There are over 2.3 million Somali refugees displaced internally and abroad. In the recently Oscar-nominated short film ASAD, director Bryan Buckley tells the story of those currently living in the war-torn country through the eyes of a young boy deciding a destiny between piracy and the life of an honest fisherman.
For every second of airtime, a Super Bowl advertisement costs about $100,000. Buckley has directed more than 40 and upholds a reputation of incorporating excellence, humour and relevance in all his projects. That same level of dedication translates to Buckley’s success with short films including No Autographs and the recently Academy Award nominated ASAD. Buckley talks with one small seed about what ASAD means to him personally, professionally and how he hopes the film will continue to make an impact long after the red carpet.
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ASAD is dynamite in content. What motivated you to tackle this material content and attempt to convey it to the world?
The people of Somalia have been through such unthinkable hardships.
What little the world knows about the country is through a very narrow lens of news clips from the BBC and CNN about pirates and warlords. They are painted as caricatures. What they are missing is the beautiful spirit and humanity there.
I believe if you understand people’s spirit better, positive change in their human condition undoubtedly will ensue.
heegantimes
How did you and ASAD producer, Mino Jarjoura, come to meet?
We met on a job in Brazil when the producer I was working with became ill. Mino stepped in, and we never looked back.
hungryman
Because of the instability in Somalia, you shot in South Africa — what was your overall impression of the country?
Spend a few days working in South Africa, and it doesn’t take long to realize the country is an open book with unlimited ceiling for success. There is a real pride there, and rawness. It’s the kind of environment I gravitate to work in.
fromthefrontrow
In the press release you say: ‘This educational experiment has caught the eye of the South African government and the United Nations.’ Could you please tell me how… ? The importance of education is something our government needs to be brutally honest about — too many schools lack in the primary resources (books, computers, teachers, clean toilets and so on). Is there a way for the public to get involved and perhaps help serve as a catalyst for change?
Our first screening of ASAD in Cape Town brought members from both SA’s leading political parties. We were able to tell our story to them. And informed them how Harun and Ali, who had never been to school and were thus illiterate, were able to excel once given an opportunity to attend lessons and reached a fourth and third grade learning level in nine months. Absolutely remarkable.
My hope is that with the momentum of the film’s success we can expand upon the system we have set up. And bring more children into the school who would have otherwise gone uneducated.
This will require funding for sure. And we will turn to the private sector to provide this. Ultimately, these children will grow into the educated leaders of their community. And they will fight to build schools for the next generation. And slowly change will follow.
wikivillage
All actors in the film are Somali refugees I believe. What was the process of finding these actors who gave such an authentic, raw and brilliant performance?
We were determined to use all Somalis in our cast. We reached out to a community of Somalis in Bellville, South Africa. We did an open casting call. We then laid down people on tape, not asking them to do lines, but rather to improve certain scenes from the film. We knew they weren’t going to be actors. We were only looking for their raw acting skills. We had a series of callbacks in Cape Town where we began to whittle down to the people we thought were the best for the job. And then began to train them on their lines.
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The two leads in ASAD are Somali brothers Harun and Ali Mohammed. What are the chances of them joining you at the Oscars on 24 February?
As of now, the UNHCR has been working tirelessly to get the necessary documents together to allow the boys and their father to travel. It’s hard to predict if they will be successful since we are in somewhat uncharted territory. I really hope it works out.
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With such talent as they have, do you know if the brothers will continue to act?
I am not a real fan of children pursuing acting careers at such young ages. I think it’s more productive now that they continue to get their education. There will be plenty of time for them to be on the screen. And the raw talents they have will only be enhanced with knowledge.
fromthefrontrow
What mindset did you adopt for this short film that maybe differed from previous projects?
We were in total control of the project since we were funding the whole thing. So there wasn’t any looking over our shoulder to see what an agency or client thought. It was us looking at each other saying, ‘Did we nail it?’
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After receiving numerous awards including Best Narrative Short and one of The Five Hottest Short Films of the Summer on the festival circuit and being Oscar nominated, what are your hopes for this film?
Creating a greater understanding of the people of Somalia is the most important to me. And the appreciation for immense talent that lays untapped with not just Somali refugees but all refugees around the world.
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You have amazing success with the commercial industry, and are known for your humorous super bowl shots. ASAD is much more sober in content but was humour incorporated regardless in the film?
It’s virtually impossible for me to do anything without a bit of humour. And in this case, I felt that humour could help humanize the characters in the film. And allow the audience to identify with them more.
wikivillage
It would appear this film was a labour of love of sorts. Do you have any other projects that will follow a similar theme?
Yes, for sure. I think we all do, right? It’s just a matter of hammering away at them until they happen.
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You have been recognized as Commercial Director of the Decade and named one of the 50 Best Creative Minds in the last 25 years by Creativity Magazine. What would be the one project or person that taught you the most about what it means to be ‘creative’?
Creative to me isn’t a one-person thing. It’s a cumulative thing. We, in a sense, are gifted with a hard drive when we are born. We start loading stuff onto it right after the doctor slaps our asses. After that we are off running.
To point to one person or project who taught me the most would be impossible. There are just so many people along the way. And continue to be.
Interviewed by Heather Worthing
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