Hot Docs 2019 – Happy Android
Street performer Paul Cooper has an unlikely ally in his ongoing battle with anxiety and depression – his robot, Tubby.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Jaina Kalifa
Watch Happy Android on DocPlay
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made Happy Android because I wanted to tell an amazing story in a playful way. I’ve known the subject of the documentary, Paul Cooper, for 15 years and I’ve always loved Tubby the Robot. Because Paul and I have been friends for so long and he’s a creative person, he was the perfect collaborative partner to work with me on this project. Mental health is also really important to me so it’s a story that I was driven to tell.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Firstly, to meet two wonderful characters: Tubby the Robot and his creator, Paul Cooper. Secondly, it’s a story that a lot of people will relate to. Mental illness is something that’s really prevalent and if you haven’t experienced it yourself then you’ll probably know somebody who has. And thirdly, it’s not your average mental health film. Happy Android provides a fresh perspective on mental health issues and explores how the arts and creativity can be used to transform mental illness. I’ve experimented with magical realism and included interviews with Tubby as a character in his own right. This allows Tubby to offer poignant reflections on Paul’s challenges and creates a unique and engaging storytelling style.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The main themes that the film explores are mental illness, family and the transformational power of creativity. My mother is an art therapist, so I understand the power of the arts to transform trauma and to help manage emotions. I created this film to hopefully spark a different conversation around mental health.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film has evolved via the input of the great team that I worked with and through my collaboration with Paul. Without a doubt, my friendship with Paul was an asset in the filmmaking process. It created an openness and intimacy as we collaborated to find the best way to tell his story. He was involved in the early development stages and our conversations helped me to create an authentic representation of his life and a narrative framework for the film. When we got to the post-production stage, I worked with a fantastic team who helped me fine tune the storytelling style. During the filming, I had gathered a number of different ‘ingredients’ and because some of the content was quite experimental I didn’t know exactly what would work until I started playing with it in the edit. I had to let go of some of my original ideas. Although I set out to experiment, it was really important to me that these more playful elements became so deeply integrated into the story that they didn’t look or feel like ‘experiments’ to the audience. My post-production team and a group of test screeners helped me to understand what wasn’t working and made some really important and valuable contributions to the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film will be having its world premiere at Hot Docs in Toronto later this week so it hasn’t been seen by many people yet. I know my Mum likes it :) and the other test screeners who have seen the film were also really moved by the story.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
While I haven’t been surprised by the feedback so far it’s been fantastic to see that the film is resonating emotionally with audiences. When I make a film, a big part of the storytelling is structuring an emotional journey and until I put the film in front of an audience I don’t know if they will actually be carried by the story. It’s really satisfying to see that audiences are being moved.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We Are Moving Stories is another great platform for reaching a wider audience so I hope that this article will make more people aware of the film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have a sales agent and are now looking for buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists to help us get the film to audiences.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Thankfully, there is a growing trend to talk more publicly about mental health issues, which is helping to make mental illness more socially acceptable. This film is part of that conversation. I hope that it provides some comfort and inspiration to those who are suffering and that it helps to build understanding and compassion in the wider community.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How we can we use the arts and creativity to help manage our mental health?
Would you like to add anything else?
I would just like to thank Paul for being brave enough and strong enough to share his story in such an honest and revealing way. I’d also like to thank everyone who has been involved in making the film what it is today. It wouldn’t be the same without you.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
My next major project will be a long-form documentary, either a feature documentary or a one-hour. I’m looking for a really multilayered and unique story and am in early development on a couple of different options at the moment. I’ve made a lot of short docs so I’m looking forward to having more screen time to really immerse the audience in the story.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Happy Android
Street performer Paul Cooper has an unlikely ally in his ongoing battle with anxiety and depression – his robot, Tubby.
Length: 24:51
Director: Jaina Kalifa
Producer: Jaina Kalifa
Writer: Jaina Kalifa
About the writer, director and producer:
JAINA KALIFA is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who is passionate about working on character-led stories and projects that make a positive social or environmental impact. His documentaries have screened in film festivals around Australia and overseas and have been broadcast internationally. His film Strudel Sisters was the winner of the 2016 Devour Golden Tine Award for Best Short Documentary and in Official Selection for Hot Docs 2016 and Sydney Film Festival. Jaina recently produced Land Art, a four-part documentary series for broadcast on ABC News 24 and ABC iview, and he has a number of documentary projects in development.
Key cast: Paul Cooper (Himself)
Looking for: distributors, journalists, film festival directors, buyers
Facebook: Happy Android
Twitter: @HappyAndroid3
Hashtags used: #HappyAndroidDoc
Website: www.jainakalifa.com
Other: Vimeo
Funders: Self-funded with marketing assistance from Screen Australia
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival / Toronto - 28 & 29 April 2019