Melbourne Documentary Film Festival - FIXED!
FIXED! is a lighthearted look at the folks behind the Repair Café Toronto, a group of volunteers who will fix your broken items...for free.
Interview with Writer/Director Cat Mills
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks! I made the film because I felt like the Repair Cafe movement really targeted three shortcomings in our current society: It challenges our throw away culture. It teaches us how to do new things. It gives us face to face time with other people, helping us build community
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It is no surprise that the world isn't in great shape right now. There is climate change, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, bleaching corals, and massive human rights issues regarding mining precious metals for the production of things like your cell phone. One of the biggest sources of toxic waste in this world is e-waste: electronics. If we're going to fix these problems we need to work together.
It is easy to look at things and be completely overwhelmed and not know what to do. We wanted to make a film that would inspire and empower people; not to depress them. The central message to the film is simple: come to a Repair Cafe and get your stuff fixed for free.
Fixing your items will save them from ending up in the landfill. But not only that, you'll get the opportunity to learn how to fix your item so the next time something breaks you can try to do it for yourself. You'll also get a chance to meet some really interesting and nice people. We spent so many hours in front of computer screens that sometimes we forget that we need to be around other people. It is easy to become socially isolated. Attending a Repair Cafe is a great way to meet your community.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I love quirky things and eccentric people. I'm drawn to them, possibly because I'm a bit unconventional as well. I'm attracted to projects that really challenge the way people think or act. I have a web series about weird world festivals and the objective with that was to get people out of their homes and out to check out some fun and crazy events. A lot of weird competitions happen in small towns, so the focus is on community as well.
My mother was an environmental columnist when I was growing up, so sustainability is something that I'm very active with in my personal life and I'm always looking for ways to bring it out to audiences and start a discussion.
I also just love sharing stories about things that no one has heard about.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We pitched the film at the Hot Docs Short Pitch competition in 2016 and it won first prize and was fully funded through BravoFact. At the pitch we wanted the film to follow 3 Fixers and 3 Visitors as they work together to fix their broken items - they'll either succeed or fail. The film has followed that very closely, except that we end up following 5 pairs of strangers as they try to repair the items.
It was a strange documentary to make in the sense that we couldn't really predict who would walk through the door and what item they would bring. We probably filmed 11 different pairings, all of which had certain strengths. It was really difficult to choose the ones that we did, but we chose them because there was something charming in the characters, the interactions or the objects.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far the feedback has been great! We received an Honourable Mention from DOXA in Vancouver, where we had our world premiere. People have been finding our facebook page and asking us where they can screen the film. Festivals have been very supportive, and people who have seen the film are talking about starting up their own Repair Cafes.
The Story of Stuff even shared our trailer on their page, resulting in 17K views, which is super exciting. It's been really lovely reading the positive comments in the feed (and usually one tries to avoid reading comments!!)
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It's surprised me in the sense that people are more receptive to it than I originally thought. I think we all feel a bit helpless when we look at the state of the world, but when you hear about ways you can make a difference and reduce waste in your own community, you get excited and want to share the message. That is what is happening right now with the film; people are talking about it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are hoping to reach a wider audience and raise awareness about Repair Cafe. We want there to be a Repair Cafe in every town.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
The film will be broadcast on Bravo in Canada late this year/early next year. What we really want right now are film festival directors/programmers to take note of the film and program us. We want to bring this story all around the world!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We're really not fussed about awards or prestige. We want people to connect to the film and be inspired to make changes in their own lives and communities.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
"Have you ever tried to fix a broken item?" It's a simple question, but a lot of us would say "no", because we think things can't be fixed, it is easier to buy something new, and we are scared of failing. This is also a generational thing. A lot of older people know how to fix things because they were raised with those skills. Many young people don't know how to fix things and schools are closing down woodworking shops and other classes. This is going to cause problems for the future if these skills aren't learned and passed down.
Would you like to add anything else?
Get involved! Find out if there is a Repair Cafe/Fixit group in your own community. If there isn't, then start one. Melbourne has its own Repair Cafe that you can check out.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Cat is in production on a documentary about two air guitarists who are learning burlesque (Mark and Carlos Do Burlesque) and a short documentary about large men with small dogs (Big Men, Small Dogs).
Joella is producing a film about a Vancouver-based trans activist who has been documenting her transition on social media, sparking questions about censorship. The documentary is called Do I Have Boobs Now?
Interview: May 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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FIXED!
FIXED! is a lighthearted look at the folks behind the Repair Café Toronto, a group of volunteers who will fix your broken items...for free.
Length: 14 minutes
Director: Cat Mills
Producer: Joella Cabalu
Writer: Cat Mills
About the writer, director and producer:
Cat Mills: Cat Mills is a Toronto-based Canadian filmmaker. She is a CFTPA and documentary Channel Doc Accelerator fellow and her material has appeared on BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera.
Joella Cabalu (producer):
Joella Cabalu is a Filipino-Canadian Vancouver-based documentary filmmaker. In June 2015, Cabalu delivered her first broadcast documentary It Runs in the Family as a producer, director and writer.
Key cast:
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Festival directors/ programmers
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FIXEDdocumentary/
Funders: BravoFact
Made in association with: BravoFact
Where can I see it in the next month? Palm Springs International ShortFest (to be announced early June), Valletta International Film Festival (to be announced early June).