Close Harmony”— and won an Academy Award.
Your first movie won an Oscar?
For best short documentary — and that was completely to my surprise. But it didn’t help with work. Who wants to have an Academy Award winning soundman sitting behind them?
“Close Harmony” tells the story of an intergenerational choir of elementary school children teaming up with senior citizens in Brooklyn. Where did the idea come from?
It was at Brooklyn Friends School. My kids attended the school, and one was in the choir. My wife said to me when we saw the concert the previous year, “That would make a good film.” And it did. It’s been in continuous distribution since 1982.
“Close Harmony” is showing the same week at the Rogers Memorial Library. Two people called me up on the same day and asked me if I would be interested in screening one of my films. I’ve been a freelancer my whole life and I know if you haven’t worked for a couple of weeks, you always get offered more than one job at the same time.
What inspires you as a filmmaker?
Social issues, people who need a voice and who need to be seen. I think I was brought into the world to do something positive about the place and try to make it better. I was taught that at a young age. Film seemed a good way to do that. It lets you get into people’s lives in the most extraordinary way. They open up if you are open to them and don’t arrive with an opinion or point of view.
What are you working on now?
“I’m working with a partner in New York on the first episode of what I think would be a good documentary series about how we don’t talk to each other anymore, how people sit down to dinner and they are looking at their iPhones or their iPads and nobody is having a conversation and there is so much going on in the world. Perhaps we can help bring this county back to the community that it should be.
“Close Harmony will be shown at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton on Thursday, February 25, at 5:30 p.m. “Voices of Serafina” will be screened at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 28.
